How to write the perfect house sitter profile

Updated 8 Nov 2024

You never get a second chance to make a first impression, which is why it’s so important to write a house sitter profile that stands out, and showcases a bit about yourself, why you want to house sit and your experience with animals.

So that you can get your house sitting adventures underway, stick with us as we explore how to create the perfect house sitting profile, with a little help from experienced pet sitter from California, Darcie Connell. Take a look below for her top tips on creating a pet sitting profile that stands out.

What is a house sitting profile?

If you’re thinking about getting into house sitting, you might have heard that you’ll need to create your house sitting profile.

A house sitting profile is your online space to introduce yourself to pet owners who are looking for someone reliable and trustworthy to care for their animals. 

Your profile is your chance to share a bit about yourself, your experience with pets, and why you want to house sit.

With house sitting platforms like TrustedHousesitters, your house sitting profile is your online introduction to pet parents, who will make their first judgement about whether you’re right for them based on your profile.

How to create your house sitting profile

Pet care in exchange for a place to stay - yes please! Once you’ve decided that house sitting is the lifestyle for you, the first thing you’ll need to do is purchase your sitter plan - a membership for a fixed fee that allows you to apply to as many house sits as you like. Once you’re a fully-fledged member, you’ll then be able to complete your profile and tell us all about yourself, including:

• Why you want to house sit
• Your experience with pets
• Specific pets you’ve cared for
• Types of pets you’d like to look after
• The kinds of places you’d like to visit
• Your availability

You’ll also get the chance to add pictures to your profile that showcase your love for pets, and we recommend you add a house sitting headline - a catchy title about yourself that pet parents will see. You’ll also need to complete your ID verifications, and request your references. 

To complete your house sitting profile, simply make sure you’re logged in, and select ‘Your Profile’ under the dropdown menu.

My top house sitter profile tips

So you have joined TrustedHousesitters and are currently looking for your first house sit.

The house sitter profile you create is your tool to introduce yourself to owners — like a house sitter resume. As well as writing the perfect application, your profile will help you make connections with owners and possibly score a house sit. Here’s how to optimise it:

1. Write a great profile heading
2. Make your profile personal 
3. Pick the right photos for your profile
4. Request plenty of references 
5. Check your spelling and grammar 

Now let’s take a closer look at each of these points, so that you can create the perfect house sitter profile...

1. Write a great TrustedHousesitters profile headline

The first thing an owner will read on your house sitter profile is the heading. Having a good heading can spark interest or, on the contrary, deter potential owners.

To gain a positive reaction, write a headline that: catches the attention of the reader, sparks curiosity, states a benefit (or multiple benefits), offers a solution to a problem, or provokes thought.

If you're trying to attract a particular type of sit that you've got experience with (like farm sitting, boat sitting or horse sitting), you can certainly make a nod to this in your profile heading.

2. Make your profile personal

Once your profile heading has caught an owner’s attention, it’s time to tell them all about you. Of course, it’s important to treat it a bit like a house sitter resume and include things like your relevant experience, but be sure to let your personality shine so that you stand out from the crowd. 

Not sure where to start? Here’s a handy list of topics to cover, which TrustedHousesitters will prompt you to include in your house sitter profile:

• Name
• Age
• Location
• Career 
• Why you want to house sit
• Whether you’re a solo sitter, part of a couple, or will be traveling with your family
• A bit about you, including your hobbies and interests
• Your relevant house sitting experience or skills, like animal care qualification

Bonus tip: Covering all these points will create a unique sitter profile, but be sure you don’t give away too many personal details. You can learn more about the dos and don’ts in TrustedHousesitters’ guide to staying safe online.

3. Pick the right photos for your profile

You have heard the saying, a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, those thousand words can be good or bad depending on the photos you pick.

Here are some pet sitting pictures you will want to include on your profile:

• A profile picture of you smiling: In order for an owner to open their home to you, they need to trust you. A simple but effective way to earn that trust and show you are a nice and friendly person is to make sure you’re smiling in your profile picture. 
• A picture of you with animals: As you have probably noticed, most people looking for a house sitter are also pet owners. To prove that you are good with animals, include pictures of you with pets — what pet lovers phone isn’t packed with pictures of them petting a cat or throwing a ball for a dog? 
• A picture of you with people: Owners need to know that people like you, so make sure at least one of your photos includes another person. Friends and family members are a great place to start. 

4. Request plenty of references

One of the first things owners will see (and likely look for) on your house sitter profile is any ratings and reviews left by other owners from your previous house sits, and your external references. Of course, the better your ratings, reviews, and references, the better your house sitter profile. And while you can’t gain ratings and reviews until you’ve started house sitting, you can request as many references as you like, at any time. 

So go ahead and request character references from people who know you well and be sure to get a pet or home sitting reference whenever possible. If you’re setting up a TrustedHousesitters profile, it’s easy. All you’ll need to do is go to the verification area on your dashboard and request a reference. Your referee will be asked to review you in the following areas:

• Organised
• Reliable
• Self-sufficient 
• Tidy 
• Pet care

Bonus tip: To increase the number of references you receive, consider sending an email to support the one automated by TrustedHousesitters. Here’s an example: 

"I was hoping you could do me a huge favour; I have recently joined TrustedHousesitters to stay with people’s pets while I travel to new places, and I need references from people like you to prove I’m a responsible person. Will you be my referee?

I have sent another email to you through TrustedHousesitters, so please lookout for it. It should take less than a minute to complete the reference and it would be a great help to me. Thank you so much and please let me know if you have any questions."

5. Spelling and Grammar

While everyone makes mistakes, too many spelling and grammatical errors in your house sitter profile suggests you don’t care. So always check your profile for spelling and grammar before you publish it for owners to see. This easy step shows you are professional, educated, and responsible — the same traits most owners are looking for in a house sitter.

6. Make your profile pet-centred

Last, but definetly not least, my top tip is to make your profile (and your house sitting application message) pet-centred. A pet-centred profile is one that clearly communicates your infatuation with pets, putting animals at the heart of it all - shown by the photos you choose and what you write about yourself. It’s also a profile that isn’t afraid to showcase your experience with animals - whether it’s in a professional or personal sense.

There are a variety of ways you can do this. Here are some examples:

• Talk about your experience with specific breeds
• Do you know how to administer pet medications?
• Are you experienced with puppies, senior dogs or rescue animals?
• Is your work experience relevant?
• Have you ever had pets of your own?
• Have you completed any relevant training courses?
• Do you have experience with certain pet traits?

If you can answer yes to any of the above questions, make sure it's included in your profile. After each sit, update your profile with any new experiences. It’s important to see your sitter profile as something that’s constantly changing - not only being updated by reviews from your new sits, but also with details on any new experiences that those sits gave you.

Ready to write the perfect house sitter profile?

With Darcie’s top tips to hand, you’re ready to create a house sitter profile that will secure exciting house sits around the world. And if you need any more help or advice from our expert Membership Services team, please just get in touch.

Not a member yet, but ready to get started?

Firstly, kudos to you for being so organised, fellow pet lover! Getting your house sitting profile set up is simple - just pick your membership plan and you’re ready to complete your profile. 

And if it’s all feeling a bit new to you but you’re keen to get your pet sitting adventure started, get crystal clear about how it all works below and check out these TrustedHousesitters reviews.

Useful resources

• House sitting packing list: What to pack for a house sit
• House sitting etiquette - a guide for sitters
• 5 tips for writing the perfect application message
• Is TrustedHousesitters worth it?

Increase your chances of securing a sit by 20%

We’ve crunched the numbers, and it turns out that sitters with at least three references increase their chances of finding a sit by 20%! Explore our references guide for more information.