by Josie Schneider
Imagine living in a French countryside farmhouse or charming Mediterranean-view apartment in Barcelona. What about a straw-bale home in Bulgaria? Perhaps the Australian outback is more your style. Want to tend a herd of cattle there? The variety of house sitting assignments is endless!
House sitting is an exchange: homeowners gain peace-of-mind knowing their home, (and sometimes pets), are looked after while they're away, and you get a place to stay. House sitting is a fast-growing form of budget travel made popular by adventurous Baby Boomers who want to travel farther, stay longer and immerse themselves in a country's culture.
The big draw of house sitting? Free lodging. Free lodging is by far the most desirable feature, but certainly not the only one. Here are some of the other benefits of house sitting:
* Live in a home instead of hotels
* Meet the locals
* Shop in local stores
* Linger for weeks or months
* Discover surrounding areas at your leisure
* Learn a new language
Where to Start
There are a number of websites that match up homeowners and house sitters. My favorite is House Carers. You set your parameters - which countries, how long you want to stay and if you'll care for animals - and then you receive daily email alerts with new listings that meet your criteria. Start email communication with assignments that sound good (the homeowners post photos and give you useful information about their home, surrounding area and what they expect from you) until you narrow down just the right place.
I remember that exhilarating feeling I got when our first house sitting assignment was finalized - contract and all - and I screamed, "We're going to Copenhagen for six weeks!"
Josie's home-away-from-home in Denmark
Where do your travel dreams take you?
They say the definition of success is the meeting of opportunity and preparation. Here are 3 steps to take in preparation for your house sitting success overseas:
1. Get a leg-up on the house sitting lingo and procedures. Post a stellar profile on the house sitting website(s) of your choice. Read forums and how-to's. Formulate where - and for how long - you want to go. Do you want a city or remote off-the-grid house sitting assignment? Start this procedure about a year in advance of when you want to travel.
2. Communicate. Meaningful communication is vital to the success of any form of travel, but especially house sitting travel. Here's what I mean.
The first part of this communication equation is between you and your partner/spouse. Will you be traveling with someone? Each person has very different ways of traveling - different priorities, dietary desires and pace. Communicate openly and honestly about the unique traits of house sitting. For instance, my husband Conrad does not want house sitting assignments where we care for farm animals. I love the idea because I grew up with horses, but want the house sitting experience to be fabulous for both Conrad and me. So no farm animals.
The second part of this communication equation is between you and the homeowner. Every aspect of house sitting - your profile, your initial contact with homeowners, the all-important contract and updates to your homeowners during your house sit - are essential for success. My approach is one of high-level professionalism. I want to show in every way possible that I am worthy of watching after someone's home.
3. Practice airline hacking. The art of gathering airline miles through reward programs and purchases is called hacking. My theory is it got its name because the recipients feel like they're stealing free air travel. However it got its name, hacking is legal and effective. So to enhance your house sitting travel even more, why not lower your costs by gathering up the free miles? Diligence can lead to free or upgraded travel. Start a year in advance of your travel and you may be able to fly for free, too!
Where would you go if your lodging AND airfare were free?
House sitting is great for Baby Boomers too, because we older folks have more experience in home ownership than the younger generation - and therefore are awarded more of the good house sitting assignments.
Conrad and I have a website and a how-to book about house sitting and travel to assist you in getting started. Come join us and start your own adventure!