Paying for food for 5 weeks, providing transportation to your home and 24/7 use of your vehicle, and this is all centered around what was going to be a visit/vacation that would have cost her $$ for travel, food and lodging… I think comps to day rates for pet sitting are not reasonable.
Like you say, this is more of a favor/mutually-agreed-upon-benefit-to-both-parties. I’d maybe throw in an additional $500. Or, maybe make it $1250 and skip on paying for meals/groceries.
Can I hijack this thread a bit?
On our upcoming trip, a friend will be house and dog sitting for us at $60/day. That seemed reasonable to me, as a kennel (which our dog will not tolerate) is $60+/day.
I’ve never had a house sitter before. What are the expectations around sleeping arrangements? We have an adequate guest bed the sitter is welcome to use, but it also doesn’t bother me at all if they take our superior bed in the primary bedroom. Either way, they’ll start with clean sheets and the sheets will be washed when we get back.
Should I even offer the big bed, or is it better to just assume a guest (even a paid one) uses the guest bed?
If I were house sitting, I would only want to stay in the guest room. I wouldn’t want to be given the option to stay in the primary bedroom. I would feel awkward being asked and would feel like I’d be impolite to not accept the host’s offer. I think having a guest stay in the primary might be appropriate for a very close relative (like a parent), but it’s not for me. It would feel way too intimate. If I had to choose between the couch or the host’s bedroom, I’d pick the couch.
Guest bed, only. Trust me.