Home upkeep
Write instructions for a house sitter
Give the sitter the dates they are responsible for the house, the tasks you have agreed on and a number to call if something goes wrong. Write for someone who does not know your routines.
A text to start with
Help me write house-sitting instructions. I need sections for daily plant watering and which plants need it, mail handling, bin day on Thursday, and emergency contacts for a plumber, an electrician and my neighbor. Leave the boiler and other appliance issues out of the sitter's tasks; I'll note that the sitter should contact a qualified professional for those. Remind me to share entry codes separately and in person.
Example request. Change the details to fit your situation.What to check in the instructions
Check that every task has enough detail to follow: which plants need water, where mail goes and which bin goes out on Thursday. Ask the sitter which instructions are unclear. Confirm that emergency contacts agreed to be contacted and add a backup. For an appliance problem, identify whom to call instead of asking the sitter to attempt an unfamiliar repair.
Sharing the instructions
Share the handoff directly with the sitter and walk through the house together if possible. Give entry codes through a private method you both use. Leave a printed copy where the sitter can find it, and agree how they should report a problem or ask a question while you are away.