Have you every wanted to travel for months but felt your dream of long term travel wer restricted by budget?
The thought of sharing rooms in hostels not being your thing.
And the idea of saving tens of thousands per year can just suck the life out of your dreams to travel.
What if I told you there was a way to travel, with free accommodation, and spend some time with some new friends in amazing cities anywhere around the world?
Sounds too good to be true, right?
It’s not.
And it could soon become your reality.
In fact, this is how we travel the world with free accommodation.
Today, I am going to share with you, what is house sitting, the benefits, plus 10 tips to help you land your first house sit.
Table Of Contents
- What is house sitting?
- What is the purpose of house sitting?
- How To Become House Sitter
- 6 Benefits Of House Sitting
- Is house sitting safe?
- How long can you house sit for?
- What makes a great house sitter?
- How much does a house sitter get paid?
- What are the responsibilities of a house sitter?
- Final Thoughts
What is house sitting?
House sitting is a service where people have someone stay at their home to take care of their pets and property. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement as the property owner does not need to find boarding for their pets, while the house sitter gets a place to live.
What is the purpose of house sitting?
House sitting allows pet owners to go away without needing to pay for boarding. Having dogs put in kennels and cats in a cattery can cost hundreds, if not thousands depending on the length.
House sitting allows owners to leave their pets at home without the need to pay fees.
This is beneficial for both parties as owners do not need to pay boarding fees, while sitters have a place to stay.
House sitting is also beneficial to the pets, as they can stay in a familiar environment and get the love of another human, which is not always guaranteed in busy kennels or catterys.
Who is house sitting best for?
House sitting is best for animal lovers who want to travel, change things up and meet new people.
While house sitting is a great way to get some free accommodation, it does come with the responsibility of looking after people’s pets.
If you are not interested in looking after animals, this may not be for you.
As pet owners love their pets as their own children, the responsibility to take care of them should be taken seriously.
6 Benefits Of House Sitting
House sitting is a great way to see the world, while making new friends.
Here is a list of reasons why you should consider house sitting for your future adventures
Looking After Animals
For pet lovers, this may be one of the best ways to see the world and enjoy the company of some furry friends along the way.
When we left Australia, we sadly had to part ways with our two beautiful cats.
Fortunately, we found them a new home.
From then we were certain we wouldn’t have pets again. And I am happy to say we were wrong.
We have since looked after cats, dogs, gerbils, and fish.
All of which give us get our pet fixes all around the world.
Free Accommodation
House sitting affords you to have free accommodation in your chosen destination.
This is a huge perk as it allows you to cut travel costs dramatically, allowing you to stay in a location for much longer.
In the past 6 months, we have paid for less than 10 days of accommodation through Europe.
This has given us the ability to stay in countries for longer and travel full time as a family.
Which would otherwise not be possible in more expensive countries.
New Adventures
One of the most amazing parts about house sitting is the places it will take you.
When we were leaving Thailand, we had just signed up to the Trustedhousesitters and opened our search to the entire world.
We had options to travel to Boston, London, France, and Germany all within minutes.
And while landing our first house sit wasn’t that easy, it opens your mind to all the possible destinations.
For us, we were in Sri Lanka at the time when we had a request to house sit for the first time in London.
So within a matter of days, we were off to London on a completely different trajectory.
This sense of adventure is how we travel now, and it is such a great way to spontaneously see the world.
Making New Friends
Since we began house sitting, we have made friends in so many different locations.
We have made connections in London, France, and Germany, with more of Europe and the United Kingdom.
With every location, we have had an amazing host who welcomes us into their homes.
They share their recommendations and cook us amazing meals, often inviting us early to spend some time with them before they head off on their travels.
Save Money
House sitting is a great way to save money when you travel. As we travel full-time as a family, it can be expensive, especially in Europe.
It has afforded us to recover our losses from flights, hotels, and transfers during our times of transition.
As well as taking the stress off when we finally settle during our longer stays.
With this in mind, we book our house sits for greater than 4 weeks.
This allows us to not only relax from the stress of travel, but save and budget for the next destination.
Live Like A Local
Nothing makes you feel like you actually live in a country more than house sitting.
When you begin your house sit, you will quickly feel at home in your surrounding.
Unlike holidays, house sitting comes with the daily responsibilities of running a household.
While this sounds like a chore, it can help make you feel like you reside in your new location.
The house you are caring for comes fully equipped with everything including the kitchen sink.
Making it very easy to slide in and assume the role of a local.
How To Become A House Sitter
As the years have gone by becoming a housesitter has become so much easier.
There are many different house sitting platforms to choose from, all with their own sign-up processes and requirements.
We use TrustedHousesitters, as we have found it to be the most user-friendly and transparent platform, which we have had great success with.
Below are the steps on how to become a house sitter.
Download The App
Begin by downloading TrustedHousesitters here from the App Store (iOS) or Play Store (Android)
Sign-Up
You can browse house sits, but cannot apply unless you pay for a membership.
To sign up for a sitter membership, follow the prompts for a user-friendly, quick process.
Membership accounts for sitters start at $119 USD per year.
Filter your search results by location, length of stay, dates, preference for animals and so on.
Create a Profile
Before applying for your first house sit, make sure to create an eye-catching profile.
Include lots of photos of yourself (and family if traveling with others).
Make sure you include photos of yourself with animals.
Write Introduction Message
Write a thorough bio, including descriptions of why you want to house sit, a bit about yourself, and any other relevant information.
Provide References
Include three character references. You will need to ask three people to fill these out for you via their email addresses.
If possible, include a reference from a previous landlord (until you are able to build up some house-sitting references).
Apply For Sits
Start applying!
Personalize each application.
Include details to show you have read the posting, for example, include the names of the pets and greet the owners by name.
Include specific details as to why you are a good fit for the house sit.
Take Interviews
If successful, you will likely be asked to have a video call with the owner.
Present yourself well in the interview. Ask questions and be engaging and friendly.
Final Thoughts
House sitting is a fantastic way to travel and can provide you the flexibility of long-term travel on a budget, or even just a short holiday not far from home if this is what you prefer.
House sitting opportunities come up across the globe and can take you to new and exciting locations you may never have considered before.
If you are an animal and travel lover, house sitting could be perfect for you!
Is house sitting safe?
House sitting is very safe. As a house sitter, read the listings thoroughly and view all the photos. Only apply for the sits you feel comfortable with. If the owner has used Trustedhousesitters before, they will likely have reviews on their owner profile from past sitters.
Read the reviews to ensure these are positive.
The app will also tell you if the owner has had multiple houses sits, but none of the sitters left reviews.
We usually assume this means the sitters didn’t have the best experience and generally avoid those stays.
As an owner posting a listing, you can also read through the sitter’s profile and ensure they have only positive reviews from past house sits.
For both sitters and owners, ensure you hold a video call interview prior to accepting an application.
Ask as many questions as you’d like. Follow your gut instinct.
You can also send through photos of passports or other personal identification to have on file in case anything goes amiss.
How long can you house sit for?
House sits vary from one night to six-month stays. In your search for a sit, you can filter specific dates and lengths of stays.
We generally filter our search results to only include house sits longer than four weeks as this suits our lifestyle.
Read the listing thoroughly, as occasionally an owner will mention something pertaining to their dates, for example, they may seek a sitter for multiple different date periods.
How much does a house sitter get paid?
House sitters are generally not paid. Usually, a house sit is considered a ‘win\win’ scenario, as sitters are provided with free accommodation, and the owners know their home and animals are being cared for.
However, we have heard of this happening to a few lucky people.
As house sitters we have never been paid, nor would we expect to be.
We even offer to cover the cost of any utilities we use, given we are a family of three, and will use more electricity and water than a single house sitter would.
What are the responsibilities of a house sitter?
House sitters’ responsibility includes looking after animals, and fulfilling tasks such as walks, feeding, and medication. However, the responsibilities of a house sitter vary between stays.
Some house sits will include multiple animals with complex routines.
While other house sits will be very easy, particularly if you are looking after one cat, you will only need to consider their meal times and litter tray cleaning.
Ensure you read the ‘responsibilities’ tab in each listing prior to applying.
There will also be responsibilities for caring for the home, such as watering plants, gardening, taking the rubbish out, and cleaning up after yourself.
Leave a Reply