Travel house sitting around the world - long-term explorers

Pets, travel, house sitting - three is a magic number, especially when it comes to finding a new adventure. Using house sitting to travel around the globe, in the company of a cute companion or two, is a great way to enrich your experience whilst living like a local.

If you’re looking for a new travel experience, one where you can incorporate your love of animals, or you’re a seasoned explorer seeking a more fulfilling adventure, we want to take you on the journey of long-term travel house-sitting. We’ll explain what this can mean to you, the pet-loving explorer, help you discover different options when house-sitting to travel, and any tips you might need along the way.

So, pack up pet pals, it’s time to put on those adventure hats with squeaky toys and treats at the ready, and let’s jump into the world of long-term travel house-sitting.

What is long-term travel house sitting?

First off, being a traveling house sitter doesn’t necessarily mean you’re an international house sitter. Long-term house sitting simply means you’re pet sitting either regularly, you house sit the same pets and home for several weeks or months at a time, or you’re living the nomadic dream moving from house to house. Paw-some!

For some seasoned sitters, the travel experience can simply be within their home country. From large countries, such as the US, to smaller islands like the UK, every house-sitting experience is unique to each sitter (just like pet personalities you’ll meet along the way). 

How to travel by house sitting?

Well, we highly recommend you join TrustedHousesitters by becoming a member. You can sign up for free if you want to take a flick through our fabulous list of pet and house seats available. Go on, at least have a little peek! Once you’re part of our pet-loving community, the world is your oyster! Or fish, horse, cat, rabbit, or donkey…

With TrustedHousesitters, you can purchase a plan that suits your needs and lifestyle. Once you’ve joined, you can create a sitter profile to let pet parents know why you’re the best of the best to care for their fur family. Apply for house sits yourself, or else you may be approached by pet parents looking for the ideal sitter: you!

Whether you’re a remote worker seeking a nomadic life or a keen globe trotter who wants to see the world while indulging in their love of pets, using house sitting to travel is a magical, life-changing experience - so says our members, anyway.

Reason to use house sitting to travel

House-sitting to travel and meet pets is a magical experience. The reasons as to why you should consider long-term house sitting are endless, but we’ve managed to whittle it down to a few. 

For the love of pets

Not all pet lovers own pets - some of us just don’t have the amenities or time to offer the care required for our furry, feathered, or scaly friends. Pet and house sitting is a fantastic opportunity to share your love of animals whilst they’re in the comfort of their own home. An important part of any pet or house sit is the creature care - pets need more than just food and exercise every day, they need love, cuddles, and company too.

A fulfilling travel experience

We travel on our way, but may would agree that a lot of joy comes from making new friends and connections whilst exploring. House sitting involves more than simply turning up to a property, staying there, and then leaving - you’re caring for a real home with real pets. To do this, a bond of trust needs to be formed, so connecting with the owners and their pets is a vital part of the experience.

Build up a repertoire with familiar furry faces and friends, find favorite house sits you can visit regularly, learn more about local life, and create even more amazing memories.

Live like a local

Whilst building trust and sharing a mutual love of animals, owners can help you to integrate into local life whilst they’re away. Find out where all the hidden hotspots are, or venture to new places that are nearby. Exploring whilst on dog walks is another fantastic way to learn the lay of the land - your new pup pal will be able to show you all their favorite places too.

Slow travel is the best

Integration anywhere takes time, as does bonding with a pet or other people. The best way to do this? Well, simply stay longer! More and more people are embracing slow travel as part of becoming a house sitter - you can take your time to settle into a routine with a new animal companion, learn more about where you are, and add more substance to your travel experience.

Free accommodation for pet people

TrustedHousesitters, like other house-sitting platforms, has an annual membership fee. However, once you’ve paid this, no other form of money changes hands. Pet and house sitting are done as an exchange of trust and love of animals. As a sitter, you’re offering to care for someone’s beloved pets and home, that responsibility and trust act as its own currency. 

How to become a house sitter on a long-term basis

If you’re new to the house-sitting scene, start by building up your experience. Begin with a few shorter, more local seats to gather some reviews for your profile. Show pet parents why you’ll be a great pet pal for any future sits.

Once you have a few seats under your belt, start by searching for house sits looking for a sitter for at least a month. In some circumstances, this could be a sign those pet parents are regular travelers, therefore they may have future sitting slots after this one. If you’re able to connect with other fellow long-term travelers, this is a great way to integrate yourself into the long-term house-sitting community. 

As time goes on and you begin to house-sit regularly, you’ll begin to find a routine of what works best for you. It won’t take long for you to find new friends and favorite pets as you become part of the pet-loving community.

Tips for international house sitters

Every house and pet sit is a unique experience, no matter how far you are from your homelands. But it’s no secret that house sitting is a brilliant way to explore the world. Of course, there are a few additional things to consider when sitting abroad - for example, if you’re working, you’ll need to look into the local tax laws, as well as think about how time zones will affect you.

House sitting abroad can also include some extra steps with travel and documentation, some of which may need to be clarified with the owner beforehand. Similarly, landing an international house sit may mean tweaking your profile to show whether you can accommodate long-distance or last-minute travel plans.