Do you have a tight budget? Do you still want to see the world? Are you an animal lover? If you answered yes, then maybe house-sitting is for you. Essentially you would be looking after someone’s property free of charge while they are away. This would usually involve taking care of the owner’s pets, watering plants and keeping the house tidy. Surprisingly this service is in high demand. It’s a win-win situation. You get free housing, and they get peace of mind.

How It Works

  • Homeowners place a listing on a house-sitting service like Trusted Housesitters. Usually with pictures of the house, the pets and a short description.
  • The house-sitter would create an account on the listing service’s site and begin searching for houses in a desired location to house-sit. For instance, if you were looking to house-sit in Australia, you would search for house-sitting opportunities in… you guessed it… Australia.
  • Homeowners can also search for house-sitting profiles and contact a potential house-sitter directly.

How Much Does It Cost?

Though house-sitting is free of charge, the listing service typically isn’t. For example, Trusted Housesitters is currently charging $119 per year to both list a house and the same $119 a year to post a house-sitting profile. Still, that’s far cheaper than any hotel for extended periods of time.

Perfect For Digital Nomads

For those who work remotely, this offers a unique and cheap travel solution. Like many digital nomads, space can be a factor in your work. Usually a house will offer much more room to work than a confined hotel room could offer.

What Are The Benefits For a House-sitter?

  • Save money vs hotels
  • Live like a local
  • Get to hang out with pets (My favorite!)

What Are The Benefits For Hiring A House-Sitter?

  • Go on a trip and not worry about the house, pets and plants.
  • Pets will stay in a familiar environment
  • Home and plants will be cared for
  • You can vet the house-sitter before accepting

Tips For Prospective House-Sitters

  • Create a profile that stands out with many pictures and maybe a video of why they should choose you over everyone else.
  • The golden rule of backpacking is “Leave No Trace”. The same rule applies here. Leave no trace you stayed in that house. This is more common sense than a tip.
  • Take your new furry friend with you on your adventures.

House-sitting offers a unique and cost effective travel solution to both the home owner and the house-sitter. Unlike typical hotel going tourists, house-sitters live like a local in a community. They experience the destinations from a different perspective than an average tourist. If you are a homeowner who loves travel, but worries about your pet care, this could be the perfect solution for you as well.