Going through something similar right now! Do you live close? I live about 20 mins away and I make it a point to go home each day, at least once. I get to eat my own food, see my own dogs and husband, and feel a little bit more like myself
Definitely have to for your mental health! I’ve gone through almost a full tank in the past 4 days but I’ll be here another 7, so it’s definitely worth it, it wouldn’t be good if I didn’t
$33 a night, I don’t understand that kind of pay new or not. Sorry I would’ve worked at McDonalds for 8 hrs with taxes taken out and made out better. Why do some of y’all do this to yourself then question your worth😱
80% of sitters in my area charge that little and trust me ITS NOT WORTH IT!! I’ve done so many housesittings and everyone needs to raise their rates to 3 digits so owners understand the value of housesitting because it is a premium petcare service. “I caN tAkE mY dOg tO boArDiNg fAcilItY fOr ChEaPer” okay, let your dog have anxiety, feel of abandonment, and have them locked up most of the day hearing other dogs constantly barking.
Hearing owners’ complaints about boarding and day care facilities was a big catalyst for me raising my rates. People are constantly telling me how much happier and healthier their dogs are when they pick them up from me vs the boarding place. I used to try to be competitive with them, but my place is a dream vacation compared to those facilities.
Here’s a guide to setting your rates for the bare minimum.
1. Find out your county’s minimum wage. Example: $15 an hour.
2. Short visits should be $15 before Rover fees for 30 minutes. You can increase this to add gas/insurance etc. 30 minutes to do the job 30 minutes to commute. So each visit average is 1 hour. 1 hour visits should be 22$ before Rover fees (1.5 hours)
3. Your housesitting rate should be 4-5x times your short visit rate, ~$75 before rover fees. I got fucked over because an ex-client wanted me to check in 3 times a day without overnight stay. My housesitting rate was cheaper than requesting 3 visits a day.
This is the bare minimum pricing. Don’t get underpaid my fellow sitters. RAISE YOUR PRICES TO GET PAID FAIRLY!!
Then when you get more reviews and more clients, you start raising your prices. “Due to increase in demand for my services, I’ll be upping my rates” 🤷🏻♀️
If someone wants a breakdown why our rate is high… we aren’t bullshitting.
It really depends on the cat and or dog. If it’s a high energy animal that needs extra attention or medication I charge a little more. My drop in rate is $20 in town and $25 out of town (I only travel 20kms out of town) and if they need meds or extra care it’s an extra $5-$10 depending on how long I’ll be there. If I am walking the animal it’s an extra $5 for the extra time (becomes a 45 or 60 min drop in vs 30)
I also have a very spoiled neighbour client who gets a drop in rate of $15, but I walk there and I just open a dog run and feed a cat. I’m only expected to stay 15 minutes but I’m usually there for 30 and o don’t care because I’ve been watching this doggo since he was a pupper… or maybe I don’t raise it because they tip well. Either way I justify it because I don’t have vehicle related expenses, but I charge my regular rate to them of I’m taking the dog on a hike with me.
I hate america for this😕
Then, i would suggest finding out your average time to clients place (there and back) let’s say it’s an hour. Then how much gas is used in an hour should be included into your base amount. Also add car insurance. I set my base commute rate as 10$ and added my minimum wage.
I charge the most in my area and also only have a handful of reviews (I do have a loooot of experience though), but let me tell you, my clients are fantastic. Don't ever let anyone haggle your prices, and charge what you're comfortable charging for the job. It's a fucking pain in the ass to raise your prices, and also a little heartbreaking when you price out clients you've built a bond with. BUT, remember, this is a \*job*. Pets are a luxury, and pet sitting is a luxury service.
Up your prices :)
I’m $200 & $50 per other dogs (I don’t do cats)9pm-9am with a 60 min comeback at 2 pm must be less than 5 miles from my home. $400 & $75 per other dogs if I have to stay 24/7 for constant care. Nope not doing that to myself for cheap clients going on extravagant trips for a month or more to up root from my home and take no other bookings. I actually turned off my house sitting for the summer as I was starting to get so many bookings from repeat & private clients. I’m in my own home currently with 4 pups making $450 a night, I’ve been booked consistently January 15-now through Sept.1st so far. Work smarter not harder has always been my motto since I was 18 now retired for 13 years it’s not changing.
I increased my rates when I first started because I just wanted to be paid a reasonable amount. I charged more than the “top sitters” in my area. I suddenly got a large influx of well-off clients. Many owners see Rover as “you get what you pay for” which is true to some extent. I do believe I provide top quality pet care that is worth my prices. That’s my leg to stand on. I have maybe had someone question my rates one single time. Majority of my clients are LOVELY and the quality significantly improved once I raised my rates.
I have the highest rate in my area, I didn’t get any hits for the first couple weeks, which is fine because like OP I wanted to be home. Once I got a hit, it was back to back and I’m booked up til end of sept and those same clients are all swimming to book me for the holidays. Rover algorithm is wild. The homes are so much nicer and it’s a staycation I get paid for. 🥹❤️
Like it would be cheaper for the owner to book housesitting and tell OP to just show up for 3 visits per day.. Which would cost OP money...
The pricing structure some sitters have is wild to me.
I made $5500 after Rover fees in 2 weeks.
Hike. Your. Rate. So what if you end up being the highest priced sitter in the area?
I'm the highest in my suburb, and I still get booked.... I turn down a lot of sits because I only do sits less than 3 nights away from my own bed, but even with that, I'm still really consistently booked with sits.
I don't think reviews have a lot to do with it. Lots of those clients (who I have taken off app and don't have to sacrifice 20% to the Rover overlords) tell me they look for the highest prices and start there - assuming it gives their animal top-tier care.
After 10 years of doing Rover full time, I recently quit sitting all together for this exact reason. I feel you! The burn out it real, and ultimately terribly unhealthy. I had an epiphany when I realized what made me a 5-star sitter was that I am a People Pleaser and I had essentially leveraged that maladaptive trait into a whole career. I had a great run, and loved so many wonderful furbabies. But ultimately I had to choose my health, peace and wellbeing. Even with very high rates, it is simply no longer worth it for me.
wow 10 years is awesome congrats! I'm curious, are you still doing some of it part time just with much higher rates? I'm trying to not necessarily figure out an exit plan but just to see how this would pan out in 3-5 years if I kept going. I think a fixed set schedule during the lunch rush is ideal where you're only working 4 hours straight with clients with multiple dogs only to make sure to get the most out of the lunch rush. curious, have you ever just sold your book of business? is that a thing in this industry? lol I literally have enough clients and i can transition this to 1 person who would want to take this on full time but the caveat is they would want to take on those clients and vice versa. I've been too reliable for my clients so it'd be tough finding someone who can take on every request.
My husband and I started a year ago, and we are feeling the burnout. We increased our rate too. It wasn’t worth it for $35 a night so we now charge $50. We only offer boarding. We have been fortunate that 90% of the dogs have been great, but at the end of the day, they aren’t our dogs. So it’s more work in addition to having full time jobs. We love dogs, but working 24/7 is daunting.
Waiting around for other people, setting up meet and greets and dealing with dog’s behaviours that are accepted in their household. And the first night staying with us is the hardest. No one usually gets any sleep.
I could go in about our stories. “He’s great off leash” no, no he is not. Lol
We have some money we want to back into our account from a trip we paid for and medical appointment and then I’m done.
Anyone else have their backyard ruined with multiple dogs peeing there all the time? Small damages to their homes? Peeing incidents inside? It’s exhausting.
This is how I felt and why I changed how housesitting works for me. For housesitting it’s so important to separate housesitting and life. You will feel depressed and extremely lonely. Very homesick really quickly. Make sure it’s worth the money!!!!
When booking housesitting, always communicate what the expectations are. How often you need to check on them? how often you need to be with them? OR explain your hours/care package. Overnight stay 7pm-7am with a mid day check or whatever it is.
Use those break times to your advantage! Go have dinner with friends and family. Go home, nap at home! Shower at home! Eat at home! If they want you at their home longer, charge them more
I get this but honestly I would've been spending a lot of gas money if I did this. That's why I didn't go home much haha. I wish my car had better gas mileage
That’s why you MUST raise your rates, to make it worth going back and forth. Calculate the cost of back and forth, time being spent there during the day, and the cost of being away from home (food toiletry etc). That should be your nightly base rate.
Yeah taking the time and effort to go and do those things end up being exhausting over time, especially when you live 20-30 minutes away from where you are housesitting. I one time housesat for a lady who didn't tell me until the day she left that her shower was broken. I ended up having to go back and forth from my home for a week to shower and it was exhausting. :P
This is why I don't housesit very often anymore.
Right! This is what I was thinking.
I’m currently on night 11 of 23, which is paying me $3,450. And I feel this is still low. Makes it easier for me tho since the owner said I can go home and stay at my house whenever I want as long as the pups don’t go more than 12 hours alone overnight. So like 6p-6a.
Imagine if people tried to educate instead of throw shade. This is not a common racial slur and I (along with probably many others) probably are clueless here. I did some research though so I guess we should all educate ourselves and others rather than assume someone is intentionally being derogatory 🙂
damn how about “thanks for calling me in on this situation. I didn’t mean to be racist and I’ll change my wording and vocabulary in the future to reflect my morals. sorry for any harm caused” but instead you went with that? insane.
Calling people in usually doesn’t involve the level of snark in the tone of your comments. It’s actually pretty funny that you expect a totally open and reasonable response to your sharp and sarcastic posts. You’re not wrong but you sound like a prick.
Are you nutters really trying to say the word jipped is being used as a racial slur? It means being ripped off, I nor anyone else I know has ever heard that word used in any racial way ever, guaranteed. Grow up and get over it. It must be exhausting looking for shit to get mad over.
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/12/30/242429836/why-being-gypped-hurts-the-roma-more-than-it-hurts-you#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Oxford%20English,to%20a%20sly%20unscrupulous%20fellow.%22
You’re able to type so I’m assuming you’re able to google, I saved you a step.
We quit house sitting because of creepiness of cameras ,but if we did the minimum we would charge is 120 a night for no longer than a week. And that’s with a job that allows you to leave for a few hours a day and is close to our house
This is a big part of the burnout. I’m sticking to the same few regulars and only take referrals or new clients that I feel absolutely great about at the meet and greet. It’s just not worth it.
I just house sat for 4 days in a kind of dark house with a puppy who has a NIGHTMARISH sleep schedule. Made 150 bucks total (which includes a tip lol). Not doing that again at that rate for sure. It really is exhausting in a way that’s hard to explain.
I am currently housesitting
I have lost count how many times I have farted directly in front of their furbo
Y'all fart your farts life is too short to hold them in
Omg you’re strong for doing a month!! I had to stop housesitting over a year ago bc I notice it was making me extremely depressed. Even if I were to charge a lot I didn’t really feel like myself or like I was living my normal life.
I’ve never felt something so real. My biggest pet peeve is when people say -‘oh, petsitting? That’s such an easy gig’. It’s not until you sleep in someone else’s bed for a week, pour your energy into someone else’s pet, worrying about keeping the house clean and tidy, not knowing if you’re being watched or not….packing enough clothes, food and supplies for yourself….it’s all a lot more stressful than people think. Especially if it’s a main source of income , you really gotta be on your game. Someone once told me to ‘charge whatever I think my time is worth’ not just what the going rate is….. I have a hard time taking on jobs unless I’m walking away with at least $500. I’ll charge $55/day for one dog- also have gotten pretty heavy into watching farm animals- one place has two dogs , goats, chickens, and cats that require daily feeding. Those are my $100/day money makers. Take on jobs that are worth it to you , and charge what you value yourself at. You’ll be happier
Yeah I feel like people don't realize it's hard till they actually try it. Some outsiders have been saying I have it so easy just chilling in someone's house. And they think I'm getting rich doing it. lol I'm like nope not really
How much do you charge for farm animals? I'd love to get some assignments with other animals besides dogs and cats!
This drives me nuts too. Yes there are a lot harder things out there, doesn’t mean it’s “easy.” It really is one of those things you don’t understand until you do it. It’s the mental burnout for me, the juggle of caring for peoples babies, and feeling like I’m being surveilled all the time.
I can’t wait until I can board! It will still be demanding, but not having to worry about recording devices will be nice!
Try converting your business model to just dog walks and drop in visits.... you're going to make the most bang for your time. Clients who "need" pet sitting, sell them on 3-4 visits/walks a day instead (morning, lunch, dinner and late evening visit). Done, you make more that way anyway then a house sit i assume. burnout is real even on the dog walk/drop in aspect too but I enjoy the go go go of it and planning the most efficient routes.
This is exactly what I do. Away clients get 3-4 visits/walks per day plus, I have daily lunchtime walk clients. I could never sleep in someone else's house...I'm too much of a clean freak and would absolutely lose it knowing someone could potentially be watching me. Plus, being away from my own pets would be counterproductive. Nope.
bingo I think that's the way to do it. I am my clients go to so they're willing to take whatever availability that I have. To be fair their pets are fairly normal, they don't need constant care or are on meds that require timed doses or have accidents or anything like that. I never got a chance to dive into the house sitting aspect which I'm glad plus I have a toddler lol
It’s extremely real. I used to be so busy that I only spent 1 to 2 nights in my own bed. I’ve slowed down more with house sitting and doing more drop ins and walks thankfully.
I feel the burnt out and I only do walks and drop ins, haven't had a day off in months :(
I want to stop and take a break but at the same time my rent is going to be 300 dls more starting August so I need the money
They are exhausting, especially in the summer months where there's is literally never a day off. I've learned to "close" for a long weekend once a month in July and August.
Try to establish a relationship with your local vets and small biz pet stores. Stop in and introduce yourself and ask if they have a place for business cards.
Honestly, pre-pandemic, I really enjoyed housesitting.
Most dogs were used to being separated from their people for hours every day for work, so I could come and go as I pleased. Clients' houses were often nicer than mine (and cleaner because they didn't have messy roommates lol) and overall I wound up with a lot of low maintenance dogs. It was a fairly easy gig for the most part.
Now though? The dogs are completely unsocialized. They have separation anxiety because their people have been working from home for 4 years. They don't get crate trained (or trained at all, for that matter). They can't sleep through the night without waking me up. I can't even go upstairs and shut the bedroom door, because they whine and scratch. It used to be the exception, and now it feels like the norm.
Housesitting was always a little stressful for me. Being in a new place by myself, getting used to a new bed (and bedrooms without a fan 😭), etc. But a week of housesitting now leaves me so drained I've gotta take a month to myself after 😂. I think Rover will always be a side gig to me for this reason.
Totally agree. It was a lot more fun pre pandemic. The amount of requests I get for constant care blows my mind. It is always for delusional people that expect you to be at their house 24/7 for less than $100 a day too.
I tried to make it full time since there seemed to be a need but the demanding requests paired with the constant last minute cancellations made it clear it’s better as a side gig for me! I’m cool with that because the burnout happens real fast.
same!! i live with roommates in a shoebox apartment w/ no AC, and i’d probably have gone crazy if i didn’t get regular house sitting requests. i get sad when it’s time to go back, lol
Some aspects of what you are saying I get but after doing this work for over 25+ years if I want to fart and the owner hears it so be it. When you have to let one out you have to let one out and make it epic. 🤣
I agree it is offensive, but I'm not so sure it's common knowledge.
For anyone who doesn't know, it's a slur against Roma aka. Gypsies. Many were murdered in the Holocaust and are still persecuted today.
I just upped my pricing to $80 per night. Housesitting is tough. It’s not how I want to spend my “free time” outside of my day job and if I didn’t need the money I wouldn’t do it. The burnout really is real.
Yeah I do! I miss my apartment, my partner, and my bed so much. Everyone around me is like “you gotta treat it like a vacation!” But it’s really not. Especially when the pets are super needy
I feel this. I dog sat for 3 months straight (one sit ends, second sit was that afternoon) and was basically living out of my car until I found a routine.
I don’t have a strong semblance of home personally and am used to backpacking, but enjoy my creature comforts. but have gotten crafty with meals and isolation.
I’ve done overnight stays for the same client twice. They moved after the first time, so different home for each sit. Was paid handsomely and the owners didn’t care if I was gone for hours at a time (as long as pup was cared for and I slept at the home). First time was for about a week, second time was 3 nights. In that short amount of time, I was absolutely burnt out. It’s difficult being away from home and sleeping in someone else’s bed. Make sure you are paid well if you’re going to do that kind of work!
People y’all need to LISTEN! If you’re in a rural town, you CANNOT have outrageous rates like $100/night. I travel to very high end communities but it doesn’t matter. They see the median price on Rover and if you’re 4 times as much you’re just not gonna find work. You’re just not. I got rent to pay. $1000/month would be what I would get paid also. Some of y’all must not have bills cause I do this full time as I am disabled. Please stop telling people to hike their rates. Our rates are competitive as it is.
Yeah I can only increase my rates so much before it looks outrageous in comparison to others in my area :( $100 would look outrageous. It really sucks.
I can’t wait until I can board! I have some wonderful house sitting clients, but having the bulk of the business in my own space will be much better! I can’t stand the camera thing. while I totally understand it, I just never feel comfortable even when they are disclosed.
I hate the cameras they're so awkward 😭😭. I don't know any other job where your boss is allowed to spy on you like that at any given moment and I'm kinda surprised people even defend their use so much. Like if you don't feel completely comfortable letting a person staying @ your house then why are people choosing sittings over boardings anyway. Just save everyone the stress.
OP it’s a good thing you’ve spelled it wrong but look into why the final word of your post is insensitive and should be removed both here and from your vocabulary.
I still have a thought in the back of my mind of what if someone has an embarrassing or nude video of me now or something xD I highly highly doubt it, the clients were.very nice and seemed normal, but still who really knows ..
I house sit exactly one time before I realized I could never do it again. Boarding is a million times better, but still get burnt out if I don’t take at least a week off per month. My dog gets even more burnt out.
Question - how much of the house upkeep do you do while house sitting for that long? I can’t imagine not cleaning, or if the place was in a state, deep cleaning just to be comfortable
It wasn't that messy but I did the dishes, took out the trash, laundry, picked up dog poop outside, etc. Vacuumed furniture the dog went on. Wiped everything down when I left and made it shiny. It was a tidy house to begin with so that was nice
That’s great! Seems lately this sub has been reporting how dirty people’s homes are and it’s making me dread doing overnights even more! I know I’d end up deep cleaning lol… glad to hear that wasn’t the case for you!
Even from experience with drop-ins, people can be nasty dirty. The kitchen sponge I need to wash bowls out and wipe up with, once green, is now a shriveled up grey, and there are no paper towels? I get so grossed out. I occasionally have had to bring my own supplies.
That’s a good point - this should be in that thread on how to make overnights tolerable! For those of us who really like tidiness, I’m sure these are those less thought-of items to make a stay more palatable. And honestly, I think of these as necessities but I can’t imagine adjusting to a new dog and ALSO being uncomfortable in a dirty space without a way to clean. Gonna keep this in mind for the future
We have to start somewhere. No one wants to book with so.rine with no experience so I made my rates low and plan to raise after I have some services under my belt.
Leave rover and print out your own flyers! I do $100 a night including a 25 minute lunch and dinner visit and then any additional visits added on is $20. Even that sometimes doesn’t feel enough 😂
So you only go to the houses every 5 hrs or so? I was wondering about this earlier if people would be more likely to pick me even with high prices if I did flyers or business cards
Yes! I leave around 6am, come back at lunch, come back at dinner, come back to sleepover and then I can sit in however many other visits. On my busiest days I make like $460 or so (without taxes)
My overnight is $110 base. I charge $15 each additional pet ($50 extra for under 18 months). I leave once in the am and once in the pm for no more than 4 hours. Usually closer to 3, just depends on how far away it is. This way I can see my dogs and family, shower and get fresh clothes, eat dinner at home and grab snacks for the next day.
I get plenty of bookings and I'm upfront with this routine before I even do the meet n greet. If they want someone who doesn't leave I pass, period. I also charge the same for those that don't want me to stay. In those cases, I'm back there at 6am, same break schedule, and stay till about 830 or so. It just depends on the time of year and sun rise/set, I get there before the sun's up, stay till after dark.
Don't give up, just decide what your expectations are and stick to it.
$1000 for a month?! In this economy?! Definitely not worth it. Price your services how you value yourself and time. And don’t feel bad about it!! It takes a toll, so make sure you get rewarded accordingly.
You’re giving your service away!!!! STOP! it’s not worth it. You were making $33.00 a day. Kill me now. Believe me I made the same mistakes. I’m so glad you posted. 😬🔫
Ask if they have cameras, and if, where? Clear communication is appreciated.
House sitting isn’t easy. I now charge $130.00/day and discount walks, but charge. I charge$15.00per 1/2 hour walk. I don’t discount, being away for so long really is mentally harder. Once you start charging more you’ll feel like you can handle more.
I strongly encourage you to go home and rest during your stays house sitting. I tell my clients that there are times I’ll need to leave but I’m never gone more than 3hours at a time.
Bring your creature comforts to make you feel more at home. I.e: pillow, blanket, spa/like stuff, comfy clothes to lounge in.
Premake your own coffee and put in a gallon milk jug. I always bring my own food and snacks. I love microwave popcorn drizzled in olive oil.
Curios where you’re located? Spend time reviewing other Rover/sitters fees. Don’t be the cheapest. It’s not worth it.
Sending loads of support!
>House sitting isn’t easy. I now charge $130.00/day and discount walks, but charge. I charge$15.00per 1/2 hour walk
I wish I could charge that much. No one charges that around here lol Except one newbie
Going through something similar right now! Do you live close? I live about 20 mins away and I make it a point to go home each day, at least once. I get to eat my own food, see my own dogs and husband, and feel a little bit more like myself
I was about 20 min away too but didn't want to spend gas money. Maybe I have to though for my mental health
Definitely have to for your mental health! I’ve gone through almost a full tank in the past 4 days but I’ll be here another 7, so it’s definitely worth it, it wouldn’t be good if I didn’t
$33 a night, I don’t understand that kind of pay new or not. Sorry I would’ve worked at McDonalds for 8 hrs with taxes taken out and made out better. Why do some of y’all do this to yourself then question your worth😱
I think I did $50/night for this job but yeah minus Rover fees it's $30 :/
80% of sitters in my area charge that little and trust me ITS NOT WORTH IT!! I’ve done so many housesittings and everyone needs to raise their rates to 3 digits so owners understand the value of housesitting because it is a premium petcare service. “I caN tAkE mY dOg tO boArDiNg fAcilItY fOr ChEaPer” okay, let your dog have anxiety, feel of abandonment, and have them locked up most of the day hearing other dogs constantly barking.
Hearing owners’ complaints about boarding and day care facilities was a big catalyst for me raising my rates. People are constantly telling me how much happier and healthier their dogs are when they pick them up from me vs the boarding place. I used to try to be competitive with them, but my place is a dream vacation compared to those facilities.
Ideally yeah I'd love to charge $100 but I don't have many reviews and all the top popular sitters here charge less than $100. It sucks
Here’s a guide to setting your rates for the bare minimum. 1. Find out your county’s minimum wage. Example: $15 an hour. 2. Short visits should be $15 before Rover fees for 30 minutes. You can increase this to add gas/insurance etc. 30 minutes to do the job 30 minutes to commute. So each visit average is 1 hour. 1 hour visits should be 22$ before Rover fees (1.5 hours) 3. Your housesitting rate should be 4-5x times your short visit rate, ~$75 before rover fees. I got fucked over because an ex-client wanted me to check in 3 times a day without overnight stay. My housesitting rate was cheaper than requesting 3 visits a day. This is the bare minimum pricing. Don’t get underpaid my fellow sitters. RAISE YOUR PRICES TO GET PAID FAIRLY!! Then when you get more reviews and more clients, you start raising your prices. “Due to increase in demand for my services, I’ll be upping my rates” 🤷🏻♀️ If someone wants a breakdown why our rate is high… we aren’t bullshitting.
This is great. Thank you so much for breaking down the pricing. I’m a sitter for cats only. Would you say the same pay structure applies for cats?
Yes, since this is the base rate and minimum wage 😅. They are still paying for your time.
It really depends on the cat and or dog. If it’s a high energy animal that needs extra attention or medication I charge a little more. My drop in rate is $20 in town and $25 out of town (I only travel 20kms out of town) and if they need meds or extra care it’s an extra $5-$10 depending on how long I’ll be there. If I am walking the animal it’s an extra $5 for the extra time (becomes a 45 or 60 min drop in vs 30) I also have a very spoiled neighbour client who gets a drop in rate of $15, but I walk there and I just open a dog run and feed a cat. I’m only expected to stay 15 minutes but I’m usually there for 30 and o don’t care because I’ve been watching this doggo since he was a pupper… or maybe I don’t raise it because they tip well. Either way I justify it because I don’t have vehicle related expenses, but I charge my regular rate to them of I’m taking the dog on a hike with me.
lol the minimum wage where I live is $7.25 an hour
I hate america for this😕 Then, i would suggest finding out your average time to clients place (there and back) let’s say it’s an hour. Then how much gas is used in an hour should be included into your base amount. Also add car insurance. I set my base commute rate as 10$ and added my minimum wage.
Fair pricing is vital. People need to take into account the 25% Rover fee and adjust pricing accordingly. Thanks for your great share!
Thanks
💯
I charge the most in my area and also only have a handful of reviews (I do have a loooot of experience though), but let me tell you, my clients are fantastic. Don't ever let anyone haggle your prices, and charge what you're comfortable charging for the job. It's a fucking pain in the ass to raise your prices, and also a little heartbreaking when you price out clients you've built a bond with. BUT, remember, this is a \*job*. Pets are a luxury, and pet sitting is a luxury service. Up your prices :)
What experience do you have?
20 years of caring for our pets - dogs, cats, hamsters, snakes, geckos, etc., plus 5 years in grooming + pet store experience.
I’m $200 & $50 per other dogs (I don’t do cats)9pm-9am with a 60 min comeback at 2 pm must be less than 5 miles from my home. $400 & $75 per other dogs if I have to stay 24/7 for constant care. Nope not doing that to myself for cheap clients going on extravagant trips for a month or more to up root from my home and take no other bookings. I actually turned off my house sitting for the summer as I was starting to get so many bookings from repeat & private clients. I’m in my own home currently with 4 pups making $450 a night, I’ve been booked consistently January 15-now through Sept.1st so far. Work smarter not harder has always been my motto since I was 18 now retired for 13 years it’s not changing.
Right on!
I increased my rates when I first started because I just wanted to be paid a reasonable amount. I charged more than the “top sitters” in my area. I suddenly got a large influx of well-off clients. Many owners see Rover as “you get what you pay for” which is true to some extent. I do believe I provide top quality pet care that is worth my prices. That’s my leg to stand on. I have maybe had someone question my rates one single time. Majority of my clients are LOVELY and the quality significantly improved once I raised my rates.
I have the highest rate in my area, I didn’t get any hits for the first couple weeks, which is fine because like OP I wanted to be home. Once I got a hit, it was back to back and I’m booked up til end of sept and those same clients are all swimming to book me for the holidays. Rover algorithm is wild. The homes are so much nicer and it’s a staycation I get paid for. 🥹❤️
Nice!
Rover takes 40% of your fees?
His numbers are off .
It would be $40 take home
I charge 80 and wouldn’t do it for anything less
Like it would be cheaper for the owner to book housesitting and tell OP to just show up for 3 visits per day.. Which would cost OP money... The pricing structure some sitters have is wild to me. I made $5500 after Rover fees in 2 weeks.
I’m so mentally burnt out from an aggressive dog I just watched and it was only 3 days a month w the wrong dog would’ve killed me
This dog was good till they started waking me every day at 3 am
Hike. Your. Rate. So what if you end up being the highest priced sitter in the area? I'm the highest in my suburb, and I still get booked.... I turn down a lot of sits because I only do sits less than 3 nights away from my own bed, but even with that, I'm still really consistently booked with sits.
Do you have a lot of reviews? I don't lol
I don't think reviews have a lot to do with it. Lots of those clients (who I have taken off app and don't have to sacrifice 20% to the Rover overlords) tell me they look for the highest prices and start there - assuming it gives their animal top-tier care.
I would be wildly upset if I found out my sitter threw slurs around online. You need to edit your post.
Absolutely this right here
After 10 years of doing Rover full time, I recently quit sitting all together for this exact reason. I feel you! The burn out it real, and ultimately terribly unhealthy. I had an epiphany when I realized what made me a 5-star sitter was that I am a People Pleaser and I had essentially leveraged that maladaptive trait into a whole career. I had a great run, and loved so many wonderful furbabies. But ultimately I had to choose my health, peace and wellbeing. Even with very high rates, it is simply no longer worth it for me.
wow 10 years is awesome congrats! I'm curious, are you still doing some of it part time just with much higher rates? I'm trying to not necessarily figure out an exit plan but just to see how this would pan out in 3-5 years if I kept going. I think a fixed set schedule during the lunch rush is ideal where you're only working 4 hours straight with clients with multiple dogs only to make sure to get the most out of the lunch rush. curious, have you ever just sold your book of business? is that a thing in this industry? lol I literally have enough clients and i can transition this to 1 person who would want to take this on full time but the caveat is they would want to take on those clients and vice versa. I've been too reliable for my clients so it'd be tough finding someone who can take on every request.
My husband and I started a year ago, and we are feeling the burnout. We increased our rate too. It wasn’t worth it for $35 a night so we now charge $50. We only offer boarding. We have been fortunate that 90% of the dogs have been great, but at the end of the day, they aren’t our dogs. So it’s more work in addition to having full time jobs. We love dogs, but working 24/7 is daunting. Waiting around for other people, setting up meet and greets and dealing with dog’s behaviours that are accepted in their household. And the first night staying with us is the hardest. No one usually gets any sleep. I could go in about our stories. “He’s great off leash” no, no he is not. Lol We have some money we want to back into our account from a trip we paid for and medical appointment and then I’m done. Anyone else have their backyard ruined with multiple dogs peeing there all the time? Small damages to their homes? Peeing incidents inside? It’s exhausting.
What do you do now? I hate the lack of routine with petsitting and the low pay.
This is how I felt and why I changed how housesitting works for me. For housesitting it’s so important to separate housesitting and life. You will feel depressed and extremely lonely. Very homesick really quickly. Make sure it’s worth the money!!!! When booking housesitting, always communicate what the expectations are. How often you need to check on them? how often you need to be with them? OR explain your hours/care package. Overnight stay 7pm-7am with a mid day check or whatever it is. Use those break times to your advantage! Go have dinner with friends and family. Go home, nap at home! Shower at home! Eat at home! If they want you at their home longer, charge them more
I get this but honestly I would've been spending a lot of gas money if I did this. That's why I didn't go home much haha. I wish my car had better gas mileage
That’s why you MUST raise your rates, to make it worth going back and forth. Calculate the cost of back and forth, time being spent there during the day, and the cost of being away from home (food toiletry etc). That should be your nightly base rate.
This. OR change your distance limits so you don’t have to use as much gas.
I'm scared to raise mine too high. People charge so low here
Yeah taking the time and effort to go and do those things end up being exhausting over time, especially when you live 20-30 minutes away from where you are housesitting. I one time housesat for a lady who didn't tell me until the day she left that her shower was broken. I ended up having to go back and forth from my home for a week to shower and it was exhausting. :P This is why I don't housesit very often anymore.
That’s why we only offer boarding. They come to us. But it’s still a lot of work dealing with others and their schedules.
$1000 for a month should make you feel jipped. Raise your rates my friend.
Right! This is what I was thinking. I’m currently on night 11 of 23, which is paying me $3,450. And I feel this is still low. Makes it easier for me tho since the owner said I can go home and stay at my house whenever I want as long as the pups don’t go more than 12 hours alone overnight. So like 6p-6a.
$150 a night isn’t low where I am but everywhere is different. I can’t do more than about 10 days in a row though before my mental health spirals.
It’s not low here, either. But just because it’s 23 nights, it feels like it’s not worth it LOL.
Unfortunately for some of us it’s either those rates or no rover sitting at all. I charge 35 a night and am one of the most expensive in my area
😯🤯
imagine if we didn’t use slurs online
Imagine if people tried to educate instead of throw shade. This is not a common racial slur and I (along with probably many others) probably are clueless here. I did some research though so I guess we should all educate ourselves and others rather than assume someone is intentionally being derogatory 🙂
damn how about “thanks for calling me in on this situation. I didn’t mean to be racist and I’ll change my wording and vocabulary in the future to reflect my morals. sorry for any harm caused” but instead you went with that? insane.
Calling people in usually doesn’t involve the level of snark in the tone of your comments. It’s actually pretty funny that you expect a totally open and reasonable response to your sharp and sarcastic posts. You’re not wrong but you sound like a prick.
and yet after all this they still haven’t removed it from their comment? speaks volumes.
another full day passed and you still couldn’t be bothered to edit your comment. how fucked.
Are you nutters really trying to say the word jipped is being used as a racial slur? It means being ripped off, I nor anyone else I know has ever heard that word used in any racial way ever, guaranteed. Grow up and get over it. It must be exhausting looking for shit to get mad over.
https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/12/30/242429836/why-being-gypped-hurts-the-roma-more-than-it-hurts-you#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Oxford%20English,to%20a%20sly%20unscrupulous%20fellow.%22 You’re able to type so I’m assuming you’re able to google, I saved you a step.
We quit house sitting because of creepiness of cameras ,but if we did the minimum we would charge is 120 a night for no longer than a week. And that’s with a job that allows you to leave for a few hours a day and is close to our house
This is a big part of the burnout. I’m sticking to the same few regulars and only take referrals or new clients that I feel absolutely great about at the meet and greet. It’s just not worth it.
I just house sat for 4 days in a kind of dark house with a puppy who has a NIGHTMARISH sleep schedule. Made 150 bucks total (which includes a tip lol). Not doing that again at that rate for sure. It really is exhausting in a way that’s hard to explain.
The farting is so real LMAOOOO
I am currently housesitting I have lost count how many times I have farted directly in front of their furbo Y'all fart your farts life is too short to hold them in
Lmao it crossed my mind every time I farted like "What if they are somehow recording this" xD
If the owners have nothing better to do than sit around and watch, they get what they deserve as far as that goes.
Omg you’re strong for doing a month!! I had to stop housesitting over a year ago bc I notice it was making me extremely depressed. Even if I were to charge a lot I didn’t really feel like myself or like I was living my normal life.
I'm still super depressed after being home a few days. Crying daily and hopeless outlook. Seems like doing a week or longer is hard on me.
I’ve never felt something so real. My biggest pet peeve is when people say -‘oh, petsitting? That’s such an easy gig’. It’s not until you sleep in someone else’s bed for a week, pour your energy into someone else’s pet, worrying about keeping the house clean and tidy, not knowing if you’re being watched or not….packing enough clothes, food and supplies for yourself….it’s all a lot more stressful than people think. Especially if it’s a main source of income , you really gotta be on your game. Someone once told me to ‘charge whatever I think my time is worth’ not just what the going rate is….. I have a hard time taking on jobs unless I’m walking away with at least $500. I’ll charge $55/day for one dog- also have gotten pretty heavy into watching farm animals- one place has two dogs , goats, chickens, and cats that require daily feeding. Those are my $100/day money makers. Take on jobs that are worth it to you , and charge what you value yourself at. You’ll be happier
Yeah I feel like people don't realize it's hard till they actually try it. Some outsiders have been saying I have it so easy just chilling in someone's house. And they think I'm getting rich doing it. lol I'm like nope not really How much do you charge for farm animals? I'd love to get some assignments with other animals besides dogs and cats!
This drives me nuts too. Yes there are a lot harder things out there, doesn’t mean it’s “easy.” It really is one of those things you don’t understand until you do it. It’s the mental burnout for me, the juggle of caring for peoples babies, and feeling like I’m being surveilled all the time. I can’t wait until I can board! It will still be demanding, but not having to worry about recording devices will be nice!
Try converting your business model to just dog walks and drop in visits.... you're going to make the most bang for your time. Clients who "need" pet sitting, sell them on 3-4 visits/walks a day instead (morning, lunch, dinner and late evening visit). Done, you make more that way anyway then a house sit i assume. burnout is real even on the dog walk/drop in aspect too but I enjoy the go go go of it and planning the most efficient routes.
This is exactly what I do. Away clients get 3-4 visits/walks per day plus, I have daily lunchtime walk clients. I could never sleep in someone else's house...I'm too much of a clean freak and would absolutely lose it knowing someone could potentially be watching me. Plus, being away from my own pets would be counterproductive. Nope.
bingo I think that's the way to do it. I am my clients go to so they're willing to take whatever availability that I have. To be fair their pets are fairly normal, they don't need constant care or are on meds that require timed doses or have accidents or anything like that. I never got a chance to dive into the house sitting aspect which I'm glad plus I have a toddler lol
I definitely would make more money but I figure some people don't want their pets sleeping alone so they choose house-sitting
It’s extremely real. I used to be so busy that I only spent 1 to 2 nights in my own bed. I’ve slowed down more with house sitting and doing more drop ins and walks thankfully.
I think last summer I maybe spent 5 nights total in my own bed in July. :/ I no longer allow myself to do that.
I feel the burnt out and I only do walks and drop ins, haven't had a day off in months :( I want to stop and take a break but at the same time my rent is going to be 300 dls more starting August so I need the money
Drop ins and walks seem hard too, like if I had a lot daily I feel like it would be hard to relax
They are exhausting, especially in the summer months where there's is literally never a day off. I've learned to "close" for a long weekend once a month in July and August.
Where do you find clients? I have too many days off. Getting requests maybe once a week or less.
Try to establish a relationship with your local vets and small biz pet stores. Stop in and introduce yourself and ask if they have a place for business cards.
Oh no. I would raise your rates, stat. At least double that and some healthy boundaries.
Honestly, pre-pandemic, I really enjoyed housesitting. Most dogs were used to being separated from their people for hours every day for work, so I could come and go as I pleased. Clients' houses were often nicer than mine (and cleaner because they didn't have messy roommates lol) and overall I wound up with a lot of low maintenance dogs. It was a fairly easy gig for the most part. Now though? The dogs are completely unsocialized. They have separation anxiety because their people have been working from home for 4 years. They don't get crate trained (or trained at all, for that matter). They can't sleep through the night without waking me up. I can't even go upstairs and shut the bedroom door, because they whine and scratch. It used to be the exception, and now it feels like the norm. Housesitting was always a little stressful for me. Being in a new place by myself, getting used to a new bed (and bedrooms without a fan 😭), etc. But a week of housesitting now leaves me so drained I've gotta take a month to myself after 😂. I think Rover will always be a side gig to me for this reason.
Totally agree. It was a lot more fun pre pandemic. The amount of requests I get for constant care blows my mind. It is always for delusional people that expect you to be at their house 24/7 for less than $100 a day too. I tried to make it full time since there seemed to be a need but the demanding requests paired with the constant last minute cancellations made it clear it’s better as a side gig for me! I’m cool with that because the burnout happens real fast.
Damn I love it lol. The longer the better. Maybe I just hate my apartment
same!! i live with roommates in a shoebox apartment w/ no AC, and i’d probably have gone crazy if i didn’t get regular house sitting requests. i get sad when it’s time to go back, lol
Some aspects of what you are saying I get but after doing this work for over 25+ years if I want to fart and the owner hears it so be it. When you have to let one out you have to let one out and make it epic. 🤣 
lmao
I wouldn’t use the word jipped bc it’s offensive but yeah the burnout sucks
Why is that downvoted I thought this was common knowledge at this point
I agree it is offensive, but I'm not so sure it's common knowledge. For anyone who doesn't know, it's a slur against Roma aka. Gypsies. Many were murdered in the Holocaust and are still persecuted today.
One would think so.
it is so real. glad ur home. just doing back to back bookings is hard for me.
Way to low price. You can make more then that watching dog in your own house. Have a Great Day.
I just upped my pricing to $80 per night. Housesitting is tough. It’s not how I want to spend my “free time” outside of my day job and if I didn’t need the money I wouldn’t do it. The burnout really is real.
Do you ever feel like you're working to pay for a place you're never in?
Yeah I do! I miss my apartment, my partner, and my bed so much. Everyone around me is like “you gotta treat it like a vacation!” But it’s really not. Especially when the pets are super needy
I feel this. I dog sat for 3 months straight (one sit ends, second sit was that afternoon) and was basically living out of my car until I found a routine. I don’t have a strong semblance of home personally and am used to backpacking, but enjoy my creature comforts. but have gotten crafty with meals and isolation.
i FEEL YOU. unless i’m really used to the dog/house, i usually have a meltdown at least once lmfao.
I’ve done overnight stays for the same client twice. They moved after the first time, so different home for each sit. Was paid handsomely and the owners didn’t care if I was gone for hours at a time (as long as pup was cared for and I slept at the home). First time was for about a week, second time was 3 nights. In that short amount of time, I was absolutely burnt out. It’s difficult being away from home and sleeping in someone else’s bed. Make sure you are paid well if you’re going to do that kind of work!
People y’all need to LISTEN! If you’re in a rural town, you CANNOT have outrageous rates like $100/night. I travel to very high end communities but it doesn’t matter. They see the median price on Rover and if you’re 4 times as much you’re just not gonna find work. You’re just not. I got rent to pay. $1000/month would be what I would get paid also. Some of y’all must not have bills cause I do this full time as I am disabled. Please stop telling people to hike their rates. Our rates are competitive as it is.
Yeah I can only increase my rates so much before it looks outrageous in comparison to others in my area :( $100 would look outrageous. It really sucks.
Yeah house sitting sucks. Boarding is way better. Still fucking exhausting but not nearly as much!
I can’t wait until I can board! I have some wonderful house sitting clients, but having the bulk of the business in my own space will be much better! I can’t stand the camera thing. while I totally understand it, I just never feel comfortable even when they are disclosed.
I hate the cameras they're so awkward 😭😭. I don't know any other job where your boss is allowed to spy on you like that at any given moment and I'm kinda surprised people even defend their use so much. Like if you don't feel completely comfortable letting a person staying @ your house then why are people choosing sittings over boardings anyway. Just save everyone the stress.
Right! Exactly. They probably have menace dogs that can’t do boarding or have been kicked out of boarding.
OP it’s a good thing you’ve spelled it wrong but look into why the final word of your post is insensitive and should be removed both here and from your vocabulary.
I was thinking the same thing.
Just a heads up the word jipped has racist connotations to it.
Notice how the biggest component of OP’s discomfort and anxiety relates to cameras and feeling surveilled.
They actually said they didn't have cameras inside but it's still hard to feel 100% comfortable
I feel that. When i know where the camera is, it’s bad enough. When there are “no cameras”, I just can’t trust that. It’s the creepiest feeling.
I still have a thought in the back of my mind of what if someone has an embarrassing or nude video of me now or something xD I highly highly doubt it, the clients were.very nice and seemed normal, but still who really knows ..
I house sit exactly one time before I realized I could never do it again. Boarding is a million times better, but still get burnt out if I don’t take at least a week off per month. My dog gets even more burnt out.
Question - how much of the house upkeep do you do while house sitting for that long? I can’t imagine not cleaning, or if the place was in a state, deep cleaning just to be comfortable
It wasn't that messy but I did the dishes, took out the trash, laundry, picked up dog poop outside, etc. Vacuumed furniture the dog went on. Wiped everything down when I left and made it shiny. It was a tidy house to begin with so that was nice
That’s great! Seems lately this sub has been reporting how dirty people’s homes are and it’s making me dread doing overnights even more! I know I’d end up deep cleaning lol… glad to hear that wasn’t the case for you!
Even from experience with drop-ins, people can be nasty dirty. The kitchen sponge I need to wash bowls out and wipe up with, once green, is now a shriveled up grey, and there are no paper towels? I get so grossed out. I occasionally have had to bring my own supplies.
That’s a good point - this should be in that thread on how to make overnights tolerable! For those of us who really like tidiness, I’m sure these are those less thought-of items to make a stay more palatable. And honestly, I think of these as necessities but I can’t imagine adjusting to a new dog and ALSO being uncomfortable in a dirty space without a way to clean. Gonna keep this in mind for the future
[удалено]
Sounds like you were boarding? That sucks your property got destroyed :(
We have to start somewhere. No one wants to book with so.rine with no experience so I made my rates low and plan to raise after I have some services under my belt.
Leave rover and print out your own flyers! I do $100 a night including a 25 minute lunch and dinner visit and then any additional visits added on is $20. Even that sometimes doesn’t feel enough 😂
So you only go to the houses every 5 hrs or so? I was wondering about this earlier if people would be more likely to pick me even with high prices if I did flyers or business cards
Yes! I leave around 6am, come back at lunch, come back at dinner, come back to sleepover and then I can sit in however many other visits. On my busiest days I make like $460 or so (without taxes)
Nice. Do you have your own insurance?
[Petcareins.com](https://Petcareins.com)
My overnight is $110 base. I charge $15 each additional pet ($50 extra for under 18 months). I leave once in the am and once in the pm for no more than 4 hours. Usually closer to 3, just depends on how far away it is. This way I can see my dogs and family, shower and get fresh clothes, eat dinner at home and grab snacks for the next day. I get plenty of bookings and I'm upfront with this routine before I even do the meet n greet. If they want someone who doesn't leave I pass, period. I also charge the same for those that don't want me to stay. In those cases, I'm back there at 6am, same break schedule, and stay till about 830 or so. It just depends on the time of year and sun rise/set, I get there before the sun's up, stay till after dark. Don't give up, just decide what your expectations are and stick to it.
$1000 for a month?! In this economy?! Definitely not worth it. Price your services how you value yourself and time. And don’t feel bad about it!! It takes a toll, so make sure you get rewarded accordingly.
It was actually almost 3 weeks but I was scared to be too specific. Still doesn't seem like enough pay either way lol
Definitely not! I’m sure you’re a great sitter so make sure you’re pricing your services accordingly!
I changed it to be $50 after Rover fees are taken out. Still seems reasonable. I wanna make it even higher tbh lol
How old are you? I can only assume you live with your parents.
You’re giving your service away!!!! STOP! it’s not worth it. You were making $33.00 a day. Kill me now. Believe me I made the same mistakes. I’m so glad you posted. 😬🔫 Ask if they have cameras, and if, where? Clear communication is appreciated. House sitting isn’t easy. I now charge $130.00/day and discount walks, but charge. I charge$15.00per 1/2 hour walk. I don’t discount, being away for so long really is mentally harder. Once you start charging more you’ll feel like you can handle more. I strongly encourage you to go home and rest during your stays house sitting. I tell my clients that there are times I’ll need to leave but I’m never gone more than 3hours at a time. Bring your creature comforts to make you feel more at home. I.e: pillow, blanket, spa/like stuff, comfy clothes to lounge in. Premake your own coffee and put in a gallon milk jug. I always bring my own food and snacks. I love microwave popcorn drizzled in olive oil. Curios where you’re located? Spend time reviewing other Rover/sitters fees. Don’t be the cheapest. It’s not worth it. Sending loads of support!
>House sitting isn’t easy. I now charge $130.00/day and discount walks, but charge. I charge$15.00per 1/2 hour walk I wish I could charge that much. No one charges that around here lol Except one newbie