Sitting House: How to Get House Sitting Jobs Abroad
Working Abroad — By Sarah A on August 4, 2010 at 12:00 pm
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By Sarah Amandolare
LG Entertainment Editor
It sounds almost too good to be true: you live in someone’s home, experience a new place, pace and culture, all for the cost of a plane ticket. But house sitting can be done, and finding an assignment is not as difficult as you might think. In reality, house sitting is like any sort of travel: an attainable experience, so long as you’re willing to take a leap of faith. However, said leap shouldn’t be entered into lightly, and there are a few important pre-departure details to work out. Below, you’ll learn which online house sitting agencies to consult, find out what to expect from an international house sitting gig, and get advice for making the most of your experience.
Pre-Trip Research and Preparation
Payment and Responsibilities:
Most house sitting positions are unpaid, but not all. Before you begin searching for a position, think about whether you can afford to go unpaid for a stretch of time, or whether you’ll be able to work remotely; freelancers, of course, are in luck.
Many positions require the house sitter to take care of a pet, or do some light gardening or housekeeping. In other words, you’ll probably need to spend a large portion of your time at the house; if you’re looking for a position that will allow you enough time and flexibility to travel and explore nearby cities (or countries), make sure to discuss this with the homeowners before accepting a position.
Read Up:
Read as much as you can about a place before you go, advised Lost Girl Jodi Ettenberg in a Q&A with Gadling. Although the Legal Nomads blogger was referring to travel in general, her advice is most definitely applicable to house sitting. That’s not to say you should know everything before you arrive—part of the fun of house sitting is exploring your new surroundings—but, as Ettenberg notes, reading can “add an additional, important layer that will make your visit more satisfying overall.”
Consider Language Barriers:
Last winter, I spontaneously accepted a house sitting position in a tiny village where I didn’t speak a lick of the language. Needless to say, the experience was humbling, hard and nothing like the idyllic break I’d hoped for. Do yourself a favor and avoid repeating my mistake by preparing yourself with a few language lessons, if possible. Consider taking online language lessons, as The New York Times reported on recently.
Don’t Get Trapped:
I ended up weathering one of the village’s coldest, snowiest winters on record, which made driving nearly impossible for most of my stay. Public transportation also turned out to be more complicated than expected. Plus, managing a bus ride with the dog I’d been entrusted with ended up being more difficult than the homeowners had revealed. Lesson: consider your transportation options and the weather forecast before jumping into a house sitting position.
House Sitting Advice From a Pro
Writer and self-professed “jack of all trades” Tom Hill is something of a house sitting legend. In a 2007 article for The Guardian, he discussed how he and his wife have made house sitting into a career, building up their reputations by word of mouth and by establishing their online presence. “House-sitting is a win-win situation and should not be seen as a business – rather, as a liberating lifestyle,” Hill writes.
The couple has a website where they sell a downloadable guide to house sitting, and advertise their own house sitting services.
Agencies Offering House Sitting Jobs Abroad
Search for house sitting jobs online, and you’ll be hit with a multitude of options, many of which are not legitimate. The agencies below are well established, and although they charge small fees, you can trust that you’re paying for a worthwhile service.
Another less reliable option is Craigslist, where I found my house sitting job. There is no specific section for it, but some people post house sitting opportunities under “Housing Swap.”
Why Use It?
Mind My House launched in 2005 and is still going strong, a testament to its well-organized, affordable services for house sitters and homeowners. The site charges a fee of $20 per year for access to listings of international house sitting jobs, conveniently organized by country; home owners can join for free.
How Does It Work?
Members can create posts advertising their own house sitting (and pet sitting) services, which tends to be the best way to snag a job. According to Mind My House, “home owners rarely advertise their house sitting assignments, preferring instead to search our database of sitter available listings and contact house sitters directly.”
Before accepting a position, check out the FAQ section of the site for advice on legal issues, security deposits, and dealing with problems that may arise, such as pet illness or broken furniture. The site also provides a House Sitting Agreement form, which acts as a contract protecting both the house sitter and the homeowner. Before-You-Go checklists for home owners are also available.
A Look at Listings:
On a quick browse, I noticed only a few listings in most countries; as the site says, most home owners don’t advertise their positions. However, I did see an enticing position on a farm in Abruzzo, Italy, so do give the listings a once-over.
Why Use It?
This publication has been around for 28 years, and has listings of house sitting and caretaker positions around the world. Although membership is quite pricey ($29.95 per year for online access only), it does offer more than a simple service.
Each issue (released bi-monthly) contains a Caretaker Profile, offering insight into what it’s like to be a caretaker. Don’t be intimidated by the word “caretaker,” as it tends to involve the same duties as house sitting, such as light gardening or pet care. Some caretaker positions are paid, and require more involved work.
How Does It Work?
A subscription grants you access to the website’s short-term and long-term house sitting and caretaker listings around the world, updated daily. Throughout the week, subscribers are also emailed listings of last-minute “rent-free living opportunities.”
A Look at Listings:
Listings are quite varied on this site. For example, I noticed listings for a flat in Chiswick, London, with a small garden and galley kitchen; a cabin in coastal Hawaii, requiring care of orchards, a garden and cats; and an Alaskan homestead with hot tub and stipend.
Why Use It?
Based in Australia, this agency lists tons of house sitting opportunities in the U.S. and abroad, and goes out of its way to make your profile visible once you purchase the $45 yearlong membership.
How Does It Work?
Without a paid membership, you can receive notifications of house sitting opportunities. However, to apply for a position, reply to messages from homeowners, display your contact details or upload photos, you’ll have to pay the full membership fee.
Once you’ve registered, HouseCarers.com will email your profile to all registered homeowners in the locations you’re interested in. You’ll also get email notifications alerting you to new house sitting assignments in your locations of choice.
If you’re heart-set on a house sitting gig Down Under, you’ll find plenty to choose from here. I stumbled upon a house with two dogs in the Sydney suburbs, and a position at a home in Kuranda, a rain forest village outside of Cairns. If you can’t find listings in your destination of choice, don’t fret; the site warns that many homeowners don’t post listings, instead preferring to reach out to individuals based on their profiles.
Check out these related posts:
- How We: Quit our Jobs to Travel
- A Fine Day for the Opera (House)
- Housetraining Yourself: How to Be the Ultimate House Guest
- Tips for surviving as a freelancer abroad
- Should You Get an Internship or Study Abroad?
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31 Comments
We really enjoyed this post, house-sitting is definitely a great option for free accommodation. We’ve house-sitted twice during the U.S. leg of our RTW trip and are looking into doing more housesits when we get to Australia and New Zealand. We were very lucky with both housesits – very nice owners and wonderful houses. It’s also an excellent way to get to know neighborhoods outside of the city centres and get to know the locals. We’re using both Housecarers.com and Mindmyhouse.com but we find that Housecarers.com usually has the more interesting ads, so the higher membership fee pays off.
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We just launched our official website at http://bestoneinternational.com and we have several job openings for Brunei, Hongkong, Qatar, Kuwait, Taiwan & UAE to those people who are looking for jobs abroad.
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Sridhar Reply:
July 28th, 2011 at 3:53 am
Dear Sir/Ma’am
As i am interested in house sitting jobs in the parts of the world…
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Martine & Tony Eden Reply:
February 22nd, 2013 at 3:45 am
My wife & I are intersted in a young vietnamees lady as helper for
exchange loging & food. We will provide clothing and other necesities to the right person.
We are over 60 years old, American & french nationals.
Language: English & french.
We are in a mission in Fez, Morocco (Beautiful country)
Please reply with your information.
Thanks;
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Sridhar Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 9:45 pm
i am 55 years old with a hotle profession background interested in
house sitting.
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Thanks for writing about housesitting. I have tried all the housesitting websites and have found http://www.caretaker.org to be the best for housesitting assignments. I recently started using http://www.caretaker.org and have found two housesitting assignments there so far.
John
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The company with e-mail: [email protected] helped me find a job in Europe.
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Ishtar Reply:
January 23rd, 2012 at 1:14 pm
This is a scam
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House sitting, or looking after someone’s home while they are out at work or elsewhere, is one of the best jobs one can have. It’s a great new way of helping other people secure their properties while they are away and at the same time getting paid for doing it.
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Bonjour, si vous ne trouvez pas d’échange..!ou si vous partez en vacances, nous sommes retraités français (officier sup) et faisons des gardiennages gratuits .Contact: [email protected]
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Thanks for the post. You have some very good tips about house sitting abroad. House sitting involves a lot of trust, but the unexpecteds happen and one has to be prepared.
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Hello I am 55 responsible,multilingual, excellent references,would take care of house or elderly person, or help with house and children was recently widowed had decided to retire but now I feel like working again. if interested you may contact me at [email protected] mention care kind regards Francoise.
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i am 10 years of experienced person in house keeping, gardening and baby sitting. i am interestedhanks in this job and i really need some work…t
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sushila Reply:
August 15th, 2012 at 5:38 pm
I am sushila again you can contact me through email [email protected].. I am 40 years of age…..hope to hear soon
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It sounds like you’re going to have an awesome week.
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Great article – I will be sure to share this info on our fb page. We have been full-time caretakers/sitters since 2009, caring for properties and pets across the US. This month, we are moving from Portland, OR to Santa Fe, NM where we will care for an adobe for the next year or so. Initially, we found our sits via Housecarers and Caretaker Gazette. Now, people typically find us, via word of mouth or online (I have been blogging about our experiences for three years now). Thanks again for the info,
Valynne & Paul
Caretaking Couple
PS Read your book when it first came out – LOVE stories like yours – Happy Adventuring!
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It really is ideal for us as we typically prefer to travel slow.
Thank you
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retired director as also my wife. we have a daughter in melbourne west footscray, but no room for us the grandparents, so would like to house sit somewhere in the area eg williamstown ets
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There is a job opportunity for you to work has an domestic Help/maid or nanny.We have a list of host family who have consulted us to look for helpers with a substantial weekly payment, within the rate of 1000-1700 pounds.
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I hope so. I have wonderful references and experiences in nanny work where, i also looked after the house and maintained gardens.
I hope to find around north shore or nearer to waikiki. Please can u email me if anything pops up. Cheers Anna
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