After leaving Australia and New Zealand and returning back to the UK at the end of March 2025, I became a full-time housesitter. I didn’t have a place to live – instead I traveled all over the country, taking care of other people’s pets and working remotely! Over approximately eight months, I did 14 housesits using Trusted Housesitters. And in doing so, I saved about £10,000 (!!) while freelancing and not paying rent/housing costs.

I have included my referral link to Trusted Housesitters throughout this post – you get a 25% discount, and I get a few months for free!

I had incredible travel opportunities, thanks to my housesits. I traveled the UK extensively: Oxford, Cardiff, Muir of Ord, Cornwall, multiple sits in Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Sunderland, plus a three-week sit in Switzerland! Some of the places I stayed at were seriously nice, and came with perks like a free pool or gym access. This can be a truly excellent way to save money, travel, and meet lots of cute four-legged friends.

Housesitting with Trusted Housesitters was my life for most of 2025, and there’s a lot of information to share. Here’s everything you need to know to become a full-time housesitter through this platform!

Step 1: Sign up to Trusted Housesitters

Your first step is to sign up to Trusted Housesitters and go through the various background checks that are needed. The platform has an annual fee to join, which you pay on either a Basic, Standard, or Premium plan. New in 2026, they will begin charging both Basic and Standard sitters and owners a fee for each individual sit – something I disagree with. While they say this is to decrease the number of cancelations, it also seems like a crafty way to profit off of the people who use the platform the most. If you sign up as a Premium member, you do not have to pay a booking fee. You also get a number of other benefits, such as sit cancelation protection, unlimited saved searches, and more. Take a look at all three to see which plan will be the best for you.

Regardless of which plan you go on, you will likely “make back” the annual fee with your first sit or two! Sign up through this link to get a 25% discount off your annual membership with Trusted Housesitters.

There are plenty of other housesitting sites out there, and it’s kind of region-dependent. For example, I didn’t find loads of housesits on Trusted Housesitters in New Zealand (Kiwi Housesitters is a popular site there). But for UK and US (plus lots of Europe) sits, Trusted Housesitters reigns supreme.

Step 2: Create a top-notch profile

Once you’ve been approved by Trusted Housesitters, you’ll need to create your profile. Take your time and put a lot of effort into this – it’ll pay off, trust me! Add photos of you with animals, and natural pictures of you doing the things you love. Try to show your face and avoid photos with sunglasses. Write out a detailed bio, showcasing all of your experience taking care of pets or previous housesitting experience. Mine said that I was traveling full-time and working remotely – I had a number of photos with animals, but also just a few of me out hiking!

Most importantly, I recommend having at least one external reference on your profile. I asked a family friend, whose cats I took care of for many years when I was in high school and college, to write a reference for me. It’s best if your reference(s) can speak directly to your experience with pets, but it’s okay if they don’t. Former landlords or housemates who can attest to your responsibility and reliability are also great references. If you can’t think of any relevant references, ask a friend or family member to write one – have them highlight qualities that make you a good candidate for housesitting.

If you’re interested, you can check out my Trusted Housesitters profile.

Step 3: Apply for your first sit

This is the hardest part: getting your first housesit without any reviews on your profile. It can be overwhelming at first, but you can do it! First, set up saved searches for areas or destinations you want to go to. This way, you’ll get notifications whenever new sits are added there.

In your application note, always be sure to address the owner by the right name that’s on their profile. If it’s a couple and only one person is named on the profile, but both are named in the description, address your message to both (it shows you read their information properly!). Always mention the pets by name, highlight your direct experience with pets (walking dogs, cleaning litterboxes, etc) and share a bit of personal information about yourself – ie. if you’re traveling, retired, working remotely, etc. I usually ask one or two questions if they aren’t clear in the sit information.

What to put in your application

Here’s a bit of the template I created, which I use for my sit applications:

“Hi [owner name],

My name is [Maja] and I’m really interested in this sit. I’m now [back in the UK after traveling full-time the past few years]. Your place looks lovely and I’d love to get to know [pets names]! I’ve done lots of house/[pet/cat/dog]sitting over the years so I’m comfortable with [feeding pets], [walking dogs], [cleaning litterboxes], etc.

I’m a clean and quiet houseguest, I like to keep things neat and tidy and take care of a place the same as I would my own home. I work remotely, so I’ll typically be around during the day working if [the pets] need company. I do have my own car, so just want to check if there is parking at yours?

Happy to set up a video call to chat more if you like! If you have any questions for me just let me know, thanks for considering my application! 🙂

[Maja]”

Tips for applying for sits

Sits on Trusted Housesitters close automatically after five applications. The good sits go FAST! You need to be quick, which is why having a saved search and turning on notifications is a good idea. I’ve seen sits that have had the maximum number of applications and disappeared in under one hour! A saved search will instantly send a notification that a new sit has been listed in the area that meets the criteria you set. The best strategy is to apply first, and ask questions/decide later. You can always withdraw your application if you realize the sit isn’t for you. But throw your hat into the ring first.

Owners naturally will go with sitters who already have reviews, so finding your first sit is tough. Apply for loads and trust the process – it’s definitely a numbers game! At some point, you’ll apply to enough sits that you’ll get one. If you’re struggling, look for local, short sits with low applications. These are more likely to take on a new sitter without reviews. Don’t worry too much if the beginning is a struggle. Securing sits will be MUCH easier once you have a few five-star reviews on your profile. You may even be invited for sits in the future!

Step 4: Confirm your housesit

It’s very important to read the sit information carefully and thoroughly. You want to know exactly what’s expected of you and what you’re signing up for! I always recommend doing a video call before confirming on the sit. While I’ve had a few sits where I didn’t do a video call beforehand – and they were fine! – a video call really helps both parties to get to know one another. It’s harder to tell if people are weirdos when they’ve got time to type out a response, it’s much easier when you’re talking to them live!

Some owners will put up super detailed sit information on their profile, others don’t. When you’re in the application process, it’s important to consider how you will fit your routine around the pets’ routine. This isn’t a free holiday, it’s a job to look after the pets! A video call is a great way to ask questions, and get your answers.

Here are a few things I always ask:

• What is the normal routine for the pets? (ie. when the dog(s) is walked, when are they fed)
• How long are the dogs are walked each day? (If there is more than one dog and you’re a solo sitter, be sure to ask if it’s easy to walk them together)
• How long can the pets be left on their own? (This makes a huge difference for your plans! Cats are often fine to be alone all day, dogs can usually be left between 2-6 hours)
• Are they on any medication, and if so, how is it administered? (I’m afraid of needles so I can’t do any sits that involve giving medication with needles as I’ll majorly panic)
• Is there parking/access to public transport?
• What is the wifi like? (This is especially important if you’re working remotely and/or going to a rural location!)
• What are the preferred arrival/departure times? (Owners may have a short window, set in stone, and you will need to be available to arrive/depart then – others can be flexible!)

Only confirm if you are 100% certain you can commit to the sit. If you don’t think you can meet the requirements, don’t do it. You’ll have a tough time, and it’s not worth it. Canceling after you’ve confirmed a sit isn’t allowed, besides in extenuating circumstances. I have never canceled on a housesit before. I have had one housesit canceled on me, and that was because the dog sadly died a few weeks before the sit was due to start.

Owners can create and upload a Welcome Guide on Trusted Housesitters. This is a great resource for all of the information you’ll need for your sit! Emergency contact numbers, wifi passwords, and details about the area are usually all included.

Step 5: Have a great five-star sit

I aim to do an in-person handover if possible, just as it’s nice to meet in person. Especially for sits with dogs – it’s always nice to meet the dog with the owners present! Some owners will be a bit flexible, and are happy for you to arrive the evening before they leave (especially if they’re departing early in the morning). Regardless of when you’re arriving, communicate regularly beforehand. I always send a quick message a few weeks before to confirm exact arrival times, and usually 2-3 days beforehand just to say all’s good on my end.

Before they leave, ask the owner how often they want to hear from you while they’re away. Follow through on this! Some owners may want updates every day. But I’ve found that most want updates every few days, or about once a week on long sits. You don’t want to pester them, but you are also there to reassure them. Your responsibilities will be clear from the sit details. Do your part, look after the house and pets!

My number one tip for a successful sit? LEAVE IT CLEAN! I spend a few hours the day before or morning of my departure doing a deep clean of the house. The expectation is to leave the house as you found it – but even on the sits where the property wasn’t sparkling clean, I chose to leave it cleaner than how I arrived. Yes, this is time-consuming and annoying. But almost all of my reviews highlight how clean I left the house – so I’d say it’s worth it.

Not every sit will be amazing, but they’re always temporary. I do recommend leaving an honest review to help future sitters, while also being courteous. There are lots of horror stories out there, but thankfully I’ve never had to leave a sit before the end. I put a lot of work into the application process, so I only commit to sits that will (hopefully) be a good fit for me.

My Tips for Housesitting Full-Time

Housesitting is simple enough when it’s a one-off. But when you’re housesitting full-time and long-term, with no other stable housing, it requires a lot of strategy and advance planning. Here are my tips for housesitting full-time:

• Always, ALWAYS have a back-up budget/emergency fund for arranging accommodation between sits. It’s likely you’ll have a few days between sits at some point and need to pay for accommodation. It’s also good in terms of safety, in case you end up in a nightmare sit and need to leave.
• The farther in advance you can plan out, the less stressful it’ll be. Stay on top of the game! I tried to plan out sits about 4-6 weeks in advance. This eventually got down to just a few days in advance, which was super stressful. I do not recommend that!
• Longer sits (minimum 3-4 weeks) are ideal for avoiding burnout and feeling settled. You’ll really feel some stability, and it’s helpful (for both you and the pets) once you get into a good routine. The longer sits are more competitive though, so be prepared for a tougher application process!
• Always communicate arrival and departure times clearly when you’re setting up back-to-back sits. Don’t overlap sits if it’s not possible, and give yourself leeway if you’re relying on public transport or driving long distances.

One important thing to remember is that housesitting is NOT free accommodation while traveling. You are being entrusted to take care of the pets, and that needs to be your first responsibility! Some housesitters are lazy, and see it as entitlement to a free holiday. First and foremost, it’s a commitment on your end – if you get to explore and travel while there, great! But your main goal should be that the owners come back to a happy pet and a tidy home.

Housesitting full-time completely changed my life. It allowed me to travel all over the country, live out my dream trip to Switzerland, and meet so many sweet pets. Working remotely as a freelancer can often be very lonely, and having a dog or cat to keep me company during the day really did boost my spirits. I also met some really wonderful owners, who were so kind and some even became friends! A huge thank you to them for trusting me with their pets and home, and helping me along in this journey.

If you’re been thinking about traveling long-term and love animals, but don’t know where to start, I definitely recommend housesitting. Trusted Housesitters gives you access to sits all around the world and allowed me to save up loads while traveling and working remotely. I hope this guide helps you with full-time housesitting!

Join Trusted Housesitters now and get a 25% discount!

Have you ever housesat before? What tips do you have? Would you consider doing it full-time?

You might also like my posts:

How I Became a Freelance Travel Writer: A Dream Come True

How I Made My Dream Trip to Switzerland Happen – For (Almost) Free!

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