Ever since we started using TrustedHousesitters we’ve been faced with endless questions of wonderment and curiosity: How does it work? That sounds awesome! How do I do it too!? Well, here it is; your one-stop-shop if you’re thinking of joining this network of homeowners and pet-loving, travelling strangers who are united by a common kindness.
TrustedHousesitters is the perfect solution for all kinds of people. With members in over 130 countries, it’s the world’s largest house and petsitting platform.
For us, an adventurous couple who mostly work from our laptops, are on the lookout for our forever home and (currently) move around too much to have our own furry friend, house sitting has become a way of life.
We thought, why not explore different areas of the country (and the world) by staying in a ready made home with a trusty furry local for company?!
Granted, our lifestyle isn’t necessarily usual, but that doesn’t make us the exception. Anyone can use TrustedHousesitters. Whether you’re looking for accommodation or a city break, a countryside escape, an overseas adventure or a nearby stay when visiting family or friends - you’re likely to find more than a few options to choose from. We even have friends using TrustedHousesitters as they backpack around the world.
Emms gets some help “at work”
The site has become so useful to us it seems strange that there are some who don’t use it at all, so we thought we’d share our learnings on how to best use the service, and why it might be helpful.
House sitting costs less than a hotel or Airbnb, and although it takes a little more work than just making a booking, it comes with all the comforts of home. Space, facilities, cooking equipment, AND a happy pet waiting to greet you on arrival.
The wonderful thing about TrustedHousesitters is that no money changes hands between sitter and owner. Once you pay for annual membership (the equivalent of a meal for two on Date Night) your costs are covered. Get 25% off your TrustedHousesitters Membership with the code: SAYYESMORE (if you sign up using this link, we also get two months extra on the site free! So thanks!).
The currency on this site is honesty and kindness, and that’s a key feature for us. As sitters, we give pet and home owners peace of mind by caring for the things they love too much to leave behind unguarded; they are offering sitters somewhere lovely to stay for free, safe in the knowledge that their home and furry family members will be loved while they are away. It really is a win win.
Ok, so if you’re liking this plan - here’s the practical advice…
“It would appear that you’ve stolen my hair”
For House/Pet Owners
It’s a great comfort to know that you don’t have to book your beloved Rolo and Buttons into cold kennels while you jet off to the sunny Bahamas for 3 weeks.
You can leave them warm and comfy in their own home where they will be much happier, cared for by a trusted person who wants nothing more than to look after them for a while.
You’re no longer grounded to your home, never being able to travel because you don’t know what to do with your pets or you don’t want to leave your home unattended for too long.
We haven’t yet enjoyed a home of our own to let other people sit for, but we’ve learned a little from the owners of the homes we’ve stayed in. Hopefully it’ll be helpful to hear advice from the other side.
Once you’re signed up, take the time to write a detailed Bio and Welcome Pack as more information is far better than not enough. Share plenty of photos of your home and pets - in our experience these are equally as important, sitters will want to know about your pets and the home they might be staying in. It’ll save you question and answer time in the long-run and offers potential sitters more certainty in their application.
If your pets or home have specific instructions that need attention, or quirks that won’t be obvious unless you know them, it’s massively helpful for sitters to be prepared for them. It also gives you peace of mind that you’ve covered everything - TrustedHousesitters will give you a template to fill out, it’s super easy and gives the best comprehensive guide to your home.
Murphy the spaniel dries off after a wild swim. That’ll be extra time with a towel later…
Get to know your sitters before you exchange keys. If you can meet them and walk them around your home a few hours before you leave, it makes things super smooth and increases trust and good feeling on both sides.
We tend to arrive an hour or so before hosts need to leave so they can introduce us to their home and beloved animals. It’s also super handy to set up a video call when the sit is confirmed so both parties can get a feel for the other, get to know each other and ask questions without a wait between written messages. We always feel more comfortable about a sit when we come off a video call with the other side. It’s always nice to settle any concerns early on, especially if it’s their first time using the site and leaving pets with strangers.
And pet owners, you don’t have to wait for sitters to come to you, you can search for your ideal candidates and contact them directly through the website or the app. This is great if you’re in a hurry to get it sorted - just search for your dates and see who’s available to housesit in your area.
The Trust Factor
We get it. It’s a big deal, letting a stranger into your home, let alone giving them the responsibility of caring for a member of your family.
The cherry on top :)
Make sure that you look at the reviews of anyone applying to fill your housesit. You can see how they’ve done on previous housesits and get a feel for who they are. A pre-stay video call is a great way to get a feel for their reasons to be house sitting, and then let your instinct be the guide.
Watch the news and read the papers and it becomes harder and harder to trust others. But remember, every day good things happen that we don’t hear about. People are good and kind, graceful and grateful, and one of the reasons we love TrustedHousesitters is that it tunes into kindness and trust, and allows decency and good communication to be part of the service.
For Housesitters
It’s SO easy to get excited and jump in to applying for the biggest dreamy house with a menagerie of animals on a beach in remote Croatia, Colorado or Canada. Maybe you’ve always wanted a pony, never met an alpaca in person or your nan used to have one of those lizards when you were little!
But the key when applying for house sits is to not take on more than you can handle. If you’re inexperienced at caring for that animal, say so in your application. Maybe they can teach you on arrival or ask a neighbour to help out - but you don’t want to get there and find you’re out of your depth or don’t have time to care for them all. An honest sitter is a trusted one.
Some home owners offer use of their car, some lend you their annual passes to local attractions for you to explore; and many will make families welcome so you can bring your kids, your own pup and even Grandpa to enjoy the escape with you!
Consider how you’re going to get to that place - if you confirm a sit and then find out flights are way out of budget or you don’t have a vehicle for the road trip, then it may not be for you.
Walkies with a view. Birmingham, October 2019
The worst thing is having an unreliable sitter - don’t be the idiot who cancels - earn that 5* review because you were the legend who showed up and did your best for them.
Communicate well and have fun during your house sit. We always create a WhatsApp conversation with our pet owners so we can ask questions if things crop up and we like to send photo and video updates of our lovely new friends to show they are alive and well. If you show that their beloved Schnuffles is happily playing with her favourite toy at home then you are giving them peace of mind that she is being well loved and cared for in their absence (also showing that the house hasn’t burnt down since they left is nice reassurance!).
Enjoy it! You’re saving money and getting the awesome company of pets while experiencing a new area without paying for accommodation! Explore the local sights, take the pooch (if they have one) to different walk sites so you both get a day out. Many pet owners say their animals seem happier when they get home because they’ve had such a great time while they were away!
The App
Although the TrustedHousesitters website is great, we recommend that you download the app to your phone and carry it around in your pocket. (Download from the App Store / Google Play) It’s super easy to use, especially if you’re on the move, and we actually prefer it to using the website. You can ‘favourite’ particular sitters and homes to save them for later if existing dates don’t match up and then you get notifications when new dates are added.
You can also save your searches and get notifications when new opportunities come up that fit your criteria. That way, you can apply straight away and make sure you’re the first application they see.
It’s safe to say that since using the website, we have become big fans and advocates for this spectacular way of traveling - it’s hard to believe we didn’t discover TrustedHousesitters until fairly recently.
Now well into our new form of luxurious nomadic living, and with a few house sits and 5* reviews under our belts, we can’t recommend it highly enough.
It doesn’t escape our attention that it takes a lot for a person or family to entrust their home life and furry family members to an utter stranger, and we’re always hugely grateful to be considered. It takes a careful selection process, great and honest reviews and clear communication to choose the right sit or sitter.
We run through any ground rules or expectations ahead of time, ensure we know if there are plants to water and when the bins need to be put out. And we’ve also asked if a friend can stay, rather than just try to sneak them in. The owners have always been open to this.
Most of all it takes good people wanting to do good things, a belief that humans and pets are awesome and a willingness to grab the opportunity and say yes to turning strangers into friends (even if they just become best friends for your pet!).
Read our other blog about TrustedHousesitters, all about the house sitting lifestyle and don’t forget, save 25% off your TrustedHousesitters Membership with the code: SAYYESMORE
* we worked in partnership with TrustedHousesitters on these blogs, and all words, thoughts and genuine experiences are our own
