House-pet sitters can save a lot of money, travel the world affordability, and live like locals in different cities and countries. Pet owners find here also the solution to travel without worries and payments.
House and pet sitting is becoming more and more popular. Thousands of homeowners are looking for responsible people world-wide to help protect their homes and take care of their fluffy friends while they are absent. Although I still talk to people regularly who are amazed by the prospect of such an arrangement, there are many travellers participating already.
What are the 10 great benefits of House-Pet-Sitting?
1. There is a lot of demand in all parts of the world, which you´ll soon find out when you sign up on one of the many House-Pet-Sitting platforms >>>> (See the list of websites below).
2. Most assignments are off the beaten path and not somewhere a tourist would necessarily visit (unless of course, you´re looking for that). You´ll find an opportunity to live in smaller communities with their local markets, bakeries, pubs and restaurants (with cheaper prices than the usually crowdy tourist spots).
3. You have the opportunity to embrace another culture. You can jump right in and see how it feels, connecting with the locals. Learn another language maybe?
4. Living Rent-Free is for a long-term traveler an incredible bonus. Stay in an apartment or a mansion with a pool, it is all available. I met different ´Digital Nomads´ that work online (more info if this is something for you? HERE) which is of course a perfect combination. However; you did sign up with a responsibility to take care of pets (that you can choose) and the house with its surroundings.
5. Some home-owners would let you use their car to get groceries or take out their pets for a walk on another, lovely location. Before the assignment starts(and during the sit), you will have regular contact with the owner that also will build up trust. They will always have useful tips and on stand-by for unforeseen situations/troubleshooting in case something happens out of the ordinary.
6. The bonding that comes with looking after animals is always a joy. Donkeys, chickens, cats, birds and dogs, etc. all have their personalities and it is so pleasurable figuring them out and building a relationship. Sometimes the hard part though,.. is saying goodbye.
7. International house-pet-sitting gives you a unique opportunity to spend time in different locations to your liking. A completely different way than looking for another place to stay on Airbnb every other week.
8. When you inscribed with different House-Pet-Sit platforms(See the list below), you have more chance to find the right House-Pet-Sit to your liking. Also, being active on social media (there also exists many Facebook groups and forums) can bring you unexpected proposals. Like a friend of mine was asked via Instagram to take care of a huge boat with a cat in the Caribbean for 3 months. Great stuff!
9. Thanks to the local knowledge of the homeowner who are often very excited to show off their local area. Especially when you can meet up 1 or 2 days before they leave, also for the explanation and ´show-around´.
10. Dreams do come true as all the different House-Pet-Sitting sites have assignments all over the world! So you can choose … to tip of that ´Travel-Bucketlist´
Here are the BEST Housesit websites to inscribe, with the most opportunities.
Watch this video to have a bit of a feel and reviews from other House-and pet sitters.
10 Tips on How To Become a House-Pet-Sitter.
1. You Could Have Guessed This One Golden Rule Of House-Pet-Sitting; You must have a genuine love for animals to become a successful house sitter! You will find that most house sitting assignments out there are focused around the pets. Pets are important members of most families. Usually, this is a cat and dog, but it is not uncommon to see horses, chickens, llamas, ducks, turtles, rabbits and the pet care responsibilities that come with those animals.
2. Get Your House Sitting References and Reviews Together; This is essential, Before any homeowner contacts you, they will want to read reviews or references. This can be difficult when you are first starting out and you may need to get creative. You may ask your family and friends to write a short review about you taking good care of their pets in their absence. Including some troubleshooting and urgent repairs you helped with. Some Airbnb references and lots of pictures with you and pets. Video chat with the home-and pet owners is the best way to get a real feel for someone.(works both ways.
3. Obtain A Police or Government Criminal Record Check; This will give home owners instant peace of mind. You will be living in someone else’s home with all their valuable possessions. Having the peace of mind that you have no convictions can be something that a lot of homeowners look for. Particularly those with precious items. Head to your local government or police website and order a Criminal Record Check.
4. Sign Up To Online House Sitting Websites; There is an immense amount of House-Pet-Sitter websites/platforms (see below which are the best) All of these platforms charge a yearly membership fee but are definitely worth it. Most of these house sitting sites allow you to set up email alerts for certain types of sits, pets, locations or time frame. We highly recommend doing this so you don’t miss any house sit opportunities. It´s also really worth it to sign up on different platforms to find your perfect House-Pet-Sit(..and more chance to get accepted)
5. Be Creative and Self Advertise; Showcase your trustworthiness, responsibility, flexibility, and relevant housesit qualifications(references). Remember its all about trust and showing the homeowner you are a perfect match to take care of their house/property and furry friends.
6. Apply And Don´t Forget To Follow Up Fast; (or you can loose a great opportunity) The more assignments you apply for, the more chance you have. You want to send an application that is well thought out, grammatically correct and relevant to the assignment.
7. Don´t Be Too Picky; You can’t expect your first House-Pet-Sit to be your dream house instantly. Be flexible and have not too big expectations for homes, timeframe, locations or pets. Remember, as ´beginner-sitter´, the more house sits you do the more references you will get. The more references you have, the more likely someone is to hire you for a job as house sitter for them. Homeowners get lots of applications. Particularly in nice areas, great villas and hotspots. If you seem like you are too difficult they will move onto the next candidate!
8. Ask All The Relevant Information; Get the homeowner to list out all the information about the house, area and pet/s. No matter how small or un relevant they might think they detail is, it can save an unwanted problem or nasty surprises. Find out everything from quirks of the house. When the postman comes, numbers of the neighbors and close family members, pet/s favorite snack. The last thing you want to do is contact the family while they are enjoying their holiday with a question like ‘where do you keep the trash bags?’.
9. Communication Plan; Before the homeowner goes away, propose an update/communication schedule. Every homeowner is different. Some people will want daily photos and even Skype calls. Others will want an update once a week or only if something goes wrong. To some families, their pet is everything and it is hard for them to leave them at home with strangers. You want to show the home owner the pet is having fun, happy and most importantly very well taken care of.
10. Extra Travel Insurance; The proposed House Pet Sit Platforms(see below) provide an insurance-backed guarantee. That keeps homeowners covered throughout the duration they have a sitter in their home. It offers cover for a number of circumstances such as accidental damage, theft, and loss. We strongly suggest that you get good and flexible Travel Insurance as these guarantees don´t cover your personal health/medical/ belongings/ travel, etc. We found World Nomads, a very flexible and great one during our travels >>> For other travel insurances you need to be in your home country to apply. >>> Because as a regular House Pet Sitter, you´re most likely not passing ´home´ often, traveling around the world…
This reminds me (Bonus Tip;) )! Check out all Visa Regulations before you leave to another country including Short- and Long stays.
Best and most complete Search Engine for Flights => Skyscanner and Jetradar (offers also alternative(cheaper) dates and discounts. At KIWI.COM you can also find interesting deals. TUI Flight gives a great and flexible service( change of flight dates). In our opinion, the best Last Minute deals you can find. Or book a Cruise from A to B, with the same company TUI Cruise we have a nice story about that coming 😉
By the way, if you get into problems in this crazy times with canceled or delayed flights and maybe get stuck somewhere for these reasons,.. do contact AIRHELP and they will help you to receive compensation for your loss. Airway companies can be very hard to deal with but AIRHELP has an army of lawyers that will fight for your rights.
Disclaimer: This site includes relevant affiliate links and for recommendation we might get compensated 😉
