Is Traveling as a House Sitter Worth it? Learn the Pros and Cons
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Traveling on a tight budget can be challenging, but house sitting has become a popular solution.
By joining house sitting websites, travelers are able to offer their pet care services in exchange for free accommodation worldwide.
Numerous blog posts, YouTube videos, and social media content pages rave about the benefits of house sitting exchanges.
But, is house sitting really a reliable way to travel, or are people only highlighting the advantages and ignoring the disadvantages?
In this blog post, we will examine 12 unique pros and cons of the house sitting lifestyle, which we compiled based on our firsthand experience as house sitters for the past year.
By the end of this blog post, you will be able to decide for yourself whether or not house sitting is worth a try on your next adventure!
Pros of Traveling as A House Sitter
Save a lot of Money on Travel Costs
The most obvious benefit of house sitting is the money saved on accommodation costs.
Accommodation is often one of the most expensive parts of any travel budget.
By eliminating this expense, travelers can extend their trips and visit more destinations.
Another benefit of saving money on housing and hotel costs, is that it frees up money to spend on other activities!
For us personally, we have been able to splurge on experiences that we never could have afforded as budget travelers.
You get to Bond With Animals
House sitting provides an amazing opportunity to form meaningful connections with a variety of different pets.
Additionally, caring for animals provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment by allowing you to make a positive impact on their lives.
Sharing your travels with a companion is especially beneficial for solo travelers, or for those who are not in a place to make the long-term commitments of owning a pet.
House Sitting Provides a Unique Travel Experience
A unique benefit of house sitting is the opportunity to travel in an immersive and authentic way.
By staying in local neighborhoods, we've had the chance to connect with residents who have exposed us to unique and memorable experiences.
Whether it was a guided tour by a local through the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam.
Or devouring delicious and authentic duck rice at a local Hawker stall in Singapore- YUM!
These interactions have provided us with genuine and enriching experiences that most tourists never get.
House Sitting Let’s You Travel Comfortably
Budget travelers are familiar with sacrificing comfort to save money, but that doesn’t have to be the case with house sitting!
House sitting offers the chance to stay in beautiful and comfortable homes without breaking the bank.
Just look at this view from our latest house sit in Washington State- insane!
These homes are typically fully equipped with all the modern-day comforts one could need, and sometimes even more.
Having access to kitchens, washing machines, and high-speed internet has greatly improved our travel experience.
At times, we are downright spoiled with amenities like hot tubs, pools, or even access to a free car to drive.
Homeowners Are Helpful Resources!
Austin dining at a popular local spot recommended by our hosts in Calgary, Canada.
House sitting for local pet owners gives us exclusive insider knowledge.
Owners often share their insider tips about the best places to visit and the best times to go.
They commonly suggest the more efficient and cost-effective ways to explore the city, recommend useful apps to download, and suggest their favorite local eats (we really love food okay!!).
These perks have significantly improved our travel experience!
Not only has this information saved us money, but it has also made our travels easier and more memorable.
Additionally, we don’t have to spend nearly as much researching and planning itineraries— now that’s traveling smart!
You Create New Friendships that Last
Beyond the connections established with animals, house sitting has also led us to create new friendships with pet owners.
We often arrive early and spend time with the hosts and pets before they leave for their trip.
During this time, we share stories and get to know each other over dinner or drinks. Learning more about their pets, lives, and experiences has formed meaningful connections that last beyond the house-sitting assignment.
Homeowners have treated us with so much kindness and hospitality in our adventures, and we are incredibly grateful for each and every person who we have befriended along the way.
The time we became best-friends with Alka, and Bali in Rome, Italy!
Okay, so that was a lot of reasons to support why house sitting is awesome. You're probably starting to wonder why anyone would even bother with hotels and Airbnb's anymore!
In order to give you a well-rounded picture of the house sitting lifestyle, let's turn the tables and explore the potential challenges that traveling house sitters may face.
Cons of Traveling as a House Sitter
Opportunities Can Be Limited
House sitting opportunities depend on where pet owners need sitters. Some places have lots of house sits available, but in other areas, it can be harder to find house sits.
To add to the challenge, there may be a lot of competition for the best assignments.
If you want to secure a house sit in a highly desirable location, you need to have a strategy so you can stand out to homeowners.
If you need help developing that strategy, we recommend downloading our free guide where we walk you through our best tips to land your very first house sit!
Plans Can Change With Short Notice
A house sitter’s plans are contingent on the itinerary of the pet owner. This means that if something impacts their travel plans, that can unfortunately impact your own plans too.
While this is uncommon, it’s always best to be prepared with a back up plan.
Our first recommendation would be to look for other house sits in the area. New sits are posted constantly, including lots of last-minute opportunities.
Another good idea is to research Airbnb and hotels in the area, so you know you have somewhere to go in case plans fall through.
In our opinion, the best way to prepare for the possibility of a cancelled house-sit is purchasing the TrustedHousesitters premium subscription plan.
With this subscription, sitters can get reimbursed for travel expenses if their house sit is cancelled.
This can be up to as much as $150 per night for a total limit of $1500, that’s good reassurance to have!
Just remember that in order to be reimbursed, you need to meet the Sit Cancellation Terms and Conditions, so make sure to read them carefully!
House Sitting is a Big Responsibility
Austin taking great care of Winston’s grooming needs while house sitting in beautiful Calgary, Canada
When you agree to a house sit, you are agreeing to prioritize the pets and property before anything else. Any additional activities and free time must be planned around those responsibilities.
If having to be mindful of such requirements while you’re on vacation sounds overwhelming, this may not be the best budget travel option for you. On the other hand, if you have good time management skills you will be able to manage the two just fine.
House Sitting can be Stressful
Vet trip with Winston after he broke his toenail running on the patio!
One of the challenges of house sitting is the potential for unpredictable and stressful situations.
Unexpected illnesses or accidents can happen, leaving you feeling anxious and worried about the pets.
The best way to navigate these stressful moments is by staying calm, and being prepared.
Before you go, educate yourself on pet first-aid, and make sure the pet owner leaves a list of emergency contacts and vet care instructions.
These tips are essential in limiting our stress as traveling house sitters. Follow them, and you will be much more likely to have a smooth and stress-free experience!
Inaccurate descriptions
Some pet owners may not be completely honest about their pets, property, and accommodations.
Out of the nearly thirty house sit exchanges we’ve done, we’ve only had one instance of an inaccurate listing, which we partially take blame for since we rushed to apply without vetting the listing thoroughly.
To avoid finding yourself in a similar situation, we encourage you to ask a lot of questions and always request a video call and tour of the home! If the owner has any issues providing this information, we personally see it as a red flag.
If you need more help on how to vet a listing, check out our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Traveling as a House Sitter, where we share all of the red-flags we look for when choosing house sits.
Saying Goodbye is Always Diffilcult
Saying goodbye to one of our favorite pups ever. :( We hope our paths cross again Winston!
We heard from other house sitters how difficult it can be to say goodbye to the pets that you care for, but in all honesty, we thought, "How attached can we really get to an animal we will only spend a couple of weeks with?"
WOW were we surprised to learn the truth!
We never thought that we could bond SO deeply with animals that were not ours and live on another continent!
So take this as your official warning— these pets unique personalities and wagging tails may steal your heart, and leaving them can be truly heart-wrenching at times.
Just remember that they will soon be happy in the arms of their owners, and you can always check in to see how they are doing. Additionally, there's always the possibility that the owners will ask you to come back again!
So don’t get too discouraged; there is a chance that you will reunite with your furry friend again in the future!
Final Thoughts About The Pros And Cons of House Sitting:
In conclusion, house sitting can be an excellent way to travel on a budget, experience local cultures, and form genuine connections with people and pets around the world.
However, house sitting also comes with disadvantages that need to be considered as well. In the end, only you can determine if this is the right travel option for you.
We hope this blog post has provided you with the information you need to make an informed and educated decision. Thank you for reading, and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed about all things related to travel and pet sitting!
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