Traveling on a budget can be difficult with expenses for everything from transportation and food to accommodations and attractions. One of these costs, however, can be drastically diminished: housing. You can travel the world and not have to pay a single fee for lodging. By house sitting, you can visit your dream destinations for next to nothing.
What is House Sitting?
Just as you might check on a neighbor’s house when she goes on vacation, house sitting as a form of travel involves taking care of homeowners; houses and pets while they are on holiday. Typically facilitated by a third-party website, homeowners post listings for their vacancy dates and house sitters apply to fill the positions. Homeowners choose candidates based on past recommendations and site rankings. Most house-sitting jobs are available in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, though there are many offerings across the globe. There really is no shortage of places you can visit by house sitting.
What are Some of These House-Sitting Companies?
House sitting can be amazing, but before you rush off to find a home, make sure that you find positions through reputable sources. These four sites will help you nab those far-off opportunities:
- Trusted Housesitters ($60 annual fee) – Be prepared to find many European locations on this site. It also has good functionality and layout design.
- House Carers ($55 annual fee) – This site is a little more difficult to navigate but a good place for house sitting opportunities in North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
- The Caretaker Gazette ($30 annual fee) – This company has good offerings in North America. Unfortunately, their information is sent out in a newsletter instead of online listings.
- Mind My House ($20 annual fee) – This site has low fees, and an easy layout makes this a good source of North American and European house sitting positions.
To understand more about house sitting, it's important to weigh some pros and cons to determine if this is the right budget option for your vacation.
Pro: You won't have to pay for housing.
Accommodations can easily become the most expensive part of traveling, especially if you are looking at large cities or popular destinations. Food costs can also be kept down as you'll have a kitchen in which to cook meals. House sitting allows travelers to visit locales they may otherwise find out of reach, without having to spend all of their souvenir money.
Con: It's a job, but you may not get paid.
You may not be paying for a place to sleep, but you still have a job to do. Even though you are hired by the homeowner for a period of time, you might not get paid, however. Homeowners will often ask you to do some chores in exchange the discounted housing. Some may offer a small stipend, but most do not. Make sure to communicate with homeowners before assuming anything.
Pro: You get to experience life as a local.
Staying in a home instead of a hotel gives you a local understanding of an area, as opposed to the commercialized tourist centers where hotels are more common. Be sure to ask the neighbors for advice on where to eat and attractions to see. Just make sure you aren't overly bothersome.
Con: You may experience some interesting and difficult situations.
Watching over a home and, especially, pets can lead to some interesting situations. Maybe you'll need a neighbor's help to clean the yard after a storm. Perhaps a pet will run off, and you end up chasing them down through the streets of the town. Be prepared for something to go wrong, even though often things will go perfectly.
