Housesitting - A fabulous way to see (some of!) the world

Hover over the numbered dots or click "housesitting" just below the map to open a scrollable page for info on pets and locations.

When I tell people where I’ve been living for the last 18 months or so, I get a range of reactions; most initially are confused or skeptical. I know, I get it. It can sound kind of weird on the surface: I travel to places I’ve never been (that’s not quite true; I have housesat in Dallas, Austin and parts of England I know well, but most are indeed places entirely new to me) and then live in complete strangers’ homes, walk their dogs, water their plants, sleep in their beds, cook in their kitchens while they are away on holiday or business or whatever it is that takes them out of town. Kind of like Goldilocks but with permission.

But I don’t find it odd at all. I have researched housesitting periodically for at least twenty years. When I first came across the concept I was elated. What a cool idea for people who love travel and animals! But it mostly went into my “one day” pile until September 2022, when my life circumstances shouted, “NOW! Now is the time.” (I must insert here that yes, I AM still an artist and DO still work in film, I’ve just taken some extended hiatuses. Call me. ;- ) What those circumstances were are another story – you know I’ll get round to telling you all about it – but today I just want to give you a basic introduction to housesitting, the platform I use, and a few tips if you’re considering housesitting yourself or may be in the market to find a housesitter.

  • There is a good deal of information online about housesitting and I’ve probably read most of it. Of course people housesit for friends and family all the time, but to go further afield, to find home/pet owners in need who live somewhere you’d like to visit, an online platform is the best route to go. I chose TrustedHouseSitters because that is where all of my in-depth research led me. There are certainly others worth checking out, but I will be talking about my experiences primarily with Trusted House Sitters (referred to from herein as THS) because it’s what I know. I have also sat for friends and friends of friends independently.

    Several of my friends ask me on the regular why I don’t charge for my services. (Some are more forceful about it, as in, “These people should be paying you!! Are you nuts?”) Well, I am a little nuts, and paid housesitting may be in my future, but here’s the thing I always tell them, “I am getting paid! I have great places to stay while I travel, at no cost! I don’t pay utilities, or have to worry about lawncare or home maintenance. Many homes I’ve stayed in have hot tubs (very popular in Colorado) or beautiful gardens or dream kitchens. I’ve stayed in homes where I could walk to the beach in minutes or look out at mountains with my morning tea. Some homeowners invite me for dinner the night before a sit begins so we can get to know each other and I can meet the pet/s and get the lay of the home. This past Valentine’s Day, while I was staying near Madison, Wisconsin, the pet parents had an amazing Chicago style pizza and cheesecake shipped to me directly from the Windy City. Another, in St. Louis, left me very generous gift cards to a local coffee shop and one of their favorite restaurants. Yet another handed me a thank you card the day I left; when I opened it later I found a $200 check. All were lovely bonuses. I also get the company of all kinds of animals and I love that perhaps the most. I’ve had some very lonely past few years and all of the animals – 31 dogs, 15 cats, one bearded dragon, one rabbit and one African spurred tortoise – have provided me with immeasurable companionship during the more than year and half I’ve been on the road and I am deeply grateful for that. It’s oft repeated that animals give affection without conditions, but that’s because it is true!  Okay, the bearded dragon really didn’t care much whether I was there or not and Dill the rabbit was excruciatingly shy (oh, but I loved her!) and Pedro the giant tortoise ... well, I love Pedro and I’m going to say he likes me too. I KNOW HE DOES.

    Back to THS. Many of the housesitting platforms operate on an exchange ethos. That is, each party receives something valuable in the process: places to stay & pets to love for the housesitter and peace of mind and your pets wellbeing (is there any dog or cat that would rather be boarded than in their own home?!) for the homeowner/petparent. It is a beautiful concept and when it works it is magnificent! There are some learning curves, for sure, and I’ll tell you about mine, as well as tips to navigate them and how to find the people & pets that you will mesh with – because, in the end, that is a critical component to having an exemplary experience. I’ve had one housesit that became nightmarish, but it was in my early days & I learned a lot from it.  I also keep in touch with several of the people I’ve sat for, am fb friends with several more and have been invited back to quite a few of my past stays. Most of my sits are perfectly fine and happy, because I’ve learned along the way and know better what to look for and questions to ask before accepting an assignment.

    Later I’ll dive into the nitty gritty of getting started along with my tips and suggestions. But if you’d like to have a browse around THS in the meantime (as a homeowner or potential petsitter – lots of people do both! I am currently sitting for a woman while she housesits for a family in England that invited her back after a previous stay) go here.

    If you are thinking about doing one or the other, I am happy to answer your questions if I don’t cover them in my posts. And most important! Here is a link/coupon code for 25% off your first year’s membership: if you join with it, I also get a perk: two free months. It’s a honest win-win! THS has tiered pricing, which is also something I’ll cover later, but they are all worth it - you just have to decide what you need. I have been using the basic membership since I joined and it has been fine for me, although I plan on upgrading when this cycle expires for some additional perks. Here is a link with the pricing tiers. Right now I pay $129 a year. It pays for itself in two days, if that. Same for home/pet owners; just consider the cost of boarding your pet while you’re away. Going to be gone for weeks or months? That’s going to be steep. Have more than one pet? Double it.  Bottom line for me: housesitting on an exchange platform has been immensely rewarding. Might be for you as well.