Explore new places
Our Housesitting Journey
In recent years, house sitting has become one of the best ways to travel long – term on a budget. In exchange for looking after someone’s house and pets you get free accommodation. No money is exchanged as it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement, you get a place to stay at no cost, and the owner gets home and pet care at no cost.
Hi, where Gary and Sally the Timeless Wanders, where traveling the world long – term as budget travelers. We’d never heard of housesitting up and till 18months ago, we stumbled into the house sitting quite by accident. We had accommodation booked in London for a month, and 3 weeks before we were about to arrive the host cancelled our booking.
We couldn’t find any suitable accommodation in London at a reasonable price, we remembered a friend mentioning to us about housesitting. We decided to explore the idea and joined “Trusted House sitters”. Within a couple of weeks of joining, we found ourselves looking after people’s homes and Pets across various destinations, meeting wonderful people and their pets along the way. This changed our lives and our way of thinking; it allowed us to travel affordably and live in the community as locals.
If you’re like us, no matter how long you are travelling for, it’s nice to stop and take a breath. We have had many housesits looking after Dogs, Cats, Horses, Rabbits, Fish, Chooks, and even Ducks certainly a wide variety of pets. We have stayed everywhere from farms to chic apartments in London, the French countryside, to cosy thatched roof homes in the Cotswold’s. Meeting some fantastic people along the way, in which some have become good friends and regular sits.
If this lifestyle appeals to you, then the answer is to House-sit.
What is House Sitting
House Sitting involves staying in someone’s home while they are away, typically to ensure the property is looked after and secure. Pet sitting, a subset of house sitting includes caring for the homeowners pets, and ensuring they are fed, exercised and given attention in exchange for accommodation. These arrangements can range from a couple of days to several months, depending on the homeowner’s needs. House sitting is gaining popularity, but still a little unknown to many travellers. Online platforms like “Trusted House sitters” and “Mind my House” have helped build trust through reviews and verification process. However, some scepticism remains, as it involves letting strangers into one’s home. But, if you have clear communication, a detailed profile, positive reviews help with any concerns, making house sitting a trusted option for many travellers and homeowners.
Benefits for Homeowners
knowing that someone is looking after your home and pets, which will provide peace of mind.
Pets often find boarding facilities stressful, house sitting allows Pets to stay in their own environment with their usual routine intact. Personalized care ensures they are happier and healthier.
House sitters can handle routine maintenance tasks such as watering plants, taking out the rubbish, and ensuring that home systems ( like Heating and Plumbing) are functioning correctly.
House sitting can be a cost – effective alternative to hiring Pet boarding services or full-time property manager. Often, sitters exchange their services for accommodation.
Benefits for House Sitters
House sitting allows you to travel and live in different places without the cost of accommodation. It’s an excellent option for digital nomads, retirees. Or anyone looking to explore new locations affordably.
House sitters often get an immediate insight into local experience, living in a residential neighbourhood and connecting with neighbours and local community through house sitting. We’ve met some fantastic people and pets which have become lifelong friends.
Staying in a home rather than a hotel or Hostel provides a more comfortable and homely experience. It also offers better amenities, such as kitchen, laundry facilities and more space.
For many sitters, the main benefit is the financial savings; by not paying for accommodation, you can allocate money to more travel opportunities.
Is house sitting for you.
Start by assessing why you want to house sit, are you like us looking to travel affordably, explore new cultures, enjoy the companionship of pets without a long-term commitment. Understanding your primary motivation will help you focus on your search. It’s pretty much a given if you’re interested in house sitting, your goal is to reduce your travel costs, so that you can travel more and like us for longer.
Next consider do you want to house sit locally or around the world, are you drawn to bustling cities, countryside, coastal areas or remote locations. Are you open to international sits or prefer staying in your own country, these are all common reasons, think which ones apply to you. In addition, the duration of the sits that suits your lifestyle, do you prefer short-term opportunities, like weekend or week long stays. We prefer long-term stays (approx 1-3 months) in a countryside or coastal area where it’s quiet and less distractions so we can do a lot research and writing.
Think about your comfort level with different responsibilities, some sits may involve intensive pet care, gardening, maybe minor home maintenance. Do you need strong Wi-Fi connection for remote work (a must for us) a no – smoking environment, or specific amenities.
By clearly defining your goals and interests you can target opportunities that align with your preferences and capabilities, ensuring a rewarding house-sitting experience.
Sign up for a House-Sitting Website
PROFILE DETAILS
“We both grew up with pets when we were younger. When the children were young we had a zoo as I called it dogs and a cat numerous types of birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, and mice over a 30-year span. When living in Sydney we used to look after the neighbour’s pets while they were away. Plenty of experience with all types of animals. But I must say I have a problem with any type of reptiles.”
There are several good house-sitting websites out there to match with homeowners and find good house sits. So, if you’re serious about house sitting, joining a dedicated website is a crucial step. These platforms provide a secure and structured environment for you and the homeowner. Trusted House Sitters, Nomador.com, Mind my House, are among the most popular options, each offering something different. They all have membership fees, but when you think about how much money you save, it’s a small yearly fee only adds up to a couple of nights of accommodation. Even the most expensive website “Trusted House Sitters’ you only have to do one sit a per year to recoup your costs.
These platforms often include various secure measures, such as identity verifications, background checks, and secure messaging systems, ensuring both parties can communicate and arrange details with confidence. By joining a House-Sitting website, you also become part of a community of like-minded people who value travel, new experiences, and the joy of caring for pets.
Here are the best House-Sitting Websites.
“TrustedHousesitters.com” (starts at $129 USD/year)
One of the largest and most reputable House-Sitting platforms, Trusted House Sitters operates worldwide and offer and offer extensive sittings all around the globe. It started and is based in the UK, so you will find the highest number of sits there, Europe, North America and Australia are also popular.
“Nomador.com” (membership starts at $99 USD/year)
Nomador is particularly popular in Europe (mainly France) and is growing worldwide. There’s a free discovery option so you can look at what’s available, as well as a stopover feature, which is like Couchsurfing, so you can find a place to stay with members of the Nomad community between your sits.
“Mindmyhouse” (29 USD/ year)
Known for its affordability, Mind my House connects home owners and sitters through a well laid-out website, and offers a wide variety of listings. (Mostly in North America and Europe)
“Housecarers” ($50 USD/year)
Established in 2000, House Carers offers a wide variety of listings with a focus on Australia, New Zealand and North America. Unfortunately, it has a poor website and is a bit hard to follow.
Create your own House-sitting Profile
Our trusted house sitter’s profile
Once you have chosen a website that suits you, it’s time to create your profile.
Creating a profile for House Sitting is essential to attract homeowners and secure house sits. Well-structured profiles show cases of your skills, experience, and detail all the pet-care experience you have.
Personal Information
Start with a warm and engaging introduction. This should provide a picture of who you are and why you’re interested in house sitting.
EXAMPLE
Hi, I’m Sally, a responsible and experienced house sitter with a passion for travel and a love for animals. With over 2 years of house-sitting experience across various countries, I’ve developed a keen understanding of the importance of maintaining a home and caring for pets. I’m a non-smoker, avid gardener and digital nomad who enjoys immersing myself in new cultures and communities.
House Sitting Experience.
Detail your house-sitting experience, emphasizing your reliability and competence, you can mention specific tasks you have handled and types of properties you’ve cared for.
*Location – Canberra, Australia.
* 1 month
* Responsible for 2 cats, handled mail, watered plants, ensured a tidy home.
Horley England
Liverpool England
Skills and abilities
* Pet Care: experienced with dogs, cats, birds, horses, and small animals. Comfortable administering medication and handling dietary needs.
Personal Attributes
References and Reviews
-John Smith. Canberra Australia.
Sally took excellent care of our home and our two cats, while we were on vacation. She provided regular updates and left our home spotless.
Highly recommended.
Donna Noble. Horley England.
Sally’s attention to detail and genuine care for our dogs and house, made our trip stress free. We would invite her back.
Availability
Available for house-sits od any duration starting from next month, open to short or long-term sits, both domestically and internationally.
Additional Information
Contact Information
By following this structure, you can create an appealing House-sitting resume and profile that highlights your strengths and attracts homeowners looking for a trustworthy and capable house sitter.
Unexperienced
If you have no experience or very little, it is essential to detail any pet care experience. Have you done and house or pet sitting for family or friends, many people have looked after neighbors’ pets or taken a family member’s dog for a walk.
Start with a warm and engaging introduction that highlights your enthusiasm and reliability.
Example
Hi, I’m Gary, a responsible and enthusiastic individual eager to start my journey in House-sitting. Though I’m new to house-sitting, my strong work ethic, love for animals and attention to detail makes me a great candidate. I’m a non- smoker, enjoy maintaining a clean and organized space, and excited to care for your home and loved ones as if they were my own.
Relevant Experience
Personal Attributes
Describe your personal qualities that would reassure homeowners of your reliability and being trustworthy. For example
Dependable and trustworthy
Adaptable, Proactive and resourceful
References
If you don’t have any house-sitting references, use character references, from employers, teachers, or friends. Who can vouch for your reliability and character, I used former employers when l first started.
These references are key in the beginning, as being vouched for can be a powerful trust indicator. This step is very important the homeowner needs to know their home and loved ones are in good hands.
Availability
I’m available for house sits for any duration starting from the start of next month. I am open to short and long term sits, both domestically and internationally.
Additional Information.
Provide any other relevant information that might set you apart such as languages spoken, hobbies, or any relevant certificates.
Finally, choose some photos of you (ideally with pets) to round of your profile, so that owners can see who you are.
Contact Information
By focusing on your strengths, reliability, and enthusiasm, you can create an attractive House-sitting profile even without extensive experience, that appeals to the homeowner.
Applying for House-Sits
Looking through house-sitting listings can be an exciting and detailed task, spend some time looking through the listings on the website you joined. Carefully read each listing to understand the homeowners’ requirements and expectations.
Focus on listings that match your skills and preferences, if you’re comfortable with the location and time frame, don’t hesitate to apply. House-sits, especially in good areas, can go quickly. I know if were looking for a house-sit, we check the listings twice a day, and if find one that suits, we apply immediately, we never wait for the next day.
Read homeowners profile and reviews from past house-sitters to gauge the experience of others. This can provide valuable insight into your message to the pet owner, highlight your relevant experience and suggest you would love to set up a time to chat further about the opportunity.
Set up a video chat
When preparing for a pet sit, arrange a video chat, it’s a must. It’s easy to accept a house-sit without talking to the owner first and finding out the finer details, we have only done that once and it was probably our worst sit. So, use WhatsApp, zoom, Skype to have a face to face feel for each other, be prepared for the chat. Here is a list of key questions to ask the homeowner to get a better feel for the sit.
These sorts of questions ensure you are well prepared to care for their pet and maintain the homeowner’s peace of mind while they are away.
Accepting the House-Sit
If your application has been accepted, send them a thank you and let them know your excited about taking care of (Pets name) and ensure your home will be well maintained during their absence. Always, make sure you accept through the website that you’re on, for a couple of reasons. Many house-sitting platforms have protection, something should go wrong, but only if you’ve confirmed the sit through the website.
Protection for house-sitters and homeowners varies by the platform you’ve chosen. (be sure to check the fine print) Just in case you break something, or they cancel on you at the last minute, are you covered by insurance.
You will also want to get a reference after you’ve successfully completed the sit. You will only receive a reference through the house-sitting website. Once everything is confirmed, stay in touch, you may have additional questions or concerns. We always keep in touch with a couple of questions before the actual starting date, mainly to let them know of our arrival time and anything that has changed.
Build your Profile ( A good house-sitter)
Being a good house-sitter involves more than just occupying the home, it requires reliability, responsibility, and respect for the homeowner’s property and pets. The key to getting a repeat number of House-sits is to do an amazing job each time and build your profile and references.
Here are some essential tips.
1.Make sure you turn up.
When a commitment is made, it is up to you to keep it. Homeowners make important plans based on having someone for their home and pets, there counting on you.
2. maintain Cleanliness
Treat the home with the utmost respect from the start, clean up after yourself and the pets. Ensure the house looks as good or better than when they left.
3. Follow homeowners’ instructions.
Stick to the pet’s routine for feeding, exercise, and any medication. Pets thrive on consistency.
Respect house rules, such as where pets can go, how to use appliances. Instructions on plant care, mail collection, and any other specified tasks.
Do they want photos or videos of their pets or only be contacted in case of emergency.
Be Proactive
Ask for a review
After every sit, don’t forget to ask for a review (especially as you first get started) It’s essential to build your portfolio of references, as this makes you a more trustworthy and competitive candidate for future opportunities. Give the homeowners you sat for some time to settle back in from their trip, and if they haven’t submitted a review after a week. Send along a gentle reminder that it would be greatly appreciated if they could leave a quick review.
Sitters Review
Handy Tip
Most homeowners don’t realize how important these reviews are to house-sitters but are more than happy when you ask.
House-sitting can be a fun and incredible way to travel, offering different experiences, you live like a local, explore new places, and lets you enjoy the comfort of a home rather than a hotel. Each house-sit provides a different adventure, weather in a bustling city or a peaceful countryside. The opportunity to meet new people and form lasting relationships makes it our favorite way to travel long term. Most importantly, have a fantastic time.
Join “Trustedhousesitters” here.
Plan Your Adventure
These are our favourite companies we use when planning a trip, they consistently have the best prices, great customer service, and overall, are better than their competitors.
TRUSTED HOUSE-SITTERS– This is the biggest house-sitting website worldwide and our favourite company with great service and value.
SKYSCANNER – we always start here and usually always finish here.
TRAINLINE – this site is very reliable and easy to use.
ROME2RIO – the website allows you to travel from city to city the best and cheapest way.
FLIXBUS – Flixbus has routes between 20 European countries, with usually the best deals.
CAR RENTAL – We recommend using Discover Cars or RentalCars.com to compare rate
BOOKING.com – is our go to for hotel searches around the world, we find they always have the cheapest rates.
HOSTELWORLD – is great if you’re traveling on a budget, and if you need a cheap place to stay.
SIGHTSEEING TOURS – Get Your Guide is our favorite; they have stacks of tours and excursions available in cities all over the world.
TRAVEL INSURANCE – WorldNomads.com offer some of the most competitive prices online. World Nomads will let you purchase insurance when you’re already travelling.
Please email us with any questions to Gary and Sally at [email protected]
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