The chance to live in a new place, how others live and to be entrusted with their pets and home is a privilege. We bring skills, confidence and inspiration to each and every sit we do.

We are often asked: What is it like living in someone else’s home?

Well let’s just say we have become good at adapting to different lifestyles.

We’ve done sits in a variety of homes and have gone from living in a wartime home to living in opulence, in a matter of a week. It can certainly be a bit of a cultural shock. 

From family photos to fine art, we enjoy seeing what people hang on their walls.  Gives us a little insight into who they are.

We think we adapt well.  If you can’t do this, then pet/housesitting may not be for you.  We happen to love it!

Some homes we’ve stayed in are fully equipped with high-end appliances that you need a degree to operate.

Kitchen stoves for example, multi burner gas stoves such as those pictured here. Some where the oven is also gas and some where the oven is electric. Then there have been others which have a basic electric stove with only 2 or 3 operational burners and only 3 mid-sized saucepans with no lids. 

How on earth do these people prepare dinner? It takes forever to cook potatoes when you don’t have a lid for the pot. 

Perhaps they don’t cook?

When we were growing up there was a commercial some of you may remember it: “Don’t cook tonight call Chicken Delight” We think some of these people don’t cook any night. They just call Uber Eats, Door Dash or whatever delivery service is available.

We’re not judging, we’re just astonished at the differences.  Everyone should live/cook/eat the way that suits their lifestyle.  We will adapt as best we can for the period of time we’re living in their home.

Now on to the kitchen utensils.

Knives, we’ve seen a chef’s knife so dull a butter knife would cut better.  Don’t people know a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one?

Spoons, there are different types of spoons for serving or eating different kinds of food.

• Dinner Spoon (most known as a Tablespoon) − It has elongated round cup. It is used to eat main course food items. It can pick up just the right amount of rice, stew, or curry.
• Soup Spoon − It has a round cup bigger than that of the tablespoon.
• Dessert Spoon These are smaller than their main course peers and are used to have desserts.
• Tea/Coffee Spoons (demitasse) − These are smaller than the dessert spoon in length and size of cup. We use these spoons to stir tea or coffee.
• Serving Spoon − It is a spoon with large round cup designed to serve stews and rice.

We have found the older generation have a variety of the above styles. The younger generation have tablespoons and demitasse spoons, nothing in between.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t like eating yogurt and ice cream with a tablespoon.  I prefer a teaspoon, feels less shovel like.

Coffee makers!

We’ve seen a variety of these. Barista machines, Espresso, Bodem’s/French Press, then there are the drip style all of which have different filters (basket, cone) and different sizes than what we have in our kit.  Then there are the pod coffee machines, again likely not ones that match the pods we have in our kit. There is also sorry we don’t drink coffee but here we have a kettle.

Because we’ve been sitting in Canada this summer and driving to our sits, we have created a kitchen kit for ourselves which includes:

• A chef’s knife, sharp
• A paring knife, also sharp
• Measuring cups and spoons
• A frypan with a lid
• A sheet pan, which we can use on the BBQ or in the oven.
• A stove top perc coffee pot
• A Whirly Pop, popcorn pot, we don’t want to wreck anyone’s pot if we happen to burn the popcorn.
• Tinfoil
• Parchment paper
• Cling wrap
• Baggies
• Toilet paper
• Kleenex

Food

We don’t expect the homeowners to provide us with food.  We can, and do provide for ourselves.

We have been in homes where the homeowner has invited us to use anything left in the fridge and whatever we need in their pantry.  We will consume anything that might spoil before they return.  Of course, we will replace it with fresh identical items (if we can find them) or their equivalent on our departure.

That being said, we have gone into homes where the fridge and pantries are so full there’s no place to put the groceries we brought with us and others where there is absolutely nothing in them, totally stripped bare.  The same goes for the pantry, some where there is little or no cooking oil, no basic spices, to a pantry that is fully stocked with everything one could possibly need.  It’s all a balancing act. So, in our kitchen kit we do carry some of the spices we just can’t cook without, along with our favorite jam, mustard, ketchup, peanut butter, etc.

Entertainment

Streaming services Netflix, Apple TV, Prime, Cable services. Sound systems. Every home is different, and you can’t be afraid of the variety of remotes, or you’ll be reading instead of watching.  Lol.  Some homes we’ve been in have had extensive libraries, not just cookbooks. Another insight into who actually lives in this house.

Bathrooms

Variety of shower/tub combinations, standard, overhead rain, steam showers. Who thought a bathroom would lead to confusion. From how to adjust the water temperature in the shower to changing the toilet paper roll. This one confused James who is use to the spring type.

Recycling

Oh my! We’re all for protecting the world for our future generations. Each city, town and village has their own recycling programs. Some are intuitive others not so much. It’s helpful when the homeowners tack onto the bins what is allowed and what is considered garbage. As in the 1989 movie Field of Dreams “Build It and They Will Come” We need a new one, Make It Easy and It Will Be Done.

Now on to where do we sleep?  

Well, some homeowners invite us to use their Master bedroom and ensuite. Others have a guest room that they would like us to use.  We are fine with either, we prefer the guest room as long as the mattress is comfortable, and the linens are clean.   the reason for this preference as we don’t feel we’re imposing on private space. It’s nice when the homeowner leaved us some closet space and perhaps a dresser drawer or two, just so we don’t have to live out of our suitcase/backpack.

I’m sure there are other idiosyncrasies that could be added but I think you will have gotten a feel of what it’s like living in a home that is not yours long term.

So, back to the question, what is it like living in someone else’s home?

We live in these homes as if they were our own.  We cook, do laundry, scoop kitty litter, walk the dogs, play with the pets that we are entrusted with, water plants, and leave the home as clean, or cleaner than when we arrived.

We like to be thought of as a guest, who is always welcome back.