house sitting
we know some house sitters who do use house sitting agreements, but many others who don’t .
we asked three of the top international house sitting platforms what they think. they all offer non - legal “house sitting agreements” for their members .
house sitting is a wonderful win - win transaction - perfect for house owners, house sitters and lots of lucky pets .
as with many decisions when house sitting, it appears that the best advice is to trust your instinct. weigh up each house sitting assignment individually .
some home owners like to use a house sitting agreement to prevent any potential problems. house sitters uk offers a house sitting agreement template that you can adjust to suit your needs .
there’s a lot of talk about house sitting being a “trust based community” as part of the “sharing economy”. so we’ve always been a little bemused that most of the international house sitting platforms recommend and offer downloads of “house sitting agreements” .
house sitting in santa barbara, calif. , provided views like this one .
housesitmatch offer lawyer - prepared templates for house sitting agreements to all registered members .
one of the biggest trends in travel right now is house sitting. if you’re not familiar with the concept of house sitting, don’t worry: it’s pretty simple. house sitting involves looking after someone else’s property while they’re away, in exchange for free accommodation .
my advice is to protect yourself against the unexpected and create a house sitting agreement. ”
are their house sitting jobs that pay to for you to be their house sitter? because their should be i think .
you can read house sitting magazine’s extensive article about the expectations of both house sitters and home owners, by clicking here .
no your not cranky you have every right to be angry. i’m actually house sitting / dog sitting and i have been very respectful of their belongings .
ps. as a member you can also explore house sitting for free. more ...
the true and simple rules for house - sitting. - surviving and thriving | surviving and thriving
gavin merritt has five years of house sitting under his belt. he sums this up very succinctly :
urltoken is an online service that matches homeowners to a community of house sitters offering pet & house sitting services. so whether you need a house sitter or you' re looking for house sitting opportunities with free access to view & create house sitter profiles & vacancies, helpful customer support & privacy protected communication — urltoken is the # 1 place to find house sitters and house sitter jobs !
but pets are the reason for 80 percent of house - sitting arrangements, said andy peck, the founder of trustedhouse­sitters. com, who started out house - sitting on a multimillion - dollar estate in spain .
on this blog, nomador shares news, stories and tips about house - sitting, travel and pets .
bargain babe» month of groceries for $ 30, kfc for life, and house sitting rules - [... ] true and simple rules for house sitting (surviving and thriving) [... ]
though the form is not mandatory for our members, we do actively encourage them to use the house sitting agreement form, it absolutely helps the parties to ensure clear communication from the outset of the house sitting assignment. ”
not all house - sitting jobs are terrible. i hope you get another chance to do a satisfying one .
generally the house sitter pays for what they use, however if the house sitting position is not that desirable the homeowner may entice a house sitter by covering all the cost incurred by the house sitter, except maybe phone calls .
in the unlikely event that good will falters and you' re unable to resolve a dispute that may arise from a house sitting assignment your signed copies of our house sitting agreement will provide a legal basis on which to proceed .
the united kingdom is rich with beautiful hidden treasures, and house sitting is a great way to discover it all .
i have found a number of housesitting opportunities through housesitmatch. the last one helped me stay in london last summer for some fantastic people, a lovely house owner and her family away on holiday. the process through the site was straightforward, well thought out and allowed for us to sort everything out ahead of house sitting in london in detail. i loved sitting in london. i’ve done dog sitting, guinea pig sitting and rabbit sitting, all really fun. what’s more, this sitting website saved me a lot of money instead of paying for an airbnb. i like doing a bit of house and pet sitting, it feels like a good barter. very happy and would recommend .
for the purposes of this article we are talking generally about house sitting assignments listed with match making platforms, or through personal recommendations. not those organized by house and pet sitting agencies, where “employees” are paid for the period of the assignment .
with at least one good house - sitting reference under your belt, you’ll have a better shot at convincing a stranger across the world that you’re worthy of their trust. there are several good house - sitting websites out there to match homeowners with house sitters (all have membership fees) :
regardless of the reason you start house sitting, there are many wonderful benefits that only reveal themselves once you get into it .
house sitters register to list their profile on the house sitters uk database. here they can be found by uk homeowners via the website. these homeowners are able to contact the house sitter directly and make enquiries if they would be interested it a house sitting position .
as a part time dog sitter london based for my work i try to stay local. and while it’s easy for me to stay house sitting in london, since discovering house sit match i have managed to exchange my experience as a dog sitter and doing cat sits in places further afield. listed as one of the housesitters uk based, i really loved house sitting in spain and house and pet sitting in france! such a great way to see the world on a budget. a small but good sitting website. love it !
we’re a retired american couple and really enjoy traveling around the world by house sitting. we’re making great friends all over, and because we’re happy to be house and pet sitting like old fashioned property guardians but we don’t charge. it’s a pleasure for us to discover new cities and countries while we love the pets. we really love the pets whether it’s a cat pet dog or anything else. we lov’em all. sitting in london is a great way to learn about the capital city, and it’s a heck of a lot cheaper. we love house sitting in america, but house sitting in london is our favourite, there’s so much to see and do in one city. good sitting site. best membership we have .
pet & house sitting service - whilst you' re away, you can have complete peace of mind, knowing that one of our angels will be looking after your house and pets .
you might be wondering, why people would choose to house sit for free. the truth is - because they love animals and the unique travel experiences that house and pet sitting provides !
often referred to as the' most livable city in the world' we' ve recently had a surge of opportunities for house sitting melbourne. with a food and arts scene that is second to none in australia, melbourne is a great place to start your house sitting journey .
references are vital for reassuring owners. your references don’t have to be from previous house sitting experiences, as you can use a character, landlord, or employer reference instead. then, once you have become a house sitter and gained some experience, always remember to request a reference from the owners to start strengthening your house sitting profile
dalene heck and her husband pete are behind the blog hecktic travels, which chronicles their journey since selling all their belongings in 2009. they’ve recently written an ebook on house - sitting that contains even more juicy goodness, including examples of successful profiles and application letters, a three - page checklist on everything to look for in a new house - sitting job, as well as a discount to their favorite house - sitting website .
hello! i’ve always been interested in house sitting out here in california, but never knew where to start, or where to apply at .
we offer cat sitting, dog sitting and even smallholding or exotic pet sitting services for animal owners across the uk giving you the freedom to take a short break, holiday or business trip with total peace of mind. visit our who we are page to learn more about animal angels .
every house sit is different. you can get a good idea of just how different they are by browsing through the latest house sitting assignments on trusted housesitters. during my ‘career’ as a house sitter i’ve experience all kinds of house sits: modern apartments, ramshackle chateaux, you name it .
we have a constant flow of new house sitting job ads every month. on top of that, there are many more house owners who choose not to place an ad but contact sitters directly .
we are enjoying our housesits very much and making new friends. we are now house sitting until the end of march thanks to your site. regards
preparing a house sitting agreement, or at the very least a questionnaire, means all of these things are considered and thought through by all parties .
hi gerry, thank you for getting in touch. house sitting sounds like it would be a great solution for you! to find out everything you need to know and to create your listing go to urltoken i hope we can see your listing on the site soon. happy house sitting! lisa
house sitting should not be considered a career or job as such even though a person responsible for overseeing another person’s property must be professional. in fact, house sitting should be considered closer to an alternative way to find accommodation, travel, or experience something new. there are many advantages of becoming a house sitter, here are some of them :
this is another advantage of becoming a house sitter. this is especially effective if you land a job house sitting in a house for 6 months to one year. you don’t pay travel fees in order to get to your work and if you become a house sitter, you can save lots of money .
hi, i wanted to start by saying that i loved being part of the house sitting community and want to thank you and your website for existing. i had some lovely housesits and met some lovely homeowners and pets via you. i would love to continue house sitting in the future using your site .
we have our own house sitting agreement that we are always prepared to offer home owners, but after three years of house sitting, we’ve only used it once. this was for new home owners and it provided them with a level of reassurance, making them feel more comfortable about letting strangers into their home .
you might be surprised to know you can even set yourself up as a professional house sitter and enjoy all the benefits of house sitting. there are numerous situations where you might be looking for somewhere to stay, something different for a vacation, need to help a friend out or just escape for a while. the benefits of house sitting address these needs plus some .
if you have any concerns about the legality and possible consequences of using house sitting agreements in the usa, talk with a lawyer experienced in us contract law .
there are many advantages and benefits to house sitting and pet sitting. the majority of our home owners do have pets, so if you are a pet lover, you have a definite advantage, however, if you’re not, there are still plenty of opportunities out there for you! some of the advantages of house / pet sitting are obvious, but there may be a few on the list you weren’t aware of .
it’s my long time dream to do something like house - sitting when the time comes for my retirement. thank’s a lot for the article, great job! !
if a house owner wants to stop receiving first contact messages they can simply de - activate their house ad .
hi ruth, thanks for your question. you can browse available house sitting assignments on urltoken there are plenty of opportunities in all the regions you are interested in visiting! only registered members can see the latest house sitting assignments as they don' t appear for 24 hours unless you are a member. once you have joined and created a profile you will receive a daily email alert with all our new house sitting assignments so that you can contact homeowners to offer to house sit. i hope we can see your listing on the site soon. lisa .
hi anne thanks! that' s a really good idea - we' ve heard of a few people do it this way. good luck and happy house sitting !
dear marie, great to hear that you are enjoying urltoken. we do have house sitting members in their mid twenties who have been successful in securing house sitting assignments. the most important aspect of house sitting is trust so you will need to demonstrate to homeowners via your profile why they can trust you and why you would be the perfect house sitter for them. put plenty of time into creating a great profile - include photos and a video - then apply for references. if you don' t have a police records check already then get one of these. be flexible with when and where you want to house sit and consider a local house sit first so you can get that all important first urltoken reference. this is what other younger members of the site have done. read james and jemma' s blog for more info on this - urltoken i hope we can see your profile on the site soon and that you will be on the way to your own house sitting adventure. happy house sitting! lisa
a house sitter' s primary responsibility is to make the house look occupied while the owners’ are away. the easiest way to do that is to move into the house .
we currently have a lot of positions for house sitting sydney. with its rich history, warm sunny beaches and wealth of culture and activities, sydney is one of australia' s fastest growing cities for both house sitters and homeowners .
so... feed the pets, water the garden, make a coffee and get cracking. house sitting is a practical and fun way to save money. become a house sitter. hey, there’s a button just here !
house - sitting is one more example of the upending of the travel industry by the combination of social networking and the sharing economy. the difference between house - sitting and companies like couchsurfing — in which the person who owns the home is paid — is that no cash is exchanged. neither i nor the homeowners i sit for spend any money .
hi carol we have a number of house sitting positions which appear in the us. just take a look at the current listings for house sitting in us - homeowners from all round the world register every day - we can never say where or when the next one will be, but to be the first to hear bout these house sits you need to be registered and create a profile. good luck, rachel
this has to be one of the top benefits of house sitting. this is especially effective if you manage to land a job house sitting in a home for six to twelve months. you donβt have to pay travel fees to get to your job and if you are frugal with how you spend money otherwise then you can save a lot of money .
our house sitting agreement also contains a template for a security deposit lodgement form. if the deposit is paid directly to the home owner, this form can simply function as a receipt. also use this form if you can find a trusted third party to both hold the security deposit and act as a mediator at the end of the house sitting assignment .
good day john, sounds like you need a house sitter for your home while you are house sitting. we have great neighbors that watch over our home and wet pets (8 koi) we like long term sitting jobs as it gives us a chance to explore new areas, get to know people and make great friends. check out our bio / profile on “trusted house sitters” maybe we can be of assistance .
thanks for the article. house sitting is definitely a good option for those wanting to travel and may not have enough money for accommodation. and the links are very helpful too !
house sitting is such a great idea. it is a near - perfect transaction, saving everyone lots of money and providing in - home care for thousands of very happy pets .
if you are still unsure, you can always talk to the customer service advisors at the house sitting platform you’ve signed up with, or start a conversation in the comments below .
* free: house sitting is usually free, for both sitter and house owner, although this is completely up to the individuals. there are usually some costs that need to be covered by either the sitter or the house owner e. g. electricity, phone usage, vet fees etc. how these costs are handled needs to be agreed before the sit begins. house sitters pay a single annual membership fee, while house owners pay nothing to advertise their house or to contact sitters .
hi am very interested in house sitting. i do not smoke, drink or party. i can travel if necessary. all my children are grown and i’m free to start immediately .
“the interesting thing (and i know it’s only perception), is that we love a lifestyle of trust and appreciation. it was why house and pet sitting fitted so well. having a questionnaire promotes that lifestyle for us, while contracts and house sitting agreements seem to detract from it. we feel that building relationships works better than any written word ever could. ”
is the first thing that owners will see and so it needs to engage with the owners and their pets, straightaway. you can get that picture perfect pet and house sitting profile by…
very nice blog. house sitting has been an interest of mine for a while, your site has a lot of useful info. i' ll be following your postings. thanks !
i do home exchanging and frequently also hire house sitters. i think it is the homeowner’s responsibility to clear clutter prior to the person arriving. in a house sitting situation, this is particularly true if the person’s “compensation” is use of your home .
sorry. i don’t know what a free flop is. i’ve never house sat before. i wasn’t looking to house sit .
hi ann thank you for your message. in short, yes! we know of many people who supplement house sitting with motorhome travel - especially in nz, australia & across europe, it' s the ideal way to get around from place to place with a roof over your head in between house sits. we' ll have a blog post soon about the joys of house sitting while enjoying a motorhome road trip across australasia & europe .
wow, great article. i work somewhat seasonally at my normal job. house sitting sounds like a great way to spend the off season. thanks for all of the links & details .
while developing your reputation and feeling your way in the house sitting community, an agreement may be a good option. it could avoid conflict when things go wrong that are outside your control .
i am a 66yr old single woman from chriistchurch nz and i am very keen on house sitting on the gold coast as my 2 grown children have moved over to australia and i thought this would be a good way for me to keep in touch and also to do house sitting without having to rent. i look forward to a reply from you. thanks very much. julie
your house sitter is working for you even though the relationship between home owner and house sitter is not based on money but on trust and the free exchange of services (house and pet sitting) for goods (accommodation), your house sitter is, in essence, working for you. it is a house sitter' s job to ensure that the needs of your animals and property are met in all the ways that you specify. the relationship between home owner and house sitter is most often a mutually agreeable and productive one with good lines of communication established early on. your house sitter will expect to be asked to perform a whole range of tasks to maintain your land and house in the same condition as when you left it. when negotiating the terms of the house sitting assignment, your house sitter will also agree to care for your pets to maintain their good health and happiness .
what a great write up, and you’re right! i don’t think enough people consider house sitting while travelling. like you said, you just have be extremely flexible and have the best reputation .
“the spirit of house sitting is usually one of mutual trust. nevertheless, signing a contract is always important because it provides a formal framework for the relationship. it helps avoid any ambiguities or misunderstandings .
to help our members secure their dream pet and house sit, we have gathered together our top 10 tips on becoming a house sitter .
house sitting gives you a great opportunity to travel to various areas of your country. you can become a house sitter in your locality, in a different state or even in a different country. for me this is one of the most exciting advantages of being a house sitter because it allows you to be adventurous and visit many new places .
house sitting assignments vary depending on the needs of the homeowner but home minding benefits both the owner and the sitter. in fact, it gives both parties the opportunity to travel and explore fantastic locations. happy house sitters is committed to making house - sits a success. our members have access to our free e - book that has all the necessary information to help both new and experienced house sitters and home owners .
it seems like a very good way to travel and see new places. however, i have the following two q: 1) does house sitting involve just taking advantage of free house or one also gets paid to include food and air ticket? 2) it does include responsibility to maintain the house which may involve expenses etc to get things fixed !
we are retired now and have done a bit of travelling and would like to try house sitting and wondered if you could help us get involved. we have house sit for friends and neighbours locally. we live in a condo in red deer alberta. any information would be appreciated .
life is short, and the usa is a big, beautiful country with a full kaleidoscope of places and experiences on offer. house sitting is a wonderful way to enjoy some of what this country has to offer .
if you want to take a look at some house sitting agreements and associated documents, you’ll find most of the major platforms have useful downloadable resources. you’ll usually find these on their websites or within their member areas .
great article and great comments! house sitting is our business. we own and operate 5 regional house sitting sites (australia, new zealand, uk, usa and now canada). we’ve had so many wonderful success stories over the years. it’s really quite overwhelming just how much people love house sitting and how the homeowners love using house sitters. my advice would be to join multiple sites as you find there are different house sits on the different sites. if you can’t afford this then do your research into the int that suits you the most. check how many current homeowner ads are listed, how popular the site is on google (if it can’t be found easily then you won’t be found easily either). take advantage of free registrations if available as you have nothing to lose .
with happy house sitters, house sitting is easy to organise. don' t just take our word for it. read our testimonials to see what our members have to say. contact us on 1300 780 809 if you have any queries or to register as a sitter or a house owner. get ready to connect with our online community, and enjoy the journey .
hi melanie, it sounds like you would make a great trusted house sitter! lot' s of people use the site to find shorter assignments - anything from a weekend - so that you can plan a house sitting assignment around work commitments. i hope we can welcome you to urltoken soon .
the majority of our last three years traveling have been spent house - sitting, saving us well over $ 30, 000 in accommodation costs and allowing us an incredible set of travel experiences we might never had enjoyed otherwise .
i am quite interested in doing house sitting. i am soon to be retired from my fire department. i have nothing holding me down. i am curious to know if i should need to get licensed and bonded ?
in international house sitting, the degree to which a contract is recognized in law may vary. it will depend on the countries of origin and nationalities of the parties. but a written contract will formalize each party’s commitments .
still, i am interested in house - sitting. though, i would have to speak with the owner to get a feel for what s / he expects and what s / he could / should expect from me .
a dead - tree update. - surviving and thriving | surviving and thriving - [ … ] a recent post, “the true and simple rules for house - sitting, ” i wrote about how startled i was to come…
hi denyse and paul, it' s great to have you on board and thank you for your kind words about our site. keep in touch and let us know how you get on. happy house sitting! lisa
it’s a great way to enjoy a rent - free sabbatical: there are house sits all over the world. house sitting has given me the chance to live in the south of france, in portugal, and in spain: and i’ve been offered opportunities in places like singapore and the caribbean too .
because house sitting is so popular, sometimes a home owner won’t reply to you when you email them to apply. the most important thing is not to let that get you down. there’s a house sit out there for everyone, and if you keep trying you’re sure to find your dream assignment .
the best way to get started on your house sitting journey is to visit urltoken and explore all our exciting house and pet sits! costing less than a night in a hotel room, trustedhousesitters annual membership unlocks a year of free accommodation in amazing locations, with adorable animal companions to share the memories .
when two perfect strangers meet and arrange to take care of each other' s house sitting requirements, it' s a good idea that they both go into the situation equipped with a copy of our house sitting agreement. we' ve tried to cover all the bases with this plain - english document but as you go through it together you may think of further amendments, clauses and deletions you' d like to make to suit your particular situation .
just to point out one major advantage when you join house sitting experience is that we have decades of practical knowledge, skills and experience in property management and maintenance, global travel, community networking, home and pet ownership, house and pet sitting as well as digital media and marketing. as a member, you will enjoy the advantage of getting free access to all we have learned in order to have a successful house sitting experience. we have plenty of tips and strategies you can implement which you’ll find nowhere else. we have created a cutting edge membership website designed to connect you with just the right housesitters for your needs… where ever you are in the world, quickly and easily !
hi anne we have lots of house sitting opportunities in uk & europe - to apply you need to register at urltoken and create a profile. you' ll then receive our daily email alerts of the latest homes looking for house and pet sitters and can contact the homeowners directly to apply. thanks, rachel
google map search option. to see all mindahome house sitting positions in australia click the map icon above and then zoom in to your preferred location. clicking the map icon after using' advanced search' will only show you the positions in and around the location you have chosen. when viewing the map click a house sitting position marker to read a brief description of the job. click the link in the brief description to go to the home owners ad page .
there’s no question about it: house - sitting is a job that needs to be taken seriously. in exchange for a free place to stay, you’re being asked to take care of someone’s worldly possessions and perhaps their beloved furbabies .
house sits run smoothly 99% of the time. in the house sits where something may end up broken or damaged by the house sitter generally the house sitter covers the cost happily if it was their fault. if the damage was caused due to the age of the house etc then the homeowner is usually happy to cover the costs of the repairs and not expect the sitter to pay .
the second video is for house sitters who may or may not pet sit .
hey meg! a lot of people who do house - sit are retired, and are also like us (can work remotely). however, house - sitting also works for people who just want to vacation! all it requires is some flexibility in your plans to find one that would work for a holiday !
to download the pdf version of our house sitting agreement, you will need a copy of the acrobat reader software on your computer. you can get either a free copy or upgrade your existing version by visiting the adobe website urltoken / .
ever since my last adventure in house - sitting, i also have relied on friends and neighbors to watch the funny farm and feed the pets. many neighbors are happy to watch your place, in return for knowing you’ll watch theirs .
hi jewelle, great to hear you are interested in our website. to find out about the latest house sitting assignments in italy and around the world you need to be a registered member. you can find more details on our homepage urltoken
i' ve just been looking on your website and am very interested in joining as we would like to combine house sitting with motorhome hire whilst travelling in australia and new zealnd at the end of the year. is that a possibility ?
hi susan we do not normally operate as a swapping site but more for finding sitters and being a house sitter - you can register with a combined membership which will give you the best of both worlds. finding someone to care for your pets and finding somewhere to go and house sit independent of each other. house sitting offers more flexibility than a house swap - meaning you don' t have to find like for like and for dates to fit with yours. many homeowners use the site to secure a house sit then once they have secured a sit, they then find a house sitter via the website to care for their home and pets while they are on a house sit. a combined member will have an icon of a blue house on their house sitter profile to show other homeowners that they also use the website to find sitters for their home. kind regards, rachel
this is up to the homeowner and the house sitter to negotiate. a house sitting agreement is helpful in clarifying the owner’s expectations and ensures both parties are clear on the terms of the arrangement. it is very important to discuss all aspects of the house sit before it begins to avoid confusion and ensure everything runs smoothly. terms that may be noted in the agreement include: details of pet care, information on house and garden care, who is responsible for paying for utilities etc .
our house sitting service gives homeowners the opportunity to choose from three, four, or more ideal candidates. likewise, for sitters, they can initiate discussions with several owners soon after becoming members, and close a deal without wasting much time .
here at happy house sitters, we want to make it as easy as possible for home owners and house sitters to connect with each other. we began operations in 1999 and have successfully helped many homeowners find reliable and experienced home minders. we have one of the most efficient and user - friendly platforms, making it easy for people to find the right house sitting opportunity, or carer for your home .
do you get many requests for house sitters in the usa. i live near dallas tx and looking for home and pet care positions. am 71 yrs of age, and retired from my business. have been doing pet sitting for over 15 yrs as a side business, in denver, co. i would like to get sitting positions in the no. tx area, to supplement my social security .
we make it easy to enter into a formal agreement with the homeowner. all you need to do is download our house sitting agreement, speak directly to the owner regarding the terms and conditions, complete the agreement, and you' re set .
it is rare that house sits go wrong. when they do, however, having a clear understanding of each others original expectations goes a long way to preventing a situation of conflict. this can be either a verbal contract based on trust, or a written house sitting agreement or other document that provides a higher level of reassurance .
save for your house, take a break for study or finally write that screenplay .
think i am better with a house rental…. but i shall continue to do research
pet sitters find out more... house sitters find out more ...
dear sandra house sitting via urltoken is not really seen as a career move as the majority of house sitters do not charge homeowners. instead they can enjoy a free retreat, while spending time with some four legged friends either in their own country or overseas, it can be a great way to enjoy a different kind of vacation and can be a real win - win for both homeowner and house sitter. thanks, rachel
house sitting agreements ensure there are no misunderstandings about what you need to do on the assignment. ours is comprehensive and covers key areas for the house sitter. this includes (but is not limited to), expectations of behaviour, and requirements within the home and for the pets. it can also cater for any agreed financial arrangements .
great post, and very timely for me and my girlfriend, as we’re setting for for our around the world travel in just over two months. we’ve already considered house sitting, but most of the gigs seem to be in europe and north america. we’re starting in se asia though. but we still hope to find at least one place. we set up a house sitting page on our blog, although this needs some more work. will join the sites mentioned above and ask family and friends. we already know some people in chiang mai that are away often, so we’re hoping our first house sitting job could be there. we’ll update you with how we get along. if anyone out there needs a house sitter in se asia, then please get in touch with us via our website. i’m a bit of a neat freak, so your house will probably be in better shape than when you left it .
excellent information. i never knew that house sitting could be so lucrative. i suppose when you add up all that you save on the cost of living it really mounts up. i’m sure many of your readers will want to look into this now !
house - sitting appeals, doesn’t it? otherwise you wouldn’t have read so far. so what sort of home - sitters? retired persons? a young couple? from your home country? or from abroad? house - sitting agencies are one solution. or you might want to advertise personally for a home - sitter and select from among the candidates that respond. there are benefits and drawbacks to each approach. but whichever way, the approach that you want, is the one that’s best for you !
it' s easy! homeowners can either place a free house ad and have one of our registered house sitters contact them with our internal messaging system. or they are able to scroll through the list of house sitters and directly contact those they feel are suitable. we recommend doing both to increase your chances of finding that perfect house sitter .
an empty house is a target for burglars and vandals, and many insurance policies won’t cover the house if you’re away for too long. a house - sitter can also deal with emergencies (eg storm damage) and are always just a phone call away .
just wanted to say, i have been house sitting for a couple of years now – locally. thought i would try it out close to home and then start travelling. problem is – i am becoming so popular that i may never get to travel .
thank you for an informative article on house sitting. being single, independent and extremely responsible, this seems like an ideal living arrangement or me. i grew up overseas and have travelled extensively. plus, i am self - employed and can reside nowhere .
great article! i have been entertaining the idea of adding house sitting into my experiences while traveling as i mostly volunteer now on various projects and the idea of having some more personal time seems inviting. thank you for this write up! ! cheers! !
tweets that mention the true and simple rules for house - sitting. - - urltoken - [... ] this post was mentioned on twitter by elle, donna freedman. donna freedman said: new post: e - mails you don' t want…
from open source beehive projects to car sharing and community dog - sitting, the sharing economy is gaining ground despite signs of economic recovery. photograph: f1 online / rex features
we’ve been looking into the idea of house sitting and also home sharing. we have a home in south florida and would love to do a winter trade with someone in alaska or canada. does anyone know of a solid home sharing service that can accommodate this ?
so... feed the pets, water the garden, make a coffee and get cracking. house sitting is a practical and fun way to save money. and it' s surprisingly easy, you could be organizing your first
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in minutes .
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i am very interested in starting a new career in house sitting in the new england area. i am a single 55 yr young women with no children and am very responsible and trustworthy. can anyone give me some information on how to get started? thank you
“if a house sitter or a home owner finds peace of mind and therefore confidence in having a signed agreement, then they should absolutely use one. however if either party are feeling to follow their instincts and trust the essence of the win / win fair exchange benefits of house sitting, the only documentation required is a handbook, or manual of instructions .
3x2 brick / iron cottage house seeking reliable, mature person / couple who love cats and dogs to house & pet - sit while we are away. to look after house, pets, and attend to basic tasks including mail collection and watering of plants. read more
a house sitter provides personal, loving home - based pet - care while you’re away .
make sure your oasis is verdant and flourishing on your return - get a house sitter .
it may seem easier to lock your house up and simply walk (or drive) away rather than go through the process of finding a house sitter but your home is probably your most valuable asset and as such, deserves the protection that a house sitter can offer .
argha! don’t get me started on house - sitters. just be glad they didn’t steal you blind and then later send their sh! thead boyfriends around to burglarize your house !
house sitters are in great demand in major australian cities such as melbourne and sydney. singles, couples, retirees and people from all walks of life look for sitters throughout the year. as a housesitter, you get to live in rent - free accommodations without having to worry about buying furniture and appliances or setting up utility connections. you can use the opportunity to save money for your own home. you could even consider house sitting if your own residence is being renovated. most house - sitters end up saving more than $ 15, 600 per year by house - sitting instead of renting. you could even escape the busy vibe of cities such as melbourne and sydney and opt for a house - sit in rural areas. if you hate paying rent and love being around pets, you' ll enjoy your role as a house - sitter. the possibilities as a hour sitter are endless .
i started house - sitting inadvertently, when an acquaintance in santa barbara wanted someone to mind her cats for two weeks. she had tapped out her family connections. i was already spending four to six weeks of every winter and summer — when the weather in st. louis is either lethally cold or horrifically hot — in california, so i jumped at the chance. we’ve repeated the arrangement every year since, with the length of her vacations, and mine, gradually growing. that got me wondering about other house - sitting opportunities .
the bottom line is it' s all negotiable between you and the house sitter. in a lot of the cases it' s just a straight swap; house sitter cares for the house and pets in exchange for free accommodation. however there may be times when a homeowner will offer some money for the house sitting job. for example if the house was situated in an undesirable location, and / or the length of the sit was not really desirable (too short), and / or there were lots of pets to care for and jobs to do, then the homeowner may offer to pay the house sitter something or at the very least they might cover the house sitters utility cost (eg electricity, gas, phone etc). remember it' s all negotiable between the home owner and the house sitter. you should be able to work something out that seems fair to both parties .
i listed my availability on craigslist; no response. i considered contacting universities, looking for professors going on sabbatical, but that seemed like a lot of trouble. eventually i googled “house - sitting” and found several websites that registered ­homeowners and house sitters. they cost between $ 10 and $ 100 a year for membership, which gives you access to the listings .
great tips, all of which i do when house sitting and caring and find they are very appreciated buy the home owners. as a photographer, i also take portraits of the pets i care for and leave those as a present for owners. excellent blog! thanks .
i would like to add one more thing from my experience so far of house sitting. before you agree with helping towards expenses such as heating or other such bills check what they are likely to be. some houses are notoriously expensive to heat, so take care before committing. if you are retired it could be a costly house sit. we house sitters are providing a free service in exchange for keeping pets happy and / or houses warm and dry.
house-sitting is the practice whereby a landlord ( or " homeowner " ) , leaving their house for a period of time , entrusts it to one or more " house-sitters " , who by a mutual agreement are entitled to live there rent-free in exchange for assuming responsibilities such as taking care of the homeowner 's pets , performing general maintenance ( including pools , lawns , air-conditioning systems etc. ) , keeping trespassers off the property , readdressing the mail , and in general , making sure that everything runs smoothly just as if the owner was at home . 
house-sitting is the practice whereby a landlord (or " homeowner "), leaving their house for a period of time, entrusts it to one or more " house-sitters ", who by a mutual agreement are entitled to live there rent-free in exchange for assuming responsibilities such as taking care of the homeowner's pets, performing general maintenance (including pools, lawns, air-conditioning systems etc.), keeping trespassers off the property, readdressing the mail, and in general, making sure that everything runs smoothly just as if the owner was at home.
house-sitting is the practice whereby a landlord (or " homeowner "), leaving their house for a period of time, entrusts it to one or more " house-sitters ", who by a mutual agreement are entitled to live there rent-free in exchange for assuming responsibilities such as taking care of the homeowner's pets, performing general maintenance (including pools, lawns, air-conditioning systems etc.), keeping trespassers off the property, readdressing the mail, and in general, making sure that everything runs smoothly just as if the owner was at home.