How to Find Houses to Sit

Want to travel without breaking the bank? House sitting as a family lets us stay in homes around the world for free by taking care of people’s properties and pets. We’ll talk about how we find house sits, how to identify a great match for houses to sit, and what this unique travel option involves.

You don’t have to travel as a family like we do. With these tips and tricks, singles, young couples, and retirees can all find great houses to stay at.

A Quick Overview For House Sitters:

• House sitting gives you a unique and affordable way to travel the world, offering immersive experiences in diverse cultures while saving on accommodation costs.
• Preparing thoroughly by creating a compelling profile on one of the housesitting apps, gathering positive references, and posting a few pictures to your profile can help home owners choose you to watch their home and pets.
• Send messages to the homeowners through the app, schedule a video call to meet them in advance, and maintain clear communication throughout your stay, ensuring smooth house sits for homeowners and pet lovers worldwide.

Finding Houses to Sit Around the World

House sitting allows our family of five to travel to places across the globe that we could have only dreamed of traveling to. Whether it’s picking up baguettes in Paris, enjoying a stay in Zurich and taking a train to visit the Swiss Alps, or discovering the vibrant cultures of cities like London and New York, the opportunities are endless. Central America is also emerging as a promising area for house sitting, offering a growing number of opportunities to explore its unique regions.

Our family of 5 has had the pleasure of house-sitting in England, France, Switzerland, Scotland, Germany, Canada, the US, and Mexico. House sitting has given us the freedom to explore new destinations while saving significantly on accommodation costs.

There are multiple websites to find house sitting or pet sitting opportunities, so we’ve created an overview of when each app is best suited for you – depending on your travel style and the area you’d like to visit.

We use Trusted Housesitters ourselves since it’s the largest house-sitting platform and has listings from homeowners and pet owners worldwide. Conversely, Trusted Housesitters also has the most pet sitters, so competition can be high, but we’ve enjoyed our experience with it.

Save 25% on your Trusted Housesitters membership with this discount code.

 

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What is house sitting?

House sitting is where house sitters care for homes and pets in exchange for free accommodation. The primary goal is to keep pets happy, and homes secure while house owners are away and save on kennel or boarding fees. This exchange of trust and companionship benefits both parties: homeowners get to travel with peace of mind, and sitters receive a comfortable place to stay.

The role of a house sitter often involves pet sitting, where a pet sitter has basic responsibilities to feed and look after pets – the animals are happiest keeping their usual routine while their owners are away. Travelers choose housesitting opportunities because of the low cost of accommodations and because caring for someone’s home and pets provides opportunities to experience new places uniquely, live like the locals, and go to less traveled places.

Benefits of house sitting

House sitting is a great option for someone wanting affordable travel. It allows our family to immerse ourselves in local cultures while enjoying free accommodation.

It’s a perfect way to experience life in different places while cutting out the accommodation costs and providing travelers with furry friends to keep us company. Countries like France, Spain, and the United Kingdom are particularly popular among house sitters for their rich culture and scenic beauty.

Besides the cost-saving benefit of housesitting while traveling, it allows you to experience life in various locales, from busy cities to peaceful rural settings. It’s allowed us to immerse our kids in local cultures and live a lifestyle that creates adaptability – every house sit has been a unique experience for us.

Challenges of house sitting

It is good to consider a few challenges that come along with housesitting, even though there are so many benefits.

Managing homeowners’ expectations can vary significantly from house to house, and sitters need to be ready to care for each home as well as any pets in the house according to what the homeowners require of them.

House sitters can request clear details about the expectations for the care of someone’s home and pets before agreeing to housesit. You might consider asking:

• Will the pet need to take medication?
• How far away is the closest grocery store?
• How long can the pet be left if we go out to sightsee?
• Would it be helpful for me to arrive a day early to get to know the pet’s routine?
• Can the pet ride public transport with us?
• How long does the dog need to be walked each day?
• What time do we need to get up in the morning to feed or let the pets out?
• Is your home smoke free?
• Will anyone else have access to the home or property while I’m staying there?

Clear communication with the homeowners and an understanding of the responsibilities are crucial to ensuring a successful house sit.

Find these things out before agreeing to the house sit, not afterward. If you’re visiting an area and would like to sightsee, but find out that the pet needs medication every 3 hours around the clock, that could create a conflict with your plans and responsibilities.

If public transportation is not available where a housesitter will be staying, the housesitter will need to make arrangements for this.

We have rented a car for housesitting in remote places, and sometimes, we had permission to use a homeowner’s car to get around. One house sit we agreed to do in England was on a remote farm a 30-minute walk from the nearest city. The neighbors helped us with transportation when we didn’t feel like walking to the grocery store, and we mostly stayed at the house to relax with the pets instead of sightseeing.

Every few days, we took a family walk to the grocery store (we could have gotten delivery if the order hit a minimum quantity), and a couple times we walked to the bus to take a train to take a bus to do it all in reverse to enjoy a day of sightseeing on the southern coast of England.

How to Find House Sitting Opportunities

Finding house-sitting opportunities has never been easier, thanks to the availability of house-sitting groups online and apps. We would recommend subscribing to a membership with an app that verifies the identification and provides reviews rather than hopping on a plane to meet someone who said their house is available through a facebook group.

We chose to join Trusted Housesitters when we decided as a family to plan overseas travel and immediately found thousands of opportunities for housesitting.

Best house sitting websites

TrustedHousesitters is widely regarded as the top house sitting website, boasting over 240,000 members and a strong global reach. This platform has so many opportunities for sitters all over the world. And because it requires mandatory criminal background checks, it is a safe option for homeowners.

HouseSittersUK is another excellent site, popular for finding sits specifically in the UK. For those looking to house sit in Australia, Aussie House Sitters is a top choice, offering a variety of opportunities across the country.

HouseSitters America helps find paid sitting jobs, particularly in the USA.

Nomador features a unique ‘Stopover’ option, allowing for short-term stays with homeowners. MindMyHouse, while having fewer listings, provides an affordable yearly subscription option for sitters.

Utilizing both global and region-specific platforms like TrustedHousesitters and HouseSitMexco, for instance, offers the best coverage for house sitting opportunities worldwide.

We’ve compared all of the major housesitting websites here to help you choose the best option for you.

Stay in contact with home owners

Building and maintaining strong relationships with homeowners and pet parents is vital for long-term success in house sitting. Establishing a network, gathering positive references, and staying in touch with past homeowners can lead to repeat house sitting opportunities and a sustainable lifestyle.

Clear communication helps the homeowner have confidence that you’re on your way and going to arrive on time so they can focus on preparing for their trip.

Before agreeing to the house sit, schedule video calls with the home owners and ask as many questions as you need to so that you are comfortable with making your travel plans to house sit. Clarify dates and locations for flights or train rides, and communicate about whether you’ll get a ride, take an Uber, or walk from the station, which is the best way to get to the home.

Keep in touch with the home owners while they are away on their trip to reassure them that their home and pets are in good hands. We usually send a picture or two every couple days depending on the length of the house sit, and if they express a particular concern, we’re sure to mention that.

As an example, we stayed with a small dog that the owner was concerned he might be anxious and not eat while the homeowner was away. In light of that, we sent a photo of the dog eating all of his dinner.

We had another homeowner concerned their indoor/outdoor cat might just stay out for our whole visit, so we sent a picture of the cat curled up on our son’s lap one evening while watching TV.

Both pet owner reviews mentioned how they could fully enjoy their vacation, knowing their happy pets were being taken care of back home.

Preparing for Your House Sit

There are a few things you need to do to prepare for a housesit to have a smooth and enjoyable experience. From creating a compelling profile to packing essential items, thorough preparation can make all the difference.

Creating a compelling profile

Your profile is your first impression on house sitting websites. Highlight your experience and reliability, and don’t forget to include personal motivations for house sitting. We include pictures of our kids with the pets we’ve house sat before so that pet parents can be confident that our kids do well with pets.

Show your personality in your profile so that the pet parents feel like they get to know you while considering your application.

Getting references and reviews

Positive references are crucial for building trust with pet parents. Collect reviews after each house sit to ensure they are fresh and detailed, highlighting your responsibilities and care for the homeowner’s property. Many platforms will facilitate this process for you, and you can send a direct message with a reminder if the home owner is a first-time user.

Well-written references enhance your profile and contribute to your credibility. If you have had any experience caring for a friend or family member’s pet or their home, ask them to include a reference on your profile. Listing these references for homeowners to read gives the homeowners more confidence in choosing you.

Have a set of questions to ask when you make the call about choosing a house sit

When selecting a house sit, having a set of questions ready can help ensure it meets your needs. Ask about public transport accessibility, nearby grocery stores, and how to get the pet to a vet in an emergency.

Clarify details like the home’s smoking policy and how well pets interact with children if you’re traveling with family.

Setting up a time to have a video call with the homeowner so you can get to know them and possibly see their pet and home.

When we have a video call before agreeing to a housesit, the homeowners are happy to give us a tour of their home and answer all of our questions. Because of our more detailed conversations, we can confidently decide on the best housesitting opportunities for our family.

Remember that you’re interviewing the home owner to decide if you’d like to house sit as much as they’re interviewing you to find out if they would like to invite you into their home. Here is a guide for home owners about what to look for in a house sitter and things you should be aware of when applying.

Packing essentials for house sitting

Find out what amenities the house has ahead of time so that you know what you will need to bring with you. If they have a hot tub, for instance, then pack your bathing suit. Bring appropriate shoes for a hike if they’re near hiking trails.

Bring a few comfort items from home, like a favorite pillow or snacks (depending on how you’re traveling). Pack light, but ensure you have adequate clothing for the weather and essential toiletries, especially if you prefer specific brands. Plan your meals for your time in their home so that you bring the necessary groceries with you or order groceries to be delivered to the house if that is available where you are traveling to.

Check with homeowners about using the staple food items in their home, including cooking oil and spices and any fresh foods they have that may go bad while away. Be ready to be flexible.

We had a homeowner tell us we could use whatever we could find in their fridge or pantry while they were away and then we found out there wasn’t much in their pantry – salt, pepper, and some cooking oil. She was a single woman who worked at a restaurant and often ate her meals there, so her kitchen wasn’t very stocked. It wasn’t a concern for us. We just bought what we needed and adjusted our menu. We have always felt at home in the houses we have cared for.

If you’re traveling as a family, here’s the best luggage for kids to take on an airplane.

Responsibilities While House Sitting

House sitting involves various responsibilities, from pet care to home maintenance. Clear communication with homeowners about their expectations and your duties is important before agreeing to housesit for them. Once you understand and are comfortable with the homeowner’s expectations, you can decide whether or not it will be a housesitting opportunity you want to take.

Understanding your responsibilities ensures the home remains secure and well-maintained during your stay, the pets will be comfortable with you, and the homeowners will have a peaceful time away.

Pet care and routines

Caring for pets is often a primary responsibility for house sitters. This includes feeding, walking, and administering any necessary medication. Maintaining a consistent routine is crucial for the pets’ well-being, so follow the owner’s instructions carefully. Having the company of the pets is very enjoyable for our family. Our kids help with the responsibilities and learn to care for different pets. It’s a wonderful learning experience for them.

Home maintenance tasks

As a house sitter, you can expect to care for the property to remain secure and well-maintained during your stay. This may involve basic cleaning, minor repairs, and ensuring the home looks lived-in by collecting mail and routine tasks around their property.

We have cared for small apartments, condos, and huge houses on acreages and farms. The variety of houses we have taken care of, as well as all the different kinds of pets, has given our family many unique experiences and allowed our kids to take on new responsibilities.

You might be asked to be sure the gate stays closed so the neighbor’s dog doesn’t come in, water plants, put out sandbags on the walk if the rain gets to a certain level, or set the alarm when you leave.

We’ve never been asked to do maintenance chores, but every home owner loves coming home to an freshly-cut lawn in the summer or a clean-shoveled driveway in the winter. (of course, if the home owner keeps their lawn looking like a golf course, then don’t jump in an make a mess of it).

Communicating with homeowners

Effective communication with homeowners and pet sitters is essential throughout the house sitting dates. It’s a good idea to provide regular updates about the status of the home and happy pets. This can help prevent misunderstandings and build trust. We usually send a photo by email or text once daily to the homeowner to reassure them that everything is going well.

Before the home owner leaves, we always say, “We’ll try our best not to interrupt your holiday, but we won’t be shy if we really need to ask about something.” This gives them the confidence to know we’re planning to communicate if needed.

Often, we’ll send the home owner pictures of how their pets are doing or a question about “Which key do we use to lock the back door?” and they’ll send us back a photo of their vacation destination or family they’re visiting.

In many cases, we’ve become friends with homeowners that we’ve visited and stay in touch now and then.

Establish clear guidelines on how and when to contact homeowners in the case of an emergency or if information is needed while you are housesitting. You should know the best option for how to reach the homeowner (phone, text, WhatsApp, etc) while at the same time allowing them time away without too many distractions.

Top Destinations for House Sitting & Pet Sitting

House sitting destinations are becoming more popular for vacationing worldwide, and the options are growing, whether you’re looking for an outdoor experience in nature, enjoying the nightlife of a big city, or wanting to take a step back into history.

House sitting in Europe

Immerse yourself in diverse cultures and lifestyles in Europe. Whether it’s the picturesque countryside of France or the historic cities of Italy, Europe offers a rich tapestry of experiences, unique cultures, and historic cities.

House sitting in North America

North America is a prime destination for house sitters, especially with the rise of remote work and travel needs. Major cities like San Francisco, New York City, and Toronto offer thriving house sitting opportunities, allowing sitters to explore vast landscapes and urban experiences.

House sitting in Australia and New Zealand

Australia and New Zealand are known for their stunning natural landscapes. From the vibrant cities of Australia to the breathtaking beauty of New Zealand, these destinations offer unique opportunities for house sitters to experience diverse environments and cultures.

Tips for Successful House Sitting

Success in house sitting comes from understanding and fulfilling your responsibilities while building trust with homeowners. Establishing a daily routine and managing tasks can help ensure a smooth and enjoyable house-sitting experience.

At our first housesit, the dog’s routine was to be walked every morning at 7 am before the home owner went to work, and like clockwork, at 7:01, the dog would give us a wake-up bark if we weren’t already downstairs. Celine and I each alternated morning walks with him. There was a grocery store about a 30-minute walk away, so we would get our fresh fruit and vegetables for the day on our morning walk.

Building trust with homeowners

For many homeowners, it can be a scary experience to open their homes to people they hardly know. Housesitters need to focus on building trust with the homeowners. Open communication, demonstrating reliability, and even small gestures like leaving a gift for the homeowners when they return home can significantly enhance trust. Celine often leaves fresh baking when the home owner returns, but if you’re not a baker, you could leave fresh flowers, baking from the grocery store, or a bag of specialty coffee.

Building trust doesn’t end when the homeowner leaves for vacation. Clear communication through the house sit and a clear overview on return, if anything got broken or stuck along the way, can instill confidence in the homeowner that they will not find any surprises a few days after returning.

Building a network within the house sitting community can also lead to personal referrals and more opportunities. This is a homeowner-turned-friend. When she’s going away, she’ll let us know and ask if we’re available to travel to England to look after her dogs. We usually spend a day or two before and after her trip to visit with her.

Handling emergencies

Emergencies can happen, even while house sitting. It’s important that you, as a housesitter, know ahead of time how to handle emergencies with a house or with pets. Maintaining open lines of communication with homeowners reassures them about their pets and property during unexpected situations. Homeowners will provide you with emergency contacts and information on how you can best manage any crisis or emergencies efficiently.

We experienced an emergency with an animal while housesitting. We were thankful that the homeowner left us detailed instructions on what to do and had already shown us where the vet was before they left for their trip.

(Adam’s note: In this last paragraph, Celine is kindly referring to the time I almost killed a goat we were caring for in France – spoiler alert: the goat survived).

House Sitting as a Lifestyle

House sitting can evolve into a sustainable lifestyle, offering the unique opportunity to live rent-free while caring for homes and pets. This is a great lifestyle for those who can work remotely and allows for frequent travel, personal growth, and financial benefits, making it an attractive option for many.

We run a web design agency while traveling, but there are all kinds of remote jobs that people do now while traveling.

Financial benefits of house sitting

House sitting can help you save money significantly while you travel. By providing free accommodation, house sitting enables you to save on rent and travel more frequently without the financial burden. This is especially cost-saving for us as a family of 5 since housesitting allows us to explore new destinations comfortably for free.

As a family of five, we would rather stay in a comfortable home with a kitchen than in a cramped hotel room and constantly analyzing our budget about eating out while we explore new places, even if that comes with the responsibility of caring for a pet.

Personal growth and experiences

House sitting fosters personal growth for us and our kids through meaningful connections with pets and homeowners. As pet lovers, these experiences we’ve had house-sitting have enriched our lives – we have a deeper understanding of different lifestyles and cultures as we have had the opportunity to visit 18 countries so far! We have learned how to care for various animals, both young and old, and enjoy the company of people’s pets.

Stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing new environments can lead to significant personal development.

Long-term house sitting strategies

For some house sitters, considering these opportunities as a long-term lifestyle is doable if you are a strategic planner. Creating a budget and planning for potential income gaps helps sustain this lifestyle. You won’t always find places to house sit back to back, so you will need a plan to pay for accommodations between housesits.

When we first house sat in England for 6 weeks, we had 2 nights when we landed in a hotel to adjust to the time change and visit London; then we had 1 night about 4 weeks in between house sits when we visited Thorpe Park for our adrenaline-fueled boys, and 1 night at the end of our 6-week visit when we were leaving England to visit Chateau De Lalacelle in France.

4 hotel nights for 6 weeks in England proved to us that housesitting was a great way to save on accommodation.

The more you house sit, the more you will know what size of homes you want to care for and what kinds of pets you enjoy being with. You will build up a strong resume that will build confidence in homeowners and grab attention for house sitting opportunities quickly and easily.

 

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To Summarise House Sitting for Home Owners and Pet Sitters:

House sitting offers a unique blend of adventure, affordability, and personal growth. By caring for homes and pets worldwide, you can immerse yourself in new cultures, save on accommodation costs, and build meaningful connections. The key to a successful house sit lies in thorough preparation, clear communication, and caring for your responsibilities.

As you embark on your house-sitting journey, remember that each experience is a stepping stone towards a more enriched and adventurous life. Embrace the opportunities, overcome the challenges, and enjoy the countless benefits of house sitting.

Frequently Asked Questions About Finding A House Sit

How do I find house sitting opportunities?

To find house sitting opportunities, try using dedicated websites like TrustedHousesitters and Nomador, which connect you with homeowners seeking sitters globally. This is a great way to explore new places while providing valuable help!

What should I include in my house sitting profile?

To make your house sitting profile stand out, highlight your experience, reliability, and personality along with plenty of photos of you (and your kids if you’re traveling as a family) with pets that will resonate with homeowners. This personal touch will help you connect and build trust with potential pet parents.

What are some common responsibilities while house sitting?

House sitting typically involves caring for pets, maintaining the home, and informing the homeowners about their property’s well-being. These basic tasks will allow homeowners peace of mind while they are away.

How can I build trust with homeowners?

Building trust with homeowners is achievable through open communication, consistent reliability, and thoughtful gestures, like leaving a small gift upon their arrival home. These efforts create strong, positive relationships that homeowners will appreciate. The more you are trusted, the better your reviews, and the more opportunities you’ll receive.

What are the financial benefits of house sitting?

House sitting offers the fantastic financial benefit of free accommodation, enabling you to save on rent and travel more often without added costs. For the homeowners, the benefits are not paying for their pets’ boarding fees but just paying their membership fee for a housesitting website.

Can I house sit without pet sitting?

It’s possible but not common. On TrustedHousesitters for instance, thousands of opportunities are currently posted, and only 1 or 2 are available without pets to care for.

Most people are fine with leaving their home unoccupied for a few weeks’ vacation without concern, so the primary reason for homeowners to look for housesitters is to avoid kennel fees and allow their pets to stay in their own homes.

Steps for getting started finding a house to sit:

• Check out the various housesitting websites and choose one to register with
• If you choose Trusted Housesitters, use this Trusted housesitters discount code
• Here is our breakdown for the differerent benefits of membership levels with Trusted Housesitters.
• Apply for a housesit and offer to have a video call with the home owner
• Book your travel!