House-sitting over the holidays

Going away on a holiday over the festive season and not sure with whom to entrust your house? Well, enter house-sitters. Hiring a house-sitter may seem pretty easy but with high crime statistics in South Africa, allowing a stranger into your house is rather a big deal. House-sitter René Memmel has some tips and advice for holidaygoers.

Memmel has six years’ experience in the house-sitting business and said that the idea to be a house-sitter occurred to him one day when he was house-sitting for an old boss.”I just really thought that it would be a great business to get into and it is not an over-crowded field of business,” he said. Memmel pointed out that hiring a house-sitter is an alternative to security companies, which he said will only pass by your house now and then.

“People must be very aware that there are scammers out there and it is important to cross check the house-sitter’s credentials and previous references,” Memmel said. Other advice from Memmel:

• Make sure that the person who is house-sitting has credible references
• Rather hire someone over the age of 23 as they will not want to party in your house
• Hire someone who is comfortable with animals
• Ensure that you have provided emergency contact details
• Hire someone with a valid driver’s licence in case something happens – you want to have someone who is mobile
• Do not confuse house-sitting with babysitting – they are very different.

Memmel said that problems sometimes arise but the homeowner and the house-sitter must have a clear method by which to contact each other in the event that something does happen. Memmel listed the following benefits of hiring a house-sitter:

• Security – not leaving your house unoccupied and susceptible to a break-in
• Peace of mind – knowing your house is being cared for
• No uncomfortable feelings of burdening your friend, family or neighbour to water plants, and check mailboxes
• Pet care – knowing your pet is happy being looked after at home, instead of at an expensive pet motel
• Someone reliable collecting and redirecting mail, and taking your phone messages.

Details: René Memmel rene@housesittingsolutions.co.za or 082 452 3516.