Pawsome Tips for Finding a unique travel experience on TrustedHousesitters!

In this blog post, we’ll take you on a journey through the world of T rustedHousesitters, where families like yours can find trusted and reliable house sitting opportunities that provide a home away from home. This is one of the best ways to help keep the spending down as you travel.

From staying in cozy cottages in picturesque countryside settings to exploring vibrant city neighborhoods and even enjoying beachfront villas, Trusted Housesitters offers a huge amount of options tailored to your family’s preferences. Not only will you have the opportunity to create beautiful memories together, but you’ll also get your own pet, temporarily but still!

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Yeah but Can Families go Housesitting?

Families can absolutely go house sitting. It’s a great way to explore new places while taking care of someone else’s home and pets. House sitting usually gives you access to a place of the tourist trail, a more local life. It’s a wonderful option to consider if you’re looking for a change from the daily grind and want to embark on something different. Use the filter in the search on Trusted House sitters to find sits which accept families.

What is petsitting?

Pet sitting is basically looking after someone’s pet whilst they are away. The pet sitter’s jobs may include feeding, providing fresh water, administering medication, exercising, playing with, and providing affection to the pets. Not that different to looking after children really. Lots of people prefer their pets to remain in their home environment rather than a boarding kennel. Pet sitting can be arranged on a short-term or long-term basis and can be a good alternative for families who want to provide quality care for their pets while they are away. It’s a win win situation for both parties.

Why is pet sitting is a good idea as a family?

Pet sitting can be a good idea for several reasons:

Love for animals: If you’re an animal lover, becoming a pet sitter can be a dream job. You get to spend time with pets, provide them with care and affection, and earn money doing something you enjoy. It’s much safer than your children playing with all the street animals they find.
Flexible schedule: Pet sitting offers a flexible schedule, which can be great if you have other commitments or responsibilities. You can work part-time, full-time, or on an as-needed basis.
Living in a home: There are things we all miss when travelling, (for us it’s a sofa) but taking care of someone home and pet gets you access to these comforts we all miss.
Budget Travel: housesitting is a fantastic way to save money when travelling as a family.

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Why pet sitting may not be for you

Being a pet sitter may not be the right fit for everyone. Here are some reasons why it might not be suitable for you:

Lack of time: Pet sitting can be time-consuming, especially if you are caring for multiple pets. If you want to spend hours out exploring then trying to take care of animals will be difficult.
Responsibility: Caring for someone else’s pets can be a significant responsibility, and you need to be willing to take on this responsibility seriously. This includes ensuring the pets are fed, exercised, and given the necessary medical care.
Physical demands: Pet sitting can be physically demanding, especially if you are caring for large or active pets. Consider this with kids.
Lack of flexibility: If you have a busy schedule or need to travel frequently, pet sitting may not be the best option for you. You need to be available to care for the pets as scheduled and be able to respond to any emergencies that may arise.

If you are considering pet sitting, it is important to carefully consider your own abilities and responsibilities to ensure that it is the right fit for you and your family.

Why pet sitting works for us as a family

Here is our personal experience and the reasons we always keep an eye out for suitable Housesitting opportunities on our travels.

Shared responsibilities: Pet sitting as a family means that everyone can take on different responsibilities, such as feeding, walking, and playing with the pets. This can help teach children about responsibility and teamwork.
Quality time: Taking care of pets together can be a great way for families to spend quality time together. It can also provide an opportunity for children to bond with pets and develop a sense of empathy and compassion. Although, watch out the goodbyes can be tough.
Flexible schedule: With multiple family members involved in pet sitting, it can be easier to accommodate everyone’s schedules and ensure that pets receive the care they need. We can rotate duties around and make sure we all get our work done.
Valuable skills: Pet sitting can help children and adults develop valuable skills, such as communication, problem-solving, and customer service. These skills can be applied to other areas of life, such as school, work, and personal relationships.
Routine: Travelling full time can be challenging, when we pet sit, it gives our family a chance to pause, recalibrate and reset for the next move. We can set routines that allow the kids to work on their projects and the adults can get stuck into the never ending ‘TO DO’ lists.
Save Money: Accomodation is a big part of the travel expense and by providing a housesitting service you also save lots of money to spend on other experiences.

How to use trustedhousesitters.com

Trusted House Sitters is a website that connects homeowners with people who are willing to house-sit and care for their homes and pets while they are away. Here’s how you can use Trusted House Sitters:

Sign up: To use the platform, you need to create an account and complete your profile. You will need to provide some personal and payment information to get started.
Search for a house sitter: You can search for a house sitter by location, dates, and pet preferences. You can also filter your search results by specific requirements, we always add the suitable for families feature but some other useful ones are; accessible by public transport, option to use their car.
Contact the house sitter: If you have found your dream sit, act fast. Trusted Housesitters closes the applications after 5 people have applied. In your application you need to discuss why you would be a suitable sitter so if you don’t have chance to send a complete application, apply anyway and explain your full application will follow shortly.
Make a booking: At this point, you will be contacted or you won’t. You might arrange a video call or chat to go over details and make sure everyone is happy with the arrangements before proceeding.
Prepare for your trip: Make sure you are in regular contact before setting off. Set expectations with how often or if the owner would like updates, who to reach in an emergency, the nearest vet etc.

TOP TIPS to find a family pet sit using Trusted Housesitters

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Build a strong profile: A great profile is key to getting accepted for house sits. Be sure to include photos of your family and pets (if you have any), as well as your experience with pets and your availability.
Find a family: A family looking for a pet sitter will have a pet which is used to having children around, they will likely have the space for your family to stay and as a bonus, will probably have a set up ready for kids (our last sit had a huge collection of comic books and a trampoline- kid heaven).
Be proactive: Don’t wait for house sits to come to you. Search for house sits that match your preferences and apply to them proactively. Be sure to read the listing thoroughly and tailor your application to the specific needs of the homeowner. See our previous tips on getting in their quick
Be flexible: Being flexible with your travel dates and locations can increase your chances of finding and securing house sits. Consider house sitting in off-peak seasons or in less popular locations to increase your chances of finding a sit. Also last minute opportunities can be easier to pick up.
Communicate effectively: Communication is key when it comes to securing a house sit. Be responsive to homeowners and be clear about your availability and responsibilities during the sit. Make sure to ask questions and clarify any worries before accepting a house sit.
Build a network: Build relationships with homeowners and other TrustedHousesitters members to increase your chances of getting future house sits. Leave reviews for homeowners and request reviews from them to build a strong reputation on the platform.
Be reliable: Once you’ve secured a house sit, be reliable and responsible. Follow the homeowner’s instructions and take care of their home and pets as if they were your own, pretty obvious stuff right! Be sure to keep in touch with the homeowner throughout the sit and provide updates as needed.

There you go, you are ready to start your house/pet sitting journey and deep the benefits as part of your travel journey. If you have any questions, drop us a message or jump over to our Instagram and catch up on some of our Housesitting stories there.