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You must be wondering if a house-sitting business is not going to be a viable business and if it is right for you to run. Well, there might be more daily activities and official requirements involved in this than you think. Hence, a detailed explanation has been given in this blog to help you understand the effectiveness of the house-sitting business.
What is house-sitting?
You might have worked as a baby-sitting service for family and friends; in a similar way, you can now offer house-sitting services, like taking care of people's homes when the owners are out of the station. House sitting generally involves taking care of the homes of customers when they are away from home for any business purpose, travelling for a year, or away for a holiday.
You might be able to offer house-sitting services to people who have more than one property and that have a vacant house, which is empty for a long time. This can be possible when the house is waiting to be sold, but it can also be for a few weeks or months before the new owners move in.
Benefits of using a house-sitting service
Homeowners can benefit highly by hiring a housesitter. For instance, if they are away from home for a lengthy period, they might need a person to look after their property and other things, like plants or pets that cannot travel with the owners.
People leaving their property unattended for a long period of time can be a concerning matter. Therefore, having a housesitter take care of your house can be a relief for them. A house sitter can help the property look occupied to ward off burglars or ruffians.
If a house owner has pets like birds, fish, rabbits, dogs, cats, or any others that will not be put into a kennel, then a house sitter can help to look after them.
Is it a suitable job for you?
Well, taking care of a customer's house is a big responsibility. You will not only be responsible for keeping their property safe and secured but also need to deal with emergencies that may take place during the absence of the owner. This might include dealing with burst pipes, fire, flood, break-ins, and criminal damages.
If you can keep your mind cool and organized during a crisis and know whom to contact in case of an emergency, then you will be a perfect fit for a house sitter's role.
Besides, you also need to be pet-friendly and should be able to take care of different types of pets, which involves creepy crawlies or tank lizards.
What are the services that should be provided as a house sitter?
This entirely depends on your customer and their requirements. It can vary from customer to customer; you might need to just take care of an empty house with plants, or you might need to look after the house with pets.
The duties of a house sitter might involve the following:
- Feeding, cleaning out cages, and taking the pets out for a walk.
- General household work and cleaning
- Maintaining gardens and hedges Taking in the post, newspapers, and junk mail.
- Watering house plants.
What are the costs of starting a house-sitting business?
Setting up a house-sitting business is cost-effective, as you do not require a huge amount of funding for an office, expensive equipment, or hiring staff. However, you might require some training for handling the animals, especially dogs; for that, you need to join a pet training course. This can also act as an effective marketing point for attracting customers who have pets that require care.
You will need to have insurance to cover yourself if anything goes wrong. A house sitter has a responsible position; you are being trusted to keep other people's houses safe and secure while they are away. Hence, you need to fulfill all your duties efficiently.
It is recommended for all housesitters to have public liability insurance, which will cover you for accidental damages that might happen to anything that belongs to the customer.
For setting up a house-sitting business, you will be required to register yourself as self-employed with HMRC so that you will be able to pay your taxes and claim back any expenses from operating your business.
Moreover, registering your company with the Companies House and HMRC as a limited company is a good idea. By forming a limited company you will be able to separate your business income from your personal finances. You can also secure your personal assets from being used for any losses or debts obtained in your business.
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