Back to housesitting, post-lockdown

After six months of full-time housesitting the COVID-19 lockdown forced a change in lifestyle and for many housesitters the absence of animals was a tough task to bear. Emma Cornthwaite shares her take on post lockdown housesitting, and what it means for owners and sitters alike.

Home sweet home, Bear the puppy looks out for his mum!

It hasn’t been the year that any of us expected - plans have altered, circumstances have changed, lives have been turned upside-down and inside out. One thing is for sure - this pandemic has emphasised the power of community, good people and trust. 

Everyone on the planet has been affected by Covid-19 in some way and we have all experienced kindness in one form or another from other humans as we help each other muddle through and find some sort of normality. What normal looks like for one person will not be normal for the next and everyone has been managing it in their own way. 

For us, ’normality’ was living out of a few bags with no permanent address and a constantly changing environment as we briefly adopted a new family home every few weeks. We were full time Trusted Housesitters and we absolutely loved our unconventional normal.

Being trusted with a stranger’s home and furry family members is an enormous honour and something we never took for granted but we also didn’t realise how much we would miss when it was no longer an option. 

Having pets around is such a joy and has immeasurable benefits for our physical and mental wellbeing and we have really noticed a difference since Covid shut down people’s travel plans and meant that barely anyone needed a house sitter anymore. I bet the pets loved having their humans around the house more these past few months but it meant that we didn’t get to cuddle any!

The good news is, the tables are turning and housesitting is making a comeback like the first rains after a long drought. We are so grateful to report that we have spent the last two weeks being back to our old normal, caring for lovely homes and pets while their owners have been able to get away for a much needed break. 

Shara left her six month old Bear with us for a week after a last minute call for housesitters

We definitely aren’t the minority either - for every housesitting opportunity in the UK, there are tens of applicants wanting to step up sit for them. Having chatted to the TH community online, they are as starved for housesits as we have been and are longing for more sits to become available. 

TrustedHousesitters as an organisation have been really clear about following Covid-19 guidelines from the beginning and have remained supportive of homeowners and housesitters throughout. The communication from the support team is ever-present and we have absolutely no reservations about entering someone’s home and staying for a while to allow them to get away. 

Many people are feeling the need to get away, go on holiday, ‘staycation’ in the UK or head to see family as it’s been so long, but they are concerned about not being able to find a house or pet sitter. Our one message to you is - do it. You can trust that good people are still out there and happy (if not begging!) to come and sit for you as they are longing for the affection that only a pet can give as much as you are longing for your holiday! 

Being part of the TrustedHousesitters community has been so rewarding for us. We can’t wait to do more sits soon.

Read the Instagram Story thread about our return to housesitting

Get 25% off an annual membership on TrustedHousesitters

Read this blog about our Housesitting lifestyle

And check out our top tips for using TrustedHousesitters

The Housesitting Lifestyle: Rent-Free Living and Travel with Furry Friends Included

Whether you’re a nomadic traveller, location independent with a laptop-shaped office or you’re on the hunt for an adventurous way to pick your next holiday, looking after somebody else’s home and pets might just be the key to affording the ultimate lifestyle.

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It might sound too good to be true, but we’ve found an amazing way to live without paying for accommodation.

For years we’ve worked around the world, lived on boats and in buses and vans, and spent more nights under canvas than a middle aged back can handle.

These days work and family commitments keep us in the UK more often than not, and while we wait for our old home (a 45 foot widebeam houseboat in East London) to sell, coupled with extra savings needed to afford our dream (a rural farm to convert into an outdoors retreat) we needed to find a way to live cheaply.

And we’ve done it, completely removing rent and household bills from our outgoings, at the same time as staying all over the country in some glorious properties.

Our secret: TrustedHousesitters, a website and app that pairs owners with house sitters, and creates a network that leads to an intensely homely way to travel.

Almost always there are pets as part of the bargain, which to us has been a bonus from the beginning. Ever since Em and I met, she has been suggesting we get a dog (or three) but we travel a lot for work and right now it wouldn’t be practical to have our own pet. This is where TrustedHousesitters comes into its own, we get to look after dogs (and other animals) without the commitment and expense of owning one ourselves.

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This feels good

There’s more to TrustedHousesitters than free shelter and dogs to cuddle, the ethos of the site reflects our personal values and general approach to life.

There’s an initial sign-up fee paid to TrustedHousesitters for membership (£89/year for sitters & owners, £49/3 months for owners, or £114/year combined for those who own homes and also housesit), but after that no money is involved. There’s no transaction between house sitter and home owner which makes the whole arrangement feel holistic and…right.

Click here for 25% off your new TrustedHousesitters Membership

Without money there’s less pressure and more trust, and the very process of applying to look after someone’s house and pets is driven by care, not need.

A pair of true YesDogs

Em and I run a community called the YesTribe, which thrives off a set of basic values such as kindness, looking after one another and not being afraid to make an adventurous (or unconventional) lifestyle choice when you feel the urge. House sitting certainly fits into this idea of taking the path less followed, and as with all out of the box ideas, it tends to work out in the end if you go into it with an open mindset.

It feels wonderful to find a home owner who trusts us - as strangers - to effectively step into their shoes and look after a (furry) loved one in their own home. It should come with a lot of pressure but actually it doesn’t feel that way, the whole process brings out the good in people.

And in return, we’re more driven to prove they made the right call, which means looking after their place as if it was our own, and giving their pets plenty of time, care and cuddles

You’re staying where?!

Browsing through available sits on TrustedHousesitters can be an exercise in self control, a smorgasbord of dreamy opportunity. We’re planning to carve out a few travelling months this year letting TrustedHousesitters guide our movements but for now, palatial apartments in Sydney or sprawling countryside properties in Colorado just whet the appetite.

We’re slowly searching for our perfect basecamp and house sitting means we’re able to check out different parts of the country from the comfort of…someone else’s armchair.

The English housesits we’ve enjoyed haven’t exactly been shabby. When it comes to accommodation our basic needs are few; I need good Internet for work, Em likes a decent kitchen (which compared to our van is a pretty easy ask), and a nice place to lounge at the end of a long day is always a pleasure. We don’t need much, yet still relish staying in comfortable places. I mean, why not?!

But while we’ve stayed in suburban homes, converted barns and delightful rural cottages, the pets have always been central to our stays.

The Christmas Present Station

It’s a dog’s life

Don’t try to tell me you haven’t been searching under the tree for presents

Dogs have an amazing ability to show unconditional love. From the moment the owners leave, it’s as if we become the only humans in the world, and that bond is the DNA of any housesit. There are so many mental health benefits to having a dog around (and this is coming from a lifelong cat person!): the incentive to get out of the house for walkies, a warm furry ball flopped at your feet when the TV or laptop is on, endless playfulness and back-rolling, the wag-tailed enthusiasm at any sign of a door being opened. Or just that cheeky look when they need to go out.

Best friend, right there. And it’s hard to leave them when the sit comes to an end.

The downside

Another downside: there’s no guarantee your shoes/ slippers will be where you left them

“You’re living the dream.” If we had a pound for every time this is suggested we’d already have our own home to let other people look after. But of course, nothing is ever 100% perfect.

We’ve more or less adapted to the gentle upheaval of packing and unpacking each time we find a new temporary basecamp, and to that squeezed van life in between sits.

And that extra edge of necessary care when we’re in someone else’s home. Making sure there’s a coaster underneath a hot mug, not leaving the lights on and ensuring we don’t skimp on the chores are part and parcel of modern day living, but we can never totally relax, not 100%. This isn’t debilitating by any means, but there’s a conscious desire to ensure the owners return to a clean, unspoilt house and the subsequent positive review.

Oh, and when the dog disappears out of sight during walkies there’s always that thought, ‘oh god, what if she doesn’t come back?! How would that conversation go down?!’

Then there are the goodbyes. The sadness you don’t prepare for, that final hug with your new best friend. Especially heart-twangy when they know you’re leaving, the puppy dog eyes are in full effect, and like our last pupsit, when she wouldn’t even get up and laid in her basket, mad with us.

Which of course, just gives us more incentive to leave the house spotless and get asked back time and time again.

Reasons we love using TrustedHousesitters

Living in the midst of an adventurous life means it wouldn’t be practical or fair for us to get a pet right now. By using TrustedHousesitters, we get all the benefits of having a pet without the complications of actually owning one. It’s Uncle Syndrome, the best of both worlds.

For us, this is an absolute winner as we will probably choose our first pet the same day as we get the keys to our new home, and by then our house sitting experience will have made the decision for us.

We get to experience different sizes, breeds, temperaments and all the while have the peace of mind that we are looking after someone else’s pride and joy. We get immense happiness through looking after animals and showing them the love they deserve - if you’re a pet person, then I’m sure you understand.

When it comes to applying for sits, we love that there’s no middle man, we speak directly to home and pet owners to establish a relationship before we arrive. The whole process hones that self awareness of how we come across and takes trust on both sides to reach a ‘yes.’

There’s also an added intimacy to staying in homes instead of hotels. People have essentially trusted us with their lives, we’re stepping into their shoes while we’re away and we never take shelter for granted, and our gratefulness ensures that we do the best job we can.

Time to go

So, bit by bit we’re saving money, exploring the country, revelling in each new 5* review and the easing of the process of applying for new housesits (which is so much easier once you have good feedback from past owners).

With a bit of forward planning we’ve managed to reduce the gaps between upcoming sits to a matter of hours, if not a day or two, and in between we live out of our van or visit friends who we wouldn’t usually be passing.

We’re starting to look ahead at longer housesits, and we know it’s still the right lifestyle to lead because recently we found the option for a pretty cool dream home of our own, but still preferred the idea of house sitting. Each new sit is an opportunity, and living flexibly, open to the serendipity of the right stranger in the right place deciding to go on their holiday at just the right time, it’s a lifestyle choice too good to ignore right now.

One thing’s for sure, when we do finally find our own home, we’ll definitely use TrustedHousesitters when we go away.

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Even if you have a home or a long-term contract and need to be in the same place for work, then you could use TrustedHousesitters on your next holiday. There are hundreds of opportunities listed around the world for varying lengths of stay, why not find your ideal housesit and let that guide your destination choice? Just a couple of nights sitting will pay off the annual membership, so what have you got to lose?

For our thoughts on how best to use TrustedHousesitters, with plenty of practical advice and suggestions, check out the other blog we’ve written on this subject.

And if you can’t resist the idea of giving this a go, save 25% off your annual membership with the code: SAYYESMORE when you sign up.

• we worked in partnership with TrustedHousesitters on these blogs, and all words, thoughts and experiences are genuinely our own

Top Tips for Using TrustedHousesitters

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. 

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Get 25% off your TrustedHousesitters Membership with the code: SAYYESMORE

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!). 

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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