What is house sitting?

What is house sitting and what does a house sitter do? Well if you’re thinking about house sitting or you’re searching for the perfect pet sitter to care for your furry family, you’re in the right place. Here we explore how house sitting works, alongside benefits, tips and more to help you on your journey. 

Before we get started, let’s quickly get us all on the right page! So, what is house sitting? Well in our books at least, a house sitter stays in another’s home while they’re away, making sure the home is kept as they found it and giving the pets the TLC they deserve. 

With TrustedHousesitters, our pet parents have peace of mind while they’re away by welcoming animal lovers who are as passionate about pets as they are, while our sitters get to travel the world, taking care of the pets in it and staying in cool homes for free in return. And before you ask, it’s not too good to be true!

How does house sitting work?

Finding house sitting opportunities

If you’re new to the (rather adventurous, if we do say so ourselves) life of pet sitting, you’re probably wondering how to get house sitting assignments in locations you love. Rather than trawling house sitting site after house sitting site, keep things simple with a TrustedHousesitters membership. Gathering all the pet sitting assignments from all over the world in one place, finding the sit of your dreams has never been simpler. Want to get started? Find out how to kick off your pet sitting adventures by following these simple steps:

1. Join our community and set up your sitter profile. Making your profile stands out is one of the most important steps of the whole process - it’s what home owners and pet parents will first use to judge whether they’d like to welcome you into their home. Show the best version of you as a pet lover, providing clear photos, a detailed ‘about you’ section, provide at least three references, apply for a free verification and complete your background checks (if you’re US-based).
2. Explore sits from all over the world and cast your net wide by applying to as many as you can. Be sure to send a personalized application message so that pet parents know you’re genuinely invested in their home and pets.
3. Confirm your sit (both you and the pet parents will need to click ‘confirm’), chat via the platform and organize a video call to get to know each other and fine-tune the details of their expectations.
4. Get traveling and meet new furry companions along the way!

What does a house sitter do?

Interested? Well you probably want to get to the nitty gritty and find out how to provide house sitting services and answer what is a house sitter, what is house sitting, and what do they actually do? Let’s take a look at what our community of pet lovers get up to, to give you a taste of how to house sit.

• Provide top-notch pet TLC. First and foremost, our sitters are dedicated to giving pets the care and cuddles they need while their pet parents are away. Besides sofa snuggles, sitters also feed the pets, go for walkies, and generally provide round the clock care (whatever that might look like for the species) in the comfort of the pet’s home.
• Take care of the home. Alongside leaving it as they found it, our sitters might also be found watering plants around the house and garden, collecting mail, keeping pet parents updated on their furry friends, and other basic round-the-house maintenance.
• Travel the world. Yup, our sitters get to live like a local, exploring cool homes and pets of all shapes, sizes and species in exchange for free accommodation in new, exciting locations. We even have a collection of long term house sitters who’ve made it a lifestyle!

The benefits of house sitting for homeowners

• Peace of mind. Leaving your precious pet family for long periods of time can be daunting, so welcoming loving house sitters who are just as passionate about pets as you means you never have to worry.
• Pet care with a difference. It’s one thing knowing your pets are safe, and another being sure they’re happy in the company of a genuine pet lover. Know your pets are being snuggled, ruffled and cuddled just how they like it - it’s tail-wagging pups and purr-happy felines all round! 
• Save money. Forget pricey, one-off kennel fees. Instead with your pet parent membership, you can welcome sitters all year round for no extra cost.
• Connect with a community. Our members make meaningful friendships based on common ground: a passion for pets and a love for travel. Find sitters to welcome time and time again, knowing your home and pets are being cared for by people you can trust.

Find more benefits of house sitting in our article 10 reasons for finding a pet sitter when you go away.

Tips for successful house sitting

Tips for homeowners

• Create a listing that stands out. Describe your home and furry family and include lots of lovely pictures that truly represent them for a listing that stands out from the pack.
• Keep an eye on your applications. You’ll receive up to five applications at a time, giving you the chance to review potential sitters and decide if they’re right for you. Swiftly decline any sitters who don’t feel right to reopen your listing to new applications, helping you on your way to securing your perfect sitter.
• Boost your listing. Want more eyes on your pets, home and dates you’re away? Simply boost your listing so that it appears at the top of our search page. Any sitters who’ve saved a search that matches your listing will then receive a notification and the option to apply directly.
• Get chatting. Before you and your potential sitter hit that all-important ‘confirm’ button, get to know one another first. Chat via the platform’s inbox and set up a video call to go through expectations, experience and any questions you might have.
• Make sure you confirm! Once you’re sure you’ve made the right choice, secure your sitter by hitting ‘confirm’. You’ll both need to do this to confirm the sit.
• Set up a sit handover. Allowing time for a sit handover is a great way to get everything in order before you part ways with your furry family. Even better, organize to meet before the sit if location allows.

Tips for house sitters

• Set up a detailed profile. Understandably, pet parents want to find out as much about you as possible before welcoming you into their home to care for their precious pet family. So, talk about yourself, your hobbies, your experiences and love for pets alongside a few photos that truly represent you to create the perfect sitter profile.
• Get at least three references. It’s worth it, trust us - we checked the numbers. Our sitters who have three references or more increase their chances of securing a sit by 20%!
• Request reviews. Once you’ve completed a sit, request a review to give pet parents the chance to talk about how fab you were on the sit. Build up a bank of these over time to truly make your profile shine.
• Personalize your application. Making your application message personal is a sure way to let pet parents know you’re genuinely interested in their listing and invested in giving their pets the TLC they deserve. Reference the pet names and talk about why you’re a great fit for them!
• Communicate! Once you’ve confirmed your sit, get to know the pet parents and find out as much as you can about the home owner’s pets. Chat via the platform’s inbox and set up a video call to get to know one another, and check out our pet sitter communication guide for more handy tips.
• Prepare for the sit handover. Learn about their housekeeping rules, preferences around the house and make a fab first impression by planning the sit handover ahead of time.

Successful communication and setting expectations

From the off, be open and honest with one another about your expectations for the sit and any experience you have. Make sure you’re all on the same page about what a house sitter is, and what house sitters do while in the home. Keep in touch via our platform’s inbox, arrange a video call to iron out any questions you might have, arrange a sit handover and meet before the sit if location allows to make your house sitting arrangements. 

While keeping pets safe and happy and making sure homes are kept clean and tidy are our sitters’ priorities, there might be other areas of housekeeping our pet parents would like to be looked after. These can include watering the plants, collecting the mail, and knowing how any vet bills are to be handled should the pet need any medical attention during the sit. 

It’s also important to agree on a level of communication while the sit is happening - while some pet parents love nothing less than daily updates on their fur baby, others would rather only receive contact only in cases of emergency. For more on successful communication between pet parents and sitters, check out our blogs on the importance of communication before confirming and our pet sitter communication guide.

If traveling the world, caring for the pets in it and getting free accommodation sounds like a bit of you, join our community of pet sitters to kickstart your adventures. Or if you’ve got a furry family at home and you’re after ways to save on pet care without scrimping on the TLC your pet receives, give yourself peace of mind and explore our community by joining as a pet parent. And if you’d like a recap on anything else TrustedHousesitters, head to our handy help desk to get your answers.