House/Petsitting Q&A

[ickaimp]

Some people had questions, so figured I'd post this up as a reference. Generally housesitting means petsitting (yay) so it'll be geared for that.

Housesitting is anywhere between $75-$175 a week, plus fridge raiding privileges. Barter also works. Talk to me, I'm flexible.

Things I ask for from you:

• Contact information. Where to reach you incase of emergency, generally a closer contact person (which often means parents for some reason) and vet's contact information.
Hopefully none of this information will be needed, but when it's needed, OMG you need it.

• Routines. Pets are used to certain things, let me know what they are and I'll do my best to follow that. Also, trash days so I can drag the cans out to the kerb and back again.

• Times if possible. When are you leaving, when are you coming back. Flight information also is nice for Icka's peace of mind.

• Let me know where to sleep. That sound strange, but if I don't know, I automatically assume I'm sleeping on the floor and will make a nest accordingly. This has caused for some amusement/embarrassment in the past.

• Where applicable, how the TV/DVD player works. @_@;; written instructions are your friend

• Internet access is also love.


Things I expect from myself: (cause, yeah. I travel too. I've been there.)

• Any used linens (sheets, towels, etc) are washed and the beds replaced with clean linens before I leave. Generally upon returning home you want to fall into the bed to sleep, not worry about making it.

• If you drink milk, here will be milk in the fridge. At least enough for a day or two. Again, rushing to the store is not something you want to worry about.

• Dishes are clean. Due to time constraints this sometimes doesn't mean 'put away', but there will not be any dirty dishes sitting in the sink.

• Privacy. I'm kinda paranoid about it, growing up in a large family with very little privacy. So if there are any doors or drawers or anything like that that are shut, they're gonna remain shut. Or if they're open, I'm gonna close them and they'll stay closed.
The exception to this is the Kitchen (doing the 'where is the frying-pan-and-spatula I'm hungry' dance) and sometimes the Bathroom (doing the 'band-aid! Band-aid! Oh gods I need this finger' dance).
-Lemme know where I'm allowed. Seriously. This is another one I get abnormally silly about.

• Security. I grew up in Los Angeles. Some paranoid habits, like automatic locking of doors, are hard to break.

• In the event I have accidentally broken something, I will do my best to replace or fix it. Anyway it goes, I will let you know instead of having you get a nasty surprise. Same thing if something goes wrong or weird.

• I should not be there when you get back. It's a personal thing from when I was travelling and getting my own house sat. Getting home means downtime, not social hour.

• The house is as clean, or cleaner than when you left.

• If I have done things properly, you should not know I was there. ^__^

Any further questions, drop me a line here (anon comments are allowed), or at my e-mail ickaimp @ gmail.com

Comments

[she-beast.livejournal.com]

Hey Icka,

I'm planning to drag Yoda away more often in 2009. I would be very interested in your services. We have the two mutts...the little one will be no problem at all, other than being over enthusiastic about EVERYTHING. LB is another story all together, but I think if you made friends with him a couple of times before we left that he would be fine. He settles down and accepts people once they've been in the house for a while. After a few visits he's totally cool and will actually trot out the door and greet folks. So, I think if we brought you in and had you babysit him a few hours for a few days while we're in town(with pay of course) that he would be fine.

If you're interested, let me know and we'll exchange contact information. Also, I'll let a few other folks know. Good pet sitters are hard to find.

Thanks,
She Beast

<-- sorry, the only doggie icon I have.

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

Am definitely interested! I'd love to meet the mutts! Thank you!

And thank you for passing my name on to others!

-Icka!

[saitaina]

Man I wish you lived closer by, mum keep talking about all these trips she wants to take before we move, but it's rather hard with ten cats and a dog (they rather like being fed daily *grins*).

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

*laughs*

That's actually one of the reasons why I love housesitting. I get to travel a bit, and in doing so, help someone else travel. Yay travel!!!

... wow. That's a lot of cats too.

[saitaina]

...I can't help it! I can't resist a cute little kitten face. Plus I like raising kittens so I usually don't get my cats fixed until their first litter (which made for a bunch of fun when two cats went into labor at the same time).

In addition, a lot of people know we rescue neglected cats so we gathered some from people who dropped them off so that they would have a better life (like our Sophia, who was rescued from the train tracks where she was trapped by two local boys and brought over).

...at least the fish is the easiest to take care of (I tend to forget we have him until I have to feed him or Seto's trying to eat him)

[ysabet.livejournal.com]

Hmm; you need a portfolio of affidavits ('Icka housesat/petsat for me on xx/xx/xx and kept the Huns from invading, signed Pope Titus XX') and a business-name.

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

The business name scares me.

However, a highlight reel of housesitting events might be amusing, if not scary.

from Crazy Auntie Kai

[kyrakai.livejournal.com]

You're hired. And as far as I'm concerned you never need to leave. I'll even give you your own bedroom :)

Re: from Crazy Auntie Kai

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Thanks! ^__^

[elinor-dear.livejournal.com]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. You kicked butt with my wee beasties and I'm happy to offer up a reference if you ever need one.

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

#^^# Thanks!
And I may end up asking you for that reference at some point. ^___^

[scribe-ari.livejournal.com]

will you be at scribble tonight so we can finalize your house sitting for us?

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

Yup and done. ^___^

[shade-scribbler.livejournal.com]

I think you do need a business name. You offer a lot with your house sitting. If you had a business name and could turn what you wrote into a contract or business plan along with letters from people who you have sat for that could help how you look "on paper" for that resume. You might be able to put the various "private household" gigs under one heading - of your own business. An "Icka Sits - Kids, pets, houses, whatever!" sort of company name. It might showcase better what you really do. You manage your own business. You might just need to modify terms to sound more business-y for the resume.

And wow - you sound like a great house sitter!

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

'Squid Sitting'-? One leg does this, one does that, another does that, and another... Heh.

You make a good point, never considered Housesitting on my resume except as an extra-curricular activity. It's fun, and useful.

And wow - you sound like a great house sitter!

... Really? o_O Doesn't seem like more than anyone else would do. I think?

[lferion]

A hearty recommendation from a Very Happy house-sat. Sam the cat is missing you, I think!

[ickaimp.livejournal.com]

Sam was an utter MOOCH. He'd curl up next to me while I was writing, and after a little while, stopped running away whenever I'd start cackling. Instead, he'd turn around and kinda glare at me for ruining his peaceful atmosphere.
It was really quite cute. ^___________^