Sitting here writing, surrounded by tropical rainforest, birds chirping, the creek babbling, mesmerised by sunlight dancing through the towering trees onto the deck, I smile as I reflect on coincidence – what a coincidence that different friends in Vanuatu had invited me to house-sit, how perfect that experience for where I now find myself…house-sitting in a one-of-a-kind tree house in Kuranda. Magic!
Never part of the plan, it just sort of… evolved.
If you have a passion for travelling, house-sitting can be a fantastic way to travel slowly, really connect with your destination and make friends with local people. To travel differently, no more box-ticking rushed trips. To immerse yourself in the beauty and uniqueness of your destination, focus on the local culture, enjoy deeper connections with people, share stories and meals together, and savour all the precious little details that make a place special.
On a practical level, the opportunity is to help others by taking care of their home and much-loved pets and in exchange enjoy different homes in wonderful places around the world. You will never feel alone!
All you have to do is sign up with one of the companies providing this service – e.g. Aussie House Sitters, Kiwi House Sitters, Trusted House-sitters – create a profile, have your ID verified, indicate preferred locations, house-sit preferences and your availability calendar, then you’re all set and can check out available listings. There is a small annual membership fee.
One thing I would suggest is be willing to be flexible with your dates, house-sits may not always match your calendar. There is uncertainty, things are not always wonderful, I have felt quite frightened more than once. There’s no guarantee of where you’re going to be living from one month to the next, agreements can be cancelled, and you don’t know how it’s going to be at the next place. It’s all part of the experience of change and sometimes you might handle it well, other times not – whatever you learn.
Most owners provide instructions on pet care and how the house works. Of course, the idea is that you take care of their home, keep it clean and tidy and maintained to the same condition you found it, and respect instructions in relation to pets.
For the homeowner, a small fortune is saved on pet boarding fees, for the house-sitter accommodation is free which of course helps with the cost of long-term travel.
And, as with all slow travel, you can have fun, enjoy long walks in nature and time to reflect on life, to reconnect with yourself. You will learn to adapt to new environments and deal with any challenges, become more self reliant and accepting of others.