FAQ - The Answers
What is house sitting and how does it work?
In my experience there are two types of house sit, either paid or unpaid. Its effectively an 'exchange' of your time commitment for accommodation. While there are some sit where you will just be looking after someones home, there are often other expectations as part of the 'deal'! There's NO such thing as 'free' accommodation, but its pretty darn close!
Generally, as part of the 'exchange' you are not only looking after someome's home, but will be looking after a pet or pets, which could include horses and livestock!
Some sits also want you to water gardens, indoor or outdoor pot plants and some even ask you to mow their lawns or tend to the garden if they are away for a longer period of time.
House sits are available right around the world and can range from one night, through to longer term sits of a couple of week, right through to 12 months or more!
As part of the commitment, especially when animals are involved you will be expected to provide an update on the animals and the 'pet parents' like photos and/or videos of their 'fur babies'.
Who is house sitting for?
I personally think that all depends on you and your circumstances, and of course the needs of the home owner!
However, I know that there are single travellers like myself who do house sitting, there are couples, and even families - pretty much anyone can do house sitting.
However, and there has to be one of those, people in their late teens and early to mid-twenties, may find it more difficult getting a house sit, but its not totally impossible!
Some owners will be very specific on the person / people they are looking for, including saying no children or couples only, or no men, its all about their personal preference and more often than not related to the type of home they have and the needs of their pets or the number of animals to look after. If you do not fit their criteria do not take it personally, they need to be comfortable who they let stay in their home and that their animals needs are being met.
What are the benefits of house sitting?
Well the two biggest ones for me are free accommodation and the opportunity to stay in a new place, whether that be rural, a small hamlet, village, town or city - the options are endless.
Lets face it when you are travelling, aside from the cost of travelling, which can be expensive, the next biggest expense is usually your accommodation.
Other benefits include;
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Meeting new people, the home owners and if your in a community long enough the 'locals',
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Looking after animals, as I'm currently a Freelance Digital Nomad (FDN), so, I no longer have pets of my own, which I miss,
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If you are in a community long enough, you get to experience what its like to live there as a 'temporary' local,
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The home owners more often than not will provide you with information on what to see, do, and experience, and many a time these local aspects are not what you will find on a tourism website,
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Bonus if there is some sort of payment, but remember this is not guaranteed, and
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Some home owners will leave some food to get your started or even enough for your whole stay, including beverages, or will tell you to use whats in the pantry, fridge or freezer!
This is not an exhaustive list of benefits, if you do decide to give house sitting a go, you will find your own personal benefits - what works for you, may not work for the next person!
What are the downfalls of house sitting?
As with anything we do in life, there can be downfalls, challenges or barriers, and the same goes for house sitting!
Some of the downfalls include;
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Living out of a bag, whether a suitcase, backpack, or holdall. Some sits you will be provided with some wardrobe space or drawers to use,
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Sits can be cancelled, sometimes at the last minute, so you have to have a 'plan B' in the back of your mind if this does happen,
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Depending on the length of the sits, you can be 'constantly' moving about,
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If you are visiting a 'foreign' country you need to be mindful of how long you can stay and for what purpose you are there in relation to the passport you hold and what visa is required, and any restrictions on that visa,
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Some of the animals you look after can be 'high' maintenance and some of them, while the pet owner thinks they are fabulous, may be more difficult than you were expecting,
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Some homes are fitted with cameras, inside, as well as outside. now some may see this as a great safety measure, others may feel its an invasion of their privacy - you decide which and if you are uncomfortable with cameras, then don't apply for the sit,
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For those of you relying on public transport, like I do, be sure of how easy it is to access, and
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Some homeowners will have very bare pantry, fridge, and freezer!
Please don't let this potential list put you off doing house sitting, I think it just important that you have your 'eyes wide open' and that there be 'no surprises'.
I want to give house sitting a go, how do I get started?
Whatever your reasons for wanting to give house sitting a go, there are many ways to get started with house sitting. For me I started my journey by joining Trusted House Sitters (THS). I set up a profile that outlined my experience with animals, I asked some close friends to provide me with a reference, and then I began to apply for sits.
Sounds easy right, well for me it was, and once you've completed some sits, and hopefully gained five star reviews, then it just gets easier, in actual fact, I find people are approaching me, to see if I'd be interested in doing their sit!
Now if THS is not for you, don't stress there are other avenues to explore, that might suit your needs better. We will explore those in the FAQ; How do I find house sits?
I would suggest if you have no or little experience with animals to look at alternative ways you could gain this experience. Offer to do this on a voluntary basis for family or friends, whether at their home or yours or simply offering to take their dog/s for walks.
You could also look at working as a volunteer at a local animal shelter.
Depending on were you live in the world, there are animal first aid courses that you could do.
Overall I think this most important things are to sell yourself as a trustworthy person, who will treat a persons home with respect, and that you will take the utmost care of someones pets.
How do I find house sits?
There are numerous websites and house sit groups on social media, mainly FaceBook (FB). The websites and FB groups may be 'gobal, country based, regional or city specific.
As mentioned in the FAQ; I want to give house sitting a go, how do I get started? Trusted House Sitters (THS) is where I began my house sitting journey and I primarily continue to use them.
You could also consider setting yourself up as a 'self-employed' house sitting business, marketing and promoting your house sitting services.
What you need to do is determine which approach is going to work best for you. Some question for you to consider are;
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Where do you want to go?
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Do you want to find house sits via a professional company or are you comfortable to do via social media?
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Are you looking for paid or unpaid house sits?
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Do you want to set up your own house sitting business?
Whatever approach you decide to take, there is a list of professional companies and some of the FB groups I have found, in the Where To Find House Sits section.
If you decide to join a professional company, then join, create a great profile to 'sell' yourself and get applying for sit.
If you want to go down the track of joining FB groups, then search for relevant groups that suite you needs and join them. Introduce yourself and the house sitting services you offer and let them know what you are looking for. Keep an eye out for any sits that are promoted that suit your needs and let the person know you are interested in their sit.
If you decide you want to set yourself up as a house sitting business, you'll need to consider who you will go about this e.g. setting up a website, social media, marketing collateral to leave on public noticeboards, advertising, etc.
So I've applied to do a house sit, now what?
Great stuff, whether you have applied for one house sit or multiple ones that you think will suit your needs, you now just have to wait for the home owner to get back to you or not, where they just decline your application, with no message outlining reason!
Most homeowners will short list a few applicants that they think will be suitable, and then want to have a video or phone call with you - think of it like a job interview!
They may also prior to shortlisting ask you some questions.
If you have questions, you can ask these either as part of your application, or when you are 'interviewed'.
The interview is not just about whether you are suitable to do the sit, but also for you to determine if the sit is for you.
If you are really keen on a particular sit or it is getting close to when the sit is due to start and you have not heard from the home owner, by all means send them a little message, just letting them know you are really keen to do the sit, and ask them when they expect to make a decision.
How do I prepare for a house sit?
Congratulations, you've got a house sit! Preparation involves having good communication with the home owners, especially, as it gets closer to the start of the house sit.
Confirm with them your arrival time, whether you are driving there or using public transport.
If any questions come to mind, that you feel you do not know, get in touch with the homeowner and ask.
And then really, just as if you were going away for a weekend or on holiday, pack a bag and your toiletries and your good to go! And remember. if the sit involves walk a dog or taking care of 'farm' animals, make sure you pack appropriate clothes and foot wear.
What do I do at the house sit while I am there?
So now you are at the house sit, now what?
Follow the expectations of the homeowner - I realise this sounds a bit regimented, however this is how you will build your reputation as being a 'perfect' house sitter, and will give confidence to future homeowners you apply to house sit for.
If while you are sitting and you have any questions or concerns, then contact the homeowner, especially in relation to their pets.
Keep the homeowner up to date on how their pets are doing and reassure them that everything is OK with the pets, and their home!
Enjoy your time while house sitting, especially if you are staying somewhere new - get out and about and explore your new environment.
The house sit is finished, what do I do before I leave?
YAY, you've successfully completed at house sit! Whether its your first or your umpteenth sit, there are some things you should do prior to leaving!
Leave the home as you found it, or in an even better condition than when you arrived! Goes without saying really, but make sure all areas you have used are clean and tidy - use cleaning products, vacuum, sweep - whatever is needed to get the job done!
Leave as arranged with the home owner.
If the home owner has provides specific expectations on what to do before you leave, then get that to do list done!
Nice touches, and there is certainly no expectation to do this, it is entirely up to you, but you can;
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Leave a little thank you card/note or gift
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Leave a small bunch of flowers
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Send a farewell message, just to let them know you have departed and that all is well
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Leave a bottle of milk in the fridge
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If you were able to use any of their food or beverages or other pantry items, let them know if you used it all or it is close to running out
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Depending on the time of you leaving and the homeowners returning wash, dry and fold anything you have used e.g. bedding, towels, tea towels, etc.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you leave a superb impression with the homeowner!
What do I do after the house sit?
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Especially if you have used a website such as Trusted House Sitters, there is an opportunity to leave feedback - DO IT!
The feedback about the house sit, is a great guide to other house sitters on what to expect from the sit. Be honest in your feedback, but do it respectfully, if its errs on the side of being 'negative'.
Remember you can leave feedback, but so too can the homeowner! The feedback you get will assist you in gaining future house sits - homeowners do check out the feedback, so make sure you've been an exceptional sitter, and you will continue to get house sits.
If it is a paid sit, how much will I earn?
It's the old question of how long is a piece of string!
This will depend on where the sit is, how long for, types of animals to look after and how many, and what else is expected of you.
I'd suggest however to think of any form of payment as a 'bonus' and not to expect to earn anywhere near enough to live off, unless you are very, very, very thrifty when it comes to living life!
You would be better off expecting the payment to be your 'pocket' or 'pin' money!
The amount you could potentially earn will range from £10.00 per night through to £80.00 per night through 'professional' house sitting businesses. If you are just starting out, I'd suggest that you charge at the lower end, and work your way up, but be reasonable, you are after all getting 'cheap' accommodation and generally for not doing a lot. Some people have a base per night charge for looking after one animal, often different if its a cat or a dog (or something bigger!), and then charge an extra amount per additional animal.
Can I bring my own pets?
There are many people who travel, especially within their home country, with their pets who do house sitting.
Whether you can bring your own pet to a house sit, will depend on the home owners needs.
Some will be specific in their criteria that you cannot vs. you can. If in their advertising of their house sit, they have not been specific, ask the question if you can bring your pet, and describe you own fur baby to them.
If they say no, then respect that and move onto finding a sit that will enable you to take your pets with you or consider getting someone into looking after your pets in your home, while you are away!
Can I have other people to visit or stay while I am house sitting?
If you have a profile or apply for a house sit as a single person, couple or family, that is who the homeowner is expecting to be in their home.
If you are wanting to have friends or family to visit or stay, PLEASE, make sure this is OK, with the homeowner. They have gone into a house sitting agreement with you! Ideally ask the question, as part of organising the sit.
If the homeowner says NO to others visiting or staying, you need to respect their wishes.