Housekeeping Matters Taken Care Of
In the heart of Europe, house-sitting services are gaining traction as a reliable solution for homeowners seeking peace of mind while they're away. These services offer a multifaceted approach to household management, encompassing everything from pet care to home security.
Sara Morelli, the owner of 'Tate & Nanny', a renowned childcare agency, shares that their company has been offering tailored assistance services for 30 years. The agency, based in Italy, provides a variety of services including childcare specialists, babysitters, educators, maids, caregivers, domestic helpers, cooks, butlers, and healthcare operators.
The figure of the housesitter has arrived in Italy, providing a reliable and multitasking presence to manage household chores when the homeowners are away. Many people face problems with watering plants, pet care, mail, bills, and home security while on vacation. The housesitter steps in to alleviate these concerns, ensuring the home is not left unguarded for long.
The housesitter's role often extends beyond traditional household duties. Some clients also request specific plant watering frequencies and positions, laundry and ironing services, and even tasks such as preparing luggage, cleaning the house, or freshening office clothes.
Pet care is a popular aspect of house-sitting, with the housesitter often being responsible for daily walking, feeding, playing, and providing general companionship to animals like dogs, cats, horses, and donkeys. Additional responsibilities can include horse or donkey handling, applying ointments, mucking out stables, and general house maintenance or cooking family meals.
Moreover, the housesitter can be asked to check that the alarm is active and to water the plants. Some clients may even request discreet checks on their children while they are on vacation.
Online networks for house-sitting, such as Mind My House, House Sit Match, House Carers, Care.com, Trusted House Sitters, are popular, with a focus on pet care. Italian organizations providing house-sitting services are also gaining traction, offering qualified professionals for comprehensive home care.
Prices for house-sitting services range from 12 to 15 euros per hour, with an additional agency commission proportional to the service requested, never less than 10%. Extra services such as cat or dog-sitting are available, with rates ranging from 10/15 euros per hour for basic care to 80 euros per day for more extensive care.
House-sitting, as well as childcare and pet-sitting, can provide opportunities for work for students and digital nomads, offering a unique blend of travel and responsibility. While many house sits are arranged as exchanges where accommodation is provided in return for care, the most common arrangement especially in Europe is free accommodation rather than direct pay.
As August approaches and 36 million Italians prepare to take a vacation outside their home, the demand for reliable house-sitting services is expected to rise. Whether it's ensuring the home is secure, the plants are watered, or the pets are well-cared for, housesitters in Italy are ready to step in and provide peace of mind.
- Alongside pet care and home security, house-sitting services can also include fashion-and-beauty tasks such as preparing luggage, cleaning house, and freshening office clothes.
- Some house-sitting clients may request discreet checks on their children or relationships while they are on vacation, in addition to traditional household duties.
- For those looking for work opportunities while traveling, house-sitting can offer a combination of food-and-drink experiences as it often includes cooking family meals.
- Traveling homeowners can rely on house-sitting services to handle home-and-garden tasks, like watering plants, even while they're away on vacation.
