Recently, we chatted with Grace; she has had the MOST incredible adventures worldwide! From chefing in Costa Rica to teaching English in SE Asia!
Find out how she has landed over 100 house sits (she has some incredible tips for finding sits where YOU want to go!) Plus, find out about her next house sit in Hawaii…. caring for five birds!
Tell us a little bit about yourself – who are you, where are you from, and do you do it full-time or sporadically?
Hi! I’m Grace, from the USA. I’ve been fully nomadic for over eight years now.
I worked as a chef in the restaurant industry for 15 years and was utterly burned out by the terrible working conditions.
When I finally decided to quit, I chose to fulfill my true calling: traveling. So I quit my job, sold everything, and moved to Bangkok to take a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification course.
I traveled throughout SE Asia and made my way to Central America. I lived in Costa Rica for a few years as a chef in a restaurant in a small fishing village on the Nicoya Peninsula. Living there really changed my life.
I lived close to the beach, in a shack, in the jungle with all the jungle things you could imagine. Snakes, Howler Monkeys, crab infestations, you name it. Life was very simple and beautiful.
During those two years, in the low season, I backpacked Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize, and El Salvador.
I picked up house-sits and pet-sits in Costa Rica and Guatemala. This started my current portfolio of international sits.
I’ve since been traveling around Mexico doing housesits and working online (I gave up the English tutoring, phew, it’s exhausting) as a virtual assistant. I’m currently in the state of Oaxaca, loving all the food!
How many housesits have you had and where?
I have done too many sits to count, It has to be near 100. I have done sits in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, and the USA. I have a sit in Hawaii coming up, that’s exciting!
Why did you do petsitting? What is the main motivation?
The primary motivation for me is twofold.
I am an animal empath. I thrive when I am around animal energy. Because of my lifestyle, I can’t have any of my own, so pet care is a way to be around animals and get my much-needed dose of animal love.
Also, doing pet care and housesitting is a way to achieve my lifestyle goal of being fully nomadic.
Cutting down on the biggest expense, accommodations, allows me to spend less time working and living more.
Was it hard for you to secure your first housesitting gig? How many applications did you have to send before you got accepted for your first assignment?
Nope, not at all. Even while working as a chef all those years, I was a dog walker and dog sitter, and in college, I did dog sitting. So I’ve done it for 20 years on and off and know the ropes. Plus, I’m good with animals, and people have asked me to sit for them independently.
How much luggage do you travel with?
1 60-liter backpack and a duffle bag. But, I’m trying to widdle it down to be the same as my backpacking days. Too much luggage is challenging for me when traveling.
Pros of House Sitting?
It’s a great way to see the world cheaply, save money on accommodations, get all the animal snuggles, and access fully equipped housing.
Cons of House Sitting?
Having responsibilities—such as animal care, gardening, etc.—means you don’t have as much freedom.
Also, if you fall in love with a pet, it can be hard to say goodbye.
Things that have happened to me: Bed bugs!, broken pipes flooding, really, really mean homeowners, filthy houses, and dishonesty about the well-being of their animals (as in they were very sick and I wasn’t told).
But overall, I think I have had 95% awesome sits, and those bad situations have been outliers.
How do you decide on a destination?
I started looking for sits in locations I wanted to explore. For example, I’m making moves to South America in October. I’ve started joining local Facebook groups in Ecuador and Peru and have put myself out there.
I have started looking at all the house-sitting sites to see which ones have locations in South America (not many) and have updated my profiles for those.
What’s been the biggest adventure so far?
Getting stuck at a house sit with four cats for five months when it originally was supposed to be one because of border closures due to a freaking global pandemic!
Having to navigate bill paying, emergency vet care, and groceries in a foreign country when everything got shut down.
Or maybe the time I did a sit at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, in a rustic lakeside house with an ole meany dog who was blind and diabetic and who I had to give twice daily insulin shots to, and he hated me—poor dude.
I was just a stranger poking him twice a day! Don’t blame him one bit.
The internet went out constantly, and some nightclubs moved in next door. I honestly have never heard music that loud. It was an insane sit.
Note: We suggest using a pet sitter instructions template. That way, the house sitter will have all the information if something like this goes wrong.
How did you find out about house-sitting?
I have my website www.gracesbuddies.com
I also get tons of sits from word of mouth (this goes back to completing close to 100 sits!). I belong to Trusted House Sitter, House Sit Mexico, Nomador, Mind My House, and House Carers.
I am not a paying subscriber to all of these at all times. I pay when I am in an area or planning on traveling to an area covered by one of these websites.
Lastly, I joined local expat Facebook groups where I want to travel and see if anyone is looking for a sitter.
Did you ever have any unusual pets to take care of or responsibilities that were out of the norm?
I feel like so many of my sits in Latin America can be considered out of the norm. LOL. Buying raw dog food from a street vendor. Having home calls from vets in foreign countries, paying bills with local currencies in foreign government buildings, and speaking languages other than English.
Just the way of life is different. The only unusual pets I suppose are a hedgehog and a turtle. But I am booked to take care of 5 parrots in Hawaii soon! That will be a first!
Tips for others wanting to get started?
The number one tip I always give people wanting to do this is to complete some house/pet sits locally in your area. If you are comfortable being in someone else’s home and dealing with all kinds of surprises, you know you can handle it if you are far away from home.
Then, you can get some good references to get started. I also want to stress, you HAVE TO LOVE ANIMALS.
Where to next (when you can)
I’m in Oaxaca, Mexico now…then to Chiapas, Mexico…then to Maui, Hawaii…..and making moves for South America, starting in Ecuador.
Want to see what she gets up to next?
You can follow Grace’s adventures here
Need Help Getting Started With House Sitting
Have we got you excited about house-sitting? We love sharing our house-sitting experiences and teaching others how to become house-sitters and start their journeys.
So, if you need help starting your house-sitting journey, see my resources here, and don’t hesitate to contact me and ask me any questions.
Author: Britt
I am Britt. I have been house-sitting and pet-sitting for the past seven years. I have cared for 25 dogs, 35 cats, one turtle, and one rabbit over 80+ houses in 15 countries.
The opportunity to experience different homes, cultures, and communities has been extraordinary.
I’ve connected with homeowners seeking reliable sitters through house-sitting platforms like Aussie House Sitters and Trusted House Sitters. This unique way of living has allowed me to save money on accommodation, explore new cultures, and meet new people.
Being a member of these platforms has broadened my horizons and opened doors to short- and long-term house-sitting jobs. I’ve found joy in providing excellent pet care and ensuring the home is well-maintained.
I get many questions about how to start as a housesitter, so please reach out if you have any questions! I want everyone to enjoy this incredible lifestyle as well!
You can read more about Jay and me here!
Or connect with me on Facebook or in our house-sitting community on Facebook.
Are You Ready to Start House Sitting?
