Summary
Professional Travelling House Sitters Brit and Jay share their top reasons why you should start house sitting right now! Plus their top 5 tips to getting started!
Imagine getting to spend a month in Rome. Exploring at your own pace, seeing one attraction every couple of days, and then heading home (past your local gelateria or pizza place) before the crowds arrive. Now imagine that this month in Rome is rent-free!
Not only that, you have a gorgeous pooch to explore the local parks and streetside cafes with.
Why Become a House Sitter
How and why you ask?
The Concept of House Sitting
In a nutshell, you care for someone’s animals and home in exchange for accommodation.
We, the Travelling House Sitters (Britt & Jay), recently spent that month in Rome. With a month of 30°C+ days, it allowed for a lovely slow exploration of the city, not to mention the incredible food scene!
We have been house sitting for the past two years, caring for over 29 homes in 13 countries.
This includes Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Montenegro, and currently, Greece (before we head to the Caribbean to care for a catamaran).
Benefits of House Sitting
We want to show the benefits of house sitting along with some of our best strategies for getting involved and landing the assignments of your dreams.
Long Term Travel
House sitting allows for a slower pace of travel, enabling you to explore local neighborhoods, including markets, cafes, and bakeries. Therefore, you also get to know the locals in the shops, which provides a different perspective on an area rather than focusing solely on major tourist attractions.
Comforts of Home
The comforts of home are certainly welcome. You won’t have to traipse around town looking for a washing machine; instead, enjoy the luxury of having a kitchen.
Saving Money
As most travelers know, eating out can be one of the most expensive parts of any journey. We love exploring local farmers’ markets and supermarkets to taste and create local delicacies at a more affordable price. Moreover, homeowners often delight in directing you to their favorite bakery, fishmonger, or farmers market.
The Animals – Pet Care
If you travel full-time, it’s nearly impossible to have pets. We didn’t realize how much we missed snuggling with a cat or taking a dog for a walk until we began house sitting. During one of our first house sits, we were pet sitters and found immense joy in caring for a dog while living in London.
Since then, we have cared for over 27 dogs, 29 cats, 1 turtle, and 6 chickens. Each time we finish a sit, we declare our love for the specific breed we cared for, including a cheeky yet loving cocker spaniel we took care of in Melbourne.
Change of Scenery
For many people, it doesn’t take much to feel like they’re on vacation. Even house sitting in another part of your town can feel like an adventure, and the excitement multiplies if you venture to another town, state, or even country.
As we also work from home, changing our work environment enhances our productivity, helping us avoid getting stuck in the same patterns.
The Savings
The financial savings from house sitting have been integral to our long-term travel plans. We often invest the money saved into experiences, flights, our families, and, most importantly, food!
Additionally, by not incurring overhead expenses like rent or bills, we have the freedom to grow our business steadily and systematically.
Visit Friends/Family
When given the chance to house sit near friends or family we don’t see often, we eagerly seize it. This creates a golden opportunity to spend time together without the need for expensive travel. Conversely, if we have no acquaintances in the area, it becomes a wonderful opportunity to forge friendships in unexpected places.
Life-Long Friends
We have made lifelong friends with many homeowners and neighbors through our house sitting endeavors. You truly bond over your love for their animals and the concept of house sitting. Therefore, we often share meals with homeowners and discover just how much we have in common, providing a wonderful opportunity to learn about different cultures and lifestyles.
Our Top Tips for House Sitting
Build References
If you’re new to house sitting, it can be challenging to prove yourself. Just like landing your first job, you hope someone will take a chance on you. What works best is to assess supply and demand in your area.
Take Advantage of Busy Holiday Seasons
During holiday periods and long weekends, expect an influx of assignments. More than likely, there will be more assignments than house sitters available. Thus, using this time wisely can help secure a few assignments and ensure you receive a reference from the homeowner.
Stay Updated
Many platforms enable you to subscribe for email updates about new postings and opportunities. Be sure to sign up for notifications in areas you wish to visit to be one of the first to contact homeowners for opportunities that interest you.
Read The Entire Listing
Given that house sitting can be quite competitive in specific locations, respond immediately when you see a good match. Always read the listing carefully, noting if the homeowner mentions specific skills or experiences. For example, if they have a pet requiring medication and you possess relevant animal first aid training, highlight that in your application.
Be Creative and Self-Advertise
Sometimes, you need to think outside the box (or outside the house-sitting platform). Some homeowners may not think of house sitting when planning vacations or work trips, opting instead for kennels, which can be distressing for the pets involved.
Some Ways to Advertise as a House Sitter Include:
- Creating leaflets and distributing them in neighborhoods where you want to house sit.
- Making posters for supermarket notice boards, cafes, yoga studios, and community centers.
- Leaving business cards at local pet shops, homeware stores, and real estate agents.
- Visiting local dog parks and talking with owners, as referrals and word of mouth can be extremely powerful advertising tools.
House sitting is undeniably a win-win for both parties. We cherish the joy of seeing happy, comfortable pets while discovering new places.
Suggested House Sitting Websites
- Trusted House Sitters – $129 USD per year. The Largest of the International Housesitting Websites.
- Nomador – €65 per year. Originally a French housesitting company, it has now grown internationally.
- House Carers – $50 USD per year.
- HouseSitMatch – Originally from the UK and Australia, it is now expanding internationally.
- MindMyHouse – $20 USD per year. The most affordable housesitting website available.
House sitting can take you all around the world or maybe just around the corner in your local city. Therefore, you never know what opportunities await, so we recommend getting started today!
What’s your dream house sitting location?
