Should I become a house sitter?

There are many reasons why people consider becoming house sitters; whether they want to do it long-term or on holidays.

If you are flexible, creative and willing to live life a little differently, there are many reasons why becoming a house sitter could be great for you.

Long-term house sitting

1. You get to spend all your time with animals. If you love dogs, and cats, and fish, and turtles, and rabbits (I could go on, but I won’t) like me, house sitting is a fantastic way to be around them all the time – without the long-term commitment that can come with owning a pet. Some people simply lack the space for a pet. This is a great alternative.
2. You save a LOT of money. My partner and I spent six years as house and pet sitters. In that time, we saved $160,000 simply by saving the money we didn’t pay in rent. And that doesn’t include bills like electricity or gas – or if you own a home – water, strata and general maintenance.
3. You become a minimalist. Ever dreamt of just getting rid of all your belongings and living simply? When you house sit, you are forced to do that, because you are moving fairly frequently, and because the homes you stay in already have everything you need.

 House sitting on holiday

1. You get to explore new areas. This one goes for both long-term and holiday house sitting. It’s up to you to decide which areas you wish to house sit in. Want to explore a new area? Or can’t decide where to buy or rent? House sit first to get a feel for different areas.
2. You get all the comforts of a home rather than a hostel or hotel. If you love cooking, you’ll be able to do just that when you house sit, which is so much cheaper than eating in a restaurant. You’ll also get that lovely ‘homely’ feeling which is so much more welcoming that a bare, generic hotel / motel room.
3. You won’t pay a cent. House sitting is free, apart from the $84 you’ll spend on an Aussie House Sitters membership. This membership lasts the whole year though, which is cheaper than just one night in a hotel! Saving money on a holiday means you can spend your money elsewhere – markets, shops, museums, cultural events, cinemas – the list goes on.

There were many reasons that my partner and I house sat for six years. We never intended to – but it was such a good gig, it was difficult to give up – and we only did so because of a certain pandemic. But now that things are more or less back to normal, at least in Australia, and borders are opening up – I highly recommend house sitting as a wonderful thing to do!