How To Become A House Sitter In 10 Easy Steps (Updated ...

Want to learn how to become a housesitter? After nine years and over 70 homes across 12 countries, we’ve figured out what works—and learned from plenty of mistakes along the way.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how housesitting actually works and share our proven step-by-step process for landing your first sit. You’ll discover ten actionable strategies, insider tips, and the exact methods we’ve used to turn housesitting into a lifestyle where you can travel for free and say goodbye to rent and bills.

Want to jump straight to how to become a house sitter in 10 steps? Then click here

Table of Contents

Toggle

• An Introduction to House Sitting
• Where We Have House Sat
• How To Become A House Sitter – Our Step-By-Step Guide
• 1. Get Your House Sitting References and Reviews Together
• 2. Obtain A Police or Government Criminal Record Check
• 3. Sign Up To Online House Sitting Websites
• 4. Be Creative and Self Advertise
• 5. Complete A Pet First Aid Course – Optional
• 6. Apply, Apply, Apply, Apply, and Don’t Forget to Follow Up!
• 7. Genuinely Love Pets and Animals
• 8. Be Flexible
• 9. Get All The Information
• 10. Update and Communicate
• That is How To Become A House Sitter
• Need More Help Starting Your House-Sitting Adventure?
• House Sitting FAQs
• Want More House Sitting Information?

An Introduction to House Sitting

House-sitting is becoming popular worldwide, and pet owners, homeowners, couples, singles, and families can benefit greatly.Over the past nine years, we have looked after almost 90 homes. We have found them on many different websites. Check out our post to see the top house-sitting sites we use.

There are three main reasons why homeowners love house-sitting:

1. The peace of mind real pet lovers will look after their pets.
2. Their pets can keep a regular schedule.
3. Even though they will be away, the pets will be home in a familiar environment.

You don’t get three things from pet hotels or pet boarding services.

The benefits for the house sitter are:

1. Having a pet to love while traveling.
2. A comfortable home to look after.
3. House sitting for free rent.
4. The ability to save on accommodation while traveling or saving for a home.
5. It is being able to explore a city like a local, not a tourist.
6. Free rent in exchange for house-sitting
7. Having the freedom to travel anywhere in the world.

House-sitting can benefit many different people, such as;

• Young couples trying to save for their first home.
• Individuals who can’t afford rent.
• Long-term travelers who want a place to settle.
• Those who miss animals, whether because they are traveling, can’t have pets at their own home, or can’t afford them.
• Retirees who are looking for a cheap travel accommodation.
• Nomads looking for international house-sitting jobs.

Where We Have House Sat

We have been offering our house-sitting services for nine years now! At that time, we had the opportunity to look after SOME INCREDIBLE homes worldwide.Some of our highlights so far:Australia, Barcelona, Bourdeaux, Canada, Chiang Mai, the Caribbean, Dublin, France, Greece, Kuala Lumpur, London, Rome, Spain, Istanbul, and Northern Italy.

How To Become A House Sitter – Our Step-By-Step Guide

Below are the ten steps to becoming a house sitter (we wish we had known these when we were getting started)

1. Get Your House Sitting References and Reviews Together

Reviews and references are everything. Before any homeowner contacts you, they will want to read reviews or references.

Starting can be difficult, and you may need to get creative. We found the following were helpful if you have no references:

• Family or friends whose pets you have experience with.
• Are you a member or leader of community groups, organizations, or clubs? Think scouts, church groups, youth groups, Girl Guides, etc.
• Current or past employer.
• References from commendable figures in your life, such as policemen, judges, or doctors.
• Airbnb References.
• Dog walking references.

Do you want to get started house-sitting ASAP? Skip our how-to-become house-sitter tips, sign up for one of the house-sitting websites, and start booking house-sitting assignments now!

2. Obtain A Police or Government Criminal Record Check

A police or criminal record check can help you secure a house sit and is also a great backup if you have no references. Go to your local government or police website and order a Criminal Record Check.

Each country might have a different version, but it should be similar. Most countries will send you physical and online copies to your email address. It’s good to have these on hand and forward them to anyone interested in having your house sit for them or adding them to your house-sitting profile.

Homeowners often do their due diligence when hiring sitters, and a police check is a great way for them to see that you are the perfect one to look after their animals. It might just be the peace of mind that they must confirm you for the house-sitting assignment.

House Sitting TipSo, what happens if you’re not in the exact location as the house sit? If you’re not in the same location as the assignment, that’s okay. It can work in your favor. The best thing we found to do is have a Skype conversation with the homeowners. This is actually how we locked in our first sit!Speaking over video allows you to showcase your authentic self. We have found it to be much more effective than chatting over email.The home and pet owners we have spoken to agree that video chat is the best way to get a natural feel for someone.

3. Sign Up To Online House Sitting Websites

The number one question we get about becoming a housesitter is: what are the best house-sitting websites to use?

There are many house-sitting websites out there that link homeowners and house and pet sitters together. When we surveyed over 70,000 housesitters and homeowners, we found that over 44% of house sitters used house-sitting sites to find house sits.

All these platforms charge a yearly membership fee, but it’s worth it after you’ve locked in your first house-sitting assignment! Some house-sitting sites are more expensive, but they can offer more benefits, such as the ability to set up alerts for your chosen location/duration/dates, comprehensive insurance, and background checks.

I recommend always picking a platform that provides full insurance. I have comprehensively reviewed all the platforms currently on the market and outlined which provide insurance, the cost, alerts, and background checks. You can see that detailed review here.

The main ones that we use are listed below.

• Trusted House Sitters (if you click on that link, a 25% discount code will be automatically applied)
• Aussie House Sitters (Best for in Australia)
• House Carers (Best for the USA)
• Mindahome

Once you have picked a site, sign up to set up your house-sitting profile. Your profile should showcase your trustworthiness, responsibility, relevant skills, and house-sitting qualifications.

Remember, it’s all about trust and showing the homeowner you are perfect for house-sitting jobs. I provide some guidance on this, so if you need help, visit my contact page.

House-Sitting Tip: Sometimes, the smaller, more local house-sitting platforms have some great house-sitting assignments & much less competition!

4. Be Creative and Self Advertise

It is always a good idea to self-advertise. Always remember that creativity is vital to advertising! Think outside the box.

In the past, we have:

1. I created leaflets and letterboxes and dropped suburbs we wanted to house sit in.
2. Made posters and put them up on supermarket notice boards, cafes, yoga studios, and community centers.
3. I dropped business cards at local pet shops, homeware stores, and real estate agents.
4. Found and got active on Facebook groups and forums for expats in locations we want to visit.
5. I asked friends and family members to keep an ear out or to share our services on their travel adventures.
6. I spoke to local councils about adding our pet sitter services to their community resource documents.

Remember, the best marketing method is word of mouth. House sitting is still a relatively new concept to most. Someone who has never heard of house sitting might get your leaflet and tell ten people about this great new idea they have found!

You can try social media platforms to get more exposure. You never know what platforms your next house sit might come from!

You could create a YouTube channel, Instagram account, Facebook Page, Twitter account, or personal house-sitting website. If you have a LinkedIn profile, even put it on there. You never know who will stumble across you.

5. Complete A Pet First Aid Course – Optional

The last thing you want to happen while looking after a family’s furry friend is for something bad. You may need to be prepared for pet emergencies. Pets are like family members, and you may need special skills to solve one of the many potential pet emergencies that can happen.We recommend finding your local pet first aider and completing a course. This is optional, but it does look really good on your house-sitting resume. Generally, they are one-day courses and will only cost around $100. Attending a one-day course could save one of your pets’ lives. Along with your police record check, this looks more professional to any homeowner.

Once you have completed any course, update your house-sitting profile to let homeowners know you have the skills.

6. Apply, Apply, Apply, Apply, and Don’t Forget to Follow Up!

Once you are signed up, make sure you start applying for as many house-sitting assignments as you can! Remember to set up email alerts never to miss your perfect house-sitting assignment. House sitting is competitive, so you must be prompt and stand out with your applications. Don’t send a generic copy-and-paste application. Show the homeowner you have read their listing and want to look after their home and pets.Remember, depending on the home’s location, some homeowners can receive hundreds of applications in one week. You want to send an application that is well thought out, grammatically correct, and relevant to the assignment.

See our tips for applying and landing the sits you want.

7. Genuinely Love Pets and Animals

You will find that some house-sitting assignments are focused on pets. Usually, this is a cat and dog, but it is expected to see horses, chickens, llamas, ducks, turtles, and rabbits. However, there are many opportunities to house sit without animals; if you prefer not to care for animals, I can show you how to find this house sit.

You need to be able to look after your pets as if they were your own, giving them the love and kind cuddles they usually receive. Pet sitting allows animals to stay comfortable in their own environment and continue with their regular routines. This keeps them happy and calm and ensures they do not miss their owners too much.

8. Be Flexible

You may need to be flexible when starting out and building your references. Remember, the more house-sits you do, the more references you will get. When we first started house-sitting, we lived in London, UK, and our first job was in London. This was to build up our references.​The more references you have, the more likely someone is to hire you for a job as a house sitter for them. Homeowners receive many applications, particularly in desirable areas or popular vacation spots. So, much like a job application, until you have some experience, you might need to take some shorter assignments.

House Sitting Tip:Sometimes, you will have gaps before or after a house sit. Don’t worry; this is not a big deal. There are many options available for you, including affordable or even free accommodation.Consider Couchsurfing (for free accommodation), Gumtree, Airbnb, Craigslist (available in the USA only), or your local community notice board.

9. Get All The Information

This is important for individuals seeking to learn how to become house sitters. Have the homeowner list all the information about the house and any pets. No matter how small or irrelevant they might think the detail is, finding all the information about the house, pets, and area can prevent unwanted problems or nasty surprises.

Find out everything from the house’s quirks to when the postman comes, the names and numbers of the neighbors, and close family members. The last thing you want to do is contact the family while they enjoy their holiday with a question like, ‘Where do you keep the trash bags?’Find out the animal’s favorite snack if they are likely to get up at night to go to the bathroom. Their favorite sleeping spot. If they have a favorite scratching spot or anything else you can think of,

We have compiled a list of over 65+ questions in a handover questionnaire, including the ones I mentioned. I like to send this to the homeowner at least 5-7 days before they leave so they can provide good information. We provide this questionnaire in our Masterclass; you can see it here if you’re interested in joining.

Your main priority is to keep the animals happy and safe; every last detail about them will make your house much more manageable.

For Example, we recently had a long-term sit with a cat who tended to throw up at night. The homeowner had owned this cat for many years and had just become accustomed to this, almost forgetting to tell us. Without crucial information, we could have been in a state of absolute panic.

10. Update and Communicate

Before the homeowner goes away, develop an updated schedule/communication schedule. Remember that 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. Be sure to come up with a clear plan of attack and respect it.

Don’t be worried if the homeowner asks you to share updates with their friends while they are traveling around the globe. We have encountered that before.To some families, their pets are everything, and it is hard for them to leave them at home with strangers. You want to show the homeowner that the pet is having fun, happy, and, most importantly, well taken care of.

That is How To Become A House Sitter

We hope our top 10 tips on being a housesitter have inspired you to start your house-sitting adventure! Below is the house-sitting site we use to land all our 50+ house-sits worldwide!

Then, you can start applying for house-sitting opportunities!

Need More Help Starting Your House-Sitting Adventure?

We love sharing our experiences and teaching others how to become house sitters and start their own journeys. If you need help getting started on your house-sitting journey, please visit my resources here and don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.

House Sitting FAQs

Do you get paid to be a house sitter?

It depends. Sometimes, house and pet sitting is a mutual agreement between the house sitter and the homeowner, where no money changes hands. However, some people charge for their services. We are currently putting together a fact sheet to help with this.

What does a professional house sitter do?

A professional housesitter ensures the home and pets are safe while the homeowner is away. Your duties include, but are not limited to, caring for animals, walking them, administering medication, taking care of the home, keeping up with housework and garden maintenance, and anything else specified by the homeowner.

Are there free house siting websites?

After four years of house sitting, we have not found any platforms allowing you to sign up for free and apply for house sits.

What do you do as a house sitter?

As a housesitter, your main focus is keeping the home and animals safe while the homeowner is away. This can include walking animals, feeding animals, administering medication, vet visits, keeping a tidy home, ensuring the homeowner’s mail is safe, paying any bills, maintaining the yard/garden, and ensuring no one breaks in.

Do house sitters stay overnight?

Yes, house sitters do stay overnight. House sitters stay in your home for the house sits entire duration. Usually, the house sitters will come from out of town (or out of the country) to care for your home, so they will be at the property the entire time they sit.

Do house sitters pay utilities?

This is something that you need to discuss with your sitters. Generally, we do not pay utility bills on the house sits. When sitting, we spend a lot of time caring for animals and the homeowner’s property and ensuring everything is safe – which is ‘working’ for the utility bills to be covered when we are sitting. Usually, we travel a long way to get to a seat, for which we never ask for compensation from the homeowners. We would not be comfortable paying for utilities on top of that. We ensure that we take care when using utilities at home so we don’t put the homeowners out of pocket.

Do house sitters pay a security deposit?

Generally speaking, no. However, this comes down to the homeowners. Make sure you talk with the home and pet owners throughout the application process about what they would like to do. We have never been asked to pay a security deposit for completed house sits.

Why do people hire house sitters?

There are many reasons why homeowners choose to hire sitters. The most common reasons are to take care of pets and administer medication to sick animals. Other common reasons homeowners hire sitters to take care of their homes are to ensure the home is safe and to ensure maintenance is kept up while they are away. Let’s get into how to start house-sitting gigs!

Are Trusted House Sitters Worth It?

Trusted House Sitters is a platform that we have been using for years. It is one of our go-to platforms and a highly recommended site! In terms of whether the cost is worth it, it is one of the most expensive platforms, but once you lock in your first sit, the membership fee has already paid for itself! You can find house sits worldwide, including house-sitting in Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, London, Mexico, New York, North America, Panama, Toronto, the United States, and almost anywhere else.

Have You Done Boat Sitting?

Yes, Jay has cared for a catamaran in the Caribbean. There are many opportunities to care for boats; if you looking for more information, see his post on house sitting in the Caribbean

Author: Jayden MckinlayHiya! I am Jayden. I am originally from New Zealand and am one-half of the Travelling House Sitters. During my house-sitting journey, I looked after 35 cats, 25 dogs, and one turtle! I have cared for over 40 homes in 15 countries and even a catamaran in the Caribbean!I want to show you how to become a professional housesitter by putting together all the resources I wish I had when I started. You can enjoy this lifestyle as well!You can read more about Brittnay and me on our about page.Or connect with me on Facebook or in their house sitting community on Facebook

• Facebook

Want More House Sitting Information?