What Budget Travelers Should Know About Housesitting Stays
Budget travel is as popular as ever and people are continually looking for new ways to get the most out of their budget while still having an amazing time. One of the new trends that budget travelers should know about is housesitting stays. With platforms like TrustedHousesitters, Nomador, HouseCarers, and MindMyHouse, budget travelers can find affordable accommodations that provide all the comforts of home in a variety of locations around the world.
Housesitting offers budget travelers not only great value but also an opportunity to experience living like a local in different cultures and communities. Not only will this help you save money, but you will also be able to explore places you may not have otherwise considered visiting. So if you're looking for an exciting way to travel without breaking your budget then you might want to look into housesitting. But what is housesitting really like and what should you expect when you take on the responsibility of housesitting while on vacation?
What to expect when housesitting
BudgetTraveller's James Cave writes that it's entirely possible to live in another country (rent-free!) via housesitting. However, don't expect to lounge on your laurels while you take up space in another person's home. Some housesitting stays will require you to put in a little elbow grease to make it worth the owner's while. Cave and his girlfriend were able to live in France for nine months for relatively little cost but their housesitting responsibilities included mowing the lawn, taking care of pets, and general maintenance of the property including keeping an eye out for freezing pipes and would-be burglars. Tasks that often come with real home ownership!
That's not to say they didn't have time to relax and enjoy their time in France, though. With relatively few expenses Cave and his partner were able to enjoy the benefits of budget travel while still having plenty of time (and money) to enjoy all that France has to offer. The verdict? Housesitting is a great way for budget travelers to experience another culture deeply without breaking the bank. You will need to do some research and preparation in advance of housesitting though.
How to prepare for and secure a housesitting stay
Nomadic Matt writes that one of the first steps you'll want to take to find a housesitting stay is to sign up with a trusted housesitting platform such as TrustedHousesitters, Nomador, HouseCarers, or MindMyHouse. Each of these platforms requires an annual fee so you'll probably want to choose just one and stick with it. Some are more established than others and have more listings in certain regions but overall they are popular platforms used by many people around the world each day.
James Cave of BudgetTraveller writes that if you have never housesat before you're going to want to make sure that your profile is as detailed as possible so that homeowners can see you're a trustworthy and responsible person or couple. This means lots of photos and references. If you're a new housesitter, ask friends, family, or former colleagues to write character references or testimonials for you. Given you actually are a responsible and trustworthy person, this shouldn't be hard! You will also want to make sure to write as much detail about your past experience with either pet sitting or owning your own furry pals.
Lastly, when communicating with prospective housesitting hosts, make sure to be concise. Don't oversell what you're actually capable of doing, and keep on trying even if you get lots of rejections. This is natural when first starting out and once you get one housesit, the rest will come more easily.