House sitting jobs in 2021, how you can travel for free as a house sitter. It is good for retirees, students, apex and travelers.
Imagine living in mansion-like homes all by yourself for weeks or months. You get to enjoy marvelous bathtubs, fluffy beds, and all the amenities of a home on the beach, in vineyards, near sugar plantations, and other exotic locations.
Plus, you get paid while enjoying free luxury accommodation not just locally, but around the world as well. Okay, snap back to reality.
While the chances of living in a mansion and getting paid to be there are quite slim, many people are discovering that paid house-sitting jobs can open up doors for them to travel and explore one city or country for extended periods.
In today’s article, we going to talk about house sitter jobs by the end of this video, you will know how does it work? How much do they pay you? And important of all is it really worth your time or not we about to find out so sit back relax and drink some coffee.
What is a house sitter?
House sitter is the practice of entrusting a person or two who are allowed to stay in the property for as long as the owner requires.
House sitting is a win-win for both the homeowners and the house sitter.
80% of house-sitting arrangements come from homeowners who prefer to leave their pets at home. The cost of pet care in vets, kennels, or pet hotels can be costly, and house sitting proves a more economical alternative.
Aside from their pets, homeowners want to ensure their homes are secure by having someone physically there.
Home alarm systems aren’t exactly good if burglars discover the way to get in. Another reason to get a house sitter is to keep the house clean while homeowners are away.
What does a house sitter do?
The tasks of a house sitter vary depending on the homeowner’s needs. Some hosts just need general house maintenance, while others require their pets to be taken care of.
Generally, paid house sitting jobs involve:
- Occupying the house – Insurance companies in countries like the UK reject claims if homeowners leave their houses vacant for over 30 days. If house sitters occupied the house when a break-in occurs, homeowners have a chance to make an insurance claim.
- Taking care of pets – If arranged by the homeowner, house sitters may also be assigned to take care of pets. This includes day-to-day pet care like walking the dog, providing food and water, scooping poop/cleaning litter box, and even taking them to the vet when necessary.
- Taking care of plants – Homes with either an indoor or outdoor garden may require help watering and pruning plants, mowing lawns, and so on. In some cases, pool cleaning may be included in the job description as well.
- Basic housekeeping – The house sitter doesn’t necessarily have to scrub the home from top to bottom the whole time they stay in it. However, they are expected to keep the home in the condition they found it.
- Other duties – Organizing mail, forwarding phone messages, overseeing home repairs, and other duties may also be assigned to the house sitter.
How much money can you make?
In the U.S. the average annual pay of house sitters is around $61,729. If you are top 10 percent you will earn $144,000 per year.
The cool thing about paid house-sitting jobs is that you can negotiable the price with the house owner. Enough talking, here are the most popular websites that list paid house-sitting jobs.
Trustedhousesitters
They have the most extensive list of house sitting opportunities here, with listings in such cities as New York, London, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Sydney, Melbourne, and many more major cities.
To find house-sitting jobs, you’ll have to purchase a yearly membership, which costs $119. Note this, homeowners have to purchase a yearly membership for the same price to be able to look for a house sitter.
It’s a small price to pay, seeing as a one-year membership to the site is cheaper than a single night in a hotel room in New York.
Mind My House
MindMyHouse is a New Zealand-based site where homeowners can post their house sitting assignments and house sitters can look for an assignment that best fits them. There’s also a community area where members can swap stories and experiences.
They also have useful checklists for homeowners to tick off before they leave their houses.
A membership will cost you $20 per year, which is the lowest of all the sites here. Also, they don’t renew your membership automatically, so it is not a naughty surprise there.
House Sitters America
They have a membership that costs $30 per year. There are always multiple opportunities, but most are not paid positions.
In the majority of cases, free rent is available for those that don’t mind looking after the home, taking care of pets, and carrying out some basic cleaning tasks.
But, sometimes you may get paid or the utilities may be covered by the homeowner if the home is in a bad location or there are a lot of animals to care for.
House Sitters America covers the entirety of the United States, so it’s a great way to explore other parts of the country.
Nomador
This platform has been in business since 2001. It was known for a strong Euro-centric focus, but that has changed in the last couple of years. They have membership costs $89 per year, and it is the only website on the list that caters to full-time housesitters.
The website interface is great. It’s easy to search, and you can look at listings as soon as you’ve signed up.
Nomador combats scammers with a series of ID checks. It’s the only platform using a two-way blind review system similar to that found on AirBnB.
They have a “discovery option” is available for those housesitters that want to try before they buy a full membership.
A free membership is also available, but it only allows up to 3 applications before it expires.
Housesitter.com
This is a platform that connects house sitters with homeowners in their local area.
This is quite different from other platforms that focus on people that want to travel and live rent-free in other parts of the world.
It’s easy to post a profile on Housesitter.com. There are plenty of housesitting jobs available, and you can afford to be a little picky. Each housesitter can set their own rates, but you must be competitive, or you will lose out to other housesitters on the platform.
Housesitter.com jobs typically require pet care services too, so if you like animals or have pet care experience, this can be a significant advantage.
Housesit Match
This is a UK company, with a primary focus on the European housesitting scene. The site is very attractive and easy to use.
There are two membership tiers. Standard at $69 per year and Premium, which costs $89 per year.
HouseSit Match charges the homeowners and housesitters alike, which may discourage some people. But, it does ensure that members are serious about matching their needs.
Caretaker Gazette
This is an old-school, literal, tangible newsletter that lists property caretaking and house-sitting jobs. They have been publishing since 1983.
You have the option of only subscribing to their online edition, which contains the exact same information as the print edition. Online subscription costs $29.95 per year, $49.95 for two years, or $69.95 for three years.
Honestly, it’s only listed here because it does offer paid house-sitting jobs, but your money is better spent at any of the other resources.