How to advertise for caretaker position

Trailsend · #1 02/02/14, 09:02 AM

Thinking of trying to find a person or couple who would like to live in our cute, comfy farm house, do light farm maintainence, mowing etc, take care of our 3 horses, two elderly dogs and 4 cats so we can travel a bit. We were thinking they could pay $400 per month plus utilities but we would reduce that during the Summer when the lawn mowing is once a week. Does this sound crazy?

SJSFarm · #2 02/02/14, 09:58 AM

I went out of town for just over a week. I had a college girl come in and stay in my home and care for my 3 adult does, 4 kids, chickens, ducks, one dog and 3 cats and I PAID HER $200. She had experience with animals; although the first text I got from her said "I hate cats!" One of my cats stole her meat from her plate when she left it unattended for a second!

I felt lucky to have her stay for $200. I have to be out of town for my girls swim competitions 3-4 times in addition to the week long one. I had paid another woman $25 per visit to care for the animals.

I think you will have a very tough time because where are they going to live when your home? They will still be paying rent on their place- unless they live with roommates in which case they would be young and perhaps immature. To pay for two homes and care for your animals to boot; sorry I think the other way around MIGHT get you someone who is willing to stay for $400 pay.

TxMex · #3 02/02/14, 10:05 AM

Yes it is crazy if you expect them to pay you for the priviledge of taking care of your stuff and your animals. You should be paying them.

WriterontheHill · #4 02/02/14, 10:05 AM

Yeah, paying rent in this situation isn't going to be very fair. Before I left NC I was a caretaker/manager of a farm. Free cabin, space to garden and $10 an hour for any work outside of general animal feeding/care.

Raymond James · #5 02/02/14, 10:29 AM

I miss read the original post Disregard my comments if you already read it.

Raymond James · #6 02/02/14, 10:34 AM

She is offering a reduced rent on a home year round in exchange for some chore work. I can think of many people in my area that would like such an arrangement. I live near an Air Force base with many young couples.

Brighton · #7 02/02/14, 10:36 AM

That is not what the OP is saying at all RJ.

"We were thinking they could pay $400 per month plus utilities but we would reduce that during the Summer when the lawn mowing is once a week. Does this sound crazy?"

moxiegal62 · #8 02/02/14, 10:52 AM

Have you considered asking around in your church? A young couple just starting out and needing their own privacy perhaps? Or a handy middle aged female who would prob jump on that opportunity.

painterswife · #9 02/02/14, 11:14 AM

My husband and I have been caretakers for 3 different places over the years. Rent was always zero and the amount of chores varied.

You would be far better off renting the cabin at full price and paying someone to do the chores with that money. That way you do not muddy the waters. When you expect people to pay you and do chores, the timing of the chores becomes a problem when they have to work and then come home and do your chores. We left a really nice property because of that. The owners expect you to meet their timetable and sometimes you just can't and it gets contentious. If you pay then you get to dictate the timing.

Trailsend · #10 02/02/14, 07:42 PM

My post was most definitely misunderstood. We are first of all looking for someone to rent our guesthouse. In exchange for a GREATLY reduced rental amt, they would do lawn mowing and care for our animals when we are out of town. This is would be a fantastic opportunity for a person who wants to live in a nice home for cheap rent. Wow......

Brighton · #11 02/02/14, 10:56 PM

Around here $400 plus utilities will get you a small house in town or out in the country, the house down the road from us, a nice newish modular with a two car garage, rents for $450, and they don't do anything, don't even have to mow.

sidepasser · #12 02/03/14, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trailsend

Thinking of trying to find a person or couple who would like to live in our cute, comfy farm house, do light farm maintainence, mowing etc, take care of our 3 horses, two elderly dogs and 4 cats so we can travel a bit. We were thinking they could pay $400 per month plus utilities but we would reduce that during the Summer when the lawn mowing is once a week. Does this sound crazy?

That might be cheap rent depending on where the property is located. Where I lived in GA., my mom rents her rental house that is 3,000 sq. ft. with an acre of land for 450. a month. Rent is cheaper in some areas than others.

If I were you, I would have a VERY specific contract as part of the lease agreement. I would specify what chores you expect to be performed and how often, and perhaps state that person must be available when owners go out of town provided you give them a week or two notice (so they won't take a vacation at the same time).

If they are expected to mow the grass, then state that and the frequency. Some people need to have everything spelled out for them, others are more on the ball and have some initiative. To be on the "safe" side, assume your new renters are somewhere in the middle and spell it out for them. That way there will not be hard feelings if you decide to increase the chores or they decide they hate cutting grass.

Good luck - most folks are paid to caretake property and animals, and usually get a home/cabin/trailer thrown in so they will be living on the property. Check out Caretakers Gazette for sample ads.

Oh and make sure to do a background check and credit check. You never know if someone is an ax murderer who just went bankrupt. Better safe than sorry in that regard. BTW - I have had good and bad luck hiring caretakers/farm help..best help I ever had was a young girl who graduated from the BSI in England and the worst was a couple in the mid forties..so don't let age fool you in either direction.

Oh and you might put an ad down in the REAL ESTATE forum too. Lots of people visit that section too.

Last thing - if you do not allow pets to be owned by the caretaker - put that in the lease as well otherwise you could be housing a horse, a dog and a cat, some chickens, and other "pets" that you do not want. If you are "pet friendly" better state what type of domestic pets you allow and what happens if their pet eats your pets or bites the mailman, etc.

Just thinking of all the situations I learned from over the last 30 years..lol..

MichaelZ · #13 02/03/14, 08:13 AM

Perhaps offer two packages: Rent only, or reduced rent by doing some work. You might want to even figure out the daily hours of work required and calculate the reduction based on an hourly wage for such work.

For us, if we even have to leave a week and get someone to stay at our house and feed the dogs & cat, we usually pay them a little. But that is short term.

strawberrygirl · #14 02/03/14, 09:24 AM

When I first read your original post I thought you meant they would pay you to stay at your farm and take care of your animals. Now that you've cleared that up, it does sound good. They are getting a great deal on rent. Just be very selective about your potential caretakers and get EVERYTHING in writing.

Recently, I saw an advertisement for a position for a live in caretaker for an elderly couple. The ad stated that you would be caring for the couple, grocery shopping, running errands, housekeeping, laundry, lawn care, and snow removal. Only 60-75 hours per week. The salary.....

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Trailsend · #15 02/03/14, 02:47 PM

We are just in the talking stages of this idea really. Not sure we even want someone else on the property full time. It is just so hard to find someone to trust with the welfare of our animals. Another problem is not just person you are hiring but who will they bring with them to scope out your place and possibly come back to burglarize!!

MichaelZ · #16 02/03/14, 05:49 PM

We used to always get a young adult neighbor. She was great with our dog and other animals. One time we got a different neighbor young person and we forgot something and had to go back to the house - there were all kinds of kids there, converging on our place, seemingly knowing when we were leaving!

Michael W. Smith · #17 02/03/14, 06:43 PM

Hmmmmmm.

Cost of rent is different from place to place.
$400.00 rent doesn't mean much to us - we don't know where you live. If you were to rent this house, on average - what would you get / month?
And how much work are they going to be doing? ONLY when you are away, some work from time to time, work every week with more work when you are away?
How often are you going to be traveling? Twice a year for a week at a time? Once a month for a week? Every other weekend?

As has been said, many times caretakers of a property - meaning they live there year round and have specific labor to do - keeping the lawn mowed every time it's needed, taking care of animals, etc - the person usually lives there rent free. But that is usually for an owner of the property who isn't living there - the caretaker is taking care of things while the owner isn't around.

You need to know ahead of time, how much work and what all is involved before you even start recruiting someone or looking. Once you find the correct person, you need a contract written up that states what you are providing, what is expected of the person, etc. EVERYTHING needs to be covered as much as possible for the "What if's?"

If one of your animals needs a vet, does the caretaker pay the vet and you reimburse? Does the caretaker just contact the vet and the vet bills you?

Trailsend · #18 02/04/14, 09:03 AM

I really appreciate everyone's input. My intent was to gather info on finding ways to advertise for the rental. Maybe we will advertise for a "farm sitter" who would be able to live in our guest house ( which is fully furnished, complete with toiletries!) for a few weeks here and there so we can travel. Sounds like a long term rental would be a nightmare.

johnsonartin · #19 05/14/14, 06:05 PM

FYI, I have found my best "farm sitters" by advertising in The caretaker Gazette!

rambler · #20 05/15/14, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trailsend

I really appreciate everyone's input. My intent was to gather info on finding ways to advertise for the rental. Maybe we will advertise for a "farm sitter" who would be able to live in our guest house ( which is fully furnished, complete with toiletries!) for a few weeks here and there so we can travel. Sounds like a long term rental would be a nightmare.

That's funny, I was thinking the opposite.

Find a person you can trust, give them a better than fair deal on the housing so they stick around, and you can travel care free.

Get a different set of people in every few months, and you need to be training them each time, as well as you will attract a lower quality of people - got,nothing and nothing to lose, take advantage of your free housing for a few weeks.... Not sure that is the type of person I'd want to entrust the farm with.

Get someone stable in, with a stable job, and manage the chores so they are not too much for the person aside from their regular job.

Don't look what you can get out of it. Look at what they can get out of it. Who are you going to attract with your different deals? You want to attract responsible people, you want stable people with real jobs. You need to give them a stable long term home, you need to give them time to have their own life and job and their vacations. Set it up for them, not for you, and you will end up getting what you need.

The rotating people policy sounds like the nightmare to me. A machine you can turn off and on when you need it. People you need to be thinking differently to attract what you really want. Think of them first.

Paul