Wednesday, February 16, 2011

20 benefits of having me house-sit your home or apartment

My free home-sitting service (tipping is appreciated) is ideal for single people in hospital who have nobody responsible to watch their homes, keep the heat and lights on, water plants, feed and walk pets, keep bills paid, and protect homes from burglaries, fire, frozen pipes, gas leaks, and water damage. Insurance companies prefer homes that are inhabited over vacant homes. I will even visit you in hospital to bring you personal items from home. It’s a reciprocal arrangement: I protect and maintain homeowners’ property and my payment is having a rent-free roof over my head.

Most of my clients have been teachers, realtors, business owners, or writers on assignment who
want the peace of mind that their homes and pets are being maintained and inhabited 24 hours a day. Others are travel agents on fam trips, event planners, authors on book tours, consultants on assignment, public speakers, military personnel, transferred executives who haven’t yet sold or rented their former homes.

I began house-sitting for vacationing Bed & Breakfast hosts in Toronto in 1994, and pet-sitting in 1976. As a member of TrustedHousesitters.com and Housecarers.com and, I have house-sat for free – as far north as Toronto to as far south as Washington DC, while promoting my how-to e-books online. But when several homeowners in a row changed their vacation plans, suddenly I was stranded hundreds of miles from Erie with an empty wallet. So for now I am accepting house-sitting assignments in Erie County only. All my belongings are in storage here in Erie.


20 Benefits of Retaining a Housesitter (by Andrea Reynolds)

1. It's a free service. There is no charge for basic home and pet-sitting services on a 24 hour basis for the length of your absence.

2. Pets get to stay in their own familiar home on their own schedules, which means less stress for them.

3. Homeowners can avoid the $20+ per day cost of boarding pets.

4. Pets avoid the possibility of "kennel cough" and any other infection or fleas from other animals.

5. Pets have 24 hour human attention and affection.

6. Plants are watered and tended as instructed.

7. Newspapers and mail are collected daily.

8. Lights are turned on and off at appropriate times of the day.

9. Phones are answered and messages are recorded or forwarded.

10. Trash and recycle bins are put out for pick up on time and brought back inside.

11. Walks are kept clear of ice and snow to prevent pedestrian falls and potential liability.

12. Insurance companies won't jack up insurance rates for homes that are inhabited.

13. Appliances such as freezers, furnaces, water conditioners, humidifiers, water heaters are monitored for maintenance and breakdowns.

14. Homeowners can receive email updates, photos, videos, or Skype communication from their house-sitter.

15. Expected deliveries are accepted.

16. Potential burglars who are "casing" for vacant homes are deterred.

17. Homes are kept clean: vacuumed, dusted, etc.

18. Emergency situations such as frozen pipes are averted.

19. Perishable food is restocked when requested.

20. Laundry is clean and folded when requested.

Home owners can use this handy checklist to determine their housesitting requirements: http://www.AndreaReynolds.com/housesit.php

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