House sitter

House sitters move in the house of their employers in order to maintain security of the property during their absence. They monitor entrance areas and prevent unauthorized persons from entering the house, inspect conditions of the facility such as plumbing and heating and contact repairers if necessary. House sitters may also do some cleaning activities, forward mail, water indoor plants and pay bills.

The duties of a house sitter include, but are not limited to:

• Appropriately securing homeowners’ houses at the end of each day, which includes shutting windows, closing curtains or blinds, locking doors, and setting up alarm systems.
• Performing basic housecleaning duties, which includes mopping, sweeping, vacuuming, and dusting as needed.
• Performing pool maintenance tasks, which includes skimming leaves and debris off the surface, scrubbing the sides of the pool, cleaning out the filter basket, as well as testing and adjusting water chemical levels.
• Watering indoor plants in accordance with the instructions provided by homeowners.
• Answering telephone calls, providing information authorized by homeowners, and relaying important information to homeowners.
• Washing and changing bedding at the end of each house sitting job.
• Contacting the appropriate service providers to repair problematic plumbing and air conditioning systems.
• Caring for homeowners’ pets as required, which includes providing them with food and water, cleaning up after them, and scheduling veterinarian appointments should they fall ill.

House sitters typically work alone in someone else’s home, so they must be comfortable being by themselves for long periods of time. They also need to be able to take care of the home and the pets while the homeowners are away.

House sitters typically work on a freelance basis, so they may have several clients at one time or may work for just one family for an extended period of time. They need to be able to work flexible hours, as they will need to be available when the homeowners are away.

House sitters also need to be able to handle last-minute requests, as the homeowners may not know their travel plans until shortly before they leave.

The following job titles also refer to house sitter:

custodian
estate caretaker
house caretaker

Most house sitters have at least a high school diploma or equivalent. However, some house sitters have a bachelor’s degree in a field such as biology, zoology or animal science. These degrees can help house sitters care for animals in a professional manner.

A driving license may be an asset for this role.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

House sitter is a Skill level 2 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to house sitter.

building caretaker
companion
au pair
aircraft fuel system operator
nanny

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of house sitter. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of house sitter with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

court clerk
hand luggage inspector
criminal investigator
case administrator
civil registrar

These skills are necessary for the role of house sitter.

• Show responsibility: Accept responsibility and be accountable for professional decisions of yourself or others as part of a job or one’s role.
• Collect mail: Empty the letter box on a regular basis, organising it on importance and deal with urgent mail.
• Follow written instructions: Follow written directions in order to perform a task or carry out a step-by-step procedure.
• Promote human rights: Promote and respect human rights and diversity in light of the physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of autonomous individuals, taking into account their opinions, beliefs and values, and the international and national codes of ethics, as well as the ethical implications of healthcare provision, ensuring their right to privacy and honouring for the confidentiality of healthcare information.
• Monitor building security: Check on a regular basis that the building’s doors, windows, and locks are properly and securely closed and that no hazards are likely to happen.
• Disseminate messages to people: Receive, process, and pass messages to people coming from phone calls, faxes, postal, and emails.
• Register information on arrivals and departures: Write down information about visitors, patrons or employees, such as identity, the company they represent and time of arrival or departure.
• Ensure private property security: Make sure that gates and doors are locked, windows are closed and alarm systems are active, in order to prevent burglaries or theft.
• Understand instructions: Have the ability to follow spoken instructions received from colleagues. Strive to understand and clarify what is being requested.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of house sitter. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Credit card payments: The methods involving payment done through credit cards.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of house sitter. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

• Apply company policies: Apply the principles and rules that govern the activities and processes of an organisation.
• Feed pets: Make sure that pets are given appropriate food and water on time.
• Drive vehicles: Be able to drive vehicles; have the appropriate type of driving license according to the type of motor vehicle used.
• Comply with legal regulations: Ensure you are properly informed of the legal regulations that govern a specific activity and adhere to its rules, policies and laws.
• Maintain pool cleanliness: Regularly supervise the state of the pool, remove debris or rubbish and keep the deck of the pool clean and safe.
• Vacuum surfaces: Use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust and small particles from floors, drapes, carpets or furniture.
• Clean surfaces: Disinfect surfaces in accordance with sanitary standards.
• Stay alert: Stay focused and alert at all times; react quickly in the case of unexpected events. Concentrate and do not get distracted performing a task over a long period of time.
• Provide dog walking services: Provide dog-walking services, including activities such as agreement of services with the customer, selection and use of handling equipment, interaction with the dog, and safe and responsible dog walking.’
• Nurse plants: Determine the need for nursing activities and carry out nursing by cultivating, maintaining, watering and spraying the plants and trees manually or using appropriate equipment, taking into account the plant species and following safety requirements.
• Clean rooms: Clean rooms by cleaning glasswork and windows, polishing furniture, vacuuming carpets, scrubbing hard floors, and removing garbage.
• Use gardening equipment: Use gardening equipment such as clippers, sprayers, mowers, chainsaws, complying to health and safety regulations.
• Provide pet sitting services in owners’ homes: Provide pet sitting services in the home or property of the animal’s owner. Account for the security and integrity of the premises and follow specific owner requirements for the care of the animal in the provision of the service.
• Park vehicles: Park motorised vehicles without compromising the integrity of vehicles and safety of people.
• Handle veterinary emergencies: Handle unforeseen incidents concerning animals and circumstances which call for urgent action in an appropriate professional manner.
• Communicate by telephone: Liaise via telephone by making and answering calls in a timely, professional and polite manner.
• Execute inspection walkway: Carry out a route in order to verify if all the doors and windows are closed.

5153 – Building caretakers

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References

1. House sitter – ESCO
2. House Sitter Job Description: Salary, Duties, & More – ClimbtheLadder
3. House Sitter Job Description – Betterteam
4. Featured image: Photo by Travel-Cents