We are John and Emma and we are house sitters. As Digital Nomads, we are always travelling and looking for new adventures. Recently, we decided to start house sitting alongside our usual Airbnb and hiking adventures and we haven’t looked back. House sitting is such a great way to travel and see the world. Best of all, you can do it for free. Here’s our guide on how to become a house sitter as you travel in 2023.
- How to become a house sitter and travel the world
What is house sitting?
House sitting is what it says on the tin. It is looking after a house or property and staying in it whilst the owner is away from home. Sometimes during house sitting you will also be required to pet sit.
How to find a house sit
Broadly, there are a few different options to find a house sit. Firstly, you could arrange something independently. This might be through friends and family or on your social media. However, there are easier/ more guaranteed ways to arrange a house sit.
As of 2023, there are number of amazing websites where you can create an account. These will help you to narrow down exactly what you are looking for in terms or property, location and dates.
House sitting websites
There are a number of house sitting websites that you can use to sign up for house sitting in 2023.
#1 Trusted House Sitters
The site that we use and love is Trusted House Sitters. This is probably the most well known site around the world.
Why we love it:
- It has a global reach, meaning that properties can be found anywhere in the world.
- The site and app are easy to use and intuitive
- The site is very “pet focused”, all the properties listed have pets to look after.
#2 Workaway
We like workaway and have had accounts on this site before. It is predominately a volunteering site, rather than a house sitting one. But it provides great opportunities to house sit as well as volunteer around the world.
Why we love it:
- Wide ranging website, not just focused on house sitting
- Inexpensive membership fee
#3 House Sitters UK
For anyone in the UK, this is a great site. But it is a little limited if you’re looking to house sit as you travel.
#4 Mind My House
This site, Mind My House, is a US based site but with global reach. A slightly less well known site than Trusted House Sitters.
What to expect when you sign up?
Most websites will follow a similar process when you set up an account. It will likely be something like the following:
Verify your identity
You should expect to have to verify your identity when you sign up to a house sitting website. This might include supplying a copy of your passport or identity document. You will probably have to verify your telephone and email details too.
Write a great profile
You’ll need to create a profile for property owners to see. This should be honest, but you should try to sell yourself a little bit. Talk about previous experience you’ve had with property and pets (if relevant) and why you are keen to become a house sitter. Finally, include some professional but friendly looking photos.
Get references for house sitting
If this is your first house sit, or you’re signing up to a new site, you should expect to supply a reference. If you’ve never looked after a house before, you could ask a landlord or friend to supply a reference. You can also sometimes link your Airbnb profile to the account. This enables property owners to check that you’ve looked after any Airbnbs you’ve visited.
Arrange an interview or meeting
In our experience, you’ll have to meet and chat to the property owners before they choose you for a house sit.
This is a bit like an interview but tends to be less formal. They will ask a few questions about you, but don’t forget that it’s your chance to ask about them and the property too.
Intro chats can be in person, or virtual, depending on your circumstances. It can be a little nerve racking, but in all likelihood the property owners will be a little nervous too.
Agree house sitting dates and terms
If the interview goes well, hopefully you’ll be offered the house sit. However, house sits can be competitive. Try not to feel too disheartened if the property owner choose somebody else over you.
Assuming that you are chosen, you will be asked to agree dates. We have found that property owners would ideally like to meet the house sitters and have them arrive the night before they are due to leave. This is a really nice experience as you get to meet them. But also gives them peace of mind and gives you a chance to get shown around the house and meet the pets!
What to expect from house sitting?
House sitting is a great opportunity. In our experience, most properties that require a house sitter tend to be pretty great places to stay! You might get a chance to stay in some unique places and you could be anywhere in the world.
In general, we have found that property owners are super friendly. At least the ones that we’ve met through Trusted House Sitters. They will want to get to know you and you can take the chance to get to know them. After all, you’ll be staying in their property!
You may be asked to run errands or look after the property. You may have to look after pets. Whatever you do, it is bound to be a great experience if you approach it with an open mind.
Do you need to look after animals to house sit?
You don’t always have to look after pets or animals when you house sit. Some people list their properties for house sitting only. This may be because they want peace of mind when they are away from home, or it may be that the property requires maintenance. For example, many people may ask house sitters to water plants or look after the garden.
The majority of house sits do come with pets however. Trusted Housesitters, the site that we are registered with, is specifically for pet and house sitting combined. Therefore every house sit that we have done has involved a dog or cat.
The most popular animals that require pet sitters are cats and dogs. However, many property owners also lost property with farm animals, such as horses or goats too.
Do you get paid to house sit?
In general, no. House sitting and pet sitting is normally done in exchange for your board. In return for looking after the house and pets, you are able to stay for free in the house. It’s an exchange rather than a paid gig – your services for board.
How to be a good house sitter?
Being a good house sitter is really about being careful, professional and using your common sense. Here are a few tips based on our experience:
#1 Agree house rules: check in advance whether there are any house rules and confirm this when you move into the property. This might be about whether you can have guests or about food you can’t cook in the house.
#2 Find out about animal care: if you have a pet that you are looking after, find out what they need for care. This should include walking and exercise requirements, food and dietary restrictions and contact details for vets.
#3 Offer to help with anything: ask the property owner if there’s anything you can do to help, this could be gardening, sorting out post or maybe running some errands for them.
#4 Keep the house clean and tidy: be careful with the property, keep it clean and tidy throughout your stay. This is important in case anybody pops in unexpectedly or the owner comes back early. But, it will also mean you don’t have to spend hours cleaning up before you move out.
#5 Avoid damage, but if you break something own up: if you break something big, it’s best to fess up to the property owners asap. If it’s something small, you could wait until they return and offer to or replace the item.
#6 Stay in contact: make sure that you are available if the property owner calls you during your stay and be responsive to messages. Don’t go dark.
What to bring to your house sit?
We find that it’s useful to take a few things to the house sit with you, in addition to your personal belongings. We tend to pack:
- Tea & Coffee
- Dishwasher tablets
- Laundry detergent
- Washing up liquid
- Olive oil
- Cooking basics
- Hand soap
- Toilet roll
Although the owner is likely to have these things in the house, we find it easier to take them with us rather than use items in the house that we will then need to replace.
Sign up to Trusted House Sitters
You can sign up to Trusted House Sitters through our affiliate link and receive 20% off today. That’s a huge saving over the course of a year of membership. You can find the website here.
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2 responses to “How to become a house sitter and travel the world in 2023”
[…] Just make sure your profile is tip top and you have good references – more info on that here. […]
[…] cathedral city in West Sussex, England. We recently found ourselves visiting Chichester as we were house sitting nearby. A delightful city, there is plenty to see and do in Chichester if you visit for a day or […]