The Good Life…
As of mid-2023, Tim and I will have been traveling the world for around 17 of the last 23 years. Even before we started international house sitting, people wondered how we could afford to ‘retire’ as early as we did.
In the early days, that could be explained away because we mainly traveled in developing countries where the cost of living was low. We stayed in clean but modest guest houses and the occasional hostel.
But in the last few years, we’ve started posting more and more accounts of staying for 2 weeks or more in luxury accommodation in the city center of expensive countries like Canada, the United States, Switzerland, France, and the UK.
Clifftop mansions, inner-city apartments with a swimming pool, country houses, and the use of luxury cars. That’s not something the average long-term traveler on a budget can do.
The secret to this shift in our standard of living while traveling long term is international house sitting.
In 2024, we’re already locked in for sits in luxury apartments in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, a beautiful home with a swimming pool in Hua Hin, Thailand, for 10 weeks, and a large family home near Tirana, Albania, for 8 weeks.
Tim enjoying the view from the hot tub with a beer.
What is an International House Sit?
A house sit is living in and looking after a property while the homeowner is away. More specifically, international housesits are minding houses in countries other than yours.
Believe it or not, there are many active house sitters out there (including us) house sitting worldwide in dozens of countries. Trusted House Sitters, whom we find most of our house sitting assignments through, have properties in 130 countries worldwide. They have hundreds of new sits from all over the world going up on their site every day!! There’s an annual fee, but it’s a pittance compared to what we save each year.
Most of the time (but not always), a house sitter is also required to look after pets, along with the routine tasks of caring for a home. Most house sitting is performed for no payment in exchange for free accommodation. However, many professional house and pet sitters get paid.
Tim and I sit for free because of the many benefits we receive, which I’ll detail below. House sitting isn’t just about houses, though. This kind of arrangement is valid for any abode. We’ve done lots of apartment sitting and have seen callouts for boat sitting, castle sitting, and more.
Gorgeous black lab in an English country house.
Why are International House Sitting and Pet Sitting Becoming So Popular?
House and pet sitting is becoming incredibly popular for many reasons. But I think the number one motive is that both parties – the house sitter and the homeowner (Pet parent?) – receive a wide range of benefits from the arrangement.
I want to emphasize that house-sitting is not just about getting free rent. You need to realize that if you’re thinking of house-sitting abroad, YOU will have responsibilities to the homeowner.
You must also remember that people are trusting you with probably their MOST expensive possessions (their house, all their furniture, and maybe their car) and some of the beings they love the most in the whole world – their pets.
Your responsibilities will vary with each sit, but if you’re not prepared to meet their requests, and live up to the homeowner’s expectations, then house sitting isn’t for you. Try Couchsurfing instead.
Having someone in your home reduces the risk of burglary while you're away
The Benefits of Engaging House Sitters for Homeowners.
1. There is someone on the property while the homeowner is away.
Not only does this improve security and discourage burglars, but if, as has happened on several of our sits, something happens to the property because of storms, breakdown, or maintenance problems, there is someone there to rectify it immediately rather than wait for the owners to return when the problem may have escalated.
On one sit we did, a water pipe in the roof leaked and started dripping through the ceiling. I could call someone to fix it the moment it started, and there was minimal damage. I can’t imagine the mess if it had been left another five days before the owner had returned.
On another occasion, a massive storm knocked out the power. Once the power returned, we could reset all the fuses, address all the alarms that started going off, and ensure appliances like fridges and freezers were fully operational. Once again, we saved the owners a lot of hassle than if the situation had been left for another four days.
Friends and family of homeowners who engage house sitters (especially first-timers with gorgeous houses and expensive toys) are astounded that they will let strangers into their homes while they are away and let them care for their worldly possessions and pets. However, the house-sitting community has a lot of hoops to jump through, and engaging a trusted house sitter with a bunch of excellent 5-star reviews is much safer than just leaving a property empty while they aren’t there.
In fact, check your insurance. Are you covered if your home is vacant over a particular period? Getting in a house sitter might reduce your insurance risk.
House sitters can help keep the garden alive while you're away
2. Homeowners don’t have to pay for or rely on third-party services while they are away.
By this, I mean people who come in to perform tasks like keeping the house clean, watering gardens and house plants, mowing lawns, checking water pipes, and collecting mail. That might mean paid services, or it might mean relying on neighbors, friends, or family.
All of these things can be part of the agreement between the homeowners and the house sitters. In saying that, many of the homeowners we’ve sat for have retained the services of their cleaners and gardeners, leaving us with nothing more to do than keep things tidy and dote on their pets.
3. Homeowners don’t need to pay expensive boarding fees.
Boarding animals can cost an absolute fortune. Without that expense, homeowners can spend the extra cash on their holiday. With prices up to $60 or more a day to board just one pet, that’s a lot of lattes over a month!
Boris was happy to be out and about on walks.
4. Their pets have a better time too.
Homeowners who love their pets want to ensure minimal disruption to their lives AND ensure they are well looked after while away enjoying themselves. The pets:
- Get to stay in their normal environment and keep their routine
- Have experienced and trusted house sitters to watch over them, give them attention, and ensure all their needs are met
- Escape the stress, diseases, and other downsides of living with other animals
As pet sitters, we follow the homeowner’s requests regarding food and exercise regimes to the letter. More than one owner has commented on the excellent health of their pets on returning home, and we suspect we may be more diligent on these aspects than the pet owners themselves. Think of it as a boot camp for the pets 🙂
Yep, I think he looks pretty happy, don't you?
5. Homeowners get to travel worry and guilt-free
We haven’t met a homeowner who wasn’t deeply attached to their pets. Leaving them at home while they are off enjoying themselves can result in a degree of guilt and worry. This is especially true for homeowners who engage a house sitter for the first time.
We always provide regular updates and pictures to homeowners throughout their holidays. I laughingly call it ‘proof of life,’ but it’s way more than that. Seeing their beloved pets happy, content, and in their home environment relieves them of that worry. It doesn’t mean they miss them any less, but it does mean they are reassured about their well-being.
We have had several pets who’ve been elderly or ill. Just having us there to watch over their pets has provided an enormous relief for the homeowners involved.
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City Views from a luxury apartment in Kuala Lumpur.
The Benefits of International House Sitting for Us
1. We don’t pay accommodation costs
For the ten months after we started housesitting, our total accommodation costs amounted to ~15/night. Most of that time we spent in North America, where accommodation is several times more expensive than in places like SE Asia. Granted, we did a lot of camping and enjoyed the hospitality of Warmshowers hosts during our bicycle trip, but we also enjoyed 161 nights of free accommodation in what I would consider extremely comfortable accommodation.
As of the 4th of June 2019 (when I first wrote this post), we’d spent a grand total of AUD 1002 (~720 USD) for the calendar year (2019). That calculates to ~ AUD 6.50/night or USD 4.70/night!!! We’ve also paid no electricity, wifi, gas, or other bills, plus we used an SUV in Vancouver, Canada, for five weeks, saving a bundle in car hire.
Stunning View of the San Juan Islands and Salish Sea
2. We get to stay in more comfortable accommodations than we would typically choose or afford.
We’ve stayed in luxury clifftop homes overlooking the Salish Sea on Vancouver Island, stunning lakeside homes in Canada, huge apartments with city views around South East Asia, country houses in the UK, an inner-city condo amid all the action in Vancouver, a renovated character home in near Toronto, and large family homes surrounded by incredible works of art. None of those fit into our modest traveling budget. All of the homes had AC or heating (depending on the location), and most had Netflix and multiple other entertainment options.
The apartments gave us free gym access and sometimes a pool. Several of the houses had gym equipment too, and there’s been the occasional hot tub overlooking an incredible view. I also believe I now know how to operate every luxury coffee machine in the known universe.
When we’ve had our touring bicycles with us, there’s been secure storage for them rather than us trying to work around them in the living space.
Had we had to pay to stay in these properties, we would have paid out well over $50 000 in accommodation costs based on comparable Airbnb rates.
3. We get to stay in a safe neighborhood
I don’t think this benefit can be understated. We discuss the type of people who need house sitters for their pets and houses in the next blog. But, as a generalization, they are wealthier and have a nice home in a safe neighborhood. In places like the United States, we were most grateful for that.
4. We also save on food and often transport costs
Having a fully equipped kitchen saves us a bundle, and we eat better. When we don’t housesit, we often stay in Airbnb’s with kitchens, but they are never as well equipped and stocked as the homes we mind. Simple things like condiments, herbs, spices, and the right dishes and utensils, make preparing food a pleasure rather than an exercise in making do. Being able to prepare at least one or two meals a day frees up funds to sample the more expensive local specialties rather than relying on the cheapest deals around.
Several of our house sitters have given us the use of a vehicle. That has meant we’ve been able to explore the broader area without having to depend on and pay for public transport or expensive tours.
Road trip to the Columbia River Valley from our sit in Vancouver Washington
5. We get a regular dose of fur baby love.
Tim and I obviously can’t own pets because we move around so much. Having the opportunity to look after some adorable dogs and cats (turtles, rabbits, fish, snakes, and more) provides us with some regular love and attention from the pets we look after. More than once, I’ve left a little bit of my heart when we departed.
Of course, not all pets will grow to love you like their owner, but we’ve found that once they realize who’s feeding them, they learn to love you quickly. 🙂
Boris watching over me as I take a nap. Awww!
6. We get to explore the local neighborhoods at our own pace
We are seriously into slow travel, whether that be on the bikes or overland.
Housesitting caters to that perfectly. Rather than rush around trying to see everything in a few days, we can spread the sites out over a week or more.
It also means we can avoid peak times, take advantage of weekly deals, form relationships with the people at our favorite local haunts, and fossick out hidden gems most tourists will miss.
Walking the dog(s) also introduces you to the local neighborhood. People will stop and chat to see why you’re the ones walking the animals, and once they’re reassured you’re not, some crazy dog-napper are more than willing to open up about the highlights in the area.
Most homeowners prepare an information bundle for us pointing out things we shouldn’t miss and their favorite establishments, so we get to try out places popular with locals rather than tourist haunts.
We took the opportunity to explore all the best craft beer pubs in central Vancouver
7. We have a comfortable, well-equipped work area
Tim and I spend a fair amount of time on the computer these days, writing travel articles, planning our adventures, and maintaining our websites. Most hotels and many Airbnb’s only have one workspace. When we’re camping, any old bench becomes a desk. However, when we’re house sitting, we always have more than enough space to set up our mobile office comfortably. Superfast Wifi, AC, and heating always come with the deal.
Getting some writing done in Bangkok with a little help from Victoria
8. We can top and tail our other adventures without increasing costs
In 2019 we were house-sitting a beautiful home in Calgary as we trained for our next bike ride and waited for the weather to get warmer. Before that sit, we spent five weeks in the center of Vancouver, which allowed us to retrieve our bikes from Bellingham in the USA, where we left them the previous year, and make sure they were in good working condition after storage.
Had we not been house-sitting, we would have probably stayed in Asia because it’s much cheaper (and warmer!) However, we would have had no bikes and no ability to train, which would have significantly impacted our ability to complete the next adventure through The Rockies.
In 2018 when we had to pick up our bikes in England, we found a house near where they were stored. Then flew into Canada for three sits before the ride. When we were held up because of forest fires and fled to the West Coast, we were faced with around five weeks of unexpected accommodation bills in one of the most expensive parts of the world. Instead, we were able to lock in 2 quick house sits to fill the void.
We are already scouting house sits in Southern California for the end of our ride so we can recollect ourselves and explore a little on four wheels before returning to the Asia-Pacific again.
We waited out the snow before heading off on our bike trip
9. We make new friends by house-sitting overseas
Since we started international house-sitting, we’ve made many new friends. As I said above, many of the homeowners we’ve sat for we now consider friends and stay in touch with. We’re pretty sure that if they needed house sitters again, we would be at, or near, the top of their lists.
Drawbacks of House Sitting
So that’s all the benefits for both sides; what are some of the drawbacks of house sitting? After all, if it were all beer and skittles, everyone would be doing it.
1. Isolation
House sitting differs significantly from staying in a hostel, hotel, or campground. Unless you get out and about, there’s not a lot of opportunity or reason for you to meet anyone new. If the house is in an isolated area, you don’t have the use of a car, or there’s not at least some public transport, then you might not get out much at all. Some homeowners will forbid you from having visitors to the property. That’s not usually a problem at all for us, but if you do have or make friends in the area, you’re going to have to do all your socializing away from the property, even if you’re the one with the deck, BBQ, hot tub and fabulous views.
2. Seeing a destination at its worst
Many homeowners leave town when the weather or conditions are worst. For example, the burning season in Chang Mai results in terrible air quality, and you’ll see many house sits throughout that period. Staying in tropical locations in the wet season, The Caribbean during hurricane season, and Alaska mid-winter may not be the optimum time to visit.
3. Super-High Maintenance pets
We avoid sits where the pets require care we feel is beyond us. For example, pets that:
- can’t be left alone for more than an hour or two
- require a lot of medical treatment, and we don’t feel comfortable or confident administering
- are known to be aggressive.
We don’t want that degree of responsibility, so out of respect for the homeowners and the pets, we don’t apply. We are fine with pills in pill pockets and liquids and some injections, but it depends on how cooperative the animals are.)
4. Rustic, Unclean, or Unhygienic conditions
I think these are rare, and we certainly haven’t come across the situation, but house sitters on some of my Facebook groups have reported that they’ve arrived at a sit, and the conditions have been unliveable according to their standards. Some of them just mucked in and cleaned the property; others have left because they felt their health was at risk. I guess this depends on your tolerance level, and I hope we never have to test that.
5. You can get too comfortable
Surrounded by all that comfort, with excellent kitchen facilities and a range of entertainment options, it can be hard to work up the motivation to get out and explore. Suddenly you’re at the end of your sit, and you find you’ve seen nothing of the destination or surrounding area, any of the local restaurants, or experienced the local highlights.
Dogs need walking!
6. You aren’t free to do as you please.
If you need to walk the dog three times a day, feed the cat by 7 am and then again by 5 pm, or administer medication at a set time, you can’t just head out on an all-day expedition or stay out overnight. Unless that is, you have an agreement with the homeowner or a backup plan. (Which we’ve had on several sits.)
However, if you have indoor/outdoor pets with plenty of room to run around, auto feeders, and a safe environment where they can amuse themselves, you have as much flexibility as any other form of accommodation. There are definitely two ends of the spectrum and everything else in between.
No walkies required.
A Quick Note on Why We Mainly Choose Cat Sitting (and Other Small Animals)
Now that we’ve completed over 60 housesits, all with 5-star reviews, we have a lot more choice in the type of sits we take. I explain more about getting that experience and great reviews in Blog 2.
We take our role as house sitters extremely seriously, BUT we openly admit it’s a means to an end. We want to explore the places we visit, which usually involves being away from the house for at least 6 hours in the afternoon and evening.
Dogs and large farm animals need more hands-on care. Dogs usually need walking a couple of times a day and can rarely be left for more than 4-5 hours unless they have a secure garden to stay in.
On the other hand, cats can typically be left for longer, as can other small animals like hamsters, rabbits, birds, fish, and turtles.
So that’s what we choose. And plenty of sits out there are a perfect fit for us.
International House and Pet Sitter Needed!
Are you ready to supercharge your travel budget and improve your travel experience by learning How to become an International house sitter? Then head over to Part 2, where you’ll find out:- What kind of people need house sitters
- Where to find house-sitting assignments
- Tips for setting up your profile
- Tips for getting your first few sits
- What you need to do to get 5-star reviews and how important they are
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Wow, this is an incredible post! I love that you pointed out the benefits to both the homeowners and the sitters, plus pointing out some of the drawbacks. I think a lot of people just look at housesitting as free accommodation, but there is so much more to consider.
Definitely. I just launched a new course for beginners that highlights that again and again throughout. Take a look. world-of-house-sitting.teachable.com/p/housesittersroadmap-584361 And join our nesletter as I have exclusive subscriber discounts coming up.
kinda curious how you handle a situation when a pet gets sick. Had a bad experience once and now i’m super cautious. any advice, timshazz?
Always make sure you have the vet’s details and that the pet parent has set up an account or emergency contact to assist in these situations. In all our sits it’s only happened once. You deal with it the way you deal with any setback in life. As calmly and competently as possible. Trusted Housesitters also has a 24/7 emergency vet line you can consult. Havin gused it once they are pretty competent on diagnosing the issue and advising on next steps.
isn’t it risky to just trust strangers with ur house and pets? feels like a lot could go wrong. how do people even make sure everything stays okay?
They 1. Join a platform that does appropriate checks. 2. Only accept sitters with a history of great reviews. 3. Have a video call with them and ask them relevant questions. 4. Trust their gut if they don’t feel comfortable with the answers.
As a digital nomad, finding a quiet place to work is gold. International house sitting could be the answer. Anyone had experience with Wi-Fi connectivity issues in remote locations?
That would definitely be an issue for us too. Make sure you ask in your pre acceptance communication and maybe even ask them to do a speed test and send through the results. Some listing are open about the fact that WiFi is patchy. just don’t apply for those ones.
While the idea is intriguing, I wonder about the practical aspects of managing home maintenance issues from afar. Have homeowners or sitters run into challenges with this aspect during an international house sit?
I know several who were glad we were on the spot to fix things and arrange maintenance. The results of a leaky ceiling over a few weeks isn’t something you’d like to come home to.
I’ve done a few house sits before, and honestly, it’s an amazing way to see the world on a budget. Highly recommend.
Yes it is!!! An amazing experience all around.
Absolutely adore the idea of international house sitting! Combining travel with the joy of meeting new furry friends sounds like a dream. Timshazz, do you have any memorable moments from cat sitting abroad?
Lots. We’ve had some incredible sits all over the world. Perhaps we should write them all down!
i dont get why anyone would just let strangers live in their house. back in my day, we had neighbors watch the house, none of this fancy international sit thing.
Yes well. Some people don’t even know their neighbors these days. A vetted sitter with a great history of excellent reviews is far better than someone you know without the same level of work ethic and responsibility. A family member said the same and then proceeded to tell us about their neighbor that got their teenage nephew to house sit for them. Unsurprisingly he threw a party and things got damaged. Never mind the trauma to the pets.
I find the concept of international house sitting fascinating, especially the part about being able to take care of someone’s garden. It’s a wonderful way to experience new flora. Timshazz, have you or anyone you’ve known gotten to tend to a remarkable garden during a house sit?
We’ve had some lovely gardens to tend in the south of England especially. Something about spring flowers always makes me smile.
international house sitting sounds cool and all, but what about partying? u cant just throw a party in someone elses house, right?
Right!!! You shouldn’t even invite guests inside without the owners express permission. And having a party would be the height of disrespect for the arrangement. i would stick to hostels if i were you. 🙂
So if you get all these 5-star reviews, does that mean you never had any problems? Seems too good to be true, lol.
It means we’ve never given anyone cause to regret choosing us. It’s not hard. Communicate well. Look after the pets as instructed and leave the house as clean or cleaner than when you got there. Getting all 5 stars doesn’t mean we haven’t had challenging sits. We always word the pet parents review carefully but honestly
hey timshazz, loved the bit about choosing cat sitting. cats are chill, and I guess that makes traveling while pet sitting a breeze. gotta wonder though, ever run into a cat that was more trouble than it’s worth?
Yes we’ve had two that were trouble. Usually outside cats that don’t want to come home when they are meant to. Causes a lot of angst as the last thing we want to do is lose a pet!!! one of them even slipped his tracking collar. The fact that he had one, told us it wasn’t the first time he’d stayed out late!
every cat’s a piece of cake if you speak their language 😉 just meow back, works every time lol
if only it were that easy! Purrrr!
Ha! I tried that once and ended up with scratches. Some cats just know you’re faking it.
Cats are SMART!
House sitting, huh? Next you’ll tell me people are letting strangers drive their cars for fun.
Funny you mention that. We’ve had several homeowners leave us their car so we can see the local area, shop, and take the pets to the vet if needed.
is house sitting safe? like how do u know if the place ur going to is legit or not? kinda scary if you ask me
For solo women, I’d advise you only apply for sits where the homeowner has plenty of past reviews that mention their friendliness and hospitality. Perhaps limit it to couples and single females if you are worried. Especially if you are going to do a meet up beforehand
everyone’s into this house sitting thing but whats wrong with just booking a hotel like in the good old days?
It’s defintiely not for everyone. but some people prefer the comfort and space of a home over a hotel room and appreciate they can stay in much nicer places than they could afford.
Love the concept of international house sitting. It’s a win-win, get to explore new cultures while helping someone out.
Absolutely. Most homeowners understand they get a heap of benefits too. We don;t accept sits if the home owner believes it’s a 1-sided street.
I’m curious, do house sitters take care of plants too? I have a small indoor jungle and it’s always a concern.
Some do – absolutely. We’ve looked after a few jungles in our time. Just make the care instructions and time required are very clear before you make the agreement. Noone wants 3 hours of watering spung on them once they’ve arrived and can’t back out.
man, traveling and staying places for free? sign me up, that’s the dream right there
As long as you understand and accept the responsibilities that go along with that free accomodation in amazing places. 🙂
ok but wat about the risks? letting strangers in ur home doesn’t sound like the smartest move to me idk
You can miimize those by using the tips we mentioned in the blog to find the perfect sitter. Better a properly vetted stranger with great reviews and an interest in being there than a family member who could care less.
this idea of havin folks stay at ur house and look after pets seemz pretty neat, never thought of that before
It’s becoming more and more popular for obvious reasons. The pets are the real winners if they don’t have to go to a kennel or cattery. And you get home security, and plant care thrown in.
hey timshazz, was wonderin how do you even get started with house sittin internationally? sounds cool but sounds like a lot to figure out.
Take a look at the platforms we mentioned in the blog. Choose one or more you think might work for you. Set up a great profile (use our free download to assist). Do some sits close to home and put in 110% effort to get those magic 5 star reviews. The more you get the easier it becomes to get your next sit.
Ray45, it’s all about building a solid profile and gathering great reviews. Start local and expand from there!
Great advice and the approach we recommend.
TravelBugLiz, any tips for first-timers?
Sharyn house sat for us & our 2 cats. It was a win-win for all of us. She kept us up to date on our cats with regular texts (our
Preference). It worked out GREAT for my husband and me.
And a fabulous sit that was too. A wonderful house and two lovely cats. We were glad we could be there for Zeus when he was ill so you could enjoy yourself as best as possible. The use of the car which allowed us to explore the surrounding area was also much appreciated. We may catch up later this year depending on where you are. We’ll be near Portland Julyish and SoCal in Sept/Oct We’re hopefully riding down as far as San Diego.