Do you maintain a residence but stay gone a lot? Someone providing house sitting services may be your answer to

• keeping your home looking lived-in and
• doing agreed upon tasks in your absence.

The reasons why you may engage a person for this include protecting your investments (your home and household possessions) while also providing him or her with a place to stay.

Consider:

• what areas of your home are off-limits and how you will protect them;
• what liberties your guest is allowed to take in your absence (food and drink, having friends over, washing dishes and laundry, watching specific TV shows or movies, making long distance phone calls or surfing the Internet, etc.);
• what services your guest is to perform (watering plants, putting out garbage, bringing in mail and newspaper daily, feeding your pet(s), etc.); and
• what manner of exiting is required (locking and double-checking all doors upon leaving, where to leave the keys, how to set the thermostat, etc.).

It is a good idea to inform your guest about emergency measures (such as the locations of the first aid kit, fire extinguisher, water and gas turn-off valves, phone numbers for local police and fire department, etc.).

It is much better to be prepared ahead of time instead of being taken by surprise afterwards.

If you are married, please consult with your spouse about this situation ahead of time.

We recommend that you get these things in writing with signatures on both ends, yours and the housesitter's. If there is rent to pay or other gratuity, you'll also want to get that in writing.

Money saving tip: Having someone in your home can help reduce the potential for burglary or damage to your property. Engaging someone skilled at house sitting at your home can be advantageous in other ways, too. Emergencies -- such as those brought on by the weather -- can also be dealt with more quickly.

Also, you can save money by being the housesitter in someone else's home.