Yes I usually cook a meal too, especially if the house owner has treated me to a welcome meal. Several Home owners say to me recently that that is a first !
It does depend what time they are back and I now ask if they would like that or not. It does create a lot of last minute work and stress but it’s nice for the travellers returning home to a warm meal.
As a homeowner, I prefer an ephemeral gift. I don’t expect anything at all, but I’d rather receive something perishable. I have a very uncluttered house and probably wouldn’t keep a photo of the pet or other souvenir. I would appreciate the gesture, but it would be wasted on me.
That’s a very good point. I hadn’t thought of it like that. I suppose it depends on the receiver as well as the giver. I once bought a lovely vase in the colours that I knew the home owner liked from her decor choices. She sent me a photo of her vase with flowers she put in out of her garden on the expensive hall table. It looked fabulous and was a way of showing me how well received my gift had been. I bought the vase as the home owner had accepted us having a relative visit one weekend.
I think it’s a personal preference. I’m a sitter and I hide a little note in the mail i collect, or under a package. Just thanking the homeowners for choosing me to sit .
Any thoughtfulness is great and goes a long way with me. The homeowner putting some flowers in my room on arrival. Just shows they want me to feel Welcome and warmly received. I wouldn’t cut flowers from their garden as they may prefer to see those growing on their plants.
One Home Owner told me to cut flowers and put them in vases for me to enjoy on my sit. I said I was outside more than in as the weather was great and preferred to enjoy them living. I was a solo sitter, maybe in company I might have felt differently.
I’m from Wisconsin so I’ve brought our famous chese curds to a few sits as well.
I have sat numerous times for a HO who is originally from Brazil. I left a box of brigadeiros for him after my recent sit and he was quite pleased.
That’s a very thoughtful Present. From My own experience of growing up In Brazil from the age of 18 months till I was eight, the Brazilians have a sweet tooth. When it was spoil children day they made lots of yummy sweets for children to enjoy! Happy days!
I don’t usually leave a gift. Some times I think about it, but I’m just not that organized to go out and get anything. Lately I have been giving extra attention to cleaning something that has been neglected - like at one recent house sit i scrubbed down their dish drain. And I have been giving people’s trash cans a good clean.
On one sit where there was a house cleaner we left her a tip. Besides keeping the house clean, her being there twice a week allowed us to go out without having to crate or worry about the dogs.
I often leave a bouquet of flowers (from the grocery store, not a fancy florist).
But I just came across a good deal on something that I think I’m going to leave for everyone - a cheese plane. In all of my sits I’ve only sat a handful of HOs who have one and I find them essential for slicing block cheeses into thin slicers. So I’ve just ordered 1 from Amazon to be delivered to me on the current sit. And I’ve ordered a half-dozen to bring along for upcoming sits. (Amazon has a really good price on 1 with a black rubber handle, colored handles are $5 more.)
I’m about to leave one the of weirdest gifts ever : A container of cinnamon.
Background : Ho said that ants have been a problem of late and I suggested cinnamon as a deterrent as it is both cat-safe and effective.
Ho had never heard that before……So, cinnamon it is !
I like to personalize my gifts when I leave a sit. This latest sit is in Stow on the Wold. The Church of England church here, st Edward’s, is very old and beautiful with a very special doorway that is often photographed and mentioned as an inspiration for” Lord of the Rings.”
I bought a coaster which is practical but also a lovely reminder of this pretty place.
I usually leave a handwritten note, tidy up, and sometimes some flowers or local treats if I know they’ll be appreciated. It depends on the vibe and how the sit went.
I once left a digital photo frame with a bunch of cute pet photos from the sit already loaded. The owners loved it—it was a small, personal way to say thanks and give them a fun memory of their time away. I’ve also done handwritten notes or baked something simple if I had time. Just depends on the vibe and length of the sit for me.
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@Maggie8K Well then, we were very lucky to get the Trader Joe’s dried mango you left for us! 
After a sit we usually make a little “postcard” with TouchNote. We save some photos from the sit, create a montage, and sneak in a hidden pic of us.
The cheeky message on the back? “Hi Humans, We had a Ball! Glad you weren’t here! 
”
It’s a fun way to share memories and leave the homeowners smiling.
I bought this in a charity shop. A photo frame is usually well received. These Home Owners were the loveliest and they were very artistic. Later they kept in touch and sent me a photo of the frame with the lady and Dylan together. It was fixed to their wall, so I know they loved seeing it, as I did.
We buy our homeowners a bottle of wine, and /or bread, eggs, milk etc all depending on what get like. We have also cooked a meal when they have had a serious few days of travel.
We shop local, because it works for us.
I didn’t need to eat any of the food they kindly told me to help myself on this two weeks’ housesit. The Home Owner is a professional golfer. The dog and I found two golf balls so these are our trophies. There was hardly any play on the greens as it was a total two week wash out!
I am leaving some wine too ; I hope they can enjoy it with some much needed sunshine!
Wine is a great gift.. if they don’t like it then give it away!
I must say giving balls as a present is my first and may be problematic, but I hope it raises a smile or two. The dog is quite ball obsessed.
