House Sitting
House Sitting by Ned
Quick Summary:
- Live-in House Sitter
- Reliable & Professional
- Highly Recommended
- Competitve Rates
- Preferred Areas:
San Francisco Peninsula
or Marin/Sonoma Counties
Update: Nov. 1, 2012
As of November 1st, I will add two experienced house/pet sitters as associates: Catherine and Inanna. At some point in the near future, this website will be updated with all of their information.
Clients Have Noted:
Ned was the perfect house-and-cat-sitter during our 3-month-long overseas tour. The house was cleaner and neater than we left it: nothing out-of-place.
- Dick & Sharon, Lafayette
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I needed a house sitter for my 4 little rescue dogs and came upon Ned's web site. Ned promptly returned my call and set up an interview to meet me and my "babies." I've now used Ned's services 4 times. I endorse Ned as a house sitter/pet sitter without reservation. I know I can leave with confidence and return to happy dogs and a clean home.
- Pat K., Tiburon
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I was very impressed with Ned's attention to detail and his understanding my expectations. I returned home to find everything in perfect condition, plants watered and a very content cat.
- Lee L., Pleasanton
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Ned was pet-sitter for our three cats for the summer of 2010. Ned is trustworthy and reliable and a good communicator. He regularly let us know how things were going. We highly recommend Ned.
- Mary & Rich, San Francisco
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We've had Ned house sit for us twice this year. The second time, our poodle, Buster, escaped our car as we were leaving. He was found 2 days later and Ned brought him home and looked after him until we returned. Thanks, Ned, for taking care of Buster and giving us a happy homecoming.
- Betty & Mike, Menlo Park
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Ned got along splendidly with our two dogs, kept everything under control, and kept us informed with status update emails while we were in Australia.
- Amy & Dan, Novato
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If any questions or additional needs came up during our absence, such as when craftsmen needed to install a skylight, Ned took care of them and kept everything coordinated via email and telephone.
Ned made it possible to enjoy our summer and we were delighted to return home and find everything just as we had left it.
- Tim & Patty B., Menlo Park
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Ned was a wonderful house sitter. He made quick friends with our two neurotic dogs who became his constant buddies.
- Russell & Margaret P., Sebastopol, CA
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House Sitting Rates / Fees
Affordable Rates for House & Pet Sitting
My rates vary from 25 dollars a day to over $55/day, depending on how many duties I have (pets to feed and care for, indoor/outdoor plants to water, garden tending, general caretaking, etc.)
These rates are competitive with those charged by most professional house sitters. (see How Much to Pay a House Sitter on eHow.com where $50 a day is the going rate for a live-in house-sitter.)
How do I keep my rates low for house sitting?
I can afford to be a house sitter at affordable rates because I do my business (web design) from your home as well as simply reside there. This puts no more wear and tear on your home than you would, sitting at your computer for hours each day.
With a high speed internet connection, my laptop(s), a printer/scanner, some extra hard drives and some reference books, I'm in business. Plus I don't have to pay for gas/parking to commute to some distant office each day. (And all my calls go through my cell phone, so I don't even touch your home phone.)
So not only do I get a residence, I get an office as well. This allows me to provide you with house sitting services at a reasonable cost. It's what they call a win-win situation.
I discount my house sitting fees when...
The fees I charge for house sitting or pet sitting vary according to several factors:
Caretaking duties: How much maintenance, housekeeping, garden tending or watering duties are taken into consideration when we negotiate my fees.
Pet care duties: Some animals require minimal attention (fish, birds, rabbits). Dogs generally require a lot more interaction than cats. How many pets you need me to look after will affect my fees. Do any of your pets have special dietary or medical needs? All of these factors can affect pet sitting fees.
Duration of stay: I offer discounts for house sitting assignments of a month's duration or longer. Generally, I will not take house sitting assignments of less than a week, except in special cases for repeat clients. Otherwise, my pet sitting fees are increased for short duration assignments.
Geographic location: I have a stated preference for the Petaluma-Sebastopol and Palo Alto vicinities (20 mile radius) because it reduces my weekly travel time to those areas for family/business visits.
Seasonal variations: Generally rates are a bit higher during the summer months (when most families take vacations) and for the last six weeks of the year during the holiday season.
Bottom line: everything in life (and in house sitting) is negotiable. When we meet in person we will set a total price that is reasonable and competitive.
For multi-month house or pet sitting assignments, I accept payments monthly. For shorter assignments, I generally request 50% in advance and 50% upon your return from your vacation or travel.