I have been super excited recently after finding out about a way to travel the world and stay in amazing places for free… Yes, I’m serious 🙂
Ever dream of vacationing in a rustic French or Irish country home? How about a London townhouse or a modern glass-walled residence with views for days in Australia? If you’re like me, that all sounds amazing, but many of us cannot afford such vacations, or even if we can, who wouldn’t rather do it for free??
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Stay for free method: Housesitting and Petsitting
Well, thanks to the geniuses behind a website called Trusted Housesitters, this is not just a fantasy, but a real program that connects property (and pet) owners with those willing to house and petsit in exchange for free lodging.
The way the site works is you sign up and pay an annual membership fee in exchange for having access to the hundreds of house/petsit opportunities all around the world. Then fill out your profile and start applying/reaching out for sitting opportunities that appeal to you. I’d recommend completing the background check option to make yourself look as legit as possible to property owners.
The annual fee is $129, which might seem like a lot at first but when you think about it, it’s actually a low price considering that most of the areas available to stay in will cost this much per night at a hotel. If you stay even just one week a year doing a housesit, you would be saving a ton of $$. And, if you’re like me and are traveling more and more (or continuously even), this platform could be a game-changer. Also, the homes are often outside any tourist zone allowing you to get a better experience of the region. And, wouldn’t it be awesome to meet some new cuddly friends to keep you company on your travels??
Here are some of the drool-worthy housesitting opportunities available:
A Beautiful modern home outside of Melbourne, Australia with one dog for 6 weeks
A 400-year-old Ibiza farmhouse with this guy
A Berlin apartment with an easy-going cat for 2 weeks
A large rural English home with a dog and three chickens for a few days
Stay in this Irish country home with a couple of dogs, chickens, ducks, and a pig
A rural Lake District England home with a cat for 1 week
A 19th-century olive mill in Malaga, Spain with a dog, cats, and fish for 2 weeks
An Irish home in the countryside with dogs, three horses, and a cat for 5 weeks
This Persian fluffball in a small Welsh town needs a sitter for a month
Housesitting and Petsitting are awesome!
Well, I think you get the picture! Ugh, I can’t wait to start doing this. As I said, there’s a fee of $129 a year, but doesn’t that seem like a bargain?? I’m registering very soon, as I have no reason not to. There are so many listings in Europe and the UK especially. Spending a month or more housesitting in England sounds quite alright with me 😉
Editor’s note: We’ve actually signed up and used this petsitting / housesitting program now and LOVE IT! I’m working on a new blog post or two to give all the details. In the meantime, just know that house sitting rocks! We are stoked to do our next sit very soon.
I don’t think I need to try and convince you that this is a cool idea. Staying in cool homes with friendly animals around the world will either appeal to you or it won’t! I just thought this was too cool to not share. Personally, the idea of bouncing around the European countryside while working on writing a book or some other aspirational goal while surrounded by friendly furry critters makes me shudder with glee…
How to get started housesitting and petsitting
If you’re interested in doing this, you can check out Trusted Housesitters here.
Please share this post with friends and family or anyone who might love to do this.
Happy Travels.
-Elijah