I'm a house-sitter

Click on "Become a home-sitter", in the top menu of Nomador home page. This takes you to the registration page. Setting up a Nomador account is simple. Then fill in your Profile (improve it by uploading photos, proof of ID, etc...)

Please read the tips on this page before contacting a home-owner: the first message you'll send is very important to establish trust. A well-written message will convince the home-owner that you understand his need and it will increase your chances of stimulating interest and getting a reply.

Log in to your account and click on your avatar at the top of the page. Tabs prompt you to change key points in your Profile (ID, photo, additional information etc..).

Nomador requests new members to upload at least one proof of domicile or identity, before they contact home-owners. All documents you send are examined by a website moderator. They are automatically deleted from the servers as soon as the moderator validates them. No proof of domicile or ID is kept.

To upload your documents, you do the same thing as when uploading your photo:

• Logon to your Account,
• Click on your screen name at the top of the page, And the various tabs for your Account are displayed.

It’s the “Trust Profile” tab that you use to upload your documents.

• Select, in the small blue drop-down menu on the left, the document concerned in the category “Proof of Identity” or “Proof of Address”,
• Then click on “Choose a file” and select it in your browser,
• Finally, click on “Have this document approved”.

Each document is examined, one at a time, by a moderator who will generally approve it within 24 hours of the upload. Bank details are considered as "checked" only when you subscribe to the Confidence Option (when on-line payment is made thus approved by your bank).

Your upload history is visible in your personal account. Only approved documents are visible on your Profile. You can look at your Profile at any time by clicking the button “Show my Profile” at the top of the page.

Useful tip: If you can't scan and download your documents from a computer, there is another simple way of doing it on a tablet or Smartphone: log in to your Nomador account and on the Trust Profile tab, click on 'choose a file.' You can then 'select an action' and take a picture of your documentary proof direct from your device.

Each document is examined, one at a time, by a moderator who will generally approve it within 24 hours of the upload (this process may take longer on week-ends). Your upload history is visible in your personal account (Trust Profile tab), but only the names of approved documents are visible on your Profile.

1/ Please sign in. 2/ Click on your avatar at the top of any page to open your personal account. 3/ Go to the ‘Identity’ tab. 4/ Upload your photograph. (Click on “Choose a photo” and select it in your browser).

Setting up email alerts allows anyone who is registered on Nomador (whether they are a subscriber or not) to receive an email alert whenever a new offer is published in a city, region or country that they are interested in.

1/ Log in to Nomador, and go to the list of offers. 2/ In the search engine, enter your destination (Paris, for example). You can also choose to refine your selection by clicking on "Filters" and removing those that you don't want to be displayed. 3/ Then, at the top of the page on the right, you can set an alert for all future offers published for your preferred destination.

All alerts and notifications can be managed in your personal account.

1. In order to open your account: sign in then click on your alias on top of the page.
2. Go to the ‘General Parameters’ tab.
3. You can choose to cancel alerts and notifications, or deactivate them temporarily (for instance, if you are travelling and do not want to receive e-mails).

Click on “Contact Owner” box on the advert. Your internal e-mail will open automatically and you can send your application the home owner.

To find your list of applications: click on "Your destinations" at the top of the page (to the right of your member name).

A useful function: if you click on the little heart on the photograph of a stay, you can add it to your wishlist. This will save you time later on when you the select "Display your wishlist" function.

Write up your profile carefully!

Put yourself in a homeowner’s shoes. Show to home-owners you’re worthy of their trust, so they want put their house and pets in your hands. Take care when filling in the information asked (proof of identity, certificates of insurance). Your profile status will then be easier to check by website moderators.

Make owners feel they’d like to get to know you. Give details and describe who you are.

If responding to an advert, explain what you like about the home owner’s proposal and why you’d be the right person (particularly if there are pets). Don’t hesitate to give a reference if you’re new to the website and don’t have any recommendations yet.

There are several reasons for home owners not responding:

• Your application is too recent and the home owner hasn’t had time to look in the NOMADOR mailbox
• The home owner has had lots of replies to his or her ad, and hasn’t the time to reply to them all Perhaps your Profile isn’t attractive to the home owner, who may not feel like responding. For advice on how to make your ad as attractive as possible: Read this Page.

House-sitting means you get free accommodation when on holiday. In return, homeowners expect you to look after their property and pets. It’s important to fully understand homeowners’ needs and be ready to do what they ask. Read the adverts in detail before you respond!

The following services are frequently requested from home-sitters:

• Looking after pets and other animals (cats, dogs, horses…), taking them out for walks, giving them the same care they would get from their owners
• Minor jobs in the garden such as lawn mowing, flower and vegetable garden watering, looking after the swimming pool
• Picking up mail, checking that the house shows signs of being occupied (regular presence, lights on in the evening)
• Ensuring nobody enters the house you’re looking after, except by the owner’s agreement
• Being careful about how long you spend out of the house, especially if there are pets, or if the home owner wants the property kept under close supervision.

Owners may simply want security when they’re away (signs of house being in constant occupation). But more often than not, pets are involved. Looking after a cat, a dog or other animals, is often the real motive when looking for a home-sitter.

Obviously, it would be very complicated to expect to look after someone's home and take your own pet with you. 
Most homeowners use house-sitters because they need someone to look after their cats or dogs - while they're away from home. So they worry, whether rightly or wrongly, that the arrival of another animal on their own pets' territory, combined with their departure, could be a cause of stress or conflict. So, if there's any doubt, they tend to favour applications from people without their own pets. However, as a member of Nomador, you can also publish a listing to have your own pets looked after. That way, you're providing an opportunity for other house-sitters who may be hoping to explore your region.

You can get reviewed (badges and recommendations), only if the house-sit had been confirmed on the website. Make sure the owner does not forget this step when you come to an agreement!

An assessment form is posted to your account at the end of the house-sit. Select the 3 badges which best represent the qualities of the home owner whose house you looked after. You can also write an endorsement, that the Home Owners can post in their Profile. The owner will also receive a form to allocate badges and write a recommendation.

A dissatisfied member may choose not to leave a reference. In such a case, the homeowner's or house-sitter's profile will bear the comment "X member(s) did not wish to leave a reference".

This comment will be visible by other house-sitters if they chat with the owner after applying to a housesit.

Of course, an unsatisfactory house-sitting experience can be reported to Nomador community moderators, who are able to investigate and take action.

This is normal on house-sitting sites: on one hand, when a house sit is provided for, the listing is automatically marked “Home-sitters found”. This is indispensable information for candidates that have applied. On the other hand, a bit like an estate agent shows details of transactions they have completed, it is important to show examples of existing offers. They can be used as an example by those that want to publish a listing or become home-sitters.

Some families are involved in house-sitting - unfortunately it has to be said that it is much more difficult for them - for a variety of reasons. Among those reasons:

• the size of the house. House-sitting generally involves staying in the house with the homeowners for at least one night. Time which is needed to formally pass on information and instructions. A lot of houses aren't big enough to organise this kind of cohabitation.
• comfort before going away on holiday: when they are stressed about leaving (cases to pack, house to prepare for the handover, etc.), some owners prefer dealing with a single person or a couple (so there's only one bedroom to prepare).
• fear (of what children might get up to, particularly if the house contains delicate furniture, unsuited to rough and tumble).
• possible risks (depending on what kind of pets are to be looked after, the presence of a swimming pool, etc.).

You should therefore be aware that:

• the search for suitable houses is more complicated,
• a reassuring introduction and a well completed profile are even more important. Don't be discouraged if you don't automatically receive a response.