As sitters we certainly don’t expect gifts, but are always touched when owners have remembered to bring a small token back from their travels.
Ely always makes a French tart, if not a full meal, on the owners‘return and we write a thank-you card and leave a small gift like flowers or a plant. All because we are so thankful for living in a great house with lovely pets!
Forget about money: even if the intention is good, it does feel a bit strange.
4 Likes
As a sitter I left gifts for the homeowners initially and then stopped. A homeowner on occasion has left us a bottle of wine when we arrived which is nice but I don’t really think sitters or homeowners expect a gift. On occasion I will bake a cake for the homeowner to enjoy upon their return and I always make sure the fridge is stocked so they don’t have to go shopping when they arrive back.
2 Likes
Thanks, JeanMarc. I wasn’t asking about leaving money - that part of my response was responding to a clarification from the post above.
Thank you for sharing - I love the idea of a plant and a card!
1 Like
Thank you, Annette!
1 Like
As a sitter I don’t leave a gift nor do I expect one. If the HO is returning from abroad late in the day I will normally make food they can heat up easily on their return. I have received gifts fro HO on numerous occasions. I feel that both the sitter and HO mutually benefit from any sit.
4 Likes
Hello @kristav and welcome to our community forum, thank you for joining in the conversation. You will find great support, ideas and suggestions from other members in the community.
We enjoy a unique and wonderful lifestyle. Connections are made between owners and sitters on many different levels and each will have their own way, it really is a very personal journey. What is the most important is we communicate so that everyone has the best experience possible.
At the centre of every experience and connection are the pets, they bring us together and make our community very special.
Enjoy the conversations and connecting with other members from around the world.
Angela & the team
As a sitter I leave a thank you card and flowers picked from their garden if ive enjoyed the sit if not I leave nothing.
I don’t expect a gift from the home owner but I’ve had a few and they made me smile 
5 Likes
I do think it’s a bit ridiculous that an owner may think they should get a gift. Pet care can be thousands of dollars. That is the gift for letting me stay in the home. Some expectations can be a bit much
9 Likes
@kristav welcome to the forum.
I do not expect a gift from HO. I usually leave some flowers and a card when I leave and say it comes from the pet with a sentence like " Fiona was great and I enjoyed our time together but I missed you welcome back.
I think the best thing to leave is a tidy home and a well cared for and happy pet(s) 
2 Likes
Hello,
You can go see this discussion, there are a lot of reviews
" When leaving a sit, do you leave a gift etc ? "
This topic is in the categorie Sitters, It is for gifts both ways.
Good reading
2 Likes
TH merchandise is my personal nightmare. I don’t like a lot of stuff, so I especially wouldn’t want merchandised goods left for me. I would thank the sitter, because I wouldn’t want to be a jerk, but I wouldn’t keep the gift.
5 Likes
I usually leave a batch of freshly baked scones and a pot of soup - something that can be frozen if not wanted on the day. If the owners have an orchard or fruit garden, I will use something out of that as the main ingredient, so it could be a dessert. We always leave the house spotless, sometimes cleaner than when we arrived. Lately, the “gifts” probably go unnoticed - a leaking tap washer replaced, the washing machine “de-scudded”, filters cleaned on the dishwasher.
4 Likes
Hi @Noelene and welcome to our THS community forum … scones and soup what a lovely welcome home that would be, thank you for sharing.
We have such a great community, everyone does it “their way” and it just works, sharing pets, homes, lives and unique experiences makes this lifestyle we enjoy very special, we can’t wait to get to know you better and share in your THS journey.
Enjoy connecting with other members and thank you for joining us.
Angela & The Team
2 Likes
The Gift I give owners when I leave is an exceptionally clean house. I go out of my way to do the little cleaning jobs people don’t have time to do such as cleaning tea stains off the sink, or getting the crumbs and dust out of the cuttlery draw, or getting dust and grease off the fan above the stove.
I work incredibly hard at HouseSits and go our of my way to take care the the house, garden and pets. I often find that I get given gifts for what I do, and often get asked to come back. Even with my regulars, I still do something that makes their house sparkle, make sure the outdoor areas are free of dust and leaves, to give them a good impression when they return.
6 Likes
Hi @karenfay , I’ve been waiting for cleaning to come up, so I’m honestly not getting at you.
Lots of people say they leave the house cleaner than when they arrive. I don’t know if this is always a good thing. Some people won’t notice, some people will appreciate the gesture, but it’s possible some people could be really affronted at the idea that the home they live in and love just wasn’t clean enough for some ‘random people’ who come and stay in it for a couple of weeks.
I have found myself cleaning things the cleaner has missed, till I realised that although I didn’t begrudge the HO a spotless house, I was going to get no credit for it. If they are happy with what the cleaner does who am I to interfere and I’d they are not it is an issue they need to address.
6 Likes
Hi @JackieX and @karenfay I am tending to agree with both of you. We do usually leave the house cleaner than when we arrive by just doing what we do at home, rather than doing anything special.
What I don’t understand is reading reviews by HOs saying how impressed they have been with the sitter:
sorting and re-arranging the cutlery drawers
tidying up the garage
cleaning out and re-organising cds/books etc in alphabetical order
cleaning and polishing cars that they didn’t even use and so on
Usually there is not much mention of looking after the pets in these reviews and I wouldn’t apply for these kind of sits.
If I was a HO I would be mortified to find that something had been re-organised without my authority.
15 Likes
Hubbie lifts out the following
2 cereal bowls
2 soup bowls
2 side plates
2 dinner plates
2 cups
Cutlery
Pots that he knows we will use
They get put over to the side and no need for us going in and out of cupboards etc.
I’m also realizing this is going to vary from sit to sit. Currently on a month long sit and the homeowners told us to eat whatever we want from the cupboard, fridge or freezer. Obviously the fridge stuff would expire before their return, but they are moving right after they return so they are ok with us cleaning out the pantry and freezer too. This is going to save us hundreds of dollars on food costs as they have frozen meat and veggies and a stocked pantry. With that said, we have decided we will leave them a grocery gift card when we leave so they can use it to stock their new kitchen. I see pet/housesitting as a relationship and if and what kind of gift you leave should probably be chosen on a case by case basis.
10 Likes
I’m a retired chef so I gravitate to food. I take a look around at the food they have and figure out what they like. I usually leave a pot of homemade soup, a pan of lasagna or a batch of homemade cookies. Food is always appreciated.
3 Likes
I usually leave some home made cookies or maybe a crumble or something I’ve made using the produce from the garden. I would never buy anything for a gift. I wondered about leaving a thank you card but it seemed unnecessary as the owners know how much we have enjoyed ourselves by our messages.
5 Likes