When Suchot Sunday got her first job out of college, her paycheck didn't stretch very far. Then she stumbled across housesitting as a way to cut rental costs.
"I was curious about housesitting as something fun to try, and as a way to save money on housing," says Sunday, a Canadian business coach based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, who blogs at The Curious Frugal. "It turns out you can housesit almost everywhere."
Global housesitting appeals to Kelly Hayes-Raitt, a veteran full-time housesitter and author of How to Become a Housesitter: Insider Tips from the Housesit Diva. Over the past two decades, Hayes-Raitt has traveled to 25 countries and now has roots in Lisbon, Portugal.
Given the high costs of essentials like groceries and gas, along with sky-high housing prices (the national average rent in the US is $1,979, and the typical monthly mortgage payment is around $2,703), swapping services for free room and board has become an attractive option for folks who need more room in their budgets.
Lamia Walker, who housesits seasonally and is the founder of Housesit Match, does gigs with her family during the holidays. By saving money on hotel stays, she's able to have more affordable vacations.
Housesitting gigs found on popular platforms usually aren't paid, but you can save a lot of money by getting free accommodation. In addition to caring for the property, housesitting often involves caring for pets and/or plants — an exchange of services with benefits to both parties. Although that may seem like a straightforward endeavor, there are some caveats to keep in mind. I spoke to a few veteran housesitters for their insights on how to land a housesitting gig and make the most of it.
Housesitting pros and cons
Although housesitting is usually unpaid, like any job it has advantages and disadvantages. For example, Hayes-Raitt says you'll need to deal with the homeowner's quirks and expectations, communication requirements and pets. Here are some other pros and cons.
Pros
✅ Cuts living costs. Probably the greatest perk of housesitting is that it can put extra money back into your pocket by getting free accommodation, which you could use toward your financial goals. For instance, with the savings on housing (plus a well-paying job), Sunday could pay off her student debt, put $20,000 in a long-term savings account and start an emergency fund that would tide her over for three months.
✅ Gives you a taste of different lifestyles. You can try out various types of homes, neighborhoods and amenities without the commitment. For instance, Sunday always imagined a hot tub could be a great addition to a home. After taking care of a home with a jacuzzi, she realized she didn't care for the required upkeep.
✅ Doesn't cost much to apply. While a subscription fee exists to set up a sitter profile and apply for gigs, it is somewhat affordable. A Trusted Housesitters annual membership fee ranges from $149 to $299 and a Nomador membership ranges from $85 to $190 each year. The subscription can pay for itself if you land even one short-term gig.
Cons
⛔️ Dates aren't up to you. Housesitting involves many responsibilities, and you need flexibility to start and end at random times. "The homeowners are the ones who get to decide when they want to leave and return," Sunday tells me.
⛔️ There are costs involved. Though you'll get a free place to stay in exchange for a house or pet sitting, you have to factor in airfare, food, transportation, entertainment and other costs. Ideally, if you're traveling to another destination, you want to have those costs shored up beforehand. If you're jumping from gig to gig, you'll need to budget accordingly to have those transition and living costs ready.
⛔️ Might have to move frequently. If you are a full-time sitter or sit seasonally, you might have to uproot and move more often than you prefer. This depends on the length of your gigs and your housesitting cadence. "If you hate moving, housesitting may not be for you," says Sunday. If you're planning to housesit abroad, you'll have to double-check the country's immigration laws and visa requirements since unpaid housesitting is still considered work in several countries.
How to get started housesitting
If you're curious about trying out house sitting, here are some pointers on landing your first gig, how to know it's a good fit for you and some best practices:
Focus on a smaller housesitting platform
Housesitting is popular, and prospective pet and housesitters are easy to find on well-known platforms such as TrustedHouseSitters.com and Nomador. The larger platforms tend to be the most expensive to sign up for, says Hayes-Raitt. For newbies, she recommends focusing on smaller sites, such as HouseSit Match or MindMyHouse. You might also want to hone in on a platform that's specific to a region, such as HouseSitMexico, House Sitters Canada or Aussie House Sitters, because there's usually less competition for a gig.
Don't underestimate word of mouth
Since there are so many available housesitters, try your hand at getting referred first, and let people know you're interested in housesitting, says Sunday. "After you get your first housesitting gig, it's much easier to continue with it," she says. If you have positive reviews, you'll often get referrals.
Hayes-Raitt also suggests contacting your network to land your first few housesitting gigs. A friend, family member or co-worker might need someone to stay at their place and watch their pets.
Start local
The beauty of housesitting is that you can do it globally, but Hayes-Raitt recommends doing a sit locally first. That's because going to another location, especially a foreign one, can be overwhelming, and there's just a lot to figure out, she says.
"To reduce moving parts and extra factors, housesit in your community," says Hayes-Raitt. "That way, you don't have to worry about the language or where to go grocery shopping."
By staying local, you can also avoid any potential legal complications surrounding immigration or visa requirements.
Consider housesitting with a partner or your entire family
If you're partnered or have family, you might be able to land a gig and take your loved ones along. It depends on the scope of the gig and if the folks you're sitting for approve.
The upside of housesitting with a partner is that you can share the responsibilities, says Walker. Plus, you'll have someone you can enjoy local discoveries with.
Know what kind of experience you want
Hayes-Raitt recommends figuring out what kind of experience you want to have, your limitations and special needs, and what you'd like to get out of this particular trip.
For example, she's a city dweller. "While that little hobby farm in the center of France may sound idyllic, I would go crazy there," she says. "I also have housesitting friends who love that kind of thing, and they would hate being in the city where there are planes going overhead and dogs barking."
Figure out what you're looking for first, she says. Do you want a cultural experience in a new place, or do you want something more familiar, where you can stay at home and finish a project?
Request a video interview
Although a phone call or email correspondence can be helpful for answering questions and building rapport between the housesitter and homeowner, a video interview is a better way to gather information. For instance, it can help you get a feel for someone's home and personality, says Hayes-Raitt.
Pay close attention to how the homeowner interacts with their pets, where the animals are fed and how clean that space is. Ask them to give you a video tour of their home and to show you where your sleeping quarters are.
Make housesitting fit with your financial goals
There are many ways that saving on housing can help with your overall financial picture.
For Walker, housesitting for a vacation is both fun and financially smart. When traveling with her daughter to Paris during a peak spring holiday, Walker saved $1,900 over two weeks. On another gig with her entire family in Cornwall, UK, she saved $3,900 by not having to cover hotel expenses.
Walker's son Alex also worked as a housesitter for six months while studying for his Master's degree in London. He saved $11,400 on rent, commuting expenses and bills, which meant he didn't have to take out any student debt to pursue his professional degree.
To make the most of your lowered living expenses, factor in how housesitting can boost your money goals. "Saving money doesn't just happen magically by housesitting," says Sunday. "You have to combine the lowered expenses with the discipline to save the money coming in."
Sunday strategized by paying herself first. She automatically siphoned money from her monthly paycheck into investing, debt reduction and retirement accounts, and then lived on the remainder.
Housesitting can substantially lower your living costs and free up funds to put toward your money goals. You'll want to weigh the pros against the cons and make sure it's a good fit for your lifestyle, goals and interests.
Editor's note, Sept. 13: After publishing this article, we were informed that some sitters traveling through a couple of the platforms mentioned here faced immigration-related problems when taking on gigs abroad, including being refused entry. We encourage anyone interested in housesitting outside of their home country to thoroughly review tourist and work visa policies to avoid legal complications. This article has been updated to factor in those considerations.
