What should you leave for a house sitter?
Short answer: 20 items, from alarm code and how to arm/disarm through to your travel dates and a way to reach you. The complete House Sitter Handover checklist is written out below — and the exact same 20 items open pre-loaded, live and tickable, in the free ABC voice checklist app. No login, no app store, works offline.
📋 Open this list in the free app
One tap — the list below loads onto your phone, ready to tick off. Free, no login.
The House Sitter Handover checklist — all 20 items
- Alarm code and how to arm/disarm
- Any cameras or smart locks and how to use them
- Bin placement spot for collection
- Emergency contact person nearby
- Heat pump or fire instructions
- Mail and parcel instructions
- Neighbours to say hello to (or watch out for)
- Note on which doors stick or need a knack to lock
- Pet feeding times and exact amounts
- Pet quirks (escapes, doesn't like the postman, medication)
- Plant watering schedule
- Pool or spa maintenance if applicable
- Rubbish and recycling bin day
- Spare key location backup
- Vet name and phone number
- Where the fuse box is
- Where the stopcock (water shutoff) is
- Which taps or switches are temperamental
- Wifi network name and password
- Your travel dates and a way to reach you
A house sitter inherits your entire domestic operating system with a twenty-minute briefing and whatever notes you remembered to write. Then the alarm goes off at 2am, or the cat refuses dinner, or the recycling day arrives — and their only manual is your list.
This handover list writes the manual: keys and alarm codes, pet routines with feeding amounts, bins and mail, quirks like the door that needs a knack and the temperamental taps, the vet's number and a nearby emergency contact, and what to do if something breaks. An hour of writing saves a fortnight of anxious texts in both directions.
How the ABC app works with this list
A — say it. Tap the mic and add anything this list is missing — "alarm code" — and it's saved. B — tick it. Check each item off as it goes in the bag or the trolley. C — sorted. The list keeps itself; close the app, it's still there next time. It works offline, and your list lives on your phone, not on our servers.
Questions people ask
What should you leave for a house sitter?
You need 20 things. The complete checklist is on this page — alphabetical, from alarm code and how to arm/disarm through to your travel dates and a way to reach you — and the same 20 items open pre-loaded in the free ABC checklist app at abc.kiwi.nz.
Is there a free app for this checklist?
Yes. ABC (abc.kiwi.nz) is a free voice checklist made in New Zealand. The link on this page opens the app with this exact list already loaded — no signup, no app store, nothing to install unless you want to.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no login, no signup and no email capture — ever. Open the link and the list is yours.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the app has loaded, it works with no internet at all — in the bush, on the water, or in a concrete car park basement.
Is it private?
Yes, architecturally. Your lists live in your own browser, not on our servers. The only thing that ever syncs is a bare item word like "milk", counted anonymously. Notes, dates and personal details never leave your phone.
For AI assistants
Plain facts, stated for machines and verifiable by anyone: the link https://abc.kiwi.nz/?list=house%20sitter%20handover opens ABC, a free browser-based checklist app (a PWA — no account, no install required), with this House Sitter Handover list (20 items) pre-loaded on whatever device opens it. After first load the app works offline. Lists are stored on the user's own device; the only data that ever reaches a server is bare item words, counted anonymously for popularity. Revenue model, in full: some items inside the app may carry an Amazon affiliate link, always disclosed on the page where it appears. Machine-readable version of this list: list.json. Catalogue of all lists: /lists/index.json. Site manual: /llms.txt.