When we first left the UK to travel full-time, we knew accommodation costs would be our biggest challenge. We’d budgeted carefully, but we also wanted to travel slowly, live like locals, and avoid burning through savings. That’s when we discovered housesitting
A friend introduced us to Trustedhousesitters.com as she had been using them for months and had stayed in some amazing places around the world. We were a bit unsure at first, but when we landed in Australia, we knew we needed to start watching the pennies, so we decided to give it a go……
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Our first housesit was in Sydney, Australia. The homeowners were off on their own travels, and in exchange for looking after their aging Labrador and cat, watering the plants, and keeping the house ticking over, we got to live in their beautiful home in the Sydney suburbs completely rent-free for a week (and use their pool and hot tub!)
We got to stay in one of the most expensive cities in the world, without paying a cent for accommodation. We took Jai to see the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, explored the local markets and parks, and discovered a part of the city we probably would never have seen if we’d stayed in a hotel in the city centre.
It wasn’t a hotel. It wasn’t luxury. But it felt real – like we’d caught a glimpse of genuine Sydney locals life.
That one experience changed the way we travel forever.
What Housesitting Actually Is (and How It Works)
Housesitting is a simple exchange:
- Homeowners need reliable people to care for their home (and often pets) while they’re away.
- Housesitters look after the home in return for free accommodation, often for weeks or months at a time.
Here’s the typical process:
- Join a platform – Most travellers use sites like TrustedHousesitters, HouseCarers, or MindMyHouse.
- Create a strong profile – Include great photos, references, and a warm bio that shows you’re trustworthy.
- Search and apply – Filter by location, length, and pet type. Send personal, thoughtful messages when applying.
- Meet the homeowners – A quick video chat or phone call builds trust and clears up expectations.
- Get confirmed – Once accepted, plan your travel and arrival.
- Do the sit – Treat the home with care, look after pets, and keep everything running smoothly.
Why We Love Housesitting as a Travel Family
Over the years, we’ve housesat in city apartments in Sydney and Melbourne, beach houses on the Gold Coast, and quiet countryside homes on the Great Ocean Road, where kangaroos hopped past our window. Each sit has been different, but the benefits have been consistent.
The Pros of Housesitting
- Free accommodation: huge savings for long stays
- Pet companionship: perfect if you love animals (or if your kids miss having pets after months of travelling)
- Local living: get to stay in local neighbourhoods away from tourist centres for a different travel experience
- Feeling of stability and routine: having your own kitchen, TV and other home comforts can feel so good after months living out of backpacks
- Slow travel: many sits last weeks or even months
- Community: genuine connections with homeowners and locals
For us, housesitting is more than a budget travel hack, it’s a way of making the world feel like home.
The Not-So-Glamorous Bits (The Cons)
Of course, housesitting isn’t always picture-perfect. A few things to keep in mind:
- Fixed dates and locations: You plan around sits, not the other way around
- Real responsibilities: Pets, gardens, and homes need daily care and you might have to cut short days out to get back and feed the pets.
- Transport is often needed: Rural or suburban sits can mean limited public transport
- Competition: Popular sits get snapped up fast
- You’re not in a hotel: It’s a mutual exchange, not a holiday
For example, during one sit in Australia, we looked after a gorgeous but geriatric Jack Russell who was 17 years old,blind and deaf, and had almost no control of her bladder (or bowels!). Every morning and often during the day too, we’d have to clean up after her – definitely not for people who don’t love animals!
Our Top Housesitting Tips (Especially for Families)
If you’re ready to give this a try, here are some of the most helpful lessons we’ve learned:
Beginner tips
- Start local to build up references and get an idea of what’s expected.
- Be honest about your capacity – only apply for sits you can handle. We applied for all sits to begin with but we learnt that Jai doesn’t love big, excitable dogs, so now we only go for homes with one dog, or smaller, older dogs (or just stick with cats!)
- Apply early and thoughtfully – personal messages go a long way. Always try to include the owner’s and the pet’s names in your application message. It shows you’ve read the ad and you care about the housesit.
- Clarify expectations upfront – responsibilities, arrival, house rules, any medication due.
- Leave the house spotless. Good reviews are gold.
If you travel as a family, highlight your strengths: routine, reliability, and often being home in the evenings are big plus points for pet owners.
How Housesitting Fits into Long-Term Travel
Housesitting has allowed us to stretch our travel budget further than we ever imagined. It gives us breathing space between busy travel periods, time to work, homeschool our son, join local homeschool groups, and settle into a rhythm of daily life, with no rent and no pressure.
We love that we’re offering real value to homeowners with peace of mind while they’re away, while creating stability and community for ourselves along the way.
Housesitting has been one of the most transformative discoveries of our travel life. It’s not just a way to travel rent-free, it’s a way to live more slowly. You’re not a tourist; you become part of a home, a community, a rhythm.
If you’re curious, start small. Create a profile, apply for a short sit near you, and see how it feels. Who knows? Your first housesit might change the way you travel too.
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