San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
HOUSESITTING OPENS DOORS TO WORLD OF TRAVEL EXPERIENCE
Quality caretakers can earn their way to ongoing free stays
In the past four years, Toni and Peter Farmer have visited France, England, Scotland, Wales, Spain, Switzerland and Australia, as well as a number of cities in the United States. For the most part, they haven’t paid a dime for accommodations. That’s because the two decided, in their retirement, to become housesitters.
They travel to the home on their own dime, then care for the property — and, often, pets — in exchange for the stay. “It’s enabled us to live in places we never dreamed we would get to in our lifetime, just because of the cost, and actually experience living in a culture which is not ours,” Peter says.
In 2015, the couple signed up on the site Housecarers.com, which is a matching site where homeowners around the world can find housesitters, who pay a $50 annual fee. “By the time we wrote our profile and published it, we joined four housesitting networks,” Toni says. It didn’t take long to fill their schedule with commitments across Europe.
The two sold most of their belongings and their home in Chicago, packed two suitcases each and set off for a housesitting adventure, opting for “sits” of a month or longer, when possible, so they could explore at a casual pace. “We’re able to travel slowly, live slowly,” Peter says.
Through sites such as Nomador.com ($89 per year or limited free option), Trustedhousesitters.com ($99 per year for sitters) and Mindmyhouse.com ($20 per year), travelers can find home stays around the world, while homeowners can tap adventurous souls to mind their abode, handle a few chores and watch their pets. If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to travel, and don’t mind picking up a few responsibilities in exchange, here’s advice shared by the Farmers on how to get — and keep — housesitting gigs.
Let people know you’re available to housesit, and give references. Talk to friends and family and post on social media that you’re looking for housesitting opportunities. You never know when you’ll meet someone who needs a housesitter, says Toni, who has met homeowners on a cruise, through her network, via housesitting sites and by referrals. She suggests signing up on a few housesitting sites and including referrals from friends and employers, and even a background check from your local police department in your profile.
When she and Peter began, those references made up for their lack of experience. “People looked at a very stable couple and said, ‘Oh yeah, we’d want them in our house,’ ” Toni says. When creating your profile, be sure to note any skills and experience you offer, such as types of pets you’ve worked with, garden and yard expertise and more.
Schedule a video call with the homeowners before accepting. The Farmers request to talk with prospective clients by video so they can get a visual tour of the house, connect with the owners and make sure there are no surprises. “It’s a win-win situation for both of us,” Toni says.
Don’t be shy — ask a lot of questions. You’re going to be living in someone else’s house and you’re going to be responsible for it. It’s important to have some frank discussions upfront so you can
establish expectations for both parties and banish assumptions about caring for the house, caring for the pets, communicating with one another and more.
Some questions that the Farmers suggest include: How old are the pets? Are they on any medications? What are their habits and what would constitute odd behavior? If there are dogs, can they be around other dogs? What is the size and condition of the house, yard or gardens? What kind of house duties will I need to perform? How often (if at all) do you want to hear from me?
Figure out your own preferences and boundaries. Toni says it’s important to decide what you’re willing to do and say no to in situations that aren’t appealing — such as properties with large yards that will require mowing, unkempt homes with multiple animals that will need extra cleaning, rural estates that will require renting a car or a farm stay, if you’ve never cared for barnyard animals.
“You really have to define what you want to do and what you’re capable of doing,” she says.
Understand that this isn’t a luxury vacation and you may need to make some sacrifices. Sure, mansions need to be looked after, too. Odds are, you’re not going to start this out with a mansion. And even if you do, you’ll be in the caretaker position. Expect to be in homes that have quirks and may lack some of the luxuries you’re accustomed to, like a dishwasher. Or a sharp knife. Or a comfortable chair. “Not everyone has the ideal setup in the kitchen,” Toni says.
Treat the house — and pets — like your own (or better). As with any job, if you prove your merit in housesitting, it could lead to referrals or an invitation to housesit again. Maybe both.
Living like a local allows you to experience different cities away from the tourist zone, and housesitting gets you as close as possible to local-style living, minus the mortgage or lease. Just be forewarned, Peter says, that once you start, you may not want to quit. When he and Toni began housesitting in 2015, the plan was to travel the world for five years. But now, as that five-year mark approaches, they’re rethinking it.
“At this point,” Peter says, “there’s no reason to stop.”