A comprehensive guide to house sitting: all I have learned through my first-hand experience
At the beginning of 2022 I had to sit down and strategise.
The previous year had seen the world reopen to international travel after all the cancellations of 2020 – the annus horribilis that changed the world in ways nobody had remotely foreseen.
Any travelling I did in 2021 was solely dedicated to reconnecting with family in Italy and Canada and enjoying quality time together, something that up to that point I had taken for granted - until 2020 taught me I shouldn’t have. But by the end of that year, I was bursting at the seams to hit the road and explore the world again.
Except that, once I started researching destinations and journeys for 2022, one thing became painfully clear. Travel had come back with a hefty downside: a price increase. There was no way I could comfortably justify spending the amounts my desired trips required.
And that’s when I knew I had to strategise. What was non-negotiable and what could be sacrificed? Where could I cut costs to stretch my time on the road as I hoped?
Some of the solutions I identified were the standard low-budget ones most travellers are familiar with: early bookings, seasonal sales, and light packing to avoid paying for checked-in luggage. But I also came across something with a more substantial impact on my budget: house sitting.
If you are not familiar with this term, don’t worry, I am here to explain all there is to know about it. While it may literally seem to indicate the service of looking after someone’s house, house sitting more typically involves caring for someone’s home and pets in exchange for accommodation.
It ranges from cat sitting in a city flat while staying at the same flat, to dog sitting in a country house, to being responsible for a bunch of horses, sheep, and chickens in a rural estate. And, occasionally, it means nothing more than ‘house sitting’: looking after a house while the owners are away. The possibilities are quite varied.
House sitting allows travellers to avoid paying for accommodation in a location that may appeal to them, all while ensuring that the host’s home is lived in and any pets are looked after and happy in their owner’s absence. If you are an animal lover, there are hardly any downsides to being a house sitter: not only you have the opportunity to live like a local in a destination that pulls at your heart’s strings, but you also get to make friends and spend time with lovely furry (or feathery, scaly, slimy – whatever rocks your boat) creatures.
During a trip to Canada, I spent ten days cuddling wonderful siamese cat Cleo in one of my favourite Vancouver neighbourhoods, and later moved to an idyllic island just off the city harbour to enjoy morning rainforest walks with two cute dogs Miso and Vera. That translated into more than one month of provided accommodation. On another occasion, I spent three glorious summer weeks in Burgundy looking after adorable cat Bibiche while a plasterer was working in my Edinburgh flat. Under my belt I also have several house sits in Scotland, which allowed me to explore new parts of my adoptive country at my own pace, all while spending quality time with four-legged buddies.
If you, like me, miss having pets but don’t have the right circumstances to make it happen yet, through house sitting you can get all the good feels that pet companionship brings, even if for a limited time. But if you already have pets and travel with them, you are not excluded from the fun: some hosts allow other pets in their property if conditions are safe.
Does it all sound interesting to you? Let me tell you all I have learned through my experience.
Contents
‣Is house sitting for you?
‣ How do you become a house sitter?
‣ How do you find the right house sitting listings for you?
‣ How do you land your first house sit?
‣ Other application tips to increase your chances of being selected
‣ Have an in-person or online meeting with the homeowners before you commit
‣ How to be a good house sitter and earn 5-star reviews
Is house sitting for you?
House sitting is for many, but not everyone, so you should try to assess if you are suited to this type of experience and if it appeals to you.
The most obvious condition to be a good house sitter, and to find it enjoyable too, is to love animals, or at least enjoy the company of the kinds of animals you agree to look after. It is highly beneficial to have some experience as a pet owner or a pet sitter; however, it is undeniable that caring for some creatures requires a larger skill set than for others. For example, I adore horses and took horse riding lessons for a few years when I was younger, but I am not sure that I would comfortably accept to be fully responsible for their wellbeing; I would at least require a demonstration and detailed instructions on what to do and how to do it. On the other hand, I had no problem accepting to mind some chickens, even if I had never done it before. Yes, they survived.
You should also know your way around the basic upkeep of a house, things like using induction stoves, washing machines, thermostats, cleaning products, etc. Nothing requiring a degree in home management, but enough to avoid damaging your host’s property.
How do you become a house sitter?
There are a few established online platforms that connect aspiring house sitters with house and pet owners. Most of these networks come with varying annual membership fees corresponding to different levels of customer service and coverage for unforeseen circumstances. Given the amounts house sitting has saved me on accommodation over the years, I consider these fees negligible.
The most basic membership usually only includes the opportunity to apply for house sits worldwide. More advanced plans for sitters include dedicated support, a 24/7 helpline with vets in case of an emergency, and some compensation for travel expenses already incurred if a host cancels the assignment.
The main international house sitting websites are:
TrustedHousesitters.com. Probably the most used international house sitting website, UK-based TrustedHousesitters typically features dozens of available house sits in Britain and the US at any given time. Australia seems to also regularly have a fair share of listings. Continental Europe has been slower in adopting the platform, but it is surely picking up. I did score an amazing sit in Burgundy after all.
TrustedHousesitters is the only platform I have ever used (I have been a ‘Standard’ member since 2022), and consequently, the only one I can recommend.
Annual subscription costs (payable annually or monthly):
Basic membership: £99 (€119 / US$129) | Standard membership: £129 (€149 / US$169) | Premium membership: £199 (€239 / US$259).
Follow this link and sign up using code OLN25 for 25% off any annual membership.
Nomador.com. The majority of this French platform’s listings are from homeowners based in Europe, namely in France, and they are often advertised in the hosts’ local language. But fret not, a helpful ‘translate with Google’ link is also available. A feature that sets Nomador apart is Stopovers: homeowners can make a spare bedroom available for those needing accommodation for one night. It is intended to bring people of different provenance together, so if you are not interested in socialising with your hosts or in reciprocating their kindness somehow, you may want to give Stopovers a miss.
Annual subscription costs:
Discovery membership: £79 (€79 / US$99) or £29 for three months | Standard membership: £129 (€139 / US$159) | Premium membership: £159 (€179 / US$199).
MindMyHouse.com. New Zealand-based, MindMyHouse is a family-run business with fewer openings (mainly in North America and Europe) than the previous two options. On the upside, it has the lowest membership fees.
Annual subscription costs:
The only type of annual subscription costs £23 (€28 / US$29).
How do you find the right house sitting listings for you?
The number one rule to make house sitting work for you is to approach it with a flexible mindset. Being able and willing to travel throughout the year (as opposed to only during school holidays, for example) and to a higher number of potential destinations means maximising the chances to find suitable house sits.
When browsing, try setting aside the typical accommodation search-engine mentality. If your preferences are as specific as 'Paris on the final week of March’, you are better off using Expedia and finding a lovely hotel. It won’t be free, but it will fulfil all your specific requirements.
If you are constrained by public and school holidays, the good news is that most families around the world are too: many homeowners take holidays around Christmas and in the summer. As a consequence, it is around those periods that most house sits are available.
Below are the rules I tend to follow when browsing listings.
Look for a type of break rather than a specific country. For example, if I am craving a summer seaside holiday, I consider any house sit reasonably near the Mediterranean coast; if I want a city break, I search all cities that I have a direct flight to. I don’t manually enter them in the search field individually: I specify a broad date range that could work for me, and look at the available house sits popping up on the website map.
Look early and frequently, especially when requirements are a little more specific. For example, when I was hoping to stay in Canada for more than the usual two-week period, I knew I needed to find openings in February and March within a determined area of British Columbia. The lack of geographical flexibility meant that I started looking in December, and visited TrustedHousesitters.com multiple times a week. This strategy allowed me to apply to house sits as soon as they became available and before the majority of other aspiring sitters.
Filter the search results by pet type. For example, I often start by looking for cat sitting opportunities only. That’s because they are the pets I understand best and – let's face it – they are usually low maintenance. I love dogs too, but I am not the most confident dog walker if there are other dogs around; however, I did have a memorable time at a Scottish country estate where I would unleash two Labradors and run freely with them on the hills surrounding the house. If you are a dog person, there are plenty of opportunities available for you.
Read listings very carefully, especially the part detailing the sitters responsibilities. While it helps to be open-minded, you shouldn’t commit to something you aren’t comfortable with. Most pet owners are very reasonable, and while they will need you to do what is necessary to keep their pets happy and their homes in good condition, they also know that you will want to explore your temporary new surroundings. However, be aware that some pet owners require you to administer medications (that could mean injections), some request you not to leave their pets alone for more than a couple of hours in a row, some warn you that the dog will need to be let out very early in the morning, and some will effectively expect unpaid labour (I have seen actual kennels or catteries looking for sitters for 40 dogs or cats). Look out for anything that may sound excessive for you, and decide accordingly.
Keep in mind the travel costs. House sitting provides the accommodation, sure, but travel and subsistence are still on you, and in some cases they come with a substantial price tag. It’s good practice to get a fair estimate of these costs and determine whether they are feasible for you before you put yourself forward as a house sitter. For example, before you can apply for that Greece opportunity for July, you should check the price of the flight there in such high season. It would be crushing to get approved only to cancel as soon as you realise that you can't justify the cost; additionally, you would have wasted the homeowners’ time, and they would be unlikely to ever consider you again in the future. Then there is the matter of local travel. Areas outside of cities and main towns aren’t always well served by public transport and, although a few (very few) house sits include the use of the hosts’ private vehicles, in the vast majority of these cases, a rental car is a necessary commodity. And even Discover Cars can’t always bring down the prices of peak tourist seasons. When we went to Burgundy to look after a lovely cat in Beaune, we found reasonably-priced flights, but had to dish out quite a lot for the car rental - as it’s often the case in France. All in all, despite still working out cheaper than if we had travelled by public transport, it made the whole trip pricier than we expected. Finally, subsistence always depends on the local cost of living: a full weekly grocery shop in Norway is quite different from the same in Italy. And, no matter where you are, you will probably want to treat yourself to some meals out too.
Since the immigration policies of some countries equate house sitting with ‘work’, it’s generally best to apply only for listings in places where you have the legal right to work. This is particularly true for non-US residents considering house sits in the States - I’ve come across accounts of border agents denying entry to those travelling for a house sit assignment. As I don’t have a work permit in the US, I always leave American listings to local sitters.
Take reviews with a pinch of salt. On most platforms, and certainly on TrustedHousesitters, reviews are ‘blind’, meaning that neither the homeowner nor the sitter can see the counterpart reviews until they post theirs. This should ensure that both parties leave objective reports, but I can’t say that it always happens. My impression is that reviews tend to be on the positive side, and often fail to mention snags or issues that could help future sitters make more informed decisions. I was once misled by a bunch of overly positive reviews and ended up caring for pets with behavioural issues that should have been flagged at least by previous sitters.
Overall, there are better ways to ascertain if a house sit has potential: the main one is to read listings very carefully and with particular attention to what's between the lines. Are there unreasonable demands? Is the tone authoritative rather than friendly? Could the wording conceal any pet issues? The other, even more effective, tool to make a final decision on whether to accept a sit, is a meeting with the hosts either in person or on a video call; however, this only becomes an option if you are being considered for the job. More about this later.
How do you land your first house sit?
The best way to be considered as a house sitter is to accumulate positive reviews. As a consequence, it may be a little tricky to get your first assignments when you are just starting off.
However, there a few things you can do to give yourself a leg up.
Start by crafting a compelling profile description that highlights your love for animals and showcases any relevant experience as a pet owner or sitter. Treat it with the same level of care as you would a CV or cover letter. Additionally, include plenty of photos that show you interacting comfortably and happily with animals.
Ask friends, family, or colleagues to write character references for you, and link any accounts you may have with other platforms such as LinkedIn or Airbnb (this is possible on TrustedHousesitters), where previous reviews can vouch for your reliability.
Once you have completed a profile with all the bells and whistles, my suggestion is to first apply for house-sitting opportunities near you. Saying that you are familiar with the area and that you don’t need to do much sightseeing can give you an advantage over other applicants. Also, being close to the hosts allows for the possibility of an in-person meeting, which can provide them with greater peace of mind if you don't have existing reviews.
The first house sit my husband and I were selected for was in our hometown of Edinburgh. In our application, we stated clearly that our hosts could benefit from our knowledge of Scottish homes, and that since we were local, we could conveniently go and meet them in person. The second sit was an hour away from Edinburgh and we drove all the way there to introduce ourselves to the homeowners and the pets weeks before the house sit was due to start. Since both experiences earned us 5-star reviews, we then started applying for assignments further away - and we have been often selected.
Other application tips to increase your chances of being selected
With house sitting becoming increasingly popular, you will likely face some competition from other aspiring sitters when applying for attractive openings. There are a couple of things you can do to gain an advantage over them.
‣ Log in frequently to spot interesting listings early and be among the first to apply. In my experience, you only stand a chance to be considered as a sitter if you are among the first 4 or 5 to submit an application. Once the homeowners are satisfied that they have at least a couple of promising applicants, they tend to stop accepting further candidates. Hosts in highly desirable destinations usually only keep their listings open for a few hours, as that is all the time they need to find enough suitable sitters to contact.
If I am determined to find a house sit for a certain period and/or in a specific destination, I save a search with those parameters, and log in daily to see if new openings meeting my requirements have popped up since my previous search.
‣ Make sure you tailor your applications to the house sits you’re applying for, as hosts need to instantly relate to your words. Suggest why you would be a good match by addressing specific points in the listing and explaining how you would be a great sitter for Toby - always call the pets by name!
To save time, I keep a standard application template that I customise to the specific house sits.
Have an in-person or online meeting with the homeowners before you commit
Speak to your hosts. This is a crucial stage in the application process.
Even when you have been shortlisted and are the most likely candidate to be selected, it is usually only after a meeting that you get a definitive approval. To be clear, this is not a mandatory part of the selection process; however, I have always spoken to my prospect hosts and, frankly, I would never accept a house sit with homeowners unwilling to meet me before.
Plenty can be learned and inferred from a simple conversation in person or online, and I urge you to take full advantage of this time. Usually, I ask additional questions about the pets’ health and habits, as well as information about the vet. For instance, I always inquire about any arrangements they have with their vet in case of an emergency, particularly if they might be unreachable while away.
However, beyond the question-asking from both sides, the other important function of these meetings is to gauge the personalities and expectations of your hosts. They will also be studying you and your character, so try to act relaxed, confident, and accommodating (but not subservient, don’t forget that they are also saving a lot of money in kennel / cattery bills and benefiting from security for their property). I tend to also try and get a peek at the house to see if it’s tidy, but that is not always so easily done.
If you perceive any bad vibes and see or hear any red flags, such as a poorly kept house, unhappy pets (a hissing cat or a barky dog), cameras (by the way, TrustedHousesitters don’t allow any active devices monitoring the interior of a property during a sit), vague information, or unreasonable requests not previously mentioned, you are still in time to withdraw your application.
How to be a good house sitter and earn 5-star reviews
When a house sit begins, there are a few rules I follow religiously to ensure I am performing my duties appropriately. These go beyond the basics of not damaging anything in the house or ensuring that the pets are well looked after.
I don’t eat any food already in the house unless it is scheduled to expire before I leave. Some homeowners are very kind and restock the fridge and pantry for the sitters; however, unless I am explicitly told that I can freely help myself to any food, I only eat what I bring. This rule also applies to alcoholic drinks and personal care products such as shower gels or shampoo. I recommend you don’t assume that what is there is for you.
I take seriously any requests for regular communications and pictures. Receiving updates and images of their pets is very important to some homeowners and gives them great peace of mind. I find that very relatable and I consider it one of my duties to respect their wishes; in fact, sometimes I go above and beyond and send professional-quality images or edited videos. Not all homeowners require this, and some may be out of reach most of the time, but if they request it, I oblige.
This may be a personal preference, but I try not to leave the pets alone for more than a few hours in a row and strive to be around at their mealtime to avoid disrupting their routine. I feel responsible for my furry friends, and wouldn’t enjoy being away for a whole day knowing that they are missing a meal and probably wondering what’s going on. That still leaves me with the time to explore my surroundings in multiple outings, and I’m ok with it.
I always leave the place as clean as I found it - but usually better. On my final day, I make it a point to deep clean all the spaces I used during my stay as a sitter. In some cases, that means returning them cleaner than they were on my arrival. However, I find it much easier to leave behind a house in the condition I would appreciate to find it, rather than trying to remember how every room looked when I arrived.
I guarantee that the effort never goes unnoticed, and it is a detail regularly mentioned in my 5-star reviews.