7 Reasons to Try House Sitting
Have you heard of house sitting and interested in trying it? I have 7 reasons why you should try house sitting and sign-up today! I am a huge advocate of this way of travel love and absolutely love belonging to an awesome community of animal lovers and like-minded travelers. It really does help make my money stretch. In my humble opinion, it is one of my favorite methods of travel.
There are many reasons to try house sitting. I love having the freedom to travel anywhere in the world for a flexible time frame. Due to the fact that I am not paying for my accommodation, I save a lot of money. Ultimately, this results in allowing me to travel for longer. I get to integrate like a local into the community. Personally, immersion is such an important aspect of travel. I oftentimes have the opportunities to make new furry companions. They provide lots of smiles and laughs and are greatly appreciated. With the daily tasks of house sitting, there is still plenty of time to sight-see and relax or work on a hobby. House sitting is the perfect opportunity to include friends and family and share the experience of travel together. With so many house sits, it’s simple to add a new destination to your bucket list. Read on, to discover how great it is to house sit!
I hope that these 7 reasons to try house sitting encourage you to sign up today! If you’re ready to join, I have included some of my favorite links and general information about each site.
Table of Contents
- 7 Reasons to Try House Sitting
- Link Recommendations
- Housecarers
- TrustedHousesitters
- MindMyHouse
- Happy House Sitting!
7 Reasons to Try House Sitting
There are my favorite reasons to try house sitting!
Freedom
House sitting gives me the freedom to live and travel anywhere in the world. With multiple websites, I look what fits best into my schedule. I can choose where I want to live and for how long. Time frames vary, and house sitters are needed for only a few days, weeks, a month or two, and sometimes even for a whole year. I have been fortunate to participate in a few different time frames styles.
From three months in Spain, to living in desirable cities in Europe, and even spending time in the mountains in Ecuador, the options are limitless. Daily tasks vary with each sit, but they usually consist of general maintenance, animal care, gardening, and sometimes a variety of projects dedicated from the house owner. There is plenty of free time to tour, explore and integrate in everyday life.
Save Big Money
House sitting has saved me thousands of dollars in accommodation and other travel expenses. I always choose a house sit where everything is included: all water, electricity, heat, etc. It is common that all home bills and expenses will be paid for by the homeowner. It is in exchange that you will be maintaining their home and caring for their animals. There are a few listings where the homeowner requests you to pay for all or portions of certain bills. I tend to shy away from these, because in my humble opinion, it is taking away from the “community aspect” built around house sitting.
How I Save Money
An average hotel room in Europe can cost around $50-$100 a night. A decent hostel in a shared dorm-room, is cheaper, but expect to pay around $15 a night. By avoiding this major daily expense, I can make my money stretch longer than I expected.
Besides a free place to stay, there can also be other “perks” that homeowners can include. I have been fortunate where the owner includes use of their car. All of these terms should be negotiated before the terms and conditions of the house sit are finalized. Car rentals can range between $30-$75 a day, so this is one of the biggest “perks” a homeowner can include . When you house-sit for weeks or months, the value of this bonus really adds to the value of a house sit. This benefit alone has helped me save over $8,000 on travel transportation.
Having access to a kitchen also cuts down on expenses. I chose to house-sit where the cost of living is attainable in my budget. The luxury of having a fridge and kitchen allows me to eat healthy and avoid the constant spending of money in restaurants. I love eating and indulging in regional cuisine, but shopping at the local markets also lets me connect with locals and give back to the community.
The money I Save on Accommodation & Other Expenses Allows Me To:
- Spend more money on experiences rather than daily travel expenses.
- Travel for longer.
- Integrate more money into the local community.
Integration Like A Local
Integrating with locals is one of my favorite reasons I enjoy house sitting. This was my original intention when I first signed-up for house sitting. Whether you choose a small village or town, a bustling city or metropolis, you will be part of the local community. In a rural village, tourists frequest far less. It will be expected to integrate into the local way of life. In a city, you will become a pro at the public transportation and really get into small neighborhoods that most tourists will never come in contact with.
In a city where most people only spend three days, house sitting provides the luxury to spend weeks or months. Living in a destination is such a different experience than visiting. It allows the privilege to “slow travel.” Enjoy the vibe and feeling of a destination,rather than just “checking it off” your bucket-list. This is my favorite type of travel, slow, mindful, and with purpose. If you haven’t had the opportunity to travels like this, it makes a great reason to try house sitting!
Deeper Integration
Another way to integrate, especially for long term house sits, is to participate in a local language class. This directly has a positive impact on the community and shows your willingness to connect with the local people. If you have the time, another great integration opportunity includes volunteering. There are so many ways to give back while house sitting, and improve yourself and your temporary community. Take advantage of this, and travel deeper.
Make New Furry Friends
House sitting is an excellent option for those that absolutely love animals. Over half of the house sits involve watching over some kind of animal. Pets can range from: cats, dogs, horses, fish, birds, and I’ve even seen some with donkeys, chickens, and goats. If you’re like me, and can’t have an animal due to your lifestyle choices, house sitting is the perfect way to incorporate furry friends. Watching over these goofy animals only enhances my travels, and provide a much appreciated source of joy and happiness. When it is time to say good-bye, I am usually pretty emotional. House sitting is perfect for those who love animals, but would also want to travel.
Down Time
Believe it or not, there is a lot of free time with house sitting. Yes, there are tasks from the homeowners, caring for the animals, site-seeing and exploring, but there is still a decent amount of time for yourself.
I have time to write and work online, so it can be the perfect answer for those “digital nomads.” The work and travel balance is phenomenal.
House sitting allows the opportunity to enjoy personal hobbies. My mom came with me on a previous house sit where she had lots of time to knit and read. I also have time to work on my daily Spanish lesson. House sitting provides the opportunity to work, enjoy a hobby, all while exploring the world.
Bring a Friend
House sitting provides a wide range of sits, including those for singles, couples, or families. I have almost always house sat with someone. It gives me time to connect with a friend or family member while experiencing a new place and culture. This is so much more affordable than planning a whole two week holiday, because there is no added headache of accommodation. I love traveling solo, but with house sitting it is nice to have someone to help split the work load and daily tasks. The absoulte best is experiencing a new destination and culture with those you love. House sitting provides the perfect excuse for friends and family to visit!
Travel to Unexpected Places
With house sitting, it is desirable to click on countries and cities that you want to travel to, but once you start building a profile, people will eventually reach out to you! In the past, I have been personally invited by homeowners to come watch over their pets and home. If the dates align with my travel dates, I most definitely accept! Some destinations I had never considered, but house sitting provides me the opportunity to explore a place “off my radar.” My new destination is usually a pleasant surprise and I fall in love with it!
House sitting opportunities are on on 6 continents (so far!), and with hundreds of listing, the possibilities are endless. Take a chance and visit a place you had no intention of visiting. You may fall in-love with a destination you had never even considered visiting!
Link Recommendations
Have I convinced you to try house sitting, yet? Below are three links that I use when looking for house sitting assignments.
Tip
If you sign up and house sit for a minimum of two or three nights, it basically covers the cost of the initial membership fee!
Housecarers
Housecarers is my go-to and favorite house sitting website. The membership is a little more expensive, but the community is intimate. Homeowners contact me on housecarers to see if I am available. There’s a wide-range of sits in Europe and the United States; however, there seems to be quite a bit more showing up in Asia, Africa, and South America.
Average Number of Active Available Sits: 150-190
One year Membership Fee: $50 USD
Click here to sign up today with Housecarers!
TrustedHousesitters
TrustedHousesitters.com is by far the largest house sitting data base. The membership is the most expensive, but there is a wide spectrum of listings for every kind of traveler. Due to its popularity, it’s more competitive to secure a sit. Those with flexible travel plans will love the last minute house sit notifications.
Average Number of Active Available Sits: Over 1,500 +
One Year Membership Fee: $119 USD
Click here to sign up today with TrustedHousesitters!
MindMyHouse
MindMyHouse is a great website for those looking at dabbling into house sitting. This site is the cheapest, making it ideal for ultimate budget travelers, or those contemplating this method of travel. It’s a smaller website, but still has plenty of options to choose from. House sits include destinations from 6 continents with diverse sits and a wide-range of time frames.
Average Number of Active Available Sits: 175-250
One year Membership Fee: $20 USD
Click here to sign up today for MindMyHouse.
Happy House Sitting!
Welcome and happy house sitting! I hope you enjoy the community and this method of travel as much as I do.
Now that you’ve signed up, follow my tips on how to build a solid house sitting profile here!
Have you ever tried house sitting before? Can I answer any more questions about this method of travel? Most importantly, have I convinced you to join this awesome community of pet-loving travelers!? Let me know in the comments below!
Disclaimer: There’s a chance this post contains affiliate links, and I receive a small (but grateful) portion of the sale. There’s no extra cost to you, and I only promote things that I use and love
