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Updated for 2026: We’ve refreshed this guide with new tips and insights based on our most recent house sitting experiences and the latest pet care trends. Whether you’re house sitting locally or internationally, these updated questions will help you prepare like a pro and make a great impression with pet parents. And don’t forget to check out our Ultimate House Sitting Guide for even more expert advice and step-by-step help to get started!
We love house sitting. We’ve done over 25 house sits across four continents in six years, and we’re not stopping anytime soon. And we think, nay, know that you’ll love it too. Whether you’re a travel-loving couple, a solo adventurer, or someone looking to save money while caring for adorable pets, getting started may seem a bit daunting.
In this article, you’ll find out what house sitting is (and what it isn’t), how to find the right house sits for you, and how to land your first house sit (even if you’ve never done it before).
What Is House Sitting?
House sitting is an exchange between house sitters and pet parents. Pet parents have homes and pets they want looked after while they travel, and they don’t want their homes to be vacant or pay to board their pets.
That’s where house sitters come in. They take care of the home, the pets, and anything else the pet parents may need (plant watering, garbage taking out, etc.). The pet parent gets responsible people to watch over their home and pets, and the house sitters get a place to stay!
Why People Choose House Sitting While Traveling
House sitting is beneficial for everyone involved. For the house sitters, it’s more than just a great way to get a place to stay. Traveling through house sitting also allows you to travel slower and see parts of the world that you wouldn’t see otherwise. We’ve stayed in the suburbs of London, the French countryside, and a remote lakeside cabin in Costa Rica. We would have never known these opportunities even existed without house sitting.
Pet parents get peace of mind while they travel, knowing their homes and pets are being looked after by responsible and trustworthy house sitters. Boarding pets and paying for someone to watch your house can be expensive, so the pet parents get peace of mind and save a bunch of money.
And, best of all, the pets benefit by getting to stay in their own homes and stick to their normal routines.
That all sounds crazy, right? And that’s because it is! Inviting a stranger from the internet into your home to live there? Or going to live in a stranger’s house? Wild! That’s why, for any kind of house sitting or pet sitting arrangement, we recommend you always use a house sitting platform.
How to Get Started With House Sitting
Sign Up With a Trusted House Sitting Website
There are a lot of house sitting platforms out there, all with different ranges and benefits. We’ve done 25 house sits across four continents in the past six years, totaling over two years worth of free accommodation in beautiful homes. And we’ve done all of them through Trusted Housesitters. They have the largest amount of sits available at any one time, they provide great benefits and easy communication for their members, and it’s just an easy way for house sitters and pet parents to connect and know that everyone is trustworthy.
Create a Strong House Sitting Profile
Once you’ve signed up for a house sitting platform, you can start to work on your profile. This is your digital resume to show off to potential house sitters or pet parents that you’re the person (or people) for the job. You’ll want to include pictures of yourself (and anyone you may be house sitting with, e.g., your partner, kids, friends, etc.), write about what you bring to the table as a house sitter, your experience house sitting (if any), and any other information you think will help you stand out from the crowd. You’ll also want to ask your friends and family to write personal character references about you.
Pet parents will write about their home, their pets, and any responsibilities they want covered while they’re away. They can also include pictures of the home, pets, and anything else they think is pertinent.
Apply to House Sitting Opportunities That Match Your Experience
House sitters can search as widely as the whole planet or as narrowly as a single city, specific travel dates, what kind of pets they want to take care of, local attractions, and more. There are usually thousands of house sits available at any one time. House sitting for beginners may seem daunting, but everyone has to start somewhere. Armed with the right knowledge and know-how, you’ll be able to land your first house sit in no time.
Trusted Housesitters, to alleviate stress for the pet parents, limits the amount of applications per house sit. Once the pet parent receives five applications, no one else can apply until the pet parent goes through those five applicants and says no to at least one of them. That means when you see a house sit that fits your expectations, abilities, and schedule, you should use a template to apply as quickly as possible so you don’t miss out.
How to Get Your First House Sit (With No Experience)
House sitting with no experience may seem difficult. But it doesn’t have to be! There are a few things you can do to make your first house sit a great one.
For your very first house sit, choose someone with reviews. You won’t have any reviews yet yourself, but if you’ve set up your profile correctly, you will have character references that will help you get your foot in the door. You’ll want to choose someone with reviews because they’ll have gone through the house sitting experience before and will better understand how it all works.
The next thing you can do to get your first house sit with no experience is to send a great opening message. Working from a template makes applying a lot faster and easier. Since you don’t have any reviews (yet), they’ll probably take a hard look at your profile, so you’ll want it to be as good as possible.
When you’ve got your profile ready to go and your messages pre-written, try to find some local, shorter house sits for your first few sits. Doing these sits will allow you to build up your confidence and, more importantly, your reviews.
What to Expect During Your First House Sit
Daily Pet Care Responsibilities
House sitting is not a vacation, and it’s not traveling. You will be pet sitting while traveling. You’ll need to feed the pets, walk the dog, brush the cat, and any other pet care responsibilities you and the pet parent agree to before the sit. You’ll be responsible for giving responsible pet care, and that needs to be your number one priority.
Make sure you are comfortable with all the responsibilities and that you know what you’re getting yourself into before agreeing to the sit. Make sure to read the pet parent’s profile carefully before applying and to ask a lot of questions on your call.
Maintaining the Home While the Owners Are Away
Once the owners leave, you’re responsible for the house! You’ll be living like a local in their home, and that means taking out the garbage, turning on/off security systems, and a bevy of other things that you may be required to do. If it’s possible, we recommend crossing over with the pet parents in person before the sit begins. That way, they can give you the lay of the land and show you exactly how they want the house to be taken care of while they’re gone. This step can save numerous headaches and will make it more likely that you’ll get a good review at the end of the sit.
Communication With the Pet Parents
It’s important to keep a clear line of communication between you and the pet parents. We recommend using WhatsApp because it’s international, easy to use, and, best of all, free. Some pet parents may want daily fur baby photos; others may only want to be contacted in case of an emergency. Make sure to ask what kind of contact the pet parent wants while they’re away.
Frequently Asked Questions About House Sitting
Yes! Well, mostly. When you house sit through a platform (which, again, is the best way to find safe and reputable house sits), it works as an exchange: free housing for free home and pet care. However, the house sitter and pet parent will both need to pay an annual fee to the house sitting platform.
The house sitter will need to pay for their transport to the house sit, as well as their own living expenses while they’re at the house sit. The pet parent will pay the rent/mortgage, utilities, and for any pet supplies (food, litter, etc.) that the house sitter will need for the sit.
Nope! You only need one profile to cover your entire family. However, you need to be upfront in your profile and messages about exactly who is applying for the house sit.
We make it apparent in our profile that we are traveling as a couple; our main profile picture is the two of us together. If you’re planning to house sit with your partner/family, make sure that is obvious in your profile and when you apply.
In general, house sitting is very safe, especially when you go through a house sitting platform. That way, you know that the listings are real. We always recommend getting on a call with the pet parent before accepting a house sit so you can make sure the vibe feels right to you.
Nope! While many digital nomads like us use house sitting to travel, people like retirees, remote workers, and even families can house sit. Being responsible, flexible, and communicative are the most important qualities a house sitter needs.
Not always, but more often than not. Pet parents are looking for someone to care for their pets while they travel because animal boarding can be expensive. There are pet-free house sits out there, but they are quite rare. For reference, of the 25 house sits we’ve done, only two have been pet-free.
Common responsibilities include feeding pets, walking dogs, watering plants, collecting mail, taking out trash, and generally maintaining the home. Duties vary from sit to sit and should be discussed with the pet parent before agreeing to the sit.
Your House Sitting Journey Starts Here
House sitting offers a unique and rewarding way to travel that lets you save money, care for adorable pets, and immerse yourself in local communities all around the world. If you’re excited to get started but not sure where to begin, you’re not alone.
That’s why we put together our free Travel House Sitting Mini-Guide to help you create a standout profile, apply for sits that match your travel goals, and avoid beginner mistakes. It’s the guide we wish we had when we were starting out!
If you’re ready to go all in and start house sitting ASAP, get our Ultimate House Sitting Course that walks you through everything you need to do step-by-step.
Whether you’re dreaming of house sitting abroad or simply want to explore your own country in a more meaningful way, you’ll find everything you need to take the next step.
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