House sitting - everything you need to know
Did you know there are people who travel the world without paying for accommodations? How? House sitting.
House sitters provide a valuable service: they take care of home owners’ property and pets while the owners are away. The stay can range from a few nights to several months or longer depending on the situation. Is this lifestyle for you? Read on to find out.
What is house sitting?
Although there are instances where monetary compensation is involved, house sitting is usually an unpaid exchange of services: The house sitter stays in the home owners’ residence and looks after the property, caring for any pets and seeing to basic duties such as watering plants, collecting mail, and even performing outdoor chores in exchange for a free, temporary home.
This can be a wonderful opportunity to really get to know an area because you’ll live like a local rather than a tourist. Some people have even given up maintaining a home of their own in order to become full-time house sitters.
Pros and cons of house sitting
The benefits of being a house sitter are fairly obvious: free accommodations plus the chance to explore a new area, meet new people, and form lasting friendships. House sitting also offers the potential for lots of free time. If you’ve always dreamed of writing a book, launching a blog, or developing a nomadic career, house sitting can provide you with the needed free time to get your project off the ground.
Just imagine having long, lazy days with nothing to do other than play with the pets that have been entrusted to your care while you write that book…House sitting isn’t necessarily all sunshine and flowers, however. There can be some challenges involved as well.
Home owners often expect that the sitter won’t be gone overnight and when dogs are involved, they may expect you to be home most of the day as well. This can become something of a burden, especially during long sits.
If you’re a solo traveler, house sitting can be lonely at times. Unlike hostels where you’re surrounded by other travelers, you might be staying in a neighborhood where it could be difficult to form friendships, especially if the location is isolated.
Unpaid house sits are arranged on trust. The home owners (and the sitter as well) are free to change their minds without any real repercussions. While most home owners are trustworthy and reliable, there are those few who don’t return messages or decide to go with a different sitter and fail to notify you. Sometimes the owners come home early and you need to vacate the premises sooner than planned. This is where booking through a site that allows sitters to leave reviews of home owners can be helpful. An owner who is unreliable is likely to be described as such on the site, which provides some measure of security for sitters.
Lisa Bull, a British expat living in Sydney has an excellent article on her blog of Sunsets and Sarcasm that covers the basics of house sitting including pros and cons. She has written numerous articles on the topic and is among the minority of people who only accept paid sits.
Who can house sit?
Anybody! Single people, couples, even families can be house sitters. People of all ages can house sit as well. Sometimes it’s even possible to bring your own pet along on a house sit, although this is not common. There is a huge range of house sitting opportunities available; it’s simply a matter of carefully deciding what your capabilities and preferences are, then applying to sits that suit you.
Some examples of things to consider might be: Do you have pet allergies? Would you be comfortable taking care of “outdoor” animals such as goats, donkeys, and peacocks? Will there be transportation available that you can use if you don’t have your own?
Short and long term house sitting
One of the biggest perks to house sitting is taking advantage of the option to apply for a short term or a long term house sitting assignment. While short term arrangements are usually under a week, long term house sitting can range from a few weeks up to a few months. So, based on your situation, you can choose a gig that’ll accommodate your needs and travel schedule.
Let’s say that you’re in North America and dream of spending time in Australia or New Zealand. In this situation, it makes sense that you’d want a long term house sitting opportunity since you’d be traveling far. Aside from being a space to “land” while you’re living overseas, a longer gig can be a great setup that’ll help you immerse in the local culture too.
On the flipside, a long term house sitting assignment may not be ideal if you have itchy feet and love hopping around as much as possible. With a short term house sit, you’ll have more flexibility. This means you can bounce from a situation quicker if you’re not happy with your current sitting arrangement.
To determine how much time you’d like to commit to an opportunity, do your diligence. This includes reading host reviews from previous sitters on house sitting sites and doing recon of the area that might become your home for a week or even a few months. Upon conducting this research, you’ll be able to determine if you’d prefer a short term versus long term house sitting assignment.
Benefits and challenges to house sitting
While there are many perks to being a house sitter, there are some potential obstacles to consider too. Read on to learn more about the benefits and challenges to this type of travel lifestyle.
Benefits:
- You’ll enjoy free accommodations and save money.
- Your house sitting gig can serve as a base for you to explore another part of the world.
- You’ll get to live like a local.
- You’ll have opportunities to make new friends.
- If you’re a remote worker, you’ll be able to do your job in your pajamas while staying in a comfortable home.
- You can use any down time you have to work on special projects.
- You’ll have a furry friend or two to snuggle up with while you enjoy having a home to yourself.
- If you’ve secured your assignment through one of the many reputable house sitting services, you’ll have full access to the community for support if there are any unforeseeable problems.
- You could sit for a client that owns a luxurious home.
- You can use your house sitting gig as an opportunity to regroup if you’ve lived on the road for a while.
Challenges:
- Since your commitment is to the house sitting assignment, you won’t be able to travel overnight. Therefore, long term house sitting gigs might get frustrating because they’ll prevent you from going somewhere that’s further away from where you’re staying.
- You won’t be able to get too comfortable since house sitting is temporary. Additionally, it could be hard to feel settled since you’ll be living out of a suitcase.
- If your assignment is based in a remote area, prepare to feel lonely at times.
- Unforeseeable emergencies could happen resulting in the owner needing to come home sooner.
- The host could cancel at the last minute. ***This is why it’s important to read reviews and house sitting do’s and don’ts.
- The pets you’re watching may be difficult or shy.
- Your days will be based on the pets’ schedules and needs.
As a reminder, always remember to read the house sitting sites do’s and don’ts. This will help you anticipate any possible challenges when you commit to a gig.
Is house sitting safe?
One of the first questions solo female travelers tend to ask themselves before setting out on an adventure is, “how safe is where I’m going?” The same question usually comes to mind when sifting through postings on house sitting sites as well.
To ease any safety concerns about a house sitting situation, find a host like you. For instance, if you’re a single woman over 30, apply for an opportunity with a client that’s around your age and has a similar lifestyle. This should help you feel more comfortable.
Another way to assure your safety is to address any issues you have with the owner before confirming a gig. And, along with reading reviews from previous sitters, check out the FAQs on house sitting services websites.
Carrying out responsibilities like watering the plants and getting the mail will help you feel safe and sound because it shows that someone is living in the property. You’ll also find many house sitting opportunities in gated communities and apartment buildings with front desk security. You might get lucky and sit for a guard dog too!
Do house sitters get paid?
If you’re registered with one of the large house sitting services companies like TrustedHousesitters, you won’t be paid. However, you’ll have a meaningful experience that includes watching a host’s home, taking care of pets, and living somewhere new.
There’s the option to get paid if you’re working directly with the homeowner or registered with a company that compensates their sitters. The amount of pay is usually determined by the number of days you’ll sit and the degree of responsibilities you’ll have while staying at a client’s home.
Regardless of if you accept a paid or unpaid position, you’ll most likely have to give a registration fee to the house sitting site before you can use their services.
House sitting do’s and don’ts
To get the most of your experience, check out the following house sitting do’s and don’ts once you accept an assignment.
House sitting do’s:
- Show up to your house sit on time.
- Treat the home you’re staying in as if it were your own. This means you should make sure everything is spotless before the homeowner returns.
- Clarify instructions and verify contact information.
- Update the owner as much or as little as they’d like you to.
- Be attentive to the owner’s pets.
- Anticipate that anything could happen and be prepared. This could include needing to take a pet to the vet.
- Leave the owners a welcome home gift and follow up to prompt a reference from them.
House sitting don’ts:
- Don’t take any of the owner’s food.
- Don’t raid the host’s liquor cabinet either.
- Don’t invite any outside guests into the home.
- Make sure you do everything assigned so that’ll appear as if someone is living in the home. This includes getting the mail, watering plants, saying hello to neighbors, and taking care of the lawn.
- Respect privacy and don’t go through the homeowner’s things.
- Don’t screw around with the gadgets in the host’s home. For example, don’t tamper with the thermostat or settings on the television.
Referencing these house sitting do’s and don’ts will help you have a rewarding experience taking care of someone else’s home and pets.
Where can I find more information about house sitting?
If this sort of adventure intrigues you, check out the excellent (and free) online magazine House Sitting Lifestyle where you’ll find a wealth of helpful information. It’s a fantastic resource that covers a wide range of topics related to house sitting and other location independent lifestyles. The publishers also host House Sitting Magazine Facebook Group where everyone is welcome, including those who just want to know more about the possibilities available through house sitting. Some of the sitters are home owners as well and can thus provide a unique perspective.
There are numerous other Facebook pages and groups where you will find much lively, interesting discussion regarding topics related to house and pet sitting. House Sitting World, which boasts nearly 15,000 members, is currently the largest house sitting group on Facebook. Nomadic Retirement Living is another group that engages many travelers who also house sit.
How do I start house sitting?
If you’d like to house sit your way around the world, start exploring your options by reviewing this list of reputable house sitting sites.
TrustedHousesitters.com*: In addition to being the largest worldwide house sitting service in the industry, Trusted Housesitters matches pet owners with sitters who will care for their animals and homes in exchange for a free place to stay.
Housecarers.com: While this site has a smaller pool of house sitting opportunities, it gives house sitters the option to look for gigs from anywhere to a few days up to a long term house sitting assignment.
MindMyHouse.com: This company has been in operation since 2005 and has a lower registration fee compared to other house sitting sites. They also have an active member page where you can find updated reviews about their services.
HouseSit Match.com: Along with offering assignments throughout the world, in exchange for free accommodations, this house sitting site is sorted based on the type of pet you’d like to take care of.
Nomador.com: You’ll find a wealth of information about house sitting safety, how to make friends, and other relevant tips in this house sitting services blog.
If you’d like to focus on finding an assignment in a specific country, check out House Sitters America.com, House Sitters Canada.com or
Aussie House Sitters.com.
After you’ve gone through these resources, take the next step and register with a few house sitting services. Within no time, you’ll be setting off on an exciting new adventure!
How can I create a profile that will help me get house sits?
Whichever site or sites you decide to use, you’ll want to develop a profile that makes you attractive to home owners. Be sure to check out these tips for creating your profile so that you can really make your star shine!
What else do I need to know?
While your accommodation is generally free, be sure to consider the travel costs when choosing a sit. Check out the neighborhood via Google Maps, etc. before committing yourself to the sit in order to get an idea of what the area is like in case personal safety is an issue. Decide on your “must haves” for packing and documents. Also, remember to figure in the cost of any special food items and the possible restocking of the homeowners’ food that you have consumed.
In addition, there are a number of topics that should be discussed and negotiated between you and the homeowners before your arrival. This can range from figuring out where you will sleep to whether the home owners’ insurance will cover you if you are using their vehicle. It’s also crucial to know if you’ll be expected to pay for utilities (usually only a consideration on lengthy assignments) or internet usage (a more common expectation).
Have you already entered the world of house and pet sitting? Please share your comments or tips with us! And if you’re looking for more tips come check out our guide on how to get free accommodation while traveling.
*Disclosure: Please note that the link above is an affiliate link, and at no additional cost to you, She Hit Refresh will receive a commission if you decide to sign-up for a TrustedHousesitters account after clicking through the link. Please understand that She Hit Refresh recommends this product because we feel it is helpful and useful to our audience, not because of the small commission we make if you decide to sign-up through the link. Please do not spend any money on membership unless you feel you need to.
5 thoughts on “What is House Sitting? Everything You Need To Get Started”
Pingback: Workaway for the Solo Female Traveler - She Hit Refresh
Pingback: Moving Abroad: What to do with your apartment or house? - She Hit Refresh
I’ve just started thinking about this as I work online and have just cat sitted for a friend. Hopefully, it’ll help me do more travelling as my travel bug is waking up.
It seems like an great way to travel and save money doing it!
Thanks for pointing out that house sitters can also double as pet sitters sometimes. I’d like to find a good house sitter soon because I will be traveling a lot until the end of the month. I think I will only be at home for about about a week this month and that’s not even seven consecutive days.