You may be asked to stop by an empty home to minimize the chance of burglary. Or you may be asked to stay in the home and care for pets, water the plants, open mail, clean house and forward telephone messages.

Although few skills are required, honest is essential. The overhead on house sitting is low, yet the going rate is fairly high. The standard rate is $30 per hour. So if you check a home once a day and it takes a half hour, you would figure a rate of $80 for the week.

Of course, if you are asked to stay in the home with a pet, you couldn’t charge $30 per hour. You would price yourself out of business. The going rate is $30 to $45 per day, and that includes watering plants, walking the dog and cleaning the kitty litter, etc.

To get your name out, contact reactors and travel agents (who are booking vacations for people who might need your services). Most of the people you will work for, however, will be those you know or friends of friends.

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