House Sitter Required

Black Dog · Member

House Sitter Required

Mike Harding · Guru

>House sitter can reside in their van providing they are not using an electric blower heater or can move into the house

I haven't done any house sitting but am considering it. However I get very twitchy when I see requirements such as the above, to me, rightly or wrongly, they suggest an owner who is... how can I put this... mean.

You'll be away for about 14 weeks: if the house sitter used a 1kW fan heater for eight hours *every* day of your absence it would add around $157 to your electricity bill for that period and, given you won't be there and he's in his van, your house won't be using much anyway so your bill will almost certainly be less than normal. In any event contrast $157 with the cost of your 14 week sojourn and I suspect it will be a drop in the ocean. Probably better to have a happy and contented (and warm) house sitter than someone who feels hard done by?

Black Dog · Member

I have seen problems with those electric blower heater and do not like their use. My house is equipped with a perfectly good gas heater which I am quite for any house sitter to use as they have done in the past.

Ray

the rocket · Guru

Hi ray and a very warm welcome. Do not want to apply just wanted to say hello n say a bit. I have done housesitting so a little experienced. As this sit is in winter and in victoria, i suspect it would be very cold and anyone staying at your property, be it in the house or their caravan, you would think, would require heating of some sort. we live in our caravan and have a reverse cycle airconditioner heater On the roof. a lot of caravans have them And everyone we know who lives in their caravan only do sits where they stay in their caravan.
in the past i was asked to housesit in north queensland in summer and was asked about my caravan airconditioner because electricity is expensive. needing to feed 3 horses, chickens, cows in the top pasture, ute provided to carry 100 kg bales to them daily, turning water taps on n off daily in the paddocks, poddies in the lower pasture, 2 dogs and to sprinkle the house yard starting at 3pm moving the sprinkler every 15 minutes And maintaining the vegie garden. Owners complained about the previous housesitter saying she fed the chickens too much feed and said chicken feed is expensive. I said no to this sit as they really needed to pay a manager but mostly annoyed they did not want us to use the air conditioner in the middle of summer.

anyway, i wish you luck in finding someone.

-- Edited by the rocket on Sunday 9th of February 2020 10:19:32 PM

-- Edited by the rocket on Sunday 9th of February 2020 10:36:16 PM

Black Dog · Member

Thanks The Rocket.
It can be fairly cool here in Rutherglen over winter that is why we prefer house sitters to stay in the house where their is good gas heating. For some reason or another some people like to stay in their vans.

Ray

the rocket · Guru

Black Dog wrote:
Thanks The Rocket.
It can be fairly cool here in Rutherglen over winter that is why we prefer house sitters to stay in the house where their is good gas heating. For some reason or another some people like to stay in their vans.

Ray

Hi blackdog,

they like to stay in their caravans because it is most likely their home. They, like you, are happier in their own bed. Thus keeping your home as you left it. But each to their own. Hope you find someone.

JohnR · Senior Member

Black Dog

There is a section under the Grey Nomads banner called "Classifieds" and the appropriate posting for "House sitters Wanted".

Also sites such as aussie house sitters and others.

We are seasoned sitters having chalked up 6 years being on the road and sitting mostly small acreages etc.

You must remember that there has to be 'something' in it for both parties.

The need or purpose to be looking after a cat for 3 months probably masks the real purpose of having someone there securing the property understanding the time period.

We do Oxley near Wangaratta in winter and the home owners get a load of fire wood in and we run the chuffer 24/7 due to the coldness of the area and it is just across from Rutherglen.

JohnR

Black Dog · Member

Hi John R

Found the Classifieds section and House Sitters Wanted area. How do I actually put my request into this section. I could not find a link to input my information.

Ray

JohnR · Senior Member

Grey Nomad Times:

thetimes@thegreynomads.com.au

Tell them you have a need to post under the heading "Classifieds" for House sitters Wanted????????????

John R

Black Dog · Member

Hi John R

Thank you I have found the link.

You have been the most helpful so far

Ray

hagar · Veteran Member

there are two sites I use aussie hous sitters and mindahome both have a large membership just place an add stating what you have and require to be done and you get replies you can then pick the one you think is right

-- Edited by hagar on Monday 10th of February 2020 01:52:05 PM

-- Edited by hagar on Tuesday 11th of February 2020 11:16:00 AM

Mike Harding · Guru

Black Dog wrote:
You have been the most helpful so far

Oh dear... don't like constructive criticism eh? :)

PeterX · Senior Member

Actually the cost of 1KW for the quoted time would be $220

Mike Harding · Guru

14 weeks x 7 days x 8 hours x 1kW = 784 kWh

784 x $0.20 = $156.80

To calculate $220 you would need to price electricity at $0.28. I no
longer have a home (or electricity bills) but my son in Melbourne is
currently paying $0.18 per kWh.

In any event you are hair splitting: compared to the cost of a 14
week holiday whether that power cost is $157 or $220 is neither here
nor there.

The Travelling Dillberries · Guru

Just ignore the sideshow Ray, most questions on here get derailed by the brains trust.

Webmaster · Guru

Hi all,
Just a quick note regarding 'housesitters wanted' and 'housesitters available' threads on the forum. Instead of posting these requests here, I would encourage you to send me an email with the details (editorial@thegreynomads.com.au) and I can place the listings on the classified section of our website. We have created the housesitting section of our website as a free service to help nomads and people in need of nomads to find each other so there is no charge for advertising on it.
If anyone is keen to post a listing in ‘housesitters wanted’, we just need a short paragraph detailing the general area your place is located, whether any tasks are involved in the position such as care of animals, mowing, etc., the dates you require people and contact details for people who'd like to apply. If you are looking to advertise your availability in our ‘housesitters available’ section, we just need a short paragraph detailing a little about yourself, the general area you'd like to housesit, the dates you are available and contact details. In both cases, I will post the listing online for you.

shanem · Veteran Member

hi all,
we used the grey nomad website and the housesitters website (https://www.housesitters.com.aut), received good responses from the latter in a day, and have obtained a great couple to housesit for 5 months starting early April here in Melbourne. they will sign off an agreement that protects them and us, which I believe is usual good practice. also, we don't expect them to live in the cold or otherwise be hard done by - we want and hope they will have an enjoyable time, keep our home in good shape, do a little maintenance (not much) and care for our old cat. all bills except food are on us. decency is the key I think.