Have you heard of house-sitting?  It is a brilliant idea where homeowners advertise for a house sitter to look after their home and pets while they are away – bringing peace of mind that the house is secure and the pets happy, and in turn providing a home away from home for house-sitters (whether for a holiday or longer).  We are currently three weeks into a ten week house-sit, and while we have been house-sitting or offering our home to house-sitters for a couple of years now, we thought it was worth sharing this part of our plan for budget family travel this year.

House-sitting other people’s homes opens up numerous opportunities.  As a holiday destination, it usually takes you off the tourist track and into real life – giving you a chance to meet every day people and experience local delights – including the restaurants (and let’s face it – who doesn’t get tired of feeling you are paying above average tourist prices for barely average food in the  tourist zones).  But it is not always for a holiday.  Our current house-sit came at the perfect time to provide us with a temporary home after we sold our house, and before we hit the road in March.  Unbelievably, it is in our own village and is walking distance to Will’s school.  Regardless of which higher being you believe in – some forces were at work there!!  The couple who’s house it is have been nothing but welcoming – it even came with the added bonus of home grown squash which made a delicious soup in the first week.

Having house-sitters looking after our own house and cat in the past meant we would go away happy that the house was occupied, and that Nellie the cat was comfortable in her home environment.  True – you have to tidy up a little more than normal before you rush out the door, but we have always found the house even tidier when we return.  What’s also always lovely is the appreciation people show to you for opening up your home for them – we recently had a family of five stay and they were absolutely thrilled to be able to access London without having to pay for accommodation (and we were thrilled to receive the wine they left to say thank you!)

There are many good agencies and websites that will facilitate house-sitting, but here’s how we started off.  The first few house sits we did and offered were privately arranged with friends or friends of friends.  Then we  registered on a couple of  house-sitting websites (we primarily use trustedhousesitters.com but keep an eye on some of the others as well) and wrote up a profile of ourselves.  As and when opportunities come up, we apply through the website to the home owner.  They then respond and if we are lucky, agree the house-sit.   There is a range of house-sitting opportunities – some rural, some urban.  Some have numerous animals to care for, some have none.  There are some luxury and some quirky house sits out there – but most that we have seen are normal homes with normal pets.

We have been asked whether it is realistic to house-sit with children.  I will be honest – some people are reluctant to have children to stay and some house-sits are not suitable for children.  We don’t take it personally if people politely decline.  But for many, they are offering a family home and are more than happy to invite another family in.  Will is extremely aware of the need to be respectful toward other people’s belongings and the same has been true of children who have stayed at our home.   The children love the pets too!  This time around Will and Calli the cat have become firm friends!   

There is the question of payment.  I have heard that some house-sitters charge for their services, and I guess this might be appropriate if there are a lot of duties involved (looking after a farm for example) but for us this is about people sharing what they have to create benefits and experiences for everyone.  On the other hand, house-sitters are sometimes asked to pay for services – usually only utilities and usually only for longer house-sits.  We are currently paying for gas and electricity – something we are happy to do as it is the middle of the UK winter and we want to be warm without worrying about someone else’s bill.  It is a personal decision and needs negotiation depending on the situation.

Would we recommend house-sitting?  Undoubtedly!!!  We’ve had great experiences to date and we hope that during 2014 house-sits will not only provide a temporary break from the van, but will also lead us down winding roads we wouldn’t otherwise have taken.