Don’t skimp on thread count
Since August 2022 I have slept in over 80 different beds. And this is what you need to know. Invest in the thread count.
I booked extra nights in a hotel in Figures because the bed linen was so lovely. In one Airbnb the bedlinen was so scratchy I bought some new sheets and re made the bed. The host had kept all her bed linen since 1962 when bri-nylon was the ultimate in bed fashion. After I caught shingles I found that brushed cotton was all that my skin could endure.
Current bedlinen in pink thatched cottage is from The White Company. No need to use the emergency linen. If it were an Airbnb it would get a 5 star review. Indeed, as Trusted Housesitters we review all our sits. If the bed is comfortable, and has good sheets, it gets a mention.
House sitting toolkit
It began with herbs, spices and olive oil. Some people have none of these (do they even cook?) and others have herbs dust dating back to 1983. As a keen cook who likes flavour, the herbs and spices are essential. I also buy fresh basil, coriander and parsley if a sit is for more than a few days. The owner gets them as a gift when I leave.
Despite the desire to travel light, Phil and I have added to our house sitting toolkit two sets of bed linen, one wool mattress topper and an Australian organic wool duvet. We also have a pop up washing up bowl, measuring spoons, micrograter, bread knife, teapot and cafetière. Just last week I got an ice cream maker from a charity shop for a fiver.
Fitting all this into a small car is challenging. We really need to get a campervan. Just as well we don’t have many clothes. Current season clothes fit into two or three small backpacks. The shoes are another story.
Housekeeping
The most frequently asked question about housesitting is: have we ever had a house that we haven’t wanted to stay in because it is unsuitable or dirty? I have no idea what we would do if that happened. That said, having compared notes with friends who are also travelling and house sitting for a year, we discovered that they, like us, find something to clean or repair on a sit.
The most common item I clean is the washing machine. Yup folks, that detergent drawer gets gunged up, and the seal around the door could probably do with a wipe. Phil usually cleans out the filter. In a BAFTA award winning clients house we found the filter gunged up with shoelaces and hair grips.
Another family we love to house sit for have two washing machines. One for dogs and one for humans. No dog hair and mud to contend with when you wash your clothes. . Their guest bedroom is also comparable to a boutique hotel. Which is why sit four and five are already booked.