Is TrustedHousesitters worth it? Honest reviews and tips

Heard about house sitting, and wondering - is TrustedHousesitters worth it? Well here we explore the real life experiences of pet sitters, through honest, external reviews and stories from our members. Hear how house sitting connects pet lovers across the world, and enables travelers to have unforgettable, pet-filled experiences in locations they didn’t think possible. 

Is TrustedHousesitters value for money?

TrustedHousesitters is a platform that connects sitters with pet parents, who exchange in-home pet care with homestays around the world. Many of our sitters on the platform enjoy multiple house sits - locally and internationally - every year. 

Securing homestays in locations new and familiar, our sitters not only save huge sums on accommodation, but also make lasting friendships with fellow pet lovers and their furry family members across the globe.

With a simple yearly membership, sitters can choose from thousands of sits around the world, securing as many as they like while a member. Along with access to countless house sits (and adorable animals) in all sorts of locations, there are multiple other benefits our sitter members can make use of. Take a look below for more information on our membership types, and click below for even more information before choosing which is right for you.

“You’ll save lots of money on accommodation. It’s like living your normal life but rent-free in a different part of the world. For us, we’re able to save more than 20K USD every year because of house sitting.” - Marco and Fran, sitters

TrustedHousesitters membership plans

With each annual membership plan at TrustedHousesitters, there are heaps of benefits for our members to enjoy. Take a look below for a few highlights, and click the link for more detail on each plan.

Basic sitter membership 

• Choose from unlimited worldwide house sits with a basic sitter membership. 

Standard sitter membership

• Unlimited house and pet sits across the globe
• Access to our 24/7 vet advice line while sitting 
• Dedicated member support
• Accident & third party liability plan

Premium sitter membership

Our Premium sitter membership has everything our Standard membership includes, and more. Premium members can also make use of our sit cancellation plan, two global airport lounge passes, and a premium badge on their sitter profiles.

For more information on the sitter memberships you can choose from to help you figure out which works best for you, click below.

What are the benefits of TrustedHousesitters, for sitters?

TrustedHousesitters connects pet lovers with pet parents near and far, exchanging in-home pet care for unique homestays. Our sitter members get to meet new furry friends around the world, and make long-lasting connections with like-minded pet lovers. 

In fact, many return to the same sits because they’ve simply fallen in love with the location, adore the pets and have made a lasting friendship with the pet parents.

And with thousands of house sits to choose from, a bonus for our sitter members is the money they save on accommodation. 

With many of our members nomadic and others looking for affordable, pet-filled travel experiences, the exchange of a homestay with in-home pet care simply makes so much sense, for so many lifestyle choices.

You’ve heard it from us - there are countless benefits for our sitter members - but let’s explore their honest reviews, based on their real experiences on the TrustedHousesitters platform. 

Take a look below to hear what our sitter members have to say about what life is like as a TrustedHousesitters member.

Unique, global homestays in exchange for pet care

Each of our sitters can choose from thousands of house sits around the world, and get the chance to stay in cool homes and meet new furry friends in exchange for pet care. But what’s caring for pets and homes really like for our sitter members? Take a look below to find out.

Choose from mountains, beaches and iconic inner cityscapes

“You can live like a local and experience different lifestyles. We've been house sitting in many unexpected and beautiful places such as an oceanfront house in the Caribbean, a house in front of the most famous range of snow-capped mountains in Utah and Colorado, a house with a pool in Thailand” - Marco and Fran

A sense of home 

For our nomadic members Lev and Mia, house sitting has allowed the pair to slow down their travels, and stay in homes that feel like - well - home. Connecting with pet parents and taking care of their furry friends has allowed Lev and Mia (like so many of our members) to maintain their nomadic lifestyle, in a way that hotels and other forms of accommodation simply never could.
“One of the major struggles of maintaining our digital nomad lifestyle is burnout. Moving from hotel to hotel or Airbnb to Airbnb is pretty tiring and can be a struggle. TrustedHousesitters has given us the ability to live in proper homes with all of the comforts that we miss out on when we live in short-term accommodation.” - Lev and Mia

Save on stays without sacrificing experiences

Something our members love about pet sitting is the chance to experience new places, cultures and events that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible. 

With nothing exchanged between pet owners and sitters but pet care and a place to stay, our sitters have the freedom to explore new areas, without the costs usually associated with hotels and BnBs in popular locations.

Become part of iconic moments in history

House sitter Emma was lucky enough to secure a Parisian house sit ahead of the Olympic Games, which allowed her to have an unforgettable experience at the event in one of the world’s most iconic cities.

“I got to congratulate athletes up close at Champions Park (and snag a few selfies!) and even watched Beach Volleyball under the Eiffel Tower on a sun-soaked morning. It's experiences like these that make me want to never stop pet sitting.” - Emma

Explore countries you never thought possible

For many of our sitters, house sitting is the reason they’re able to visit so many amazing countries, with many being out of budget if they were to travel more traditionally. This was certainly the case for our members below.

“It’s opened up the possibility of visiting countries that we once considered ‘out of budget’ due to the accommodation costs.”  - Eion and Aisling

“We moved [...] with the goal of traveling and seeing the world. After settling in, we scheduled a trip to Hamburg in early December. We were only there for three days, but swiftly realized how quickly travel expenses (particularly lodging and dining expenses) can add up. We felt our dream of frequent travel was now unattainable… until we discovered TrustedHousesitters!” - Julie and Jake

“Trusted Housesitters was kind of a godsend for my boyfriend and I who are traveling around the US and Canada. After 6 weeks with family and friends we really needed our own space to work, plus having been traveling for a year already we couldn't afford to always be staying in hostels” - Hannah

“[I’m in] a converted barn in the French Pyrenees. Every morning when I wake up to feed the cats, Chile and Cookie, and Moka the dog, I glance out at the snow-dusted mountains in the distance and can’t believe this is my life!” - Nicole

“From caring for a dog in a friendly neighborhood in Calgary, to cat sitting in an apartment in Berlin we’ve been able to learn about different countries, cities and lifestyles from a perspective that you just can’t get as a tourist staying in a hotel." - Jori and Austin

Meet truly unique pets around the world

House sitting appeals to pet lovers from so many walks of life, but something all of us have in common is our unrelenting love for pets. So for lots of sitters, the responsibility of caring for animals is an added bonus that is simply never possible when staying in hotels. House sitting fills the pet-shaped hole in many of our sitters’ lifestyles, so take a look below to hear their experiences with meeting new furry friends.

“Living in Malmesbury was a delight, having the company of comical pooch Mabel was the icing on the cake. She was so full of life and happiness.” - Jon and Julie

“Every sit has something different, someone different and a beloved pet companion” - Trish

“An animal makes anywhere feel like home and for us, when we are moving from place to place and country to country this feeling of home is so comforting and gives us such a warm feeling in our hearts.” - Eion and Aisling

“At the very beginning, we were there when the newborn alpaca, Rose, was weighed. It was a beautiful experience, and Lucas got to step on the scale holding her in his arms.” - Silvi and Lucas

Meet amazing people

For many of our pet sitters, not only has house sitting allowed them unforgettable experiences in would-be unattainable locations, they’ve also made long-lasting connections with pet parents. 

As fellow pet lovers part of this community, it’s common for pet parents to invite sitters back, time and time again to care for their furry family members.

“We have maintained regular contact, checking in with each other periodically, which has strengthened our bond. This ongoing relationship has been incredibly rewarding, transforming what began as a pet sitting arrangement into a friendship.” - Julia

“We have been able to do sits in the UK, EU and Australia. We have made some lifelong friends as a result of our sits.” - Mary Ann

“We loved getting to know the neighbors, some of whom we helped with yard and garden projects and making new connections in the community, at the gym, in the grocery store, and in the trails.“ - Ali and Mat

“Exploring and experiencing different types of neighborhoods, interacting with so many people, and getting to feel like locals for a while is great too. The connections with pets and homeowners are long-lasting.” - Jess and Tom

House sitting fits into your schedule

Many of our sitters live nomadically, while others enjoy pet-filled vacations in new locations - whether they’re remote workers, retired or homeschooling their kids. Take a look below for a few real life stories from our members, to hear how house sitting not only fits into, but enables their lifestyles.

“Thanks to TrustedHousesitters, combined with our online work and homeschooling the kids, we’ve been living our dream as a large family with the world as our backdrop.” - The Clanfields

“I can work remotely, travel the world, stay in beautiful places for free, and connect with other folks who, like me, believe life is meant to be enjoyed, lived on your own terms, and surrounded by snuggly creatures that make you laugh.” - Nicole

“Because I want to be in a place for longer than a week, I am always looking for pet sitting opportunities in communities where we want to work. Not only is it a more cost-effective way for our non-profit to operate, but I always feel more connected to the area and the people as well” - Danielle

“Traveling is what brings us happiness and the company of animals brightens our days.” - Bentinho and Capitu

Tips for securing a house sit

So, now we’ve settled your question - is TrustedHousesitters worth it - let’s explore exactly how you can go about becoming a sitter, and securing house sitting adventures of your own.

1. Purchase your sitter plan. Choose the plan that’s right for you so that you can explore sits in locations you’ll love.
2. Apply for sits. Explore sits and apply to as many as you like - your membership allows you to plan for the entire year ahead, if that’s the way you roll.
3. Enjoy worldwide sitting experiences. Stay in homes near and far, enjoy the companionship of new furry friends and make long-lasting friendships with fellow pet lovers.

For more information on how to become a sitter at TrustedHousesitters, click below.

Useful resources

• 10 questions to ask before pet sitting
• 10 tips on how to become a house sitter
• How to write the perfect house sitter profile