What is House and Pet Sitting?

Our HouseSit Match Definition of ‘House-Sitting’

House sitting is a mutually beneficial arrangement between two parties – most usually taking place between a homeowner and a house-sitter – enabling the owner to leave their property and pets in the care of the sitter for an agreed period of time.

Housesitting Experience

Here are some of our HouseSit Match members experiences. they help us define house sitting through their photographs and blog content that will help us describe what arrangements take place and how they are arranged between the respective parties.

House sitting for the Homeowner

House-sitters are people who will agree to move into your property as part of their working holiday or sometimes a professional assignment, in order to care for your home and pets in your absence. They understand that it is a responsible role and that your home and pets are their priority whilst they are living in your property rent free. It is a good idea to draw up a house-sitting agreement in order to list the responsibilities you expect the sitter to meet (registered members have access to our full suite – ask us for details!

Of course, as a homeowner if you are absent from your home for a very long period due to work, there is also an option to sell your house and that is to sell your home through a real estate agent of any one of the ‘we buy any house companies‘.

TOP TIPS – for homeowners  –

• Help you prepare for the dog-sitter house-sitter 
• Some Vet’s top tips for cat-owners and cat-sitters before house-sitting begins

House sitting for the House-Sitter –

House-sitting is a working holiday for an individual, a couple or a family. They live rent free in exchange for care and management of the owner’s home, property and pets. In more cases than not this arrangement also includes care for the resident pets. This is usually an unpaid arrangement, although occasionally a small daily or block fee can be arranged depending on the responsibilities involved for the sitter.

TOP TIPS – for house-sitters –

• Advice for Pet-sitters and House-Sitters – Notes from a Homeowner…
• Homeowner’s Brief for a House-sitter – And before you begin… 

For both Sitters and Owners – ‘House-sitting’ can be So much more –
For both homeowners and house-sitters house-sitting can be so much more if a good relationship and trust is established and the work is accomplished in the spirit of the agreement. It can be the root of a most fulfilling and relaxing working/holiday for both parties. What’s the big secret to making this arrangement work well for both parties?

TOP TIP in our experience when you ask about house sitting consider the following …

• Build a good relationship before you start the house-sitting arrangement– make an effort to get to know each other

And what a House-sit is Not –

A housesit is not a home-exchange or a house-swap. It does not require one homeowner to meet the needs of another in order to find some where to go. It is in fact a temporary arrangement made by one homeowner preparing for their own absence from home. They make their home available for a housesit in exchange for house-sitters to care for their property and pets.

And house-sitters make their presence known to the homeowner as suitable candidates to take on that house-sit assignment.
House sitting platforms like HouseSitMatch.com exist to facilitate the secure arrangement of house-sits between sitters and owners.

Why do house-sitting..?
It saves money – for both sitter and owner.

Finding housesitters means your pets can be cared for safely in their own home.

A house-sitting assignment offers sitters authentic travel experiences, you can live like a local.

House-sitting enables you to travel and look after pets in a comfortable home.

You can travel the world without paying for accommodation while you housesit.

As a house-sitter how do you benefit from the house-sit:

– House-sitting saves you money on travel.
One of the greatest concerns of any traveller or tourist (whether house sitter or homeowner) is the cost. As a traveller you are constantly thinking about how much this relaxing holiday or trip is going to cost. Often the full cost is not fully clear to you until you return to face your bank account and credit card statement in the cold light of day. Making house-sitting arrangements to cover your accommodation costs can save a lot of money

As a homeowner what can the house-sit mean for you:

– House-sitters save you money on kennels, gardeners, and increased insurance premiums.
As a homeowner who holidays and travels away from home you save money in a variety of ways. Insurance premiums for example. One generally gives this little thought until the unthinkable happens. In the unlikely event of being burgled while your home is unoccupied your insurance premiums are bound to increase. Ensuring your home is occupied can be a major deterrent to thieves.

If you have pets and you board them in kennels or with a professional dog breeder then the fees soon add up. This depends of course on the length of your trip. Finding house-sitters willing to care for your pets at no extra cost other than free accommodation in your home can offer a great saving.

To pay or not to pay for house-sitters

Over the question of payment for house-sitting services – we believe house-sitting should be an exchange of free services. However, some homeowners have specialist and occasionally extensive requirements and acknowledge these extra and specialist duties with a payment. Here is a blog to help you consider your own situation

House-sitters can also maintain your garden so you need not worry about how your property looks during your absence. They also act as a pet-sitter. This removes any incremental costs by ensuring your property is occupied and your pets are cared for in their own home. The free sitter will also manage the property and the gardens.

House-sitting – to keep the status quo at home gives peace of mind 

– As the house-sitter –
Knowing you’re saving a significant percentage of your travel budget by securing free accommodation is liberating. And it can add to your relaxed state of mind while you are travelling. It can enable you to travel further afield as some of our house-sitters – the Expat Experiment – have found 

– As the homeowner –
Choosing the house sitter yourself can be very reassuring. And it can ease the worries of a home owner absent from their property for more than a few days. Knowing that you have personally briefed the sitter/s with  the routines particular to you and your home is reassuring. Ensuring that your home, garden and pets are managed as you require in your absence can be a great source of comfort.

If you would like to register as either a House-Sitter or a Homeowner to make the most of House-sitting register today and join our other members at HouseSit Match

To find your housesitting solution register with HouseSitMatch

Further reading on housesitting and affordable housing

Housesitting in retirement

Housesitting in England makes peak season affordable

Consider Silver City Society for affordable housing

Plans to travel? Top tips to keep in mind