House sitter or how else to keep home safe while away on vacation?

[Anonymous]

We live in a nice neighborhood and one of my neighbors told me that there were two recent burglaries in our immediate area. Our parents live close by and come to our house every day when we’re away, but this summer, we will be traveling with them for about a week. We have an alarm system and lights we can control remotely (so it seems like someone is home). We don’t post on social media or even really talk about our travel plans to anyone except to our friends and family.

Given our neighborhood has been recently targeted, and is generally targeted (nice houses, empty nesters who leave town for extended vacations), I feel like we need to do something *more* than just have our parents come by the house once a day, plus we have to figure something out for the one week our parents can’t help us. Should we get a house sitter, and if so, how do we find one that is trustworthy? What exactly does a house sitter do, stay at your house all day? I don’t know how DH will feel about having a complete stranger living in our house. What alternative steps should we take?

[Anonymous]

What about adding cameras around your house? I think having a house sitter that you don't already know well staying there (and they won't be there all the time) could be more of a sign that you're gone than remotely adjusting the lights.

[Anonymous]

I'm a house/pet sitter. Yes, I stay there, and work remotely from the house. I take in mail, water plants, turn on/off sprinklers, play music, turn on/off lights, open/shut street-facing blinds, etc.

People find me through word-of-mouth. I don't advertise or use any websites/app.

Sometimes I have a friend over, but always clear it with the homeowners and it's like "My friend from work who's a lawyer would love to meet your dog - can I invite her over to play with Rover and let her stay for dinner?" And that's only after I've established a good working relationship with them.

[Anonymous]

Leave some stuff out as well e.g. old running shoes, old stroller etc. Ask your neighbor to park in your driveway.

[Anonymous]

We’ve never done anything special.

[Anonymous]

Automatic lights.

An alarm if you must.

Activity that is not predictable - not lights that turn on daily at 4pm and off at 10pm, but lights that you can randomize or turn off and on at will.

A visitor or two - someone to get the mail at different times each day, perhaps stay a while.

Leave a car there.

Don't let packages accumulate at the door or in view of windows.

Don't take trash out 4 days early and leave the bins for 4 days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Leave some stuff out as well e.g. old running shoes, old stroller etc. Ask your neighbor to park in your driveway.

Those things will get stolen.

[Anonymous]

Do you live in DC? I always have friends who want to come stay in my house while I'm traveling, because I'm close to metro and a short ride away from the tourist stuff. They get a free place to stay in a convenient location, I get my house and pets looked after. And I only ask friends; people I know will be considerate of the house and take good care of my critters. No bad experiences yet and I've been doing it this way for years! (only longer trips... for a long weekend I just get a local pet sitter)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about adding cameras around your house? I think having a house sitter that you don't already know well staying there (and they won't be there all the time) could be more of a sign that you're gone than remotely adjusting the lights.

We have lots of cameras around the house, which are a great deterrent and definitely give us some peace of mind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a house/pet sitter. Yes, I stay there, and work remotely from the house. I take in mail, water plants, turn on/off sprinklers, play music, turn on/off lights, open/shut street-facing blinds, etc.

People find me through word-of-mouth. I don't advertise or use any websites/app.

Sometimes I have a friend over, but always clear it with the homeowners and it's like "My friend from work who's a lawyer would love to meet your dog - can I invite her over to play with Rover and let her stay for dinner?" And that's only after I've established a good working relationship with them.

OP here. Interesting, thanks for sharing! I’ll ask around, but so far everyone I know leans on their neighbors or family to check in on their houses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Leave some stuff out as well e.g. old running shoes, old stroller etc. Ask your neighbor to park in your driveway.

Those things will get stolen.

What suburb? I know some places, things get taken. Where I live, things aren't stolen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a house/pet sitter. Yes, I stay there, and work remotely from the house. I take in mail, water plants, turn on/off sprinklers, play music, turn on/off lights, open/shut street-facing blinds, etc.

People find me through word-of-mouth. I don't advertise or use any websites/app.

Sometimes I have a friend over, but always clear it with the homeowners and it's like "My friend from work who's a lawyer would love to meet your dog - can I invite her over to play with Rover and let her stay for dinner?" And that's only after I've established a good working relationship with them.

OP here. Interesting, thanks for sharing! I’ll ask around, but so far everyone I know leans on their neighbors or family to check in on their houses.

You can look for house sitters at the most reputable pet care companies in your area. They often house-sit as well for folks who don't have pets, and you can just look at companies are bonded. It isn't inexpensive, but it's much better than finding someone random.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Automatic lights.

An alarm if you must.

Activity that is not predictable - not lights that turn on daily at 4pm and off at 10pm, but lights that you can randomize or turn off and on at will.

A visitor or two - someone to get the mail at different times each day, perhaps stay a while.

Leave a car there.

Don't let packages accumulate at the door or in view of windows.

Don't take trash out 4 days early and leave the bins for 4 days.

Thanks for the tips. I’ll have to mention to my parents to come at different times of the day and stay for a bit so it looks like they’re visiting us. Neighbor can help with our mail and trash bins the one week my parents will be traveling with us.

[Anonymous]

My neighbors have a house sitter, and I always know when they are there. They also have routines that are easy to predict. If I wanted to rob, it would be easy. Honesty, an alarm system would do a better job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a house/pet sitter. Yes, I stay there, and work remotely from the house. I take in mail, water plants, turn on/off sprinklers, play music, turn on/off lights, open/shut street-facing blinds, etc.

People find me through word-of-mouth. I don't advertise or use any websites/app.

Sometimes I have a friend over, but always clear it with the homeowners and it's like "My friend from work who's a lawyer would love to meet your dog - can I invite her over to play with Rover and let her stay for dinner?" And that's only after I've established a good working relationship with them.

OP here. Interesting, thanks for sharing! I’ll ask around, but so far everyone I know leans on their neighbors or family to check in on their houses.

You can look for house sitters at the most reputable pet care companies in your area. They often house-sit as well for folks who don't have pets, and you can just look at companies are bonded. It isn't inexpensive, but it's much better than finding someone random.

Thanks for the advice!