Thriving on Trusted Housesitters: A Comprehensive Guide to Sitting Success
I have included a Trusted Housesitters membership referral link at the end of this article for those who are interested in becoming members, and beyond that there are no monetary affiliations in writing this article. The primary purpose of writing this is to inform prospective house-sitters of what they need to get started and set them up for success!
My partner and I have been using Trusted Housesitters for a year now to support our travels, and I thought I’d share what we’ve learned and how our experience has been with the platform.
We went from almost no pet-sitting experience (besides friends and family) to becoming full-time pet-sitters on TH with the option to expand sitting to a full business if we so choose. We now have multiple clients who reach out regularly throughout the year to ask us about potential house-sitting dates, and many are paid gigs. We never advertised our services and simply used Trusted Housesitters to get started. The rest was from word of mouth.
The benefit for us was that the entire time we were traveling, we didn’t have to worry about paying for rent or lodging. We just had the $100 membership fee for the entire year, and the rest was on our schedule: where we wanted to be and when we wanted to be. Considering the membership fee is equivalent to the cost for a single hotel room for a night in many areas, we decided that was a pretty good deal for us.
At the timing of writing this article, there is a high demand for house and pet-sitters. How do I know? We’ve been repeatedly approached by people from multiple states for pet-sitting dates, and because we’re unable to be in more than two places at once, we often have to decline these requests. We’ve had so much success with it that we wish there were more house-sitters out there to meet this demand, which is why I’ve decided to write our experience to help those who are interested in getting started.
The bar is not that high to become what many would consider to be a professional house- or pet-sitter. I’m kind of saddened to say that, but that has been the truth in our experience. We’ve heard the following statements from homeowners:
“The last sitter we had canceled four days before our start date.”
“Our dog needs chicken to be chopped up with her food, and we could tell our last house-sitter did not do that because the chicken was still left in the fridge when we returned home.” [That was literally the hardest part of her routine, and she was the most well-behaved dog we had ever run across on TH. That house-sit was an absolute cake-walk.]
“Our sitter had other plans come up and knew about it for over a month but didn’t say anything until the week before he was supposed to sit for us. If we hadn’t reached out to confirm we never would have known about it.”
“I need to reach out to my current sitter because it’s been several days and I don’t know how my cats are doing. I just need a sign of life.”
These statements highlight some examples of what not to do, but where is the bar exactly?
Just follow the instructions.
It’s literally that simple.
Homeowners are hoping that their pets and home will be okay while they’re gone. They just don’t want anything horrible happening to their fur babies. If you can show they’ll be safe and just follow their routine, you are golden. More than that, you will be considered a professional because there are too many people who don’t know how to perform basic care for animals. It’s tragic, really.
Everything I’ve included in this article outlines how to not just meet the bar, but surpass it. When you do, you’ll have no problem securing consistent five star reviews, becoming the top applicant for house-sits, receiving natural invites to sit, and even the opportunity to pursue paid gigs and develop a business out of it, if you want to.
What does a House/Pet-Sit Entail?
To give you a realistic idea of what house and pet-sitting require, I’ve included the tasks you would normally be expected to do during a sit. These can vary depending on the pets and home in particular, but these are the items you would typically concern yourself with.
Feed and Water the Animals
This can be as simple as it sounds, or a bit more complicated. Some pets have automated feeders and you just have to check to make sure they are working properly and that the containers are filled. Other pets have a more complex feeding routine that requires a mixture of wet and dry food and regular filling of their water containers. You’ll want to take note of any special diets and follow those to a T.
Medication
Some animals require medication during their stay. If you aren’t qualified to perform the care needed, make sure to let the homeowners know and do not continue with that sit. We were pretty comfortable with feeding pets prescription pills, but giving shots was a bit outside of our comfort zone, so we knew not to accept sits that required that of us (none did). You may also be asked to keep an eye out on specific health issues and give the owner updates on their progress.
Play and Attention
Do not underestimate this part of an animal’s care. Some pets are pretty natural about the way they approach play. They show an interest and you respond, and it’s simple. Other animals are possessed by the demons of play and will not give you a moment’s rest. This is where you need to assess how much time and energy you have to engage with a pet, and carefully select your house-sits based on what you are able or wanting to give. Engagement can range anywhere from casual cuddles only to multiple long walks a day plus vigorous play-time depending on the energy level of the pet.
Pro Tip: Single-cat households are heaven. Cats are independent AF, can be left on their own for a longer period of time, and don’t usually need to be taken outside to do their business. Our favorite sits have been more involved, though. :)
Trash and Recycling
You will likely need to take out the trash about once a week and recycling every other week. They may be on different days. If you’re in an apartment complex, they may have a communal dumpster you can make occasional trips to.
Collecting the Mail
Some owners have their mail paused or don’t receive enough mail to warrant you doing this, while others will want you to check their mailbox regularly. You may also need to bring in packages when they arrive, but most owners will not have you do this.
During one of our coolest house-sits, we had a task to set out feed for birds and deer. They came up to the property every day to feast and it was cool to be able to watch the deer from inside the house. It was a true Disney Princess moment.
These tasks may sound like a lot, or not, depending on how you view your time and how you value it. For us, pet-sitting was something we were doing instead of having to pay for rent or lodging on our travels, so it was a worthwhile deal for us. We house-sat an entire hobby farm with two alpacas, two goats, two sheep, nine chickens, two ducks, and a cat, which surprisingly did not take up much of our time throughout the day. On the other end of the spectrum we had a house-sit with a single dog that took up more time than I thought was humanly possible. It really depends on the temperament of the animals, their care requirements, and the set-up of the home you’ll be staying at. This is why it is important to ask questions about these things during your interview, which I’ll address in a bit. But first, if you’re still interested in house-sitting, you’ll need to lure in homeowners with a compelling profile.
The Profile
A well-written profile will do most of the work for you. Ours had enough information on it that most homeowners didn’t really have questions for us, and it prompted many others to reach out to us specifically to take on their house-sits.
What Makes a Sitter Unappealing to Owners
The biggest blunder a sitter can make with their profile is not showing their interest in the animals. The angle for Trusted Housesitters is to attract sitters that are interested in looking after someone’s home and pets in exchange for free accommodation and a chance to explore the surrounding area. That being said, if the sitter’s profile only shows the #travellife and no regard for the living animals they would be looking after, that’s a huge turn-off to owners who are wanting to make sure their pets will be cared for while they’re away.
The Fix: Include pictures of you with animals in your profile, and be sure to share your love for animals in your listing. Specific animal experience in the bio is a bonus. In the future, collect animal selfies and update your profile with more recent photos. Ask the owners for permission to include said photos to be a real doll.
You will really want to gather references to get yourself started. This can be a character statement from a friend, coworker, or loved one if you don’t have any pet-sitting experience. Otherwise any time you looked after a pet for a family member or friend will work. You just send them a link and they can write a reference on your behalf. They act a lot like reviews and make it easier for you to get your first house-sit.
The Application Process
The application process is fairly simple and goes a bit like this:
- You apply to a house-sit, or a homeowner invites you to apply.
- You exchange messages with the homeowner and schedule an interview or meet-and-greet.
- The homeowner reviews their applications.
- You get accepted (congrats!) and confirm the house-sit or keep looking otherwise.
A simple application message may look something like this:
“Good morning/afternoon [Owner Name],
We would love to see if we would be a good fit to look after [Pet Name]. We’ve been pet sitting for [X] years (or something that demonstrates a bit of background) and love caring for pets while we travel. Include something relevant to the pet or the area, like, We love taking pets on hikes with us. / We have experience with shy animals and administering medication.
Then include some information on how your travel plans align with this sit:
We’ll be in [Sit Area] for the next month to explore the beautiful scenery. We can easily arrange for a video call or set up a meet and greet if you’d like. Our profile contains a lot of information and we would be happy to answer any questions you may have for us. Thank you for considering us and we hope you have a lovely day!
[Your Name]
If a listing has an applicant already, it’s a good idea to apply for another just in case it doesn’t work out. Some homeowners will accept the first qualified sitter that reaches out, and others will allow multiple applications and select the best one at the end of an interviewing period. Because owners are vetting multiple options for their sit, you are absolutely allowed and are recommended to apply for multiple house-sits to make sure you secure something for the dates you are looking to travel.
Just make sure you make it clear to the homeowners where you’re at in the process and let them know if anything comes up. If you need to cancel on an application in progress, here are a couple of valid things you can say to let them know you’re not able to sit for them:
“Our travel plans have changed and we’re no longer able to accept your house-sit.”
Or
“We have booked a different house-sit but thank you for your interest and we hope you find a lovely house-sitter. (Optional) We would be happy to house-sit for you the next time you have dates available.”
Either of those messages are perfectly acceptable, and if someone is requesting a house-sit that you can’t or don’t want to accommodate, we often say we’re simply not in the area for those dates or that we already have that time-frame scheduled and can’t do it. Most homeowners are understanding either way.
We’ve never had a homeowner cancel on us prior to or during a sit on Trusted Housesitters, but that can happen, so it’s best to have a back-up plan in case things fall through. We were living nomadically and car camped often so that wasn’t an issue for us, but you may want to have a secondary location or some savings for a hotel for that worst case scenario. For premium memberships on Trusted Housesitters, the sit-cancellation insurance aims to hook you up with a similar house-sit or reimburse you for lodging in case a homeowner cancels and it fucks up your plans, but there are terms and conditions that I’m sure are worth looking into.
The Interview
You want to be able to meet the animals in-person, ideally. If you can’t, schedule a video call, and if you can’t do that, use the reviews as a reference to decide whether you believe you’ll be able to handle the house-sit. If pets have any problematic behavior, the prior sitters will let you know. And if a listing has no reviews, there’s extra emphasis to meet the animals beforehand and have a good interview with the owners.
Here are the questions we always ask homeowners during our interview:
- How has your experience been with Trusted Housesitters so far? [Gives us an idea of their expectations if it hasn’t been going well, so we can improve on the failures of past sitters.]
- Ask about any information gaps in the pet’s routine that the owner hasn’t voluntarily given you.
- Does [Pet Name] have any health concerns we should be aware of?
- Would you like us to take out the trash/recycling or collect the mail?
- How often would you like updates on your pet?
- Is there anything else you would like to know about us?
You will want to take extensive notes during the interview. You can always ask the homeowner if you forget something later, but it’s good to have the notes now so you have access to them during your house-sit. Most owners are available by phone throughout the sit but you never know if they’ll respond in a few minutes or a few hours, so it’s a good idea to show up prepared.
Red Flags
Hidden information may be revealed during the interview or later on in the process, preferably not the hard way (during the house-sit itself). They are the little tidbits of info they didn’t include in their profile that once heard, will make you think, “Oh yeah, that does change things a bit.” Here are a couple red flags that we’ve personally run into that we try our best to avoid now.
The Overtime Gig
There are some pets that need nearly constant attention and cannot be left alone for more than a couple hours, if at all. These house-sits are able to be completed with minimal issues, but they’re an indication that a pet may have some behavioral issues (such as severe separation anxiety) and if you are house/pet-sitting to travel and explore the area or need to work at the same time (like yours truly), an animal that needs that much time and attention will become an obstacle in being able to do that.
The Inconsolable Owner
If you’ve established your credibility as a reliable sitter and have shown your experience and interest through your profile and the interview, the homeowners typically feel relieved and at ease that somebody responsible will be looking after their pets. They’ll look forward to you meeting the pets and anticipate smooth sailing throughout the sit.
However, there is a type of owner that will be perpetually anxious throughout the process regardless of your qualifications, and this type of behavior is a red flag for a sit. Why? You will probably spend more energy appeasing the homeowner than taking care of their pet, and nothing you do will be enough. The pet may even be comfortable with you during the meet-and-greet, but the owner will not stop worrying. They may be insistent that their neighbors or family members check in on the pet during the sit despite you being there. There’s an element of distrust that permeates the air. They may want updates multiple times a day. None of these behaviors are necessarily red flags on their own, but combined they create the perfect storm for a stressful house-sit and we don’t prefer interacting with this kind of owner.
Reality Check
You should be able to see the house through pictures, through video call, or in-person before booking the house-sit. Reviews should quickly dispel any myths relating to the condition of the house, but be sure you have some indicator that the pets and home are what the homeowner says they are before booking. It sounds like a no-brainer, but some owners will quickly jump to book a house-sit before vetting their sitters just as much as sitters will jump on a house-sit only to find the situation wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.
During the Sit
You’ll want to review your handy dandy notes you took during the interview process as well as any materials the homeowners left you regarding pet care. On Trusted Housesitters there is a welcome guide feature that some owners choose to share with you that includes essential information, but we’ve found only about half of homeowners do this. You’ll want this information easily accessible at all times during your sit.
From there we put important dates into our calendar, such as trash/recycling pick up dates and any other odd tasks that need to be done less frequently, like changing a hummingbird feeder or running a generator (real tasks we’ve done). That way we can take a quick glance at the calendar to see where we’re at with everything.
Send Regular Updates to the Owners
Initially the prospect of sending owners an update had the same level of stress as composing a professional-sounding email to a college professor. Am I saying what they want to hear? Will they worry if I don’t send enough? Will they think I’m chatty if I send too much?
We eventually got the hang of it and are now pros at sending updates to pet owners, and we wanted to share what we’ve learned with you.
From our experience, an update every other day or so seems to be the preference of most owners. It can be a bit difficult to come up with something to message the owners, especially if the pet is still doing well after a week and you don’t know what more to say. The following is our formula for sending an update.
First, take a couple pictures. Ideally, do this throughout the sit whenever you see the pet being photogenically adorable. Try to send different types of photos for each update. Catch the pet making a funny face or doing some kind of activity, like playing with toys or going for a walk to the park.
Here’s a sample text you may send during an update:
Hello [Owner(s)]!
We hope your trip is going well. / We hope you are enjoying the lovely weather. [Pet name] is (still) doing well.
Include a random tidbit of information, like maybe the pet recently started snuggling up to you when they weren’t before, or they became really interested in a particular toy lately. A specific observation that shows you’re closely watching their pet will reassure the owners and let them know you’re really getting to know their pet.
[Pet Name] has been enjoying watching the birds from the window today. / We discovered that [Pet Name] really loves belly rubs! / [Pet Name] snuggled up to us for the first time today.
Now a reference to the pictures you took: We caught [Pet Name] in a silly mood and decided to snap a couple pics! They’re super photogenic. (Then attach photos.)
Pro Tip: I use a Google Pixel and the portrait mode is superb for taking pet pictures. I also have a feature on my phone where I can make a small gif out of short videos (motion pictures on the Pixel) and owners seem to love that.
While it isn’t a crime to have the owner reach out to you first, it isn’t something that should become a habit. That’s why we recommend being on top of sending the updates so that the owner is warmly greeted by good news and doesn’t feel the need to reach out to ask how their pet is doing.
The Turnover
This part of the house-sit was always the most stressful for my partner because it involved a cleaning frenzy of sorts before the owner’s return. We were never that messy; he just liked the house to be ultra tidy before we left.
We recommend at least leaving the home as clean as you found it, if not cleaner. The owners really do notice the difference and have commented several times on the cleanliness of their homes after our sits. The basic tasks to accomplish this are as follows:
- Wipe down the counters
- Clean the bathroom sinks and showers
- Sweep the floors and vacuum the carpets
- Clean the litter boxes (should be part of the regular routine anyway)
- Clean and refill the food and water dishes
- Empty garbage cans
- Wash bedding
We will either wash the bedding and leave it in the dryer, leave the bedding folded but not assembled on the bed, or make the bed again depending on what timeline we’re working with and what the homeowners prefer. Many were pleased we took care of the bedding as they’re often tired from traveling and are relieved to have one less chore to do before they can unwind.
After the Sit
If there are any loose threads to deal with as you’re leaving, be sure to send a text letting the owners know you’ve taken care of them. It’s also a good opportunity to let them know when you’ve left if they won’t be seeing you before they return, and to slip in some extra tasks you’ve done to ensure a good review for you after.
An example text:
Hey [Owner Name], we just wanted to let you know we’re heading out now. [Pet Name] has been fed and watered and we left the clean laundry in the dryer. The keys are on the counter. Please let us know if you have any questions after you arrive home. Thank you for allowing us to look after your pets!
We almost always receive a pleasant response and have only been left five-star reviews during our time on Trusted Housesitters.
We make it a point to try to leave a review for all of our sits, because it reflects well on us to be able to say nice things about the homes and animals we’ve looked after. It is a subtle encouragement for the owners to leave you a review if they haven’t already, and it gives you an opportunity to leave other sitters with a heads up of how the sit went.
Leaving a Review
When I discussed this with my travel partner, we agreed that the best approach was to gently bring up any issues in a non-judgmental way and focus on the positive attributes of each sit. For example, for a pet that has crackhead energy that other sitters may want to know about, we can mention the pet is lively and energetic but don’t say, “This pet was a nightmare that kept us awake night and day.” Having bad things to say is a reflection of us just as much as our experience as house-sitters, and we like to give the benefit of the doubt that another sitter may have a different experience the next time around. That and perhaps other sitters are better qualified or suited to deal with that particular animal or situation. We don’t want to be the ones to give bad news, but if you feel otherwise inclined you can do so.
Otherwise, we include the following information in our reviews:
- Acknowledge the homeowners: Were they communicative? Did they go the extra mile to make you feel at home?
- A compliment about the home: Did you like the homeowners’ style? Was there a particular feature that drew your eye?
- A comment on the routine: If it was simple or easy, say so. Was there a task that you thought would be challenging but was easier once you got the hang of it?
- A unique attribute or personality trait of the pets: Did they warm up to you during the sit? Was there a part of their personality that you found endearing?
- A feature of the area or neighborhood: Was it safe and quiet? Were there any interesting sights you explored while you were there?
We typically end by stating we enjoyed our time with the pets and would be happy to house-sit there again, and if we didn’t, that we were glad we were able to house-sit for the owners and look after the animals.
You can also respond to reviews that homeowners have left you, and while it’s not necessary, we found saying something kind adds a professional touch. Anything that you see as a business response on Google Reviews works, so long as you mean what you say.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance do you book a house-sit?
As early as you’d like to. Some people like to have their calendar filled with upcoming house-sits so they know where they’ll be and when. We had our calendar booked with house-sits up to about two months in advance, and while it’s comforting to know you won’t have to worry about your itinerary for a while, we found we didn’t have to book that early and that it actually kept us from being able to accept other opportunities that popped up along the way. So we transitioned later to booking house-sits a bit more spontaneously and found we didn’t struggle with filling in our calendar gaps.
Wait, so you don’t get paid to do this?
We get this question the most, because most people assume we’re house-sitting primarily for employment. When we explain to them that we don’t pay rent anywhere and are doing this for the travel accommodation, it begins to make more sense. But it’s always recommended to assess how much time and energy you’ll be spending on a house-sit to make sure you feel it’s worth it. All of the time we spent on sitting was definitely equivalent to or much much less than the cost of rent, so for us it was a good deal. Other people may have different opinions on that and may not want to pursue sitting.
What if I want to get paid for the house and pet-sitting?
We would recommend Trusted Housesitters primarily for people who are trying to find a cheaper way to travel or who might be considering pet-sitting but have no experience with it. That way they can learn what it’s really like and decide from there whether or not they have what it takes to charge for their services. Our experience showed us that we were qualified to get paid for our services and we began naturally accumulating paid gigs via word of mouth. It is definitely possible to get paid gigs through Trusted Housesitters that way, but Rover or Wag would probably be a better bet if you’re looking to do pet-sitting as a main or side income. We don’t have any personal experience with those apps.
Are you currently accepting house-sitting gigs?
At this time, we are not. If that changes I’ll be sure to include an update with the date posted, as well as a link to where you could book. In the meantime we hope you benefit from reading about our experiences, and if you’re interested in house-sitting, we hope this helps you to be amazing sitters!
Additional Resources
Trusted Housesitters Forum
I used this forum heavily for researching what kind of information to write in our bio before applying to sits. It’s a great place to learn about what other sitters are doing, as well as what homeowners expect.
Trusted Housesitters Referral Link
In case anyone is interested in getting a TH membership as a homeowner or sitter, we have a referral link that gives you guys a 25% discount and benefits us as well. You can use our link here, or maybe try to seek out someone else’s before signing up. We always love a good deal and have gotten our membership for about $100 for two years now, one year with the premium tier.
There are tons of YouTube videos on how to get started as a house-sitter. That’s originally how I began pursuing this myself. It is possible and you can do it. The hardest part is ripping off the band-aid and taking the leap.
Do you have an interest in pet-sitting, as an owner or sitter? What has your experience been? Is there anything we have missed? Please feel free to comment or ask any additional questions. Thank you for reading!
