How to Start House Sitting Abroad in 7 Simple Steps!
House-sitting has become increasingly popular among budget travelers, and if you're interested in trying it out, we have good news for you!
Anyone who loves animals and is responsible can learn to become a successful world-traveling house sitter. Although it requires time and effort, the process to get started is pretty straightforward.
In this blog post, we'll guide you through the steps necessary to begin your own house-sitting adventure. From selecting a house-sitting website to creating a profile and applying to house sits, we'll cover everything in this post. Are you ready to get started? Let's jump right in!
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Step 1: Determine your Goals for House Sitting
Setting goals is a crucial step that new house sitters often skip, and it’s a major reason why they struggle to get house sits or have a poor experience.
Without setting any goals you will find yourself blindly applying to every house sit that catches your interest, only to be rejected most of the time.
Talk about a waste of your time and energy!
It's also how you end up applying for a house sit that's not a good fit, which can lead to having bad experience.
To get the most out of your house sitting experience, ask yourself these questions-
What kinds of animals you are comfortable caring for?
Where you are looking to travel?
How much of your time and effort you are willing to put in to the house sit?
Are you experienced enough for the house sit you want to apply to?
Are you comfortable with what is provided, the location, and the language barrier?
How will you get around? Will you need a car? Will you be depending on public transport?
By taking time to reflect and think through these factors, you can make an educated and informed decision if a house sit is right for you.
Step 2. Choosing a House Sitting Website
Choosing the right house-sitting website can feel overwhelming with so many options to choose from.
However, there are a few factors you can consider to help you make the right choice.
When selecting a website, consider these factors:
The number of house-sitting opportunities available
The subscription costs
The locations of available house sits
What support and safety features are offered by the website
There are also options to find house sit exchanges through Facebook groups. However, these groups will not have the same safety measures and verification processes as house-sitting website. Whether that is something that you are comfortable with or not is entirely up to you.
Step 3. Creating your House-sitter Profile
It should come as no surprise that having a profile that "wows" is one of the most, if not the most important factors when attempting to secure your dream house sit.
Think of a house sitting profile as your resume. You need to be willing to put in the time and effort if you are expecting a call back!
If you want to know how to create a stand-out house-sitter profile, we take you through step-by-step in our Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Traveling Rent-Free as a House Sitter.
Step 4. Gather References and Complete Verifications
House-sitting platforms such as TrustedHousesitters give sitters the option to submit ID checks, background checks, or police checks.
Unsurprisingly, homeowners prefer sitters with completed verifications.
If you have experience and can get a reference from someone you’ve house-sat for in the past, that is definitely the most ideal option.
If not, references can be from a family member, friend, or employer, or really anyone who can vouch for your character.
Step 5. Applying to House Sits
Now that we've got all of the technical stuff out of the way, the real fun can begin as you start to apply to house sits!
As a new sitter, chances are you will get a few "no's" before you get your first "yes!", so send out multiple applications.
When you submit an application, make sure that you write a detailed message stating why you're a good fit.
It doesn't need to be anything lengthy, but make sure it's personal.
Some owners will respond quickly, some take days. Just be patient and keep checking up on new sits in the meantime.
Step 6. The Interview
If the owner loved your application, they will want to connect with you further through a video or phone call.
Be prepared to answer basic questions about your personal background, home and pet care experience, what makes you a qualified house sitter for their sit, etc.
This is a two-way interview, by the way! Bring questions for the owner as well. The key to a successful house sit is ensuring both parties are equally satisfied and informed regarding the expectations of the sit.
Step 7. Confirm Your House Sit!
If the interview was a success, then the owner will invite you to care for their home and pets!
Once then send you an official invite, you just hit that “confirm” button and you’re good to go. All that's left for you to do is make your travel arrangements and show up on time for the agreed-upon dates!
Conclusion
Our last piece of advice is to remember that house sit exchanges are a learning experience!
Sometimes things will go exactly as planned, and sometimes they won't. That's the beauty of it. Every assignment will give you new knowledge to improve your experiences, and before you know it, you will be an absolute pet-sitting pro!
And that's it! We hope this post gave you the information you need to feel confident getting started. If you’re looking for more fun, and informative content, be sure to subscribe to our mailing list or check out our other resources below!
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