I get such a thrill when I check my e-mail first thing in the morning and there is a message like this sitting in my in box:
‘House sitter needed for 1 month in Tuscany’.
As I click further I see a picture of a gorgeous cottage in the hills of Tuscany. The owner writes, ‘All I want is someone to look after my house and cat while I leave for a short visit abroad. No other duties! ‘
Is this for real? Yes, it is. It’s straight off Mind My House, one of a handful of reputable house sitting web sites for those that want to travel the world yet live rent free. What’s the catch you ask? About 70% of the assignments from this particular site just ask that you take care of a pet or plants while they are away. That’s it! While I’m not really a cat person, I would certainly consider taking care of one for a free month’s rent in Tuscany.
You register on line, pay a small annual fee, and put up your profile. Select your preferred dates and countries and have weekly or daily assignments delivered to your in box. Simple! Some homeowners will ask that you pay utilities during your stay. Also, some house sits require your own transportation although I’ve seen a few that will allow you to use their car, bike or are near public transportation.
A few months ago, I put up a profile to test it out. One day, as I was whiling away in my cube, I see a request for a house sitting assignment pop up in Zurich, Switzerland. I click further and find an adorable looking 3 bedroom cottage with a garden, porch, and incredible view. ‘Bike to the market! Free wi-fi! Need someone to care for our lovely home May through July’. I was feeling the travel itch in a major way at that time so I spontaneously sent a response message indicating my interest… just to see. To my amazement, they responded right back and said (after checking my profile out) that they were interested in having me and could I chat over the phone, come a few days early to meet them, etc. Wow! It was that easy. I came so close to quitting my job and hopping on a plane bound for Switzerland but sanity (or insanity) prevailed and I had to decline.
Not all house sitting assignments are this easy to get. In fact, I hear it can be competitive. However, if you have a thorough profile up and are open to different locations, there’s a pretty good chance of you finding something. There are many people that house sit full time. It’s a lifestyle for them and they jump from one location to another for years. There are also those that just need a break from reality and want an extended vacation somewhere remote where they can get some peace and quiet. Whatever the reason, house sitting is a very cheap way to explore a destination without fully committing to it. Music to my ears. And while a lot of these assignments are in more remote areas, there are plenty in medium to larger sized cities to go around. It’s definitely worth a look.
Reputable house sitting companies:
MindMyHouse.com (my favorite)
Sabbaticalhomes.com (home exchanges, rentals, house sitting for those in the academic community)
Housesittersamerica.com (only in the US)
This is the first of a 2 post series on house sitting. My next post will look at more reasons why people house sit and how you can do it too. Also I’ll talk about some productive (and non productive) things you can do while living rent free (a.k.a. house sitting) in your new location. Stay tuned…
Has anyone had experience house sitting or with any of these sites? If so, please share your experience, I’d love to hear about it!
Other articles you may like:
Lonely Planet Housesitting Forum (check out the house sitting threads)
Why You Should Become a House Sitter
Related posts:
This is incredible Leigh, that image alone made me want to go! What a fantastic resource – thanks!!
This is a great post, I really enjoyed!
Hisham’s last blog post..Lets forget about USA’s Feature and Talk about Michelle Obama’s Shoes Style
There are quite a lot of bike accident lately, do be careful on the road. By the way, thank you for the informative post. Really appreciate it.
Hi Leigh, many thanks for this great ressource! Definitely a good way to travel this may be!
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I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Nice blog. :D And thanks for using commentluv. I am still not sure why I am told to comment on blogs with commentluv though. lol
Wow is it really true though. I soo want to travel the world rent free. Ahh how that would be so sweet.
Can’t believe this site, it is full of all the stuff I love. Let me tell you about this house sit….
I love to travel and my most recent experience was to Nashville where I visited the Grand Ole Opry. This is best known for housing the longest-running radio show in America, and a country music institution since 1925.
The venue used to be housed at the Ryman Auditorium (which is a wonderful old building still in the heart of Nashville), until 1974 when it moved to its new location on the east side of downtown Nashville. It now seats over 4000 people.
They brought the original circular oak stage with them in the move and incorporated it into the new stage giving the feel of ‘age’ to this new location. This also means that the current artists appearing at the new venue are actually standing on the very same boards that the early singers such as Patsy Cline, Elvis Presley and many more, stood on. It has a fantastic atmosphere. Modern performers talk of the thrill they get from treading these same boards as their heroes.
The Opry is a very large venue but has a feeling of intimacy with comfortable seating. It is a stage show and a radio show at the same time, hard to image.
Country music just abounds at the Grand Old Opry! I saw the Charlie Daniels Band and Carrie Underwood. It was so exciting; Carrie Underwood was a firm favourite with the crowd. No matter who you see, it is a heart stopping show in the home of Country Music.
When I was staying in Nashville I did some House Sitting for a lovely family. Thanks so much to Trace & Pete, I had the best time and looking after ‘Sam’ was a highlight for me. I really felt like I belonged in the town.
After Nashville, I moved on to a new ‘sit’ position but that is another story!
I can’t wait to get back to Nashville again.
That’s great Jane. Sounds like an exciting visit! I, too, love Nashville and my brother lives there. Good luck with your next house sit!
It’s lovely … but what happens to those people who do it full time and find themselves “between jobs,” so to speak? I guess you always have to have money just in case…
That’s the catch.
Oh, and lots of house-sitting jobs require experience taking care of things like maintenance and such. Many ask for couples. I’d imagine single women would have a much harder time.
Hi Ana,
Yes, you usually have to do basic house maintenance but I usually find it’s no more than I would normally do at my own house. Many do indeed ask for couples, but I have not trouble finding house sits that are willing to have a single woman. In fact, I’ve e-mailed a few that advertise for couples and all but one said they would consider a single woman with recommendations. Thanks for commenting…
This is a great idea! I have never even considered house-sitting before.
great article – I would love to travel more
Thanks for your response, Leigh. I want you to know I still loved your article and will look for more in my (endless) ongoing research for a way to live totally independently. ;-)
I stand by what I said, though, in my own experience of going through the Caretaker Gazette. Many, if not most, jobs did require maintenance experience and many lifetime apartment dwellers like myself just don’t have it. You really do have to know what to do when the water pipes break or freeze over.
Gaining that knowledge takes a bit more than a few months of home maintenance training. That’s why plumbers still make good money. ;-)
I saw very few jobs offered that did not ask for couples in the expectation, I’m sure, that the guy at least would know how to fix things. Yes, I’m sure a single woman would have been accepted or at least considered in many of them if she had that knowledge.
So housesitting can’t really be depended upon as a lifestyle until you’re experienced in home maintenance, home repair, gardening, etc., and have a tad more put by to live between gigs.
Wow, I would love to house sit in Europe. I have to loose the husband though. lol