Top tips for first-time house sitters

TrustedHousesitters members go house sitting to make memories, not money. That’s why you’ll usually hear them talk about house sitting experiences or opportunities, as opposed to ‘house sitting jobs’. But while house sitting with TrustedHousesitters is not about making money, treating it with such a professional approach is a great idea.

Members Tony and Meg are a great example of where such a mindset can take you. Here they share their exciting story, along with some tips to help you first-time sitters get your dream ‘house sitting job’...

How we started house sitting

By Tony and Meg

A concrete shack in Bolivia, a five-star hotel in Paris, an overnight bus in Chile, an apartment in Croatia, tents on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru, and a red-eye flight across the Atlantic... eight months into our one year trip around the world and we have slept in a lot of different places. 

We spent most of the two years before our trip working hard in our corporate jobs to save money, but we are always working on ways to make it last longer. We have bartered free places to stay in exchange for updating a company’s non-native English website in Thailand, physical labor on an Italian Agriturismo, and for writing a review of a hostel in Berlin. All of the different places we have slept and all of the different work we have done in exchange for a bed has finally led us to house sitting in Thailand.

House sitting for one month in a beautiful villa on a Thai island while taking care of two giant German Shepherds. The only reason it took us eight months to secure a house sitting job is because it took us seven and a half months to get the courage to sign up to TrustedHousesitters. Luckily, during our travels we read a lot about the basics of house sitting so we were fully prepared to give it our best shot when we signed up. As first time house sitters, we did a few things to help us stand out from some of the more experienced candidates. Maybe they will work for you as well!

Our top tips for getting your first house sit

1. Treat your profile like it’s your house sitter resume

Coming from an undergrad business school, we know that a common mistake people make when creating their resume is just listing every single one of their accomplishments. A resume should highlight things that are relevant to the job you want, not just the job you are doing. The same is true with house sitting. Think hard about what the owner of your ideal house sit would be looking for from a house sitter and you’ll be one step closer to landing your first house sit. 

2. Give examples of when you have cared for someone’s home

But you have never house sat before? No problem. Reference good reviews on Airbnb and other apartment rental services. Have you ever house sat for a friend? Ask them for a reference! Get creative! Don't just tell people that you are responsible... show them. Many house sitting jobs also come with responsibilities for taking care of pets. Read on, we’ll expand on that next.

3. Highlight times where you have taken care of animals

Pet owners are typically very protective of their furry family members, so don't just show that you can keep their animals alive; show them that their pets will be loved as well. If you’ve ever looked after your friends’ cat or dog, mention it and show how much you loved it. Did you always have pets growing up? Share that bit of information too. When you’re looking for your first house sitting experience, the more information you can share, the better. 

For us, we referenced our time spent on an Italian Agriturismo dog sitting and looking after chickens, and cats to show our experience taking care of someone else’s animals. But we also made sure to mention our childhoods growing up with labs and retrievers and our desire to get a dog once we returned to the states. You do not deserve to watch over someone’s house, valuables, and animals just because you want to have a nice vacation. It is a job... albeit one with some pretty excellent perks!

4. Don't be too formal; show your personality

The reality of corporate life is that promotions, raises, and even layoffs are often decided between several fairly equal candidates. When faced with numerous deserving professionals, the candidate that is usually rewarded is the one that people like the most... the one they wouldn't mind (or even might enjoy) working with every day. Don't hate the player, hate the game. Same for house sitting! You will be in someone's home, possibly for weeks, living with their pets and cherished items. If you were them, wouldn't you feel more comfortable having a feel for who these strangers in your home were? Wouldn't it be even better if you could actually sense if you might like them? Obviously.

So without damaging the professional image you are trying to convey, as a first-time house sitter, inject some personality into your profile. Let people know what you are passionate about and why you are genuinely interested in house sitting. Even better? Offer to Skype at any time they wish. This is a great way to seem transparent to the homeowner and a great way to showcase your personality if you can connect on a call. You also get to see the homeowner and if you'd like to work for them (it needs to be a good fit for you both).

5. Be flexible

If you want to get that dream first house sitting job right out of the gate, you need to plan to adjust to the needs of the owner. Are you looking for a two-week stay between October 7th and October 21st? Is there a great sit posted but the owner needs ten days from October 17th to October 26th? Make it work! Adjust your plans so that you can be a perfect fit for the owner. Maybe add a four-day hotel stay after or before the housesitting job to get your originally planned 2 week vacation. As a first house-sitter, the more flexible you are the more appealing you will be.

6. Sign up to TrustedHousesitters!

Yeah, yeah…

Totally obvious and stupid. I know. But guess what? We talked for months before our big trip started and talked for months during our travels about house sitting... and did nothing. For some reason, we always felt like house sitting was for other people. Something that, while ridiculously awesome, was unattainable. And then we signed up for TrustedHousesitters, and within two weeks had secured an incredible house sitting job on our first request.

7. Make your photos shine

Photos are an important part of your profile. They’ll definitely help you stand out and will help you connect with owners. For that reason, here are a few tips to pick the right photos for your profile as a first-time house sitter: 

• Show your face - and smile! Try not to obscure your face with hats, sunglasses or shade 
• Include photos of you with animals you’ve looked after or your own pets
• Show your hobbies and interests
• If you regularly sit with others (such as a partner or friend), make sure they're included in the photo with you, too

8. Write an amazing profile

A great profile is the best presentation. Put some time in and craft a wonderful house sitter profile that helps you connect with owners. We’ve put together some handy tips to write your profile here.

What should your profile cover: 

• Who you are
• Why you want to house sit
• Why you’d be a great house sitter
• Any previous experience
• Your hobbies and interests
• Everything else: What are you good at? Are you neat and tidy? Do you love playing with pets? Can you garden? Are you fluent in any other languages? 

If you’re a digital nomad and work remotely, it’s also good to include some information about your online work so that owners will know you’ll be 100% at home with their pets, that you’ll have plenty to keep you busy in rural areas and that you need a decent internet connection. 

And, lastly, let your personality shine! That way owners can get a better feel of what you really are like. 

9. Complete the full background check

For extra trust and reassurance, you’ll also need to apply for your free ID verifications. And if you’re based in the US, you’ll also need to apply for a free TrustedHousesitters’ background check. It’s completely secure and confidential - your information will be kept safe and your details won’t be shared with anyone.. Plus, that nice little badge on your sitter profile will help you really stand out. 

10. Ask for references

We know it can be intimidating to create a profile as a first-time house sitter when there are so many people with five-star reviews competing for a sit. But the truth is we all need to start somewhere and it’s never too late to give house sitting a go. 

Reviews are important but if you don’t have them because you’re a newbie, you can also have references emailed in. Take advantage of that and ask anyone you’ve ever house sat for, pet sat, worked with or shared an apartment with to share why you’re a great fit for house sitting. You just have to ask and most people will be happy to help you set up your profile. 

11. Set up saved searches

Did you know you can set up a saved search and get daily email notifications whenever new house sits are available in the locations you’ve picked? Take advantage of this feature and you’ll be able to see them right away - and get in touch with the owner before anyone else. Sometimes getting there early really makes a difference. 

12. Go for it

You’ve done all the other steps, now it’s the time to dive in. Start applying, write a wonderful application letter that highlights why you’d be the best, and respond quickly. You never know what may happen, but if you never try you’ll never get your first house sitting appointment. So go for it. With the right attitude and a pinch of luck you’ll be on your way to enjoying the perks of caring for homes and pets anywhere in the world. 

13. Discuss and agree everything before your first house sitting experience

Clear communication with the owner is key before, during and after your sit. Ideally, try to organise a video call to run through everything you need to know and understand about the sit. Speaking face to face is the best way to get a feel for what they are like and also a great opportunity to see their home and pets before you even get there. 

What will you have to do? What are their expectations? Who will cover the cost of bills and wifi? Is the wifi actually good? Is there any local transport in the area? When should you arrive? When will they be back? Ask away and make sure things are clear for everybody. 

Want more house sitting tips?

We’d like to thank Tony and Meg for sharing their story, and hope their top tips help you kick-start your very own house sitting adventure. If you’d like to find even more great advice, be sure to explore our blog or get in touch with our Membership Services team.