Write down any regular or recurring household tasks you expect the house sitter to complete and how often you would like each task completed. These tasks could include mail collection, mail forwarding, house cleaning or even leaving the porch light on at night and turning it off in the morning.
Leave the house sitter all the information he may need to have in an emergency or an unexpected situation. Write down a list of emergency phone numbers and addresses, including the police, fire department, nearest hospital and a trusted neighbor. Leave the house sitter with your travel itinerary and specify how he can contact you in case of an emergency.
Write down pet care information. Specify how many times each pet needs to be fed each day, what each meal consists of, where the food is kept and where more can be bought in case the food runs out. If you expect the pets to be brushed or groomed in your absence, explain when and how to do the grooming, where the grooming supplies are kept or where to take the pets for grooming. Detail any known problems your pets have, any medications they are taking, and how and when to administer the medication. Write down the names, phone numbers and addresses of two of the nearest or most trusted veterinarians.
Write down any areas the house sitter should tend to outside the house. Examples include the lawn, flower gardens and pool. Specify what should be watered, where it is located and how often it should be watered; how to care for the pool, how often to tend to it and where to find the pool supplies; and how often the lawn should be cut and where the lawn mower is kept. If you employ a landscaping or pool service, let the house sitter know what company you use and when they will be coming.
