Has anyone worked as a house sitter.

[Imtoooldforallthis]

Just that really would you recommend it. Any particular companies you would recommend.

Oooh.
Watching with interest. I've thought about doing this.

Looking at taking early retirement in the next few months, thought this might be something interesting to do and enable us to do a bit of travelling.

I've done it every so often through word of mouth. Can be really good pay and you stay in some amazing places!

A friend does this as part of her retirement with housesittersuk. She does about five a year. She and her husband enjoy it. They sort of the bins, water plants, look after pets, lets tradesmen in/out

A friend of mine did it in the past. I dont know what companies she used but it rather fell by the wayside with covid.

She had only house sat in UK but was thinking of expanding abroad when the covid came. She is a free lance writer so it works out well for her as she can clearly write anywhere.

She looks after the house and pets. Usually dogs and cats but has also looked after a pot bellied pig and geese. Does light cleaning and a big clean before owners due back. She also accepts deliveries, orders in supplies for returning owners and does any other necessary preparation. She doesnt normally do gardening apart from a bit of light pruning as owners usually have their own gardener.

Pros:

Sees different parts of the country
Has stayed in some lovely houses and appartments
Has free time to do her writing
Is her own boss while owners away but you need to be well organized and resourceful
All her food and bills are covered (daily allowance)

Cons

Living out of a suitcase
Some owners can be tricky and you have to be very assertive
The pay is not fantastic
Some restrictions on leaving the house empty (rules vary)
Unexpected things can happen - dog died of a heart attack!

She says it is an ideal job for someone who is well organized, disciplined and used to their own company.

I've been a professional house/pet sitter on and off for years now but I don't really do it in the UK.
For me it's a dream job, even if there are some nutty owners out there.

It took a while to build up the right experience and references but it was well worth it, now I can earn a very good wage and be extremely choosy about the sits I pick.

I started out using social media and house sitting sites. Now I mostly get requests through personal recommendations and word of mouth and, of course, I have my regulars.

Things that will set you apart from the crowd -

Handymen and keen gardeners are often needed.
Ample experience with animals, especially farm animals or exotics.
Being extremely flexible with dates - it's not uncommon for owners to want to extend.
Leaving the place spotlessly clean, with a basic food shop and home cooked meal ready for them on their return.
Offering lunch or coffee in a neutral location for the first meet, keep in mind you're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you.
Experience looking after pools, spa pools and hot tubs (if you're looking at those kinds of properties, I don't accept any sit that doesn't have a pool now)
Contactable references, an up to date DBS check, animal first aid certificates...

Wow, in NZ you don’t get paid to house-sit!

You get free accommodation - that’s the payment.

It’s a money-free, reciprocal, trust-based arrangement.