Wondering how to become a housesitter?
If you’re a responsible, trustworthy person who loves animals and doesn’t mind staying in other people’s homes while they’re away, then house sitting might be for you.
Maybe you’ve thought about becoming a housesitter before, but you don’t have any direct experience.
How do you go from “I’d like to do this someday” to securing a real sitting job with a homeowner who trusts that you’ll take good care of their pets or plants? I’ve got some answers!
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Why Becoming A Housesitter Is A Good Idea
Want to see the world, travel on a budget, and live like a local? Becoming a housesitter is one of the best ways to do all of these things.
Here’s why:
- You can travel for free (ok not exactly, there will always be some associated costs). One of the highest costs when traveling is accommodation, so having your accommodation provided for you can save you thousands over time if you stick with it.
- You get to live like a local in incredible destinations around the world. This will give your stay abroad much more authenticity than staying in an impersonal hotel or hostel dorm room would provide!
- It’s a meaningful way to help people out while traveling – not only are you getting free lodging but also providing peace of mind and security by watching over their pets or homes while they are away!
How To Become A Housesitter With No Experience
Now that we’ve established why you want to house sit, let’s talk about how.
So let’s say you’re an experienced traveler with a lot of wanderlust but haven’t had much opportunity to practice your skills as a house sitter.
If this is the case for you, don’t worry!
There are plenty of options for getting started on your path towards becoming a housesitter without having any experience whatsoever.
For example, the best house sitting platform doesn’t require any previous experience.
The Trustedhousesitters platform makes it easy for both homeowners and house sitters alike to connect through their profiles safely.
If this sounds like something that might interest you, check out some of these tips for Trustedhousesitters below:
- Make sure that whatever neighborhood or area interests you since you’ll be staying there for an extended period
- When you’re creating a profile on TrustedHousesitters, make sure it is thorough and informative.
- Make sure to answer all questions honestly as well as adding relevant photos/videos/links when prompted.
- They are looking forward to seeing what makes YOU unique! This will help them match potential hosts according to what works best based on how long they need someone.
Still need some more guidance on how to become a housesitter? No worries at all. Check out this easy step-by-step guide to becoming a housesitter!
1. Decide How Long You Want To House Sit
How long do you want to house sit? This is the first question that needs to be asked, as it will determine what to do next.
If you’re just going on vacation, then short-term/temporary housesitting might be more suitable for you.
However, if this is a career change or something that will take up most of your time and energy, then long-term/residential housesitting might be better suited.
Becoming a housesitter is perfect if you want to start being a slow traveler!
2. Decide Where You Want To House Sit
Once you’ve decided how long you’d like to house sit, it’s time to decide where.
Your main decision here is whether or not you want to do more house sits in a particular location/area.
If so, then choose a country that has plenty of house sitting assignments and makes sense for your schedule.
For example, if you’re looking for something longer-term (three months or more), then you will need to think seriously about the cost of living in that place.
How is the currency exchange for you? Are groceries expensive? How affordable is it to go out to eat or go to do activities?
If this is going to be your first time house sitting and/or traveling abroad solo and independently, I recommend choosing a country where there are plenty of sites and places to see as well as activities available.
What I mean is things like museums, national parks, historical sites, etc. that interest you enough that they’d make up for some potentially boring days that you might have.
Also, don’t forget about safety! You should feel comfortable walking alone around town at night without fear; otherwise, pick another city or region instead.
3. Research House Sitting Websites
The next step for becoming a housesitter is to start researching house sitting platforms.
There are many house sitting platforms out there and some are better than others.
Some platforms only offer sitting jobs in certain countries while others may have a wide range of options.
You can also try to use groups on Facebook to find house sitting opportunities or forums like Reddit.
It is important to do your research before choosing a platform and ensure that it is going to be suitable for you and your location as well as ensure your safety when going through the process with them.
If this is your first time becoming a housesitter, it might be best to go through a trusted platform to ensure that you are getting the best experience possible!
Check out Trustedhousesitters because they have more house sits than all other platforms around the world combined!
4. Create A Profile On A House Sitting Platform
The next step is to create a profile on a house sitting website. A house sitting profile is your first point of contact with homeowners, so be sure to make it as attractive as possible.
The most important thing to remember when creating your profile is to keep it clear and concise so that it is easy for homeowners to see what you have to offer them.
Remember that house owners are looking for people who are willing to learn and practice the art of being a good house sitter.
If you can demonstrate this in your description, they may be more likely to choose you over other applicants!
Here are some tips on how best to do this:
- Have at least one photo of yourself that shows off your personality (but don’t go overboard)
- Describe any experience or skills relevant to the kind of housesitting work you’d like to do
- List any interests or hobbies relevant to the type of housesitting work you want to do
5. How To Become A Housesitter If You’re Using A Public Forum
If you are using a public forum, then you will need to contact homeowners by email, phone, or social media.
When contacting the homeowner, ask them about general duties that they will expect of you, such as:
- Feeding animals
- Watering plants
- Managing mail and other packages while they are away on holiday etc.
Ask if they have any special house sitting requests:
- Do they require any specific training for their pet(s)? (for example, a cat who needs medication twice daily)
- Ask how long they need someone: If possible, try to find out what days and times are best suited for them so that you can plan your schedule accordingly.
- Finally, ask them to send photos of their home & pets so that it doesn’t come as such a shock when you meet face to face!
6. Craft A Great House Sitting Application Message For Homeowners To Review
To get the most out of a house sitting platform, you need to make sure that the homeowner really understands who you are and what your goals are.
There’s no point in taking a risk by sending an unfocused application message.
One of the most important tips for how to become a housesitter is to be professional.
When writing an email to a potential house sitting opportunity, it’s important not to be rude or overly casual in tone.
This isn’t something that’s out of line with other forms of business communication; if anything, it’s more important when writing personal messages!
Your professionalism will not only show through in your language but also in how quickly you respond to queries from homeowners (and how well-written these responses are).
How to be a successful house sitter – be polite!
Homeowners appreciate courtesy above all else in their interactions with potential house sitters so keep this in mind when crafting correspondence with them—don’t forget that they’re people too.
Of course, there will always be exceptions but as a rule, we highly recommend using “please” and “thank you.”
It goes without saying that spelling mistakes should be avoided at all costs!
Final Thoughts On Becoming A Housesitter
I hope these tips on how to become a housesitter have been helpful! Becoming a housesitter with no experience is very possible.
So what do you think – are you ready to take the plunge?
Create a free account on TrustedHousesitters and browse the opportunities around the world that are waiting for you!
Learn why house sitting is the best way to afford slow traveling!
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