If you have a friend or family member who can house sit or a neighbor who doesn't mind checking in occasionally, you probably wouldn't bother paying someone. If you don't have anyone available, you might need to do so. Something else you might want to check out (especially if you just have someone checking on the place) is if your area has auxiliary police or a similar system. In some areas, they will send extra patrols past your house when you are away, and it's usually done by volunteers at no charge.
Luckily for us, we live in a gated community type place where we have security on the gate. The few times we've been away, we've asked them to keep an extra eye out for our place, and to notify us if they thought anything was amiss. So far, so good as we've yet to experience any issues. Touch wood
I don't really need to. I live in a small terraced house with neighbours to either side and opposite. Additionally, the alleyway at the back is gated, with only residents holding keys. So, although my little house might not be in the most salubrious area of town, it is safe and secure.
When we are away from the house family checks on the houses. We live within two miles of each either, it is very easy to run by the house and check it and the mail when it is empty.
I live in a building and there are always guards and doormen year round so I don't have to worry as much about leaving my place alone even for an extended period of time. If I had to, however, I don't think I would be able to feel safe with putting someone in charge of guarding my house just because I paid them. I'd more likely just try and wait to find someone I can trust to guard the house before I go away, but if it were an absolute emergency I would consider it.
Yes but it's always a trusted friend or family member. Some have used randoms they found online but I don't trust that. I normally pay them 50 bucks a day, what do you guys pay?
Well my family seem to have all moved within close quarters as one another, and many of us - at least six, if I do a quick count - all live in the same area. Only one or two of us have moved away. So when our family go away on holiday, there are always multiple options that we are able to choose form as to who we would like to watch out house. Most of these family members have their own key cut too, so we don't pay anything.
I have never had to pay anyone to do this, my parents willing do it for us for free. They live close enough that it is not a problem for the to stop by and check in on the house. I wouldn't trust anyone else to do it.
I've never had to pay anyone to watch my place for me when I'm traveling. There's always someone who will be eager to help out because they expect me to repay that debt any time in future when they will need someone to watch their house while they are away. Not that it's too much of a hassle. Ours is a relatively safe neighborhood.
There are lots pf place you can find housesitters, I do this for people and it's a good way to travel sometimes, but as I have my own property I know the true responsibilities. Some people are professional house sitters, but when I have been away I ask a friend to pop in. This is more because of squatters becaue once they get in, it's hard to get them out. It is worth paying for someone, or letting them stay free so the house looks lived in to deter robbers and also to make sure there are no water leaks. That's expensive and messy, from experience.
We actually haven't done that yet, since we never leave overnight or for more than a few days anymore. When we did, we still just locked our doors. I know we have pets that time when we were gone for days, but I can't remember how my parents managed to feed them while we were away. Maybe they asked a neighbor to do it.
I used to have an elderly neighbor who would keep an eye on the house when we were gone for a week. She no longer lives there but as things are for me right now we do not go away for more than a couple of days. So I do not have the need to have anyone watch the house for me. I am not sure that I would want to pay someone to watch my house while I am gone.
This is a timely thread because we are going away on Sunday for a road trip with everyone in the house including our 2 housemaids and our 3 dogs. That is for the occasion of our dog’s 10th birthday. Our dogs enjoy a road trip and we will have a picnic in a mountain resort. Since no one will be left in the house, we have hired one neighbor to man it for the whole day. We pay her $10 for that but nothing more, no food or anything. And since the house is closed, the woman can just stay in the open terrace and also in the covered driveway. It’s not safe to leave the house with no one.
I have been on several holidays and never had to get outsiders to take care of our property as we had in house maids to take care of our dogs, house and garden. We do not have a system here to get outside paid help and neither would I choose it even if it was there.
I live in rented apartment so I don't usually have to let people watch over my flat. But it seems like a good option in a case where things can be really bad. In such case I do ask people to watch over my home. And that way things can be properly managed as well. I think each to their own in that case. You can see that if you live in safe area there is not much you have to worry about in that case.
It depends, if the community is well policed then I do not think there may be need to employ someone to watch over the house while away. If on the other hand it becomes imperative to have a house keeper then that person or group persons should be thoroughly screened. In addition to employing a house keeper a CCTV in the house should be a must have.
Paying for someone to watch over your place while you are away depends on the type of place you stay in. While we are growing up, my parents lived in a place where the apartments are just made in separate rooms which mean that occupants just stayed close to one another. In that type of place, you do not need to pay anyone to watch over your place while you are away since your neighbours are there for you. Paying for someone to watch over your place while away depends on if you stay in a duplex that is in a place where your closest neighbour lives somewhat far from your house, or your neighbour is that type that always goes to work and returns late. Any of the situation requires you to get someone to watch over your house even if it means paying, so as to secure your properties from thieves that may break into your house. If it is the second case, I can happily pay someone to watch over my place.
I'm lucky in that I have people to do it for free. If I go away with my partner my sister will watch my house and stay overnight. If I go away with my sister my partner stays. They are both familiar with my dogs so if I go somewhere I can't take them they look after them too. I don't know if I would pay someone to watch my house as it's quite a safe area and I know my neighbours would keep an eye on things for me.
I have never had to pay anyone to watch my house while I was away because my neighbour will always be willing to look out for any suspicious actions that would probably arise and I would do a similar favour for them. I have seen where persons have had to pay others to watch their house when they are away and this has been due mainly to the location of the house, especially if it's near or within a remote area.
Well, this is an interesting one. We have had to pay people to watch the house while we were traveling, more times than I can count. It is not that our neighborhood is unsafe or anything. Come to think of it, maybe it's not that safe. Anyway, the point is, we have never had to find out. My family is not very close with relatives and as such, whenever we ask a relative to house sit, they have to be handed a little cash. My parents generally distrust everyone and as such, cannot trust just anyone with their possessions. Even with family, they believe that handing out money will be more effective than just trusting that a job will be well done.
