A house sitter cares for a dog inside a machine the sitter did not build. Your home runs on a dozen small pieces of knowledge you carry without thinking: a code, a stiff lock, a boiler habit, a bin day. Preparing the home means writing that knowledge down, testing it with the sitter present, and removing the surprises that turn a calm stay into a stressful one.
Alarms, keys and the locks that stick
Write the alarm code on the house sheet and explain how the system behaves in practice. State which sensors trigger during the night, how long the entry delay lasts, what the sitter should do after a false alarm, and who the alarm company will phone. A sitter who has only read a code will hesitate at a beeping panel; a sitter who has set and unset the alarm twice will not.
Label every key by its job: front door, back door, garage, garden gate, and any window keys the sitter might need. Demonstrate the locks that stick or need a lift, a jiggle, or extra pressure, and mark them on the sheet in plain words. Leave one spare set with a trusted neighbour, and record that neighbour's name and number beside the alarm notes.
Heating, hot water and household quirks
Explain heating controls as actions, not theory. Write where the thermostat sits, which setting keeps the house comfortable, how the timer is set, and what to do if radiators stay cold. Cover hot water honestly: how long the shower takes to warm, whether the boiler needs resetting after a power cut, and where the stopcock lives in case of a leak.
Add the quirks only a resident knows. Note the oven dial that reads low, the washing machine cycle that floods if overloaded, the bathroom fan switch behind the door, and the fuse box location with a torch kept nearby. Small notes prevent small crises, and a sitter who feels oriented cares for the dog with a clearer head.
Bins, doors and escape routes
Put bin and recycling days on the sheet with collection times, and state where bins live and where full bags go. Note which doors must stay shut at all times, such as a cellar door, a study holding cables and medicines, or a front room with an open fireplace. Sticky notes on those doors reinforce the sheet during the first days.
Walk the garden and hall with an escape artist in mind. Show the sitter the gate the dog can nudge, the fence corner where digging has started before, the front door routine that prevents a dash into the street, and the rooms where windows open low enough to matter. State clearly where the dog's kit lives: food and measuring scoop, lead and harness, poo bags, towels for wet paws, cleaning supplies for accidents, and the bed and blankets in their usual places.
Contacts and a trial evening at home
Finish the sheet with people: a helpful neighbour, your emergency contact, the veterinary practice, and a plumber or electrician you trust. Include your own travel contact method and the times when you will be unreachable.
Then hold a trial evening before the trip. The sitter arrives, sets the alarm, locks up, feeds the dog, runs the evening walk, and settles the house for the night while you observe quietly and correct the sheet where reality differs from your notes. Care Pass, set up in KinsLe for the exact trip dates, lets the sitter open house notes and dog details only for that stay.