How to SAVE $$$ with House & Pet Sitting
www.happyhousesitters.com.au
Ph: 0425 722 184
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Contents
• Who are we?
• How You Can SAVE $$$
• Homeowner Guide
•
Is House Sitting for Me?
•
What are the Benefits of Getting a House & Pet Sitter?
•
How to Write a Winning Ad
•
Responsibilities as a Homeowner
Sitter ID Checks
• House Sitters Guide
•
Is House Sitting for Me?
•
What are the Benefits of House Sitting?
•
How to Write a Winning ad
•
What are My Responsibilities as a House Sitter?
•
Make the Most of Your Stay
•
How to get asked back.
•
Top 5 Pet-Sitting Tips
•
References and Police Checks
•
Responding to ads
•
Happy Stories - Testimonials
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Who are we?
Happy House Sitters is an Australian owned and operated business founded by Ruth and Malcolm
Myers, a Melbourne couple who have perfected the concept of house-sitting. They are proud to provide
Australian residents with a user-friendly and affordable online forum for both homeowners and house
sitters alike. They started our service back in 1999 and over the last 17 years, Happy House Sitters have
become one of the premier house-sitting and pet-sitting service companies in Australia. Happy House
Sitters strongly believes that our solid reputation has supported the expansion both the house and pet
sitting industry in Australia.
If you are looking for a convenient alternative to boarding your beloved pet in a cattery, dog kennel or pet
hotel, look no further! Your pets can feel comfortable and safe in their home environment and you can
have peace of mind knowing that your home is securely occupied by one of our trusted house sitters.
Established in 1999, Happy House Sitters is the most established and highly-trafficked Australian house
sitting site. We proudly serve Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, and surrounding
areas, as well as all of the rural and regional areas of Australia.
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How You Can SAVE $$$
Whether you’re thinking of becoming a house & pet sitter or thinking about getting a sitter, you can save
$$$ with house & pet sitting. Happy House Sitters assists home & pet owners find reliable house sitters
while helping house sitters find sitting opportunities!
Did you know kennels can cost from $280 - $420 per week? Home & pet owners no longer have to pay
huge kennel and boarding fees when you go away AND you have the peace of mind knowing that your
pet is safe in its own environment and your home is secure whilst you are traveling! All the money saved
on kennels can now be spent on you…much better!
Sitters get to live in a lovely home and care for the pets while living RENT FREE! This can save you
$1000s. Enough for a deposit on your own home. Everyone wins!
We have introduced home owners with reliable and trustworthy house sitters for almost two decades.
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Homeowner’s Guide
The following section is packed with information for the homeowner. It includes, the
benefits of house sitting, how to apply on our site and helpful hints to help you feel more
confident in your decision to entrust your home to a house sitter while you are away from
home.
• How do I find the right sitter?
House-sitting is about finding the right fit. When you start searching for a sitter, your first job is to choose
sitters to interview. During your interview process, negotiate the terms and conditions of your sit. It is a
good idea to create a 'condition report' together. Make your final decision after you have completed your
'due diligence'. Choosing the right sitter for you based on your requirements of the house-sit is easy.
Download the 'House Sitting Arrangement' document from our web site. Think about what you need.
Write a list. Ask questions. Be flexible. Be reasonable. Our sitters are living rent free but they are not
paid. In return, your home & pets are being cared for free of charge. You are striving for a mutually
beneficial arrangement.
• What Are the Benefits of Getting a House Sitter?
There are many benefits to getting a house sitter. Not only will it give you peace of mind, but you will be
able to travel without worrying about your home, possessions or precious pets. Below are the
advantages...
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• It's a FREE service
• Your pets will be loved and well-cared for
• You can save $$$ by using a house sitter as opposed to placing your beloved pet in a kennel,
cattery or boarding facility.
• Your pet will be more comfortable and less prone to getting sick in its own environment •
Your home and belongings will be safe and secure
• Your mail will be collected daily
• Your plants will be watered and cared for as well,
• Your messages will be retrieved and forwarded as necessary
• All home maintenance issues will be taken care of while you are away
Security
● Sitter ID Checks are available
You will return from your travels to a home that has been properly cleaned, cared for and maintained.
You can rest assured that your pets will receive all of the love and attention necessary to keep them
happy while you are away.
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• How to Write a Winning Ad.
Of course you want to make your advertisement for a house sitter appealing so you can attract the sitter
that suits you and your needs. You need to be as specific as possible and make sure to include the
following pertinent information for best results...
• Include pictures of your pet
• Non-identifying pictures of your home including backyard, kitchen, living room, bedrooms, etc •
General location of your home
• Local amenities and attractions (shops, transportation, etc.)
• Number of bedrooms in your home
• Features/Amenities of your home such as heating/air conditioning, pool, Wi-Fi, etc. • Relevant
information and general description of your pet(s) including medical or any special diet requirements,
etc.
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• What duties you expect from your house sitter including:
• Lawn care
• Pet care
• Housecleaning
• Other maintenance, requests responsibilities, etc.
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Here's what your completed ad will look like
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• Responsibilities of a Homeowner
As the homeowner, you need to ensure that your house sitter is fully aware of and has agreed to your
specifiBelow is a list of some of the responsibilities you have as the homeowner:
• Make an information packet containing all of the pertinent information your sitter will need including, but
not limited to, the following details:
• Emergency contact information: emergency services, doctors, vets, closest friend or relative to
contact in case of emergency, etc.
• All relevant information about your pet's: veterinarian information, shot and health records,
allergy information, feeding, walking and grooming instructions and any other relative
information
• Leave sufficient pet food to cover every day you are away.
• Leave your home in a clean and tidy state for the sitter (you should also expect to have it
returned in the same state).
• Visitors Policy: It's your home, so it's your decision about visitors. However, usually a reasonable
policy like 'a few friends but no parties' works best. Discuss this with the sitter.
• Discuss at your meeting and leave a note explaining how everything works and what doesn't
work .eg. TV/cable/pool/spa
• Dos and Don'ts: Make sure these are reasonable. They should be agreed at the meeting with
the sitter and in writing (forms available on our website), signed by both parties. This should
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include any areas of the home that are strictly “off limits” to the house sitter, if any. Include any
other important information like usage of vehicles and utilities (Wifi, Cable, etc.) Also if your
sitter will be responsible for paying utilities. You should discuss and negotiate a fair
arrangement.
• Day and Time for Garbage and Recycling Pick Up, etc.
• Your contact information: You should leave all of your contact information: email, cell phone,
pager, etc. and if, possible a copy of your general travel itinerary including hotel info, etc. so
your house sitter will be able to get in touch with you at all times.
• Security information including how to lock all doors and windows as well as how to set and
deactivate your home security system, etc.
• Any other relevant information that you deem is necessary: cleaning and maintenance
schedule, etc.
Before you leave.
• Make sure that your house is clean and in good shape and you have left pet food. • Store any items
that you do not want the sitter to have access to in a locked room in the house or externally. eg.
Valuables, breakables, documents etc
• Make sure that your house sitter has spare keys for whatever they need: house, garage, sheds,
vehicles, etc.
Relax and enjoy your trip knowing all is well at home and now you have lots of extra spending
money!!
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House Sitter’s Guide
• Is House Sitting for me?
So you might be wondering if house sitting right for you! It’s a great way to discover new places and meet
new people and pets. Below are some of the reasons why house sitting will reward you...
• SAVE $$$.You won’t have to pay rent.
• You love animals
• You’re saving to purchase a home
• You’re traveling/caravanning and need a place to stay
• You’re renovating your home and need a place to stay
• You've moved cities and you're not sure where you want to live
Questions to ask yourself if you are considering house sitting:
• What types of animals do I feel comfortable with?
• How flexible am I? Greater flexibility means more opportunities.
• What tasks/odd jobs am I prepared to do?
• Do I want to save money?
• What will I do with the rent money I save?
• What are the Benefits of House Sitting?
There are many reasons why house sitting is a great:
• SAVE $$$. Live RENT FREE!
• Stay in amazing places & care for pets/animals
• Have an adventure
• You can be your own boss
• Make new friends
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• Check out different places to live
• Not having the responsibilities of being 'tied' down to a lease, mortgage, etc. •
Freedom and independence
• You gain experience with different types of animals
• Gives you the chance to travel to new and exciting places
• Financial Stability
• How to Write a Winning Ad.
If you want to find the perfect house sitting position, it is imperative that you write an eye-catching
ad that will hook your prospective clients.
Don't write something bland. Home owners want to see your personality. Briefly tell them about
yourself, stage of life, pet experience, why you want to house sit, what you bring to the position
(why you?). Do you have references?(either character /rental /house sitting/ employer/ religious
group etc). Police checks? Any special skills eg. can give medication, handy person
A final word about pictures. This is possibly the most important part of your Ad. Always upload
pictures. Members with pictures get more sitting opportunities. It allows the home owner to put a
face to the words. Have at least one clear image showing your face.
Remember you are competing against other house-sitters so be sure to sell yourself! List
everything you bring to the house sit. Here's what your ad will look like. This ad could be improved
by adding more pictures .
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• Make the Most of Your Stay
Get out and explore the local surroundings. Visit the attractions unique to that area ...or just enjoy the
solitude. It's up to you. That's one of the best things about house sitting, you have the freedom and
flexibility to do as you choose during your free time.
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How to get asked Back.
You were chosen for the house sit because the homeowner found you to be trustworthy and responsible.
Going above and beyond the job will bode well for you and help you to secure other house sitting jobs,
as well as possible future jobs with the same client.
Little things go a long way. You should make sure you leave the home in clean and tidy condition. Be
sure to replace any food you may have eaten, even if they told you not to do so. A nice thank you note
and/or flowers are always appreciated... and makes it more likely they will ask you back!
• Top 5 Pet-Sitting Tips
Now that you have some insight into the exciting world of house sitting, let us provide you with 5 of the
best Pet-Sitting tips:
• Stick to the pet's routine: Animals thrive on routine. If you stick to their daily routine, the animal
will feel comfortable, loved and happy.
• Keep in touch with the home owner: SMS or email the home owner a few times during your stay.
Send a picture of the pet so they know it's safe and happy.
• Enjoy your house sit: Make the most of your time. See things, do things, relax, enjoy the house &
pet(s).
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• If your goal is to save $$$: Make sure you don’t increase your living expenses just because you’re
not paying rent. It’s easy to do without realising it. Make the most of this opportunity to save as
much as you can.
• Welcome them home: Have a yummy meal and some flowers ready when they return. It's really
appreciated and will go a long way to them asking you back!
• References and Police Checks
References can be character, employer, community member, rental, past house sitting jobs
If you have references, include them as part of your profile. Take them when you go for your first meet
and greet or interview with a pet owner.
A police check is not necessary to join, but a some homeowners do require a police check before
securing a house sitter. This is quite normal
A police check can be obtained from any police station or
www.policecheckexpress.com.au
www.cvcheck.com/PoliceChecks.aspx
www.nationalcrimecheck.com.au
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• Responding to ads
You’ve created your Happy House Sitters account and now you’re ready to find a job. These helpful tips
can assist you in the manner to which you should respond to ads for potential house sitting positions. •
Respond to Ads ASAP. Some locations are competitive.
• Sell yourself in your responses: Be positive, professional and personal all at once. Let them see you
are excited and optimistic about the job, tell them about yourself, why you want the sit, what you
would bring to the sit. Your experience with pets/animals. Include a photo. Let your personality
come through.
• Follow up within 24-48 hours: If you haven’t received a response from your last contact, politely
reach out to the homeowner. However, you don’t want to harass them, so contact them once or
twice within a 2 day period and give them a chance to respond.
• Remain positive. Even if you don’t get the job, send them a little thank you note for considering you
in the first place. It can’t hurt just in case their initial candidate falls through, or they are not
satisfied with the person they hired after their sit and might consider you in the future. A little
courtesy on your end will go a long way!
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• Hear from Happy Home & Pet Owners:
Below are a few testimonials taken directly from our website from previous satisfied homeowners who
have had a positive experience with Happy House Sitters:
We have used the Happy House Sitters website service for several years now. It is a cut above similar
services in my opinion. The admin team are keen to listen to user feedback and the website is well
managed. The quality of house sitters has been generally high. If I need to email for an enquiry about the
site or other matters Malcolm and his team are always quick and efficient in responding.
I would gladly recommend Happy House Sitters to anyone seeking to connect with potential house and
pet sitters.
~Maryjane, Brisbane
Hi Malcolm
We have just returned from Easter break to well fed, happy dogs. The house looks great and our house
sitter, Leonie, has been lovely and communicative. We’d have her back again, so hopefully she won’t be
too booked up by other home owners:) We’ve never used such a service before so it worked out better
than I could have hoped.
Thank you for your online support
~Claire, Melbourne
We recently used Happy House Sitters to get in touch with people to look after our Corgi X and house in
St Kilda, Victoria. I think I had about 8 emails from all sorts of lovely sounding people within a couple of
hours of uploading my house details. I was so impressed because it meant I could book my holiday
flights straight away and I wasn't waiting around to hear back from prospective sitters...I just, wanted to
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thank you for setting this business up because it meant we could go away on holidays without stressing
about our dog in kennels or having to pay for them for a couple of weeks while we are away. ~Joh,
Melbourne
• .Hear from Happy House Sitters
Hello,
We became happy house sitters in April 2015. A friend we hadn't seen for many years was in our area at
the time & told us what he was up to. He and his wife had been house sitting for 5 years, saving a large
deposit for a home loan. They were currently house sitting nearby that's why we bumped into them.
We had already been signed up with another house sitting agency for more than 6 months, as we
wanted to save money to do overseas volunteer work. Unfortunately we had failed to secure one house
sit with that agency. So when our friend told us he was house sitting our first question was, "Who with?"
Of course it was Happy House Sitters!
We joined almost straight away. Within 24 hours we were contacted by a home owner who had seen our
profile & wanted to meet us to see if we would be suitable house & pet sitters in a few months time. The
interview went well & we were given approval to house sit. In the meantime we had contacted another
home owner whose house sitting dates fell before the first booking we already had. We were also
successfully approved for that house sit as well.
The two bookings we had fell June-July & July-Sept with only a weekend to separate them which gave
us time to go visit family & return for the second sit. Our experiences have only been favourable &
enabled us to save for our trip. We are currently 6 months into our 9 month sojourn & it's been going
exceptionally well.
We continue to receive the email updates from Happy House Sitters just in case we need to house sit
again on our return.
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Thank you to your team,
Naomi
Sent from my iPad
~Naomi, Melbourne
Just a short note to let you both know how happy we are having joined Happy House Sitters a couple of
years ago. Since joining we have had several "free" holidays in wonderful homes and locations in
Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra & Brisbane so far, and along the way we have met some very nice people,
we now call friends. We have recommended HHS to several of our friends who have also discovered the
delights of free accommodation holidays Australia wide.
Many thanks for your service...it's been great for us!
~Tony & Gerry, Traveling Australia
Happy House Sitters has been an opportunity of a lifetime! I have been house sitting permanently for
nearly 6 months now, every house sit through this website, and have enjoyed every minute. The website
is user friendly and sends me prompt updates, which is key when you need to arrange the next sit. I have
developed friendships that will be long standing, both with the owners and their pets, and it wouldn't be
possible without a service like this. Thank you :)
~Ana, Melbourne
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