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Quick Facts
| Core standard | Leave it as you found it, or better. clean what you used |
| Bedding | Strip the bed and put sheets in the basket. wash if you have time and the owner has not said otherwise |
| Final walkthrough | Go through every room you used, check under beds, in bathrooms, behind doors |
| Departure video | Record a walkthrough on your last day and timestamp it. covers you if anything is later disputed |
| Keys | Return exactly as agreed. never leave without confirming handover |
| Departure message | Send photos and a thank you. even if you handed over in person |
| Review | Write it within 48 hours. do not wait to see if the homeowner goes first |
| Replace what you used | Food you were not asked to finish. replace them |
The checkout is the last impression a homeowner has of you. It shapes the review, influences whether they invite you back, and determines whether they recommend you to other homeowners. It takes a few hours at most, but doing it well is one of the most consistent differentiators between sitters with strong profiles and those who struggle to get accepted for sits.
Based on 18 sits across 11 countries, our checkouts follow a consistent routine that we have refined over three years. We have never had a homeowner come home to a complaint. This article covers exactly what we do, including the documentation step that most sitters skip.
The Morning of Checkout: Our Routine
A checkout with a midday handover typically starts around 8am. Here is the full sequence.
Strip the bed first. This is the first thing we do after waking up. The sheets come off immediately and go into a basket.
Make coffee and breakfast normally. There is no need to rush or skip the morning routine. We treat it like any other morning. The kitchen will be used, and we will clean it afterwards.
Wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. Wipe down counters, the hob, any surfaces we used during the sit. If we used the oven, the oven gets wiped.
Vacuum and mop. Quick pass through the rooms we used. If the house has pets, this matters more. Fur collects fast, and a house that smells clean on arrival is a house the homeowner will remember positively.
Clean the bathroom. Sink, toilet, shower or bath. After showering we give the whole bathroom a final wipe-down.
Final sweep of the home. A room-by-room walk to check nothing is out of place, nothing we should have done has been missed, and nothing of ours has been forgotten.
The Bedding Question
This is the most debated topic in the THS community. Threads on sheets and towels have hundreds of replies. The short answer is: follow whatever the homeowner has asked, precisely.
If the homeowner has said "don't worry about the sheets" or "just leave them," then leave them. One sitter in the forum mentioned noting in a review that a sitter had washed the sheets against instruction. She included it as a warning to other owners, not as a compliment. Following specific instructions, even when you think you are being helpful by doing more, is the right approach.
Our default when no specific instruction has been given: strip the bed, put everything in the basket, and wash if time allows. We phrase it this way when asking during the pre-sit conversation: "What would you like us to do with the bedding and towels at the end of the sit?" That single question removes any ambiguity.
The Departure Walkthrough Video
This step is the one most sitters skip, and it is one of the most important things we do.
On the last day, after the cleaning is done, we walk through the entire home slowly with the phone camera rolling. Every room. Every surface. Every area we cared for during the sit. The goal is to document the state of the home at the moment we leave.
We send that video (or a series of photos) to ourselves in a private WhatsApp group. The timestamp is embedded automatically. This creates a timestamped record of the home's condition on the day of our departure.
We do the same thing on arrival. Our guide to handling property damage covers why arrival documentation matters equally. If something was already broken or damaged when you arrived, having footage of it means you cannot be held responsible for it.
The Kefalonia sit made this particularly important. We arrived to find the home not entirely tidy, took an arrival walkthrough, then another on departure to show clearly that we had left it in better condition for the next sitters arriving after us. We sent both videos to the homeowners. They appreciated the transparency and it gave them clear documentation to share with the incoming sitters too.
If there is no specific reason to think there will be a dispute, the video still takes five minutes and costs nothing. The one time you need it and do not have it is the one time that matters.
The Pets on the Final Day
The last day with the animals does not change the routine. If the dog gets a morning walk, the dog gets a morning walk. If feeding is at 7am, feeding is at 7am. We do not do anything different to the established pattern just because it is the last day.
What does change is the attention. By the end of a sit, we have almost always grown fond of the animals. The last day is an opportunity to give them a little more time: an extra few minutes of play, some longer affection in the morning. It is the last time we will see them, in most cases, and that is worth acknowledging in the way we spend the final hours.
We make sure the pets are settled and comfortable before we leave. A dog that has been fed and walked is in a much better state for the homeowner's return than one that has been unsettled by the disruption of packing and cleaning.
The Mandatory Forgotten Items Check
Before we leave any sit (as well as any hotel or Airbnb) we do a mandatory sweep for forgotten items. This is a non-negotiable habit, not an optional extra.
Under the bed. In the bathroom cabinet. Behind the shower door. In the fridge. On the desk. In the wardrobe. Anywhere we put things during the sit.
It takes three minutes. It has saved us from leaving things behind more times than we can count. The hassle of realising you have left something at a sit and having to arrange retrieval, or worse, simply losing it because you cannot go back, is entirely preventable.
Returning the Keys
Return the keys exactly as agreed during the handover. If the homeowner is returning in person, hand them the keys directly. If you are leaving before they return, confirm the agreed location in writing before you go. A message through the platform or WhatsApp with "keys left on the kitchen table as agreed" creates a written record.
Never leave a sit without confirming the key handover in writing. It is one of those details that seems obvious until it causes a problem.
The Departure Message
If we are handing over to the homeowner in person, we will have a conversation. By the end of a sit, we have usually interacted with the owners enough that it feels like saying goodbye to friends rather than a formal handover. We will share updates about the pets, anything notable that happened, things we noticed about the home or animals they might want to know.
Once we leave, or if we did not get to hand over in person, we send a message. Every time. The message includes:
A thank you for the opportunity and the home.
Photos or a video of the pets. If the house owner is not present at the handover we send a video or pictures of the home as we left it. This gives the home owner a timestamped final look at the house.
Any final notes about the pets: how they were in the last few days, anything the homeowner should be aware of.
A brief mention of what a pleasure it was.
This message is short. It does not need to be long. The photos do most of the work. What matters is that it is sent.
A Sample Departure Message
"Hi [name], we are now on our way. Thank you so much for having us. The home has been wonderful to stay in and [pet names] have been absolute joy. Please let us know if there is anything at all you would like to discuss. We we hope you had a wonderful trip and look forward to keeping in touch."
Adjust the specifics to the sit. Keep it warm and genuine. Send it the day you leave, not days later.
The Review
TrustedHouseSitters uses a double-blind review system. Neither party sees the other's review until both have been submitted. This means there is no advantage to waiting to see what the homeowner writes first.
We write our review within 24 to 48 hours of leaving. In our experience, we are usually first. The homeowner's review typically follows within a day or two.
If a week passes and no review has arrived, we send a gentle reminder through the platform's message system:
"Hello [name], hope you and [pet name] are doing well. We were just wondering if we could get a review, as it helps us with getting future house sits. If there is anything you would like to discuss first, please feel free to reach out. Thank you again for the lovely house sit."
This message is polite, non-pressuring, and gives the homeowner an easy opening if there is anything they want to raise. In most cases the review arrives within a day of sending it.
Our full guide to negative reviews covers what to do if a review is unfair, and why the walkthrough documentation matters in that scenario.
A Checkout Checklist
Use this as a final reference on your last morning:
| Task | Notes |
|---|---|
| Strip the bed | Or follow specific owner instructions |
| Collect all washables | Sheets, towels, hand towels, pet bedding you washed |
| Wash and dry if time allows | Check with owner preference first |
| Wash all dishes and clean kitchen | Hob, counters, any appliances used |
| Wipe bathroom | Sink, toilet, shower. do this after your final shower |
| Vacuum and mop | Rooms you used. especially around pet areas |
| Empty rubbish | Bins throughout the home |
| Replace what you used | Food not designated for you |
| Final walkthrough video | Record after cleaning, timestamp it, send to yourself |
| Check for forgotten items | Under beds, bathroom, wardrobe, fridge |
| Pets settled | Final walk, final feed, extra attention |
| Keys confirmed | Handover method confirmed in writing |
| Departure message sent | Thank you, photos, final pet update |
| Review written | Within 24-48 hours, do not wait for homeowner |
Conclusion
The checkout is not complicated. Leave the home as you found it or better. Clean what you used. Document it. Say thank you properly. The entire process takes a few hours and determines whether the homeowner thinks of you as someone they want back.
In three years and 18 sits, we have never had a homeowner return to a complaint. That consistency comes from doing the same things the same way every time, not from doing anything extraordinary. The walkthrough video, the stripped bed, the departure message: these are habits, not events.
Read our guide to what to ask a homeowner before a sit to set the checkout expectations clearly before you arrive. And our filthy home on arrival guide covers the arrival documentation that pairs with the departure walkthrough.
DM us @housesittersguide on Instagram with any checkout questions. We answer everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I clean before leaving a house sit?
Clean every area you used: kitchen surfaces, hob, bathroom, toilet, shower, and any rooms you spent time in. Vacuum and mop as needed. Empty all bins. The standard is to leave the home at least as clean as you found it. Our house sitting cleaning guide covers what level of cleaning is expected vs what is above and beyond.
Should I wash the sheets before leaving a house sit?
Follow whatever the homeowner has asked. Their instruction takes priority. If no instruction was given, strip the bed and put the sheets in the basket. Wash and hang them if you have enough time before checkout. Never wash them against the homeowner's specific request, even if you think you are being helpful.
Should I take photos or video before leaving a house sit?
Yes, always. Walk through the home with your phone after cleaning and record or photograph every room you used. Send the footage to yourself with a timestamp via WhatsApp or another app. This protects you if a homeowner later claims damage or uncleanliness that occurred before your arrival or was not your doing. Pair it with arrival documentation for full coverage.
When should I write my TrustedHouseSitters review?
When should I write my TrustedHouseSitters review?
