Some people love their work, and a few people live it.
Increasingly, there are jobs to be had “house-sitting.” People who’ve inherited homes or bought second houses, those who go away on extended vacations, and workers transferred for a stint are contributing to a burgeoning market for house-sitters or “caretakers” who will move in during the homeowner’s absence and watch the property, says Gary Dunn, owner of the “The Caretaker Gazette,” a bimonthly newsletter that lists house-sitting opportunities around the country.
Doing nothing more than guarding against thieves and vandals, and handling an emergency such as a flooded basement, house-sitting sounds like a comparatively cushy job. Indeed, agrees Dunn, many of the subscribers to his newsletter are retirees who are willing to house-sit for free, just for the chance to enjoy a warmer climate or a more inviting locale.
But while the job attracts retirees and others unencumbered by structured occupations, such as artists and writers, there are those intent upon molding house-sitting into a serious career. Moreover, many homeowners need someone professional and reliable to keep the home fires burning, and care for beloved pets and plants left behind.
In fact, house-sitting assignments can be as different as a brick colonial is from a contemporary ranch. Often, the job doesn’t even require moving in–just making periodic checks on the property.
“The best way to find a house-sitter is through word-of-mouth and references,” says Mary Berg, a realtor with Century 21 Town & Country in Highland Park. Real estate agents are often good sources of referrals. Costs for someone to live in and sit vary considerably, says Berg. “It could go anywhere from $15 to $50 a day.”
Handing over your house keys involves such trust and discretion, adds John Phillips, manager of Koenig & Strey in Winnetka, that sitters should come highly recommended and inspire a homeowner’s confidence. Phillips found a house-sitter for his vacation home in Hilton Head, S.C., by asking friends and neighbors. He found a retired dentist who checks his property every couple of days, charging $15 per visit.
House-sitters should also have loads of common sense, asserts Dunn. “If a pipe breaks, you need someone who knows enough to first turn off the water,” he notes.
And emergencies do arise. Lake Bluff house sitter Liza Battistello says that she’s had to deal with all manner of household emergencies, including calling wildlife officials to take a squirrel out of a chimney. Battistello doesn’t live in, but makes periodic checks on homes, charging between $8 and $12 per visit, with the fee dependent on the size of the home, how many plants need watering, etc.
Most homeowners with pets prefer live-ins, maintains Battistello. She refers live-in jobs to her sister, Jenny Chandler of Buffalo Grove, who charges between $30 and $35 per day.
Chicago-based house-sitter Cynthia Stringer takes pets on live-in sitting jobs, and also cares for animals during periodic house checks. She charges about $15 per visit per animal. The high cost of pet motels has prompted many homeowners to hire house-sitters, instead of boarding pets, says Stringer.
Some finicky pets may not take to a house-sitter, though, warns Chandler. “I meet the pets before I take the job,” she says.
Stringer also works as a life enhancement coach and motivational speaker, but has attempted to market her house-sitting services as professionally as possible, even writing a manual for homeowners where they can detail how the furnace and other systems are serviced. She also offers to organize closets and cabinets or answer mail for an extra fee.
Still, the house-sitting business is a sideline for many. Live-in sitters often still work at their regular day job. Chandler, for instance, says she won’t take a house-sitting job if the location causes more than an hour commute to her job.
Anyone serious about a career should consider establishing a house-sitting agency, says Jane Poston of Tucson, who sells a self-published booklet, “How To Run A House-Sitting Business.” She suggests advertising in the Yellow Pages as a way to market the service, and splitting fees 50-50 with hired sitters.
A mark of professionalism is for a house-sitter to be “bonded,” which means that if a homeowner suspects that a sitter has stolen something, and then successfully presses charges, the insurance company that issued the bond will pay for the loss. An individual can become bonded for up to $2,500 in losses for $100 a year, says Larry Feldman, of Contractor’s Bonding Corp. in Northbrook.
“Wealthy homeowners often want someone bonded, because they have valuable antiques and other possessions,” says Dunn.
Battistello says she isn’t bonded because she works primarily for friends or acquaintances. However, she said she herself would require bonding if she were a homeowner hiring a sitter for her house.
At its most professional level, says Dunn, house-sitting has evolved into “household” or “estate” management. “There are more and more very wealthy people,” he explains, “who have a large estate or several homes. They need someone to oversee all of their properties.” Salaries for competent estate managers can run into the upper-five or low-six figures, contends Dunn.
Two schools that offer training courses in estate management are the Professional Domestic Services & Institute in Columbus, Ohio, which has a five-week course costing $4,300, and Starkey International Institute for Household Management in Denver, which has a 36-hour, two-month course costing $4,950. Both schools have a placement service for graduates.
Cary resident Dave Hanson worked and lived at a 16-acre estate in North Barrington for almost nine years. “It was a wonderful experience,” he relates. “I ended up overseeing the maintenance of the house, grounds, pool and barn. I would like to do something similar again when I’m retired,” says the 40-year-old Hanson.
But many of the estate management positions require cooking and managing household duties, Hanson says, and he would rather take care of the grounds and perform repairs.
No matter what the duties involved in an estate management position are, says Hanson, it’s imperative to like the homeowner. “I was lucky with the job I had. We (he and the North Barrington homeowner) are still friends. I’d love to find another job like it someday, but the trick is to find the right opportunity.”
For more information on house-sitting, you can subscribe to the “The Caretaker Gazette” or send for a copy of Poston’s booklet.
An annual subscription to “The Caretaker Gazette” is $24. Call 509-332-0806. “How To Run A House-Sitting Business” costs $38, including postage. Mail requests to 1708 E. 9th St., Tucson, Ariz. 85719. Call 520-884-8530.
