Have you ever had a neighbor or family member ask you to watch after their home while they were away on vacation? Perhaps you’ve considered hiring someone to house sit your home while you’re away? Or perhaps you required someone to care for your dogs while you were away?
Whichever scenario applies to you, the truth remains that obtaining assistance in such situations may be difficult, especially if you are traveling for a lengthy period of time. Aunt Polly could agree to come in for an hour a day for three days, but two weeks? Wishing you good luck!
And many pet owners are adamant about avoiding putting their dogs in a pet hotel, where they may not be as comfortable as they would be at home. Furthermore, some pet owners may not trust pet hotels to provide complete care for their beloved pals, making a pet hotel a no-no.
Housecarers Official Website
What exactly are Housecarers?
Housecarers is a website that connects homeowners with housesitters and petsitters. They are also one of the largest, most well-known, and oldest platforms of their sort.
While they are away on vacation, homeowners are looking for trustworthy persons to look after their houses and care for their pets. They advertise their needs on the network, and housesitters like you can apply for the “job.” In exchange, you will be provided with free lodging for the length of the housesit.
Apart from having free lodging while traveling, this is an incredible opportunity to stay in a true local’s home, giving you an actual peek into their life.
Furthermore, many of the advertisements are looking for someone who enjoys dogs, as they must be cared for while their owners are abroad. Housesitting with Housecarers is ideal if you enjoy caring for animals.
Why do individuals give their houses away for free?
There are a variety of reasons why homeowners select Housecarers to locate housesitters. Let’s take a closer look at these factors.
- There might be a lot of money involved. A drop-in visit for very simple duties may set you back $25 or more, and overnight stays would set you back considerably more. Consider how much this would cost over a two-week vacation.
- A homeowner might be able to enlist the aid of a family member or a friend, but coordinating their schedules, especially if they are on vacation, can be challenging. After all, who wouldn’t desire a stress-free vacation?
- Many animal parents do not want to leave their animals at a pet motel. The fact is that taking a pet on vacation is challenging, but pet owners do not want to leave their dogs in a kennel or pet hotel, where they will be exposed to a new and unfamiliar environment. This causes unneeded stress to the animals, as well as a significant increase in the owner’s costs.
- Security. If you’ve ever gone on a long trip, you know how frustrating it can be to worry about your home’s security.
It will be unoccupied at first, which will draw robbers’ attention. Second, your mail begins to build up, signalling to intruders that it is time to conduct crime. Third, there is no one to do simple tasks like cleaning, raking leaves, or even just ventilating the house.
Housecarers Official Website
For these reasons, Housecarers stands to reason for property owners to allow you, the potential housesitter, stay for free in return for a few very simple responsibilities. For both of you, it’s favorable!
In which countries may you get free lodging?
Housecarers has been in business since 2000 and has offices in a number of locations. However, because housesitting is more common in Western nations, you’ll likely discover more postings in Australia, Europe, and the United States.
Other nations may have chances as well, so utilise the search filter to see what’s available.
Who is eligible to apply for a position with Housecarers?
Do you want to be a housesitter right now? How do you submit your application?
You can join the platform as long as you are not in the housesitting industry and do not seek remuneration for housesitting.
According to what we can see on the site, there are a lot of happy housesitters, and many of them have become long-term housesitters as they travel the world. Retirees make up the majority of these groupings.
We must emphasize once more that you will not be compensated for your services as a housesitter! The only “compensation” you will receive is free lodging.
What is required of you and how do you qualify?
You may apply to housesit any of the listings once you’ve signed up.
Homeowners will specify their expectations in their advertisements, so read them carefully.
The following are some of the most common needs we encounter:
Housecarers Official Website
Feeding their pet dog/cat/gecko/fish once or twice a day, walking their pet, yard upkeep, pool cleaning, and basic house cleaning, much like you would at home
You may really look through completed postings to have a better concept of what to expect. Simply scroll down to the bottom of the page and choose Historical Housesits.
It’s also worth noting that you shouldn’t expect to receive additional benefits such as meals or a wage. You should anticipate simply free lodging, as it is mentioned rather plainly.
What Is Its Cost?
Joining Housecarers as a housesitter or a homeowner is completely free.
As a homeowner, you are entitled to free listing placement and communication with other members. As a housesitter, you have the option of signing up for a free membership or upgrading to a Full membership for $50 per year.
What does the free membership entail?
As a free member, you’ll receive email notifications of new housesitting possibilities.
You will also have the option of browsing and searching for housesitting options at your leisure.
After you’ve completed your profile, it will be visible to the rest of the community, allowing homeowners to locate you and offer you housesitting options.
It’s worth noting that you’ll only be able to see a summary of the message. You’ll need a Full subscription to see the entire message.
How do you get Full membership?
You may now contact homeowners using the Housecarers message system if you have a Full membership. This is the preferred method of communicating with homeowners since it allows you to send and receive messages in a safe and confidential manner.
Housecarers Official Website
You may also put your direct phone number so that the homeowner can reach you.
Homeowners will be able to learn more about your history and housesitting experiences in your own reference library. You may add up to 14 photographs to your profile, which provides you a substantial edge because profiles with photos are more likely to be clicked on. It also gives the homeowners a sense of security by letting them know who they’re working with.
You’ll be given a housesitting calendar that shows your availability as well as previous housesits.
Housecarers’ Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- A reasonable annual membership fee of $50 is charged.
- Connect with homeowners on a safe website.
- With years of expertise since 2000, this is the oldest housesitting site.
- At any one moment, there is a wide range of housesitting options.
- Stay at a local home in a local community.
- Beautiful residences where you may stay for free on your holiday
- Have a great time with your pets, including some unusual ones like llamas!
Drawbacks
- The majority of the listings are in Australia, Europe, and the United States, and maybe in suburbs.
- The site’s design is plain and archaic, yet it functions properly.
- Competition against other housesitters could be high, so you will definitely want to work on a nice profile
Our Final Review
House sitting is a fun new way of traveling, and if you haven’t done it before, now is the time.
Housecarers is a good place to start, and at $50, it’s a bargain for any tourist. So, how do you feel about housesitting in another country? Will you give it a shot? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!