Free Printable House Sitter Checklist For When You Are Away

Going away always makes my brain ask stressful questions like: Did I unplug the iron? Did I tell them about the finicky garbage disposal? It’s a whole thing. I created this handy free printable house sitter checklist to save my poor house sitters from my nagging self and avoid my own anxiety triggers. It’s a single sheet of survival instructions for your home filled out in minutes!

I’ve learned that clear instructions are the secret to happy house sitters (and happy homeowners). No one wants to play detective trying to figure out the thermostat. This printable house sitter checklist keeps things simple and straightforward.

This is a single-sheet PDF printable you can download for free and print on regular U.S. Letter paper.

Now let’s get those house affairs in order!

🏡 House Sitter Checklist

This house-sitting checklist printable is a one-page snapshot of everything a homeowner is looking for to guide a sitter in taking care of their home. Giving them direction and guidance will springboard them to a successful house sit. 

The biggest things to note while house sitting included in this cheat sheet:

✔️Contact Info – I know this seems funny, but sometimes we know a neighbor by Jim and Sally but totally forgot their last name five years ago. It is best to write out your full contact information just in case. It will save an embarrassing situation.

✔️Emergency Contact – This is obviously good to have. Ideally, it should be someone trusted that also lives nearby.

✔️Security – Write down the security codes to make sure the house sitter has them. Have them practice a few times to make sure they are good to go before you leave your home in their hands.

Also, make sure they have the phone number of the security company on the off chance they need it (this can be filled in the Emergency Info section).

✔️To-Do List – Write down any special to-do list tasks that you need the house sitter to perform while you are away. Examples would be: take the trash to the curb on Tuesday night after 6 pm, moving the sprinklers before mowers come on Friday, and so forth. 

✔️House Chores – I left a section for you to fill out any repetitive chores you need accomplished and checkboxes for the days of the week.  Examples: Pick up newspapers from the driveway, collect the mail, water the flowers, etc. 

✔️Emergency Info – The police department, your security company, handyman and locksmith numbers are the essential contacts for emergencies and your sitter should definitely have them. Of course, we can all hope they never have to use them!

✔️Wifi Passwords – This almost goes without saying at this point, especially if you have someone spending the night at your home. Have them check that they can get your wifi to work before you leave. Spending the night with no wifi might be a cruel and unusual punishment! 😀

✔️Notes – This is a great section for any random notes such as the bathroom door might stick if it rains, the garbage disposal is broken, you have to push hard to get the door to latch, etc. Add anything that you can think of that will make your sitter’s life easier or at least avoid unnecessary phone calls.

🖨️ Grab It Now

This is the kind of grab and go printable you can use in a pinch. Just a few easy steps to get your copy!

• Enter your name and email address in the box below.
• Hit the “Grab It Now” button.
• You’ll get an email with the download link for the printable in your inbox.
• Open the email, click the download link, and save the PDF file to your device.
• Now open the PDF using the free Adobe Reader or any other PDF reader app you prefer.
• No need to change any settings if printing on regular U.S. Letter paper. For other paper sizes such as A4 and A5, you can change the Scale setting until you’re happy with the results.
• Hit the “Print” button and start filling out your house sitter cheat sheet!

🏘️ What Preparations are Needed

👉Review The Cheat Sheet – Before you leave on vacation, invite your house sitter over and review your completed printable. Guide them through your home, even if they have been to your house a few times, they will be viewing it from a different perspective now.

👉House Tour – Start from scratch and give them a full tour.

👉Start Early – Have your sitter come over at least a week beforehand. This allows both of you time to process if there are any outstanding questions going forward before you leave for your time away. 

Pro Tip: I like to write on paper or even a text of when I will be back and if I want the house-sitter to be there. This eliminates any miscommunication and provides respect to the house sitter for all they are doing for our family while we are away. 

🎁 Thank You Gift

I always bring back a thank you gift from vacation for my sitters.  They are taking time out of their busy schedule to help you, and I think it is important to show them how much you appreciate it.

It looks like it’s time for you to pack and go on vacation! Here’s wishing you a well-deserved time off!