How Much Should I Pay a Housesitter???

I pay $40 - $45 per night. Same situation, except we also have a small number of house plants and one of my dogs is fairly naughty (she stills untended food). I guess I pay on the high side, but we need a pet sitter 2-3 times a year, and we want to keep them eager to help us. Boarding two dogs at a nice place (a doggy day care type place) actually costs more, so it doesn't seem to bad to me.

I would give her $20/day, so $200 for the entire time.

I'm with Jenna. You'd pay that just to kennel/board your dogs. And this way it is OH so much more convenient for you, your dogs will be MUCH happier, and your home is going to be occupied rather than looking like an invitation for burglary central.

Unless there are some major inconveniences to the sitter that you neglected to mention.

If you are stocking the fridge with her favorite foods, etc... and she isn't working a day job and driving extra mileage b/c of your location or something... If she is just a 20-something who is hanging out and sleeping at your house, essentially, then $20/day should be fine.

I have been a housesitter/petsitter for many, many years. While I don't have a set rate, I find the pay is somewhat dependent on how far I have to drive. Although she will be spending the night, she will surely drive home daily or almost daily as well. If she lives close by, I would agree with the $20-25 range. If she comes from over 10 miles, I would bump it up to $30-35 per day.

If she is staying there then I say 20/day but if she was just dropping in for an hour or so daily then I was going to say about 10-15/day. My mom pays a neighbor about 8/day to pop in feed her cat play with her for a little while and change the little once a week when she is gone, but they are there all of an hour each day.

Hi J.. We pay 10$/day, she stays at the house, lets the dog in and out and waters the potted plants outside. If we paid 50$ a day, there is no way we would go on vacation!

I have a housesitter I've worked with for about 18 yrs now.

I get a goot deal because I have been with her so long.. I pay about $50 per night for overnight from 7ish until she leaves in the am. Then I pay $20 per visit (at least 2 x a day for 45 minutes each).

Shes gets mail, makes sure trash bin in brough in, and just makes the house look lived in while we are gone. I like the extra security of having someone living here so it is not obvious that we are gone on vacation!

To be on the safe side... work out all the financials before you go so your sitter is not surprised, etc.

Good luck.

Here in Northern Virginia - the typical house sitter gets $50 to $75 per day this is for taking care of the pets and being at the house.

If there is more than one pet - they usually do the $75 per day.

Since you will be gone for 10 days - I would NOT stop my mail - that's an indicator for unscrupulous people of an empty home.

here are several places where you could board your dog(s). However, keep in mind your house will sit empty.

http://local.yahoo.com/info-28671554-platinum-paw-the-colony
http://www.personablepetcare.com/
http://northcolonyanimalclinic.com/

I would much rather pay someone to be at my home and allow my dog(s) to stay in their normal environment than put them in a cage for 10 days. And yes, I realize that many places now are not boarding dogs in cages but rooms, etc.