Five important things to warn your house sitter about

Leaving your house in another person's hands can be scary, but there are many great house sitters out there that will keep your house safe and well maintained. Here are five important things you should warn your house sitter about to make sure they stay comfortable and safe.

You should let your house sitter know which day of the week your usual garbage pickup is, in case it's different from other areas in your town.

In fact, you might want to tell them the exact garbage pickup day for the week (or weeks) that they'll be watching your house, so if they're working during a holiday they'll know about any sort of delay in the garbage pickup service.

Telling your house sitter about garbage pick up will help to ensure that they're able to take the trash out on the proper day. That way any garbage that needs to be taken out won't sit around in your home, filling it with garbage stink.

If you have a housekeeper or gardener who periodically comes by, make your house sitter aware of what days that person will come and what they look like.

It can be very startling to have someone on the property when they aren't expected, and you don't want to give your house sitter a fright.

You'll most likely be leaving your alarm pass code with your house sitter so they can arm and disarm your home, but you may also want to warn them about any additional passwords your alarm might have in case they accidentally set it off.

You should also tell your alarm company about your house sitter.

And, as an extra precaution in this regard, you might also want to set up an extra password to help your house sitter identify themselves to your alarm company.

This way, if your house sitter needs to disarm your system, then can call in and safely say that everything is clear and that the company doesn't have to send the police or other authorities.

You should also change your alarm system's password once you get back from your time away from home and your house sitter's job is over.

If there are places they shouldn't go into in your home, warn your house sitter about them before you head out.

If you would rather that a sitter stays out of your bedroom or bathroom, give them a heads up.

Or, if there's a part of your house that is under construction and hazardous, let them know that, too. You don't want them accidentally spending time in a place where they aren't wanted or that isn't safe for them.

Every house has its own creaks and squeaks. So, warn your house sitter about any funny noises he or she can expect during their stay.

Letting your house sitter know that a noise is normal will help them feel more comfortable, and prevent them from worrying about where a noise is coming from or if something has been damaged during their stay.

Letting your house sitter know about these five important things will make their job easier and help give you more peace of mind while you're away.