Traveling House & Pet Sitter Insights
Pet and house sitting is an amazing way to travel that we are excited to tell others about! TrustedHousesitters makes it particularly easy, but we’ve definitely gathered some insights and stories that will benefit beginners that we’re always happy to share!
We’ve gathered our tips here, but please contact us (Brooke & Buddy) with any questions you may have about house & pet sitting. We are open books! Speaking of books … Brooke wrote a short story book called Home Flexible about our first three years as traveling pet sitters …
Our House Sitter Story
In early 2018, we were in need of a change and stumbled upon house and pet sitting through TrustedHousesitters and it honestly changed everything for us. We are finally traveling to places we only dreamed of, saving a ton of money by not needing our own home base, and – our favorite part – having fluffy pals to hang with at each new home we temporarily live in. We’re often even given a car to use during our visit as well as great insider tips on the area. One of the biggest benefits is getting to truly live like a local when you travel.
While house and pet sitting is ideal for a traveling digital nomad lifestyle, it is also a great way to travel part-time. If you aren’t ready to jump in head first, we recommend getting your toes wet in a nearby city!
How Do You Find House Sits?
We primarily use TrustedHousesitters.com to find all of our sits because it seems like the easiest to use and we’ve never had a problem getting a sit through the site.
However, there are DOZENS of other options – including Nomador, HouseCarers, HouseSitMatch, and MindMyHouse. Plus, lots of country-specific sites, like HouseSittersAmerica, HouesSittersUK, and AussieHousesitters. Of course, word of mouth goes a long way as well. So a little shameless self-promotion on your social channels may just lead to that dream sit you’ve been hoping for!
How Does House Sitting Work?
If using a site like TrustedHousesitters, the sit is set up as a mutually beneficial trade. You get a free place to stay and they don’t have to pay to have someone watch their home and pets. There is a review process and you are encouraged to interview each other before locking in a sit commitment.
However, do note that you are responsible for your transportation to and from the sit, any food, etc. Also, remember the pets and home should always be your top priority. So, if you want to explore the area, be sure to ask how long it is okay to leave them alone and be mindful of that when making any plans. It’s important to ask the right questions to make sure you are a good fit for the sit and vice versa.
What are the Benefits of House & Pet Sitting?
You can also save a ton of money by having a free place to stay, a kitchen to use, and even a car to drive (in some cases)! It’s a pretty sweet deal. It is also a kind of genius way to scope out a new area you may want to live. Getting to see what the area is like as a local gives a genuine, realistic view.
Where Can House Sitting Take You?
In short … EVERYWHERE! Since beginning our full-time house sitting journey, we have house sat on multiple Hawaiian islands and all throughout Europe – with plans to expand our house sitting travels to other countries.
Since we use TrustedHousesitters and it is an international site, we are always seeing new opportunities pop up in interesting places we’ve never even heard of. One of our biggest challenges is just having the self-control to not take on a sit that would cost an arm and a leg to get to. Trust me, there are some amazing places – and it is so tempting to just throw our budget out the window and go!
This video gives a great look into a day as a house and pet sitter. We also recommend these resources:
- House Sitting Magazine has a huge archive of great articles as well as courses for beginners!
- The International Pet Sitters Connect and House/Pet Sitters Support groups on Facebook are also wonderful to join!
- We share valuable insights from working from the road as house sitters in this podcast.
- The TrustedHousesitters blog and community forum are great options for finding answers to questions.
- Be sure to read our pet sitting blogs linked below as well for more insider tips!
Be sure to check out our blog posts below with more tips for taveling as international pet sitters!
Pet and House Sitting Articles
How House Sitting in Europe Allowed Us to Stay for 5 Amazing Months!
How did we travel abroad for five months? House sitting in Europe allowed us to stay longer, explore deeper, and make unique memories with fluffy pals.
19 Unique Things to Do in Inverness, Scotland & Awesome Day Trips
We spent 5 weeks exploring the best things to do in Inverness, Scotland – castles, beaches, waterfalls, and trails! Plus, tons of autumn city walks!
Top 14 Questions We Get Asked About House Sitting
Finding house sitting has changed our life. We are always chatting it up! So, here are actual questions we've received and the real, uncensored answers.
19 Memorable Things to Do in Molokai, Hawaii
While there might not seem like there are a lot of things to do in Molokai, Hawaii, we found plenty of great ways to spend our time there! From epic hikes to snorkeling, and unique local experiences in between.
First Impressions of Traveling Full-Time by House and Pet Sitting
Why we decided to begin traveling full-time by house and pet sitting through Trusted Housesitters. And more importantly, why it is way more amazing than we ever could have dreamed! Budget travel and hanging out with furry pals … SIGN US UP!
4 Benefits of Being Part of a Like-Minded Community
Finding a community of like minded people is key when you want to start a new path in your life. Those friends and family members close to you might not understand.
Housesits Completed
Pets Watched
Countries Lived In
Days Spent Sitting
