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lingililingili
Nomad
Posts: 449
Registered: 2-24-2008
Location: La Paz, Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
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House Sitters
Just got off the http://www.housesitmexico.com/homeowners-directory.php
Wondering if any Nomads have used this service or know of anyone who has? Any tips or comments would be greatly appreciated.
•Life is just one damned thing after another
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bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
Member Is Offline
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We used to get house sitters if we were gone for over a week but finally decided that it was better to just close up the house and find someone to
water and feed the birds. Gypsies in the palace, dont you know. One guy ran up a huge telephone bill. Another, although we left strict instructions
not to smoke in the house and definitely not in Jim's office, was sitting at jims desk when we came home a day early puffing away. Yes it hit the
fan. I would never trust anyone to watch my dogs, so they go see Tia Monica at Cabo Kennels. They were just there this past weekend and they almost
knocked me down to get inside when we got there.
Kinda got off topic on that
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lingililingili
Nomad
Posts: 449
Registered: 2-24-2008
Location: La Paz, Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
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Bajajudy: Curious as to how you found house sitters and if some were good, or all bad experiences? Thank you
•Life is just one damned thing after another
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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We have had great sucess finding house sitters right here in Nomadlandia...it's great because usually other nomads know and can vouch for them...we
got lots of responses and could choose the appropriate candidate...worked out great for us...so try it!
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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
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here's a housesitter's perspective...I would never list myself on a website to obtain a position. as someone highly qualified, extremely reliable,
and with good references (which I'm sure is what those sites tout) I wouldn't need to for a position in Mexico.
you need to ask around far in advance of when you need a sitter, interview carefully, trust your gut (rather than your need), and check him/her out
thoroughly. ask what he/she expects from the situation, as well as being very clear what you need. go see where he/she is living now if possible.
check references. your best bet is someone who is also a homeowner and enjoys the privilege of trying new locations and has his/her own interests,
not someone you find (say in a bar or elsewhere) who NEEDS a place to stay. it goes without saying that once you find someone good you treat them
well, like the special person/resource they are. you may need help, sometimes at short notice, in the future.
a good housesitter should be able to speak at least middling Spanish, manage any household help you may have, LIKE, not tolerate your pets, know local
plant/garden requirements, be handy enough to manage minor problems that come up and intelligent and resourceful enough to deal with any major
problems that may arise in your absence. local knowledge is extremely helpful.
watching trends in housing and petty crime, I'm thinking housesitting may just become the next growth industry in Baja. be very careful to whom you
trust your home and pets.
(yes, I am currently booked for the next six weeks, but will consider situations for the summer season after I enjoy some time in my own place in May
and June)
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
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We had a few that were ok. As one lady said, you will never find anyone to do everything the same way you do....she was one of the good ones!
Like I said, we gave up and just lock up like we used to before we moved down here. Our house is pretty bullet proof.
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
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Roberta,
Good resume. 
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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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I agree with making your place as bullet proof as you can. (that's what I do with my place in AZ, and my Baja house has great neighbors, I don't
worry overmuch about it). however it isn't perfect.
two examples...
I've had to photograph an electric meter and do battle with the CFE equivalent in San Miguel Allende about an outrageous bill for one homeowner not
due home for three months. and though the bilge pumps might have kept up with the gushing plumbing failure on a 45ft trawler I was watching, the
water damage would have been considerable had I not been there. of course I could have easily been out grocery shopping...
every situation is different. do what makes you feel best, because there's no guarantee either way.
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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lingililingili
Nomad
Posts: 449
Registered: 2-24-2008
Location: La Paz, Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
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Thanks everyone. This is tough but I think I know what we need to do now. I appreciate everyone's help.
•Life is just one damned thing after another
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Cardon Man
Super Nomad
Posts: 1319
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Thetis Bank
Member Is Offline
Mood: !Al Chingaso!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rhintransit
a good housesitter should be able to speak at least middling Spanish, manage any household help you may have, LIKE, not tolerate your pets, know local
plant/garden requirements, be handy enough to manage minor problems that come up and intelligent and resourceful enough to deal with any major
problems that may arise in your absence. local knowledge is extremely helpful.
watching trends in housing and petty crime, I'm thinking housesitting may just become the next growth industry in Baja. be very careful to whom you
trust your home and pets.
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Cardon Man
Super Nomad
Posts: 1319
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Thetis Bank
Member Is Offline
Mood: !Al Chingaso!
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Oops! Didn't post my reply!...
Sage advice from rhintransit. My wife and I have been care taking properties in Baja for a few years now. And can say for certain that fluent Spanish
is critical to solving problems and getting things done. I would list good language skills as one of the top requirements for a good Mexico house
sitter. And as rhintransit also stated...local knowledge can be a great help.
Basic knowledge of plumbing and electricity is another huge plus. In my care taking experiences I've had to deal with various minor plumbing problems,
hurricane damage control, solar power systems, and even desalination equipment. Knowing the nauture of these problems can save cash and keep the
property owners from being taken for a ride when you do bring in help from outside.
Animal and plant care skills are another must in my opinion. That goes without saying!
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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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I must admit I just got around to scanning the actual website lingililingili referred to when starting this thread. interesting read. and
interesting collection of sitter wanna be's and home owners. kinda like internet dating, I guess. anyone who has tried that will tell you that there
can be HUGE discrepancies between actuality and creative fiction. some may be completely legit, some are easily discounted, most are in between when
reading between the lines. there is NO substitute for a face to face interview and I still think you are better off going with someone local or
with known local references.
and of course, the person who started/runs the site is doing it for profit from the ads placed and disclaims any responsibility at all.
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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lingililingili
Nomad
Posts: 449
Registered: 2-24-2008
Location: La Paz, Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
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Good advice rhintransit. Thanks everybody, next fall we will give a full report on what we did and how it went.
•Life is just one damned thing after another
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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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here's something else to consider, contributed by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous.
I cut and pasted his response to reading this thread:
> From what i read here and elsewhere it seems that most
> homeowners think they are doing you (the housesitter) a
> favor by letting you stay in their house “free” or
> “for just paying the utlilities” when just the opposite is
> true..How much is peace of mind worth ? How much is having
> your house maintained worth ? Nice to have someone there
> when a hurricane or chabasco hits huh ? How much is it
> worth to have everything ready when you get there so you
> can enjoy your house and not have 1000 jobs to do ?....
> what is it worth when some Mexican bureauratic FUBAR
> demands immediate attention?
>
> Ive been housesitting the same house for 3 yrs and responsibilites include providing 24 hr security,
> checking the solar system adding water to the batterys when necessary and equalizing them
> monthly. I recieve $400 a month ( i just got a raise to $600 a
> month starting in june).. included is tv with all premium
> channels like showtime, hbo, cinemax etc etc , computer
> hookup , all utilities and a quad to use...when the owners
> return i go to a hotel in town which they pay for along
> with food....
>
> I also arrange for the maids to come and clean prior to the owners return, I line up plumbers, electricians etc
> when needed, get bids on projects owners want done like
> painting or rock walls etc(and supervise the projects) , i
> start quads, dune buggys , vehicles once a month and have
> them gassed and ready to go when owners arrive , i charge
> batterys on vehicles when needed and put air in
> tires...sometimes i go to town to get diesel , gas or get
> water jugs filled for owners. pick up owners at airport and
> return to airport...For any of these things i am paid extra
> depending on what i think is fair. the owner leaves a
> $500 house kitty for me to pay for maids, gardeners,
> propane etc etc and replentish it on their visits...seems
> like there is always something to do and i keep busy....i
> am not just sitting around 24/7.....If you can afford a home in Mexico you can afford to pay someone to care for it in your absence..
$400 -$600 a month is cheap compared to what it would cost you in the states for peace of mind
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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rhintransit
Nice post. We were really surprised to find out that many people do not pay for house sitting----just can't imagine.
Diane
On edit---we may need a housesitter in Baja one of these days while we travel somewhere else. Frankly, we don't care about the house as much as we do
about our two dogs, and we think their welfare is worth good money.
So for us, one requirement in a house sitter would be a love of dogs---not just tolerate, but someone who really likes dogs.
[Edited on 4-12-2008 by jdtrotter]
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
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Rhintransit, I take exception to many points in your friends’ logic for several reasons. First, I feel his is an extraordinary situation rather than
the “norm” since he’s in a relatively permanent situation as opposed to short-term weekly, monthly or even 3-4 months situation. As such, he doesn’t
have any need to maintain a separate residence or find & move onto another house-sitting position. He gets a free roof over his head, he’s using
other the homeowners' furniture, appliances, linens, cook-wear, light bulbs, quad; the owner pays for all utilities satellite TV, internet &
probably even toilet paper!
As a homeowner, I understand and appreciate what he brings to the table in the day-to-day maintenance he personally performs or oversees in dealing
with maids, gardeners, plumbers, electricians etc., getting occasional bids on projects the owners want done like painting or rock walls...but, unless
I misread, he gets paid extra; at his discretion; for what he deems extra above & beyond services. Granted, when they’re all lumped together like
that, it does sound like a heavy load, when in reality, the majority of his responsibilities require occasional as opposed to daily attention. From
my vantage point, he’s found a terrific sugar daddy who is taking care of roughly 95-98% of all his needs, expenses, entertainment & he’s having a
hard time convincing me that he’s giving more than he’s receiving in return!
Yes, it is nice having the peace of mind that your place has been hurricane-proofed as much as is humanly possible; maybe once each year or two! From
my perspective, that’s not worth $600 a month, 12 months a year. Not even with any other normal responsibilities that come with home ownership!
I own my own home, I live in La Paz full-time, I paid for my home, I pay the utilities, perform all the daily/weekly/monthly/annual maintenance
myself; that which is beyond me, I have to hire someone else to do it; I pay for my own homeowners & vehicle insurance, license tags, maintenance
& gasoline. I clean my own pool, I buy my own groceries, I pay vet bills, pay my own entertainment & internet charges. Except for the fact
that I’m not on solar, I do everything he’s getting paid to do, but I also PAY FOR IT ALL MYSELF!
For your friend to have made the statement, “If you can afford a home in Mexico you can afford to pay someone to care for it in your
absence”, is absolutely ludicrous! My monthly income is less than double his, and I reap all the benefits from homeownership as he does, but
at the same time, I’m doing all the work & paying my own way. And ya know what…when I have an unexpected expense, I don’t have anyone but myself
to fall back on for the money to cover it! Your friend isn’t playing with a full-deck if he sincerely believes that everyone who owns a home in
Mexico has the financial wherewithal to pay $400-600 a month, plus incidentals, for someone to take care of their home in their absence!
This guy places a very high price on peace of mind for the homeowner, but it appears (to me) that he’s using that as justification for the even
greater value he places on what he brings to the table. Of the gringo homeowners that I know, NONE of them would be able to afford half of what he’s
getting either in benefits or money, let alone BOTH. I would hope that this guy realizes how rare a situation he’s found & appreciates it, rather
than abusing the one-of-a-kind position he has found. IMO, he’s greedy & needs to think about the total monthly expenses he’s saving by not
owning his own home & adding that amount to the wages he gets to get a closer grasp on the reality of his true monthly income; or in this case
cost avoidance! Yes, he’s providing a great service & yes, I do believe good house sitters are very hard to find, but for everything he’s getting
in return, I think he’s totally out of touch with the harsh reality of the typical Baja home owners' financial status.
And yes, I’ve had Mexican friends housesit for me as well as hired a highly recommended gringo housesitter once…he qualified
for the “Annual Housesitter From Hell Award”. He did more damage in my 3-week absence than I experienced during Hurricane Marty!
Supposedly a vegetarian, a full freezer of meats, fish & seafood & a full years worth of canned foods were gone when I got home, including
12 cans of cat food for a cat that died the second day after I left!! Then there was the issue of the marijuana joints I found around the house
when I returned & the fact that he’d lit every damn decorative candle I had in the house & even ate the 15-year-old decorative popcorn in a
glass decorative ornament that wasn’t even in the kitchen! And, no, I did NOT pay him the $50 balance of what I’d agreed to pay him once I discovered
the drugs, property damage & empty cupboard & freezer! I believe my bad situation is probably as extraordinary as your friends’ good
situation is extraordinarily rare!
IMO, this guy is as far off the mark in underestimating the true value he's receiving in his situation, as he is in overestimating the financial
status of the typical gringo homeowner in Baja.
Edit typos....priceless
[Edited on 4-13-2008 by longlegsinlapaz]
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lingililingili
Nomad
Posts: 449
Registered: 2-24-2008
Location: La Paz, Bahia Asuncion
Member Is Offline
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Longlegs: I couldn't have said it better myself. The part that really got to me was "if you can afford to live in Mexico, etc."
We are sooooooo not in the same financial league as the "friend's" employers. Does sound like a great job.
•Life is just one damned thing after another
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18365
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rhintransit
here's something else to consider, contributed by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous.
I cut and pasted his response to reading this thread:
> From what i read here and elsewhere it seems that most
> homeowners think they are doing you (the housesitter) a
> favor by letting you stay in their house “free” or
> “for just paying the utlilities” when just the opposite is
> true..How much is peace of mind worth ? How much is having
> your house maintained worth ? Nice to have someone there
> when a hurricane or chabasco hits huh ? How much is it
> worth to have everything ready when you get there so you
> can enjoy your house and not have 1000 jobs to do ?....
> what is it worth when some Mexican bureauratic FUBAR
> demands immediate attention?
>
> Ive been housesitting the same house for 3 yrs and responsibilites include providing 24 hr security,
> checking the solar system adding water to the batterys when necessary and equalizing them
> monthly. I recieve $400 a month ( i just got a raise to $600 a
> month starting in june).. included is tv with all premium
> channels like showtime, hbo, cinemax etc etc , computer
> hookup , all utilities and a quad to use...when the owners
> return i go to a hotel in town which they pay for along
> with food....
>
> I also arrange for the maids to come and clean prior to the owners return, I line up plumbers, electricians etc
> when needed, get bids on projects owners want done like
> painting or rock walls etc(and supervise the projects) , i
> start quads, dune buggys , vehicles once a month and have
> them gassed and ready to go when owners arrive , i charge
> batterys on vehicles when needed and put air in
> tires...sometimes i go to town to get diesel , gas or get
> water jugs filled for owners. pick up owners at airport and
> return to airport...For any of these things i am paid extra
> depending on what i think is fair. the owner leaves a
> $500 house kitty for me to pay for maids, gardeners,
> propane etc etc and replentish it on their visits...seems
> like there is always something to do and i keep busy....i
> am not just sitting around 24/7.....If you can afford a home in Mexico you can afford to pay someone to care for it in your absence..
$400 -$600 a month is cheap compared to what it would cost you in the states for peace of mind |
you are a caretaker, not a house sitter.
there is a difference. house sitters are not expected to be permanent caretaker positions.
house sitters are temporary sitters, just keeping the place lived in, feeding the goldfish, petting/feeding the dog and watering the plants, and not
much else.
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by lingililingili
Longlegs: I couldn't have said it better myself. The part that really got to me was "if you can afford to live in Mexico, etc."
We are sooooooo not in the same financial league as the "friend's" employers. Does sound like a great job. |
I probably should have qualified my post when I said, "Nice post." The situation was very much different than what most here are looking at. I do,
however, think the pay fit THAT situation.
However, I still can't imagine not paying someone for housesitting and I know some people do not expect to pay for that service.
Longlegs,
Your sitter did deserve the Sitter From Hell Award----where did you find that jewel??
Now, since we own a home in Mexico, I need to figure out if we are rich. 
Diane
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18365
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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p.s. you want to leave your house for a 6-month break, then hire a caretaker, and don't expect a house sitter to do maintainance.
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