House sitter checklist

Plan heating, bins, plants, deliveries, appliances, boundaries and a calm return without storing access credentials.

Draft stays local No sign-up needed

Work through what matters

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To finish this section

Add the before-leaving and access-arrangement notes.

Arrange physical access separately. Do not enter an exact address, key or alarm code, Wi-Fi password, or another credential.

Before leaving and access arranged separately0/3000

Invited owners only. Nothing uploads until review and confirmation.

A practical home handover, without sharing secrets

What to include in a house sitter checklist

A useful house handover explains the jobs and household boundaries that matter while you are away. Arrange keys and access separately, and never place alarm codes, passwords or other credentials in the checklist.

What this home checklist covers

The questions focus on routine home care rather than private access information.

Heating guidance and simple appliance notes
Bin, recycling and collection-day reminders
Plant care using the routine you already follow
Post, deliveries and agreed household boundaries
A return checklist for the final day of the sit

What to prepare before you start

Walk through the home as if you were seeing it for the first time.

A list of agreed jobs and anything that is explicitly out of bounds
Bin dates, plant instructions and ordinary appliance guidance
A local contact for practical home problems
Clearly labelled household supplies the sitter may need
A separate, secure arrangement for keys and access

Details homeowners commonly forget

These are the questions that often arrive after the owner has left.

What to do with parcels and unexpected callers
Which plants need no water as well as those that do
How to leave heating and appliances on the final day
Where bins go after collection
Which cupboards, rooms or equipment are not part of the sit

Fictional example

Rose Cottage's final-day check

Rose Cottage is fictional. The example shows concise household instructions and contains no access credentials.

Plants: Water the two kitchen herbs on Wednesday. Leave the succulents dry.
Deliveries: Place ordinary parcels on the hall shelf. Contact the owner about anything requiring a signature.
Before leaving: Return both bins beside the shed, switch off the study lamp and leave the heating at the agreed setting.

From answers to a usable handover

How to copy, print or share your brief

1
Check the preview
Resolve important missing-detail prompts and make sure each instruction is attached to the right pet or household task.
2
Copy or print
Copy the plain-language brief, print a paper copy or use the browser's print screen to save a PDF.
3
Share only when ready
Use the finished copy directly, or choose the invited-owner flow to review an import before anything is uploaded.

Review the preview, then copy the checklist into a message or print it for the house. The browser can also save it as a PDF. Keep keys, codes and passwords outside SitSorted. Invited owners can separately review and import the checklist before creating a live brief.

Ready-made printable templates

Download an A4 or US Letter PDF

Choose the warm SitSorted version or a black-and-white layout for economical printing. The completed example is fictional.

Warm A4Blank printable PDF Black & white A4Blank printable PDF Warm US LetterBlank printable PDF Black & white US LetterBlank printable PDF Completed exampleFictional A4 PDF

Helpful answers

Frequently asked questions

What should I leave for a house sitter?

Leave the agreed household jobs, heating and appliance guidance, bin and plant routines, delivery preferences, boundaries, a local contact and a final-day checklist.

Should I add key or alarm details?

No. Arrange keys and access separately using a secure method you trust. Do not put alarm codes, passwords or other credentials in the checklist.

Can I use this checklist without pets?

Yes. This tool is for the home itself. Use one of the pet tools alongside it if the sitter is also caring for animals.

Can I print the house handover?

Yes. Complete the questions, review the preview and choose Print or PDF for a paper copy or browser-saved PDF.

Is the checklist stored online?

No. The free draft remains in this browser unless an invited owner signs in, reviews it and explicitly confirms an import.