any tips on how to secure a house sit, its a bit like a new job how am I supposed to get experience when I don't have any. Any tips Ann R i/c

hi Ann, when i first srarted sitting i teamed up with my friend stephie and we had a good long run of sits.i gained experience and references that way and have been fully booked since, So consider teaming up with some one you know or feel you could work together with, to get you up and going, also respond as quikly as possible with lots of positive info to referrals you are interested in. good luck, sidrose

Hi Ann,

You may have references you didn't think of - have you done your friends/coworkers/family favors over the years by watching their home/pets for them every so often? If so, have them write a letter of reference and have a list of references ready for homeowners that would like to contact them.

Be sure to let your inner circle know what you are up to and ask them to let others know also. Word of mouth has provided me with most of my past sits. We recently moved from CO to MA and when people ask if we are available, I now tell them we are on a long term sit and give them the contact info of 4-5 friends that do what we are doing.

A website/blog can be a great (and inexpensive) way to get the word out, also. I am not very techy but I was able to figure most of this computer stuff out on my own. When I was in my twenties, I ordered cute business cards and handed them out to whoever I thought would be interested or would know someone who was. I think the catalog was called Colorful Images.

Most property/pet owners are simply looking for someone professional that they can trust. If you are a responsible, trustworthy person, think of ways you can convey that to the homeowners. The sit we are on now is our first as a couple. I hadn't done this kind of thing full-time in years, yet we found a great long term sit within days of actively pursuing one. I looked at finding a good sit like I would any job - spent a lot of time researching and sent personal inquiries to everyone we were interested in sitting for. You will find a good match, I am sure!

Valynne
www.caretakingcouple.wordpress.com

Hello,
is it possible to get a Reference from your local Vet stating you were an attentive pet owner. Vet's don't like saying too much in a reference, but they are valuable to have.

Maybe a reference from the real estate agent who sold your house stating it was always neat and clean and you were an easy and pleasant person to deal with. If you were renting then the estate agent could still provide a reference as to how you cared for the property.

A reference from a friend on how you interact with their pets would be ok.

Have a good read of the forums here to gain advice from others. Have a read of other house sitters Ads to get an idea of what they offer and how they go about it.

I wish you well
Kind regards
Robyn