Press centre
What we do in 56 seconds… Take a quick look.
1. Background
2. Fact Sheet
3. Research – Housesit match Press centre
- House-sitter cost depends on where the housesit is located and how long the service is required. If payment is involved, daily rates start as low as £10/$15 and go up from there. Most house-sitters charge extra for pet-sitting services, particularly for dogs needing daily walks or farm animals that need more work. (Source: Senior Travel)
- According to the American Pet Product Association (APPA), Americans spent approximately $47.7 billion on pet products and services in 2010, an increase of 4.8% over 2009. Since 1988, pet ownership has expanded from 56% of households to 62%. That’s 71.4 million homes. Source: Franchise Help
- Pet Sitters International (PSI) is the world’s leading educational association for professional pet-sitters. Since 1994 PSI has educated and supported thousands of animal lovers and entrepreneurs, with a desire to turn their passion for pets in to profit. The 2014 survey found that PSI member pet-sitting businesses provided pet care services for more than 720,000 households and generated more than $332 million in pet-sitting revenues last year. PSI has one of the biggest social media groups. Source: Pet Sitters Intl
- There are a small number of international house-sitting and pet-sitting networks online, including Caretakers Gazette, Housecarers, Trusted Housesitters and Mind My House. What distinguishes HouseSit Match from the competition is the legal templates we offer for members, written and prepared by lawyers in each country and the personal care we offer new members and Premium members if requested.
4. Past Press Coverage – HouseSitMatch Press centre
BBC Sounds – Sarah Walker interview (Feb 2023)
The Sun – How’s about that – Living for free in a 5 bedroom house (Jan 2023)
Express Online – Global traveller shares tips to avoid lost luggage (Dec 2022)
The Sun – Fee holiday in Budapest after nightmare hostel stay (Dec 2022)
The Guardian – I am a homeless guy looking after a palace. Housesitters escaping the cost of living crisis (Nov 2022)
The Mirror – Housesitting, virtual trips and smart flying (July 2022)
The Independent – Is a house swap the affordable answer to your battle for a break? (June 2021)
The Metro – Can I travel to Portugal this Summer ? (June 2021)
Housesitting Magazine – House Sitting Tribes: which do you belong to? (October 2019)
Euro Weekly News – Free Petsitters – Cut the cost of pet care (January 2018)
Huffington Post – How to travel long in Retirement (June 2017)
House Beautiful – 5 things to look for in a potential housesitter (Jan 2017)
Bucks Free Press – HouseSitMatch in High Wycombe leads the way in home and petsitting (May 2016)
Huffington Post – How to Score Free Travel Accommodation (March 2016).
French Entrée – Homeownership and Absenteeism – Practical Solutions (March 2016).
French Entrée – Top Tips – for Homeowners when Securing House-Sitters (March 2016).
Bucks & Berks Life – Finding the perfect match – Pets and Homesitters (March 2016).
The Telegraph – Rental Prices worldwide – How to find the cheapest properties (Dec 2015)
Mail Online – Fancy staying in a Scottish Castle, French chateau or Costa Rican retreat for FREE..? (Dec 2015).
The London Economic – Housesitting – The ultimate sharing economy (March 2015).
The London Economic – Plans to escape London, or entrenched in pet-sitting arrangements Dec (2014).
LinkedIn – Three keys to unlocking the sharing economy (July 2014).
The Guardian – Small Business Network – short listed for Start-up, and Efficiency categories – Dec 2013.
– HouseSitMatch.com named the ‘Website of the Month’ – May 2014.
– Feature ‘Sitting Pretty’ published – February 2015.
Your Home Magazine – HouseSit Match was featured in Consumer News section – August 2014.
Telefonica Innovation Hub – Featured in ‘Only 3% of Startups are Founded by Women’ – August 2014.
Forbes Magazine – Featured in ‘A Fun Way to Travel the World on a Dime’ – September 2014.
International Real Estate Listings – Guest Blog – ‘Safe as Houses’ – November 2014.
The Good Life France
- Housesitting in France – the lure of Provence – Spring 2018
- How house sitters can help homeowners in France – 2018
- What’s it like to Housesit in France – Winter 2017
- Housesitting in the Ile de France – Winter 2016
- ‘One Hour from Paris’, published – January 2015.
- ‘Holiday in France, Like a Local’ – November 2014.
Media contact information
HouseSit Match Press centre
Lamia Walker at HouseSit Match:
Website: www.housesitmatch.com
5. Biography
Lamia Walker is the Founder of HouseSit Match. Her career spans 25 years plus, with quite a few spent in marketing for some wonderful organisations. In 2012 the idea for HouseSitMatch became a thing, over a good curry shared with an Australian friend. The friend had been house-sitting for a year and had saved a huge sum of money by not paying any rent in Perth, Western Australia. This legal arrangement is popular in Australia, the friend said. She had been housesitting, exchanging her services for free accommodation for a whole year! The two friends mulled over the opportunity and considered starting an online agency.
The idea so inspired Lamia that she soon left a senior role in publishing, with a reliable salary, to start an online venture that would turn her virtual quest into an international network reality. Now she runs HouseSitMatch and through this enterprise has made lots of friends all around the world who also enjoy housesitting.
The rest is as they say history, though the ink has yet to dry on this story. Want to learn more? Get in touch !
To learn more about the origins of HouseSit Match go to the About Us page on the website.
6. Awards
2018 – Nomination – Sue Ryder Southern Women of Achievement
2016 – The Guardian Small Business Network Award
7. Events & Presentations
2017 – Digital Gum Workshop – Starting a Business – Green Park, Reading
2016 – World Travel Market – Women in Travel
2015 – World Travel Market – Women in Travel