How to create a winning house sitter profile

Having an engaging house sitter profile sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s surprising how often sitters don’t take full advantage of their profile page.

This is your first contact with homeowners and your chance to set yourself apart from other house sitters on the site. First impressions count, so making your profile the best it can be, will help you get homeowners to take the next step and contact you. 

How to write your house sitter profile

Before you start writing, take a minute to think about what makes you tick. The important thing is to be yourself, but to your best version. Think about the last time you had a job interview or a first date. You would have been yourself, but with a ‘Look at how friendly/witty/professional I am’ attitude. House sitting isn’t much different, except you want homeowners to see at first glance that you’re a sitter with an ‘I love animals/gardens are my thing/I live to clean’ kind of attitude (whichever of those floats your boat). 

It can seem overwhelming to sit down and write about yourself in a way that will engage homeowners. ‘I’m great with dogs’, is a good start but that’s only four words. By following a few simple guidelines, it won’t take long to come up with a great house sitting profile. So, here’s what we recommend:

Use a friendly but professional tone

Compose your profile like you would a job application. Write from a place that’s friendly and warm but also professional. Include descriptive words and try to let your personality shine through. Perhaps think of three words you would use to describe yourself to add into your first paragraph. This can help set the tone for the rest of your profile.

Make sure you start with an introductory paragraph

Many homeowners will be reading a lot of sitter profiles, so they will gauge from the first paragraph if they want to read more. Ensure your first paragraph is a general introduction of you related to house sitting. If you can sum up how great you are as a house sitter first up, then the homeowner is more likely to want to know more. 

Make it easy for homeowners to read

Break up the content into paragraphs or segments. Having spaces between short paragraphs looks more attractive as is much easier to read. You could also consider using headings to break up the different points you are writing about so owners can scan at first glance and then go back and read the details.

Include any specific skills and experience you have

You want to clearly demonstrate your knowledge and expertise at home, pet and garden care. It’s worth sharing any specific skills such as caring for large dogs or exotic animals, giving medication to pets, or looking after extensive outdoor gardens.

Homeowners will be looking to see that any sitters applying for their job are capable, reliable and experienced, so be clear in sharing these.

Be upfront and honest about your experience and what you like

Focus on the things you’re good at and that you enjoy. It’s important your profile reflects who you are to ensure you get the house sits that suit you. If you aren’t really into gardening, then focus on your pet care or home cleanliness. That way you’ll connect with animal loving owners rather than homeowners who expect you to maintain a large garden. 

If you love pets, let them know

If you have a love of animals, then your sitter profile is the place to shout it from the rooftop. Most house sits involve pet sitting and pet owners on our site love their animals, so an animal-loving sitter is a high priority for them. But be honest though. Don’t say you love dogs when you’re more of a cat person.

Sticking to the truth reduces any potential dramas down the track.

Not too long but not too short

When composing your sitter profile, think about it as if you were a homeowner. How much information would you want and how much are you willing to read? You don’t want to write too little, so the homeowner doesn’t get an idea of who you are, but you also don’t want to write too much. If you’re unsure sometimes it doesn’t hurt to have a look at other house sitter profiles on the site to see which ones you think look good.

Do you have a contactable referee or references

Include in your profile that you have referees available for contact, so owners know you have people willing to verify you as a sitter. It’s important to maintain privacy for your referees so don’t include their name or contact details in your profile, you can then send the details privately in a message. Any references you have from outside our site can be uploaded to the My Attachments area under My Messages. You can then attach these to any message you send to homeowners.

A picture says a thousand words! 

Always add at least one main photo but consider adding several. You want a professional yet friendly photo of yourself for homeowners to see on your profile. If you house sit as a couple or family, make sure your main photo features everyone in your group. You may like to include additional pictures of you with pets to clearly show yourself as an animal lover.

Make sure you keep your profile updated

Lastly, it’s important to keep your details updated for homeowners to see at first glance. Update your availability, add any new skills from previous sitting jobs and tweak any details on your profile to keep it fresh. Remember your profile is the first thing owners see, so having it up to date is a great way to get regular sitting jobs.

Interested in becoming a house sitter with Aussie House Sitters? Have a look at our current house sitting opportunities and register today.