House Sitter or Home Watch: How to Choose
A house sitter lives in your home. A home watch service visits on a schedule. Here is how the two compare, and which one suits which kind of trip.
Choose a house sitter if you want someone living in the house or your pets need company. Choose home watch if the house needs checking and nobody needs to live in it. Most decisions come down to those two questions, and the rest of this article covers the cases in between. For how home watch works locally, see our page on home watch in Regina.
The two side by side
| Comparison | House sitter | Home watch |
|---|---|---|
| Where they are | Stays in your home | Visits, then leaves |
| Between visits | Someone is living there | The house stays empty |
| Pets | A good fit | Not what we offer |
| Your things | In daily use by the sitter | Left as you left them |
| What you hear | What you arrange with them | From Peggy's, a report after every visit |
When a house sitter makes more sense
Pets are the clearest reason. A dog can't wait for a visit twice a week, and a house check isn't built to feed and walk an animal. A sitter also suits anyone who wants lights on and a car in the driveway because someone really is there.
A sitter is also the closer match if you want someone in the house every day during a cold spell. Somebody living there will notice a dead furnace. The trade-offs are that you're trusting one person with your home around the clock, that person's plans can change, and you'll want a clear agreement about guests, utilities and what happens if they have to leave partway through.
Ask your insurer how a sitter affects the policy too. Don't assume that having someone there settles it. Find out what the policy calls occupied, and whether it matters if the person staying isn't family.
When home watch makes more sense
Home watch suits a house with no pets and no need for anyone to live in it. It's also a practical choice when you don't want someone else using your kitchen and sleeping in your bed for four months, or when you've tried and can't find a sitter for the dates.
Each visit is a focused look at the things that go wrong in an empty house: leaks, damage, the furnace, the plumbing, the doors and windows. You get a report after each visit, and if we find a problem, we contact you with photos and details. Because nobody is staying there, the house is empty between visits, so how often we come matters. Our article on how often someone should check an empty house goes through how to decide.
Four common situations
Two weeks away, with a dog
A house sitter, or a kennel plus a house check. If the dog goes to a kennel, one visit from us may be all the house needs. Check with your insurer about that.
Four months in Arizona, no pets
Home watch is the usual fit. Our snowbird guide covers the rest of what to arrange.
A house empty and for sale
Home watch again, since having someone move in is seldom practical when a house is being shown. Your insurer may treat a vacant house differently from one that's only unoccupied for a while, so ask about that specifically.
A contract out of town
If you're home every few weeks, a visit in between may be enough. Weigh that against any rule your insurer has about the length of time away.
What about cost?
We can't give you a fair number for house sitters. Some charge by the day, some charge nothing in exchange for a free place to stay, and rates vary by person. Ask for the full price before comparing, including any expenses you'd cover. Our own prices are published: a visit every two weeks is $129 a month, a weekly visit is $219 a month, and two visits a week are $349 a month, in Canadian dollars before GST. The details are on our pricing page, and our article on what a house check includes and costs works out a few trips.
If you've decided on home watch
Give us your dates and what your insurer told you, and we'll agree on a schedule. Start with house checks in Regina, or read about house checks in Saskatoon if that's where the house is. If you've decided on a sitter instead, you can still use our Regina winter checklist to get the house ready.
Need Help Preparing Your Home?
Let Peggy's Home Watch professionals ensure your home is properly prepared for your winter vacation.
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