What Is Housesitting? Your Guide To Free Accommodation Around The World

What is housesitting? It’s a great way to save money on travel and get free accommodation around the world.

Here, we’ll help you learn everything you need to know about housesitting, from how it works to who should become a housesitter.

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How Does Housesitting Work?

In a nutshell, it’s a way for travelers to live like locals and save money on accommodation.

As a house sitter, you’re responsible for looking after the property in your host’s absence — which means all kinds of things, depending on where you are.

You may have to look after pets, water plants, and maintain the yard — or even make sure the house doesn’t burn down while no one is there!

It really depends on what kind of situation you get into.

What Is Housesitting?

House sitting is a type of property management where you stay in someone’s home while they are away.

You take care of the house and its content and make sure their pets or plants are well taken care of.

It usually involves doing simple chores like cleaning, taking out the trash or recycling, caring for pets, etc.

You also maintain the property itself: watering plants, mowing lawns, and raking leaves when necessary.

Usually, there’s no fee for staying in someone’s home as long as you do all these things to keep it looking nice while they’re gone (and sometimes even if they move out completely).

The only thing some housesitters might have to pay is the cost of utilities if there is excessive use (more than usual during their stay), otherwise, it’s free accommodation!

Is Housesitting A Good Idea?

YES! If you’re on the hunt for cheap or free accommodation around the world, then housesitting is a great option.

You get to live like a local and immerse yourself in the culture while saving money on accommodation costs.

Plus, if you’re a pet owner or lover of animals, this can be an especially rewarding way to experience life abroad as it gives you access to other people’s pets while they are away on holiday or work trips.

What benefits does housesitting offer?

There are plenty of reasons why people choose housesitting over other types of travel accommodations. Some of these include:

Saving money and living like locals do each day by cooking their own meals and doing their own laundry.

Rather than eating out all the time or paying for expensive hotel rooms and laundromats (if available), doing these at the home will be better for your bank account.

This will help save your budget so that more money can be spent exploring new destinations instead!

Housesitting is a unique way to learn about different cultures and places while working alongside homeowners even if only temporarily until they return from vacationing somewhere else.

Where To Find Housesitting Opportunities

There are numerous ways to find housesitting opportunities. Here are some of the most popular:

• Check out websites like TrustedHousesitters, Mind My House, and House Sitters USA. These sites offer listings of houses that need looking after and house sitters who are available for them. A membership fee is required to access the listings but it’s well worth it if you’re serious about traveling and saving money!
• Ask friends and family for recommendations – many people have used this method successfully! It’s best if you can find someone who has already done housesitting before so they know what they’re talking about when recommending you as a potential housesitter (or vice versa).
• If you’re living in an area where there’s a high demand for housesitting services (like London), local councils will likely have lists of people who need help looking after their homes while they’re away. Your council may also be able to connect you with individuals seeking this kind of service on behalf of their own properties.

The jobs I’ve listed here are all available on TrustedHousesitters—you can search for them directly using the site’s search function.

They’re really just examples of what’s out there: if you’ve got your eye on something specific, be sure to check out their website or app before applying!

Who Should Become A Housesitter?

If you’re interested in becoming a housesitter, there are several things to consider. First and foremost, you need to be a good communicator.

You can’t just show up at someone’s house without letting them know you’re coming, especially when they aren’t expecting it!

Housesitters also need to be flexible.

If your host has plans for the weekend that include hiking or going out of town with friends, they’re more than likely going to want their pets taken care of while they’re gone. That means you have to be willing (and able) to make accommodations on short notice.

Lastly: if this is something that interests you at all, make sure it’s not just because it seems like free accommodation around the world—because it isn’t!

Housesitting requires effort and dedication; so don’t think about signing up unless these traits align well with who YOU are as an individual.

Check out exactly what house sitters do (typical duties & responsibilities)!

What To Consider Before Becoming A Housesitter

If you’re interested in house sitting, there are a few steps to follow.

Once you make your decision to become a housesitter, it’s time to decide where you want to do your first housesitting job.

Here are some things to consider:

• How long do I want my first housesitting experience to be? If you plan to stay in one place for a year, it might make sense to sign up with a professional housing agency that matches homeowners and housesitters up on a longer-term basis.
• Where am I going next? What type of accommodation will be available when I get there? If your dream is to travel around the world and see various countries, there’s no reason why you can’t do so while house-sitting! This also gives you plenty of time between stays if something doesn’t work out as planned or if something goes wrong with your plans on the road; it gives back some flexibility that may be lost by traveling too fast through certain locations or being tied down by strict touristic bus routes (which are often more expensive than other options).
• Is this the right area for me? Do homeowners prefer younger people who can provide security with their own presence or those who act as caretakers for the pets? Are there other factors that may complicate the process or make it less favorable for both parties involved?

How Much Does Housesitting Cost?

How much does housesitting cost? The short answer: It depends.

It depends on where you’re housesitting and what website you’re using to find a house.

Most sites charge for a basic annual membership or a monthly membership, but there are also some that are free to join (though they don’t offer as many options).

Some websites will charge more if you want features like unlimited access to the site and the ability to message other members without paying extra fees.

Other sites will offer discounts for longer stays or multiple pet ownerships—so it’s always worth asking about special offers when signing up for a new service!

If you will be staying in one region or country for a while, you might not need access to an international house sitting platform.

You can search for housesitting websites in whatever country you’re traveling to before booking flights and accommodations; these sites may offer lower fees than using another platform.

Where Does A Housesitter Sleep?

This is a very important decision because you want to make sure that they have a comfortable place to rest.

If they are going to be in your home for an extended period, they’re likely going to be spending most of their waking hours sleeping in this room as well.

Therefore, you must choose an area with enough space for them and any belongings or pets that may come along with them.

It’s important to discuss sleeping arrangements before the housesitter arrives because it can be a bit awkward if you get there and find out you’re sleeping in a guest room, or even worse—the couch.

Usually, the host will offer up their bedroom (or even their bed), but this doesn’t always happen.

If you’re planning on spending several days at someone’s home, it’s best to ask where they’ll be sleeping yourself.

If they don’t have an extra room for you to use as a bedroom, then consider where else you might sleep during your time at their place.

For example: Let’s say I’m housesitting for my friend and she has two cats who both love being near her while she sleeps—so much so that one of them sometimes hops onto her pillow before dozing off!

She knows how uncomfortable that would be for me and has asked if I want the couch instead of sharing with 3 furballs every night.

This is what was agreed upon beforehand so there wouldn’t be any awkwardness when arriving later that week.

Is It OK To Have People Over While Housesitting?

The answer to this question depends on several factors. First, it depends on what kind of house sitter you are and the house owner’s rules.

Some homeowners want complete privacy and want their homes to be off limits to anyone but themselves. Other homeowners are more flexible and allow people over from time to time.

If you’re thinking about having people over while housesitting, you must discuss this with your potential host before taking the job.

They may have rules in place for when friends visit or pets can stay over at their place temporarily (if they have any).

They might also have neighbors who would not appreciate a bunch of cars parked outside their home all day long — especially if they live in an urban area!

While housesitting, you might find yourself wanting to invite people over for dinner. That’s fine! Just make sure you ask permission first.

There are some important factors to consider: the homeowner’s pets, neighbors and other residents in the house (if any), and of course yourself.

You should also keep in mind that your visitors may have different ideas than yours about what constitutes a good time.

Don’t be surprised if an invitation gets declined because it would violate someone else’s sense of propriety or comfort level.

In general, it’s best to stay away from large gatherings of strangers at first—unless you’ve been explicitly invited by the homeowner (and even then).

Do You Get Paid For Housesitting?

You can get paid to housesit, but it’s not always the case. Sometimes, you’ll be paid in cash or in kind.

Sometimes, your employer may pay you a flat rate while they’re away and then reimburse you for any additional expenses such as groceries.

Other times employers will pay a percentage of the rent or other costs associated with the property itself (e.g., homeowner’s association fees).

It depends on each particular opportunity.

Many housesitting websites don’t have the owners give monetary payment, but instead staying in the home for free accommodation is ‘payment’.

This is the case for the biggest housesitting site out there, TrustedHousesitters.

Is House Sitting Safe?

Housesitting can be a great way to save money on accommodation, but it isn’t without its risks.

You are staying in a stranger’s home, with their pets and valuable possessions.

You are also staying in an unfamiliar area or country; there may be safety concerns that you hadn’t thought of when booking this trip.

However, taking precautions and doing proper research can help to ensure that your house-sitting experience is safe and enjoyable.

First off, make sure you have proper travel insurance cover before you leave home.

This will cover any medical expenses in case of injury while abroad as well as replacing items if they get damaged during your stay (and yes – housesitting does count as being abroad).

A good idea would be to check the crime rate of the area where you’re going so that if any significant crimes do occur while housesitting they won’t happen while alone with all those valuables!

How To Get Your First Housesitting Job

Find a good house sitter website. Many websites connect homeowners with housesitters, so find one you like and create an account.

Create a good profile. Make sure your profile is well-written, clear, and concise, highlights your relevant skills and travel experience, and contains at least 2 photos of yourself.

Include information about the location(s) where you’d like to work as well as any interest areas or hobbies (e.g., gardening, hiking).

Research house sitting opportunities.

Search through all available options on the site to find assignments in locations that appeal to you and fit into your schedule—and be sure not to overlook international assignments!

Write personalized messages for each assignment opportunity: Don’t send blanket emails.

Instead, write individualized messages for each listing that highlight why you’re interested in their property and demonstrate how qualified you are for the position by including links from previous housesits where applicable.

Get recommendations from friends on places to go: If any of your friends have done successful housesits before (or if they know someone who has), ask them about their experience.

This will help give insight into whether this option might be right for you.

Get recommendations from other house sitters on good housesits they’ve had in the past.

This will give insight into specific properties as well as general trends among different owners’ preferences regarding what makes a great sitter fit.

Check out my full article on how to become a housesitter with no experience!

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, I hope that this article has given you the answer to ‘what is housesitting?’ and how it can be a great way to travel the world for free.

I’ve covered all the basics from how it works to who should become a house sitter, but if there are any other questions or concerns that weren’t covered here feel free to reach out!

Get started today by checking out the available house sits around the world through TrustedHousesitters.

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