Holiday on the house

House-sitting is not simply an easy way to get a cheap holiday as it requires vigilance. But it can be a lot of fun for those willing to make the effort, writes JASPER WINN

I'M ON A terrace in Andalusia as I write this, in the remote but comfortable house of a well-known author. The sun is shining. I've made myself a cup of coffee and I'm settling in nicely. Two dogs and several cats are lounging around. I've already looked through a well-stocked storeroom to decide on ingredients for supper: pata negra jamon,fresh vegetables from the garden, local olives. And a bottle of the Rioja? Chris's collection of CDs is uncannily close to mine, which makes me feel even more at home. I know that he and his wife won't be be back for five days. I relax even more.

Taking over a famous writer’s home whilst he is away makes me what, exactly? Creepy celebrity stalker? Weird house-breaker? No, I’m actually welcome here, as a house-sitter.

So, the pets have been introduced to me, and there are precise notes on caring for a small flock of sheep and a fluttering cote of doves, and irrigating the vegetable plots.

In return for these few light tasks, I’ve got as much as I can eat, and time to read and write in peace. In other words, the opportunity to holiday in comfort in someone else’s house for free.

A properly arranged house-sitting relationship benefits both parties. On many properties, in Ireland and abroad, insurance, as well as security, is compromised if the house is left unoccupied for any length of time, while the cost of putting a single cat into a cattery in Europe might be €10 or €12 a day.

If someone has three cats and a dog and are going away for a week, not only will the animals be happier in their own home but there will be a saving of several hundred euros with a house-sitter living in. And having someone on the premises who can also take phone calls, deal with minor maintenance and call in help for major disasters such as burst pipes is more than enough to make the cost of their food, any small expenses and several bottles of good wine a bargain.

Semi-professional sittershave impeccable references and often police or military backgrounds to give confidence to the householder.

Most, at least when starting off, register with one or more agencies (see box) and improve their desirability by offering maintenance skills and committing to longer periods.

Good places are available through agencies and websites to those willing to offer their services. Glancing through some on offer, I find opportunities to sit a seaside house in Wexford, a vineyard in France, a cottage in a village in Italy and a villa in Greece with its own swimming pool.

For occasional holiday-length sitting jobs, agency positions are often too random and restrictive. Contracts can stipulate that you not leave the property unattended for more than a hour at a time, perform daily fixed tasks for little or no financial reward and put a deposit down against damage.

House-sitting in Ireland, for properties at home and abroad, tends to be a word-of-mouth activity, with friends and friends-of-friends marrying up houses with sitters for shorter periods.

That way there is the element of personal contact that allows both parties to see what they are getting into. Because taking over someone else’s life for a week or two can work out badly.

Many years ago my sister – house-sitting runs in the family – was asked to look after a grand country house attached to a busy stud for a fortnight.

Only after she arrived was she told that as it was the “quiet time of the year” all the stud staff but for a lad and an elderly man had been given their annual holidays and she was expected to fill in for the four absent grooms when it came to hefting bales of hay for 40 horses, doing late-night rounds and mucking out. It was not so much a relaxing, luxury break as a horse boot-camp.

But most well-planned experiences of house-sitting are good. Mary, from outside Limerick, has looked after houses in England and Ireland over the years. One of her best experiences was the run of a country mansion and being given the keys to an executive car. Rather than the usual fridge full of basic foods to pick her way through, there were regular deliveries of ready-made gourmet meals, because as the wealthy owners said, it was easier for her “to eat them than to cancel the order”.

I’ve regularly sat in country and town houses in Ireland, England and Spain. Nearly always I’ve been invited to stay primarily so I could look after animals in their own home or to provide security. I’ve dealt with run-away dogs, being snowed-in for several days while busily unfreezing pipes, and faced-down a gang of teenagers who, thinking the property was empty, had come round for a cider party in the outhouses.

Before relaxing on this terrace in Spain, I’ve been sitting another house in Andalusia. While Ireland had this winter’s cold and snow, the Iberian peninsula had the equivalent in torrential rain. I’d been woken during the second night of non-stop downpour to find that the back yard drain had blocked and water was flooding the house. It took an hour, soaked through as I poked with brushes and hooks, to clear the drain, and many hours more to mop and dry the house.

Without someone in the house the owners would have arrived back to find their home had become an indoor swimming pool. It was the third time I had looked after the house, and I knew the idiosyncrasies of the drains, where the mops were kept and the man in the village who could get me extra firewood to keep the stove running until everything was dried out. David, the owner, in gratitude suggested that next time I take the house over in the spring or summer when I would have “a real holiday”.

Return trips are the key to successful house-sitting. It’s familiar for both parties, there’s trust between them, and the incoming person knows where everything is and how things work.

EVERY YEAR FOR the past four years I’ve pencilled a summer week or two into my diary and headed to a rural paradise just outside Oxford. The dog comes racing out to greet me, the family leave behind a fridge stuffed with my favourite foods, and I sink into the pleasures of long walks, swimming in the nearby Thames and peaceful writing. In return the house is secure, I deal with any small problems and look after the dog and cats. The owners can contact me any time for reassurance. Everybody is happy.

The most rewarding house-sitting relationships benefit both sitter and sittee and are ongoing. Earn the trust put in you and year after year, for a week or two or longer, you can return to “your” mansion in the country, villa in Spain or capital city apartment, and find a bottle of wine to welcome you and dogs or cats thrilled to see you. It’s like coming back to your own luxurious holiday home, but with the advantage that it doesn’t come with all the worries and expense of actual home-ownership.

Discretion about the people you sit for and their homes is key. Agents insist on it so some names here have been changed and locations left inexact.

House-sitters: what they say

* “House-sitting suits someone looking for a quiet holiday with a chance to read, walk and relax. Best suited to singles. Occasionally couples. Never families.”

* “Put the word out that you’re looking for house sitting; the more people you tell the more chance you have.”

* “Find out exactly what’s expected of you before taking on a job, and agree tasks and responsibilities, preferably in writing, when taking over the property.”

* “The ability to do minor maintenance, and especially genuine experience in looking after animals ups your value as a sitter tenfold. Knowing how to care for horses and big stock puts you into the gold card category.”

* “Expect to come over the day before the owners leave to learn the running of the property and pet care, and ideally plan to depart the day they arrive back.”

* “Accept the limitations – either contractual or agreed – in house-sitting. House-sitters should not leave the property for more than a few hours at a time and never at night, which isn’t some people’s idea of a holiday.”

* “It’s impossible to replace a deceased hamster, or even a goldfish, with an exact replica from the nearest pet shop. Hapless house-sitters have tried, but the owner always knows. Confess. Apologise. Blame the cat.”

Getting started

House-sitting agencies

There are many on-line agencies, most of which operate worldwide, including Ireland, though they rarely have many Irish properties on their books. Most take a fee for registration. It is worth looking at their notes for house-sitters, and FAQs to get an idea of restrictions and advantages. They are more suited to those looking to house-sit regularly or long-term, rather than for a few weeks of holidaying.

housesitworld.com

This agency has listings around the world. The potential sitter registers and pays $50 (€37). It’s free for homeowners to browse, so there is no matching and you make your own deals. Read some of the house-sitters experiences in testimonials. It is best suited to people looking for long-term and multiple house-sitting. As the owners browse your advertisement to select a sitter, make sure it includes all relevant details.

mindmyhouse.com

Currently has four Irish properties on its books, and many, many more around the world. Again you pay to register, from £13 (€16) annually). The idea is that owners and sitters make a deal without an exchange of money either way – no rent, no pay – though this may be negotiated in some cases. There is a good forum with info and experiences, and a chance to browse potential house-sitting positions before registering.

housecarers.com

Has a dedicated page for Northern Ireland and another for the UK, as well as the rest of the world. Trial membership allows you to advertise for as long as you keep your details regularly up to date. Full membership costs $50. Again, this site is best for those looking to house-sit while travelling, for long periods or regularly. Rather than homeowners posting advertisements, they tend to scan the profiles of people offering to sit. So what you might be offered can depend on luck.

homesitters.co.uk

UK-based for properties in England, Scotland and Wales. This agency charges homeowners for housesitting. Sitters register with Homesitters, which charges the householder a daily or hourly rate, from which it gives the sitter a food allowance and travel expenses. The agency will choose a local person to take care of the property, where possible, and sometimes will pay an hour or two of minimum wage a day for specified work performed.

The rules are rigid. The sitter cannot be away from the property for more than three consecutive hours during daylight hours, for example.