Recently, we had a chat with Bri.
They have recently added a member to their house sitting family!
Find out how they started as well as some of their tips for becoming a house sitter.
Tell us a little bit about yourself – who are you, where are you from, for, do you do it full-time or sporadically
A: We’re Bri, Trevor, and Ember and we’re an adventure loving family from the Kansas City area!
Trevor and I (Bri) used to travel and wwoof/housesit/workaway sporadically.
Then came Ember and COVID, so all travels were put on pause for a bit as we gained our bearings again as a new family of 3.
Now, we’re on a full-time, worldwide housesitting/wwoofing/whatever else comes our way kind of adventure with no end in sight.
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?
A: Not at all! We sent out one inquiry in Europe and ran with it from there.
The family was lovely and we chatted back and forth for awhile about logistics and questions we both had, but soon enough we were packing our bags.
Why did you do petsitting? What is the main motivation?
A: Housesitting is such a great way to see new areas – some we may have never considered visiting otherwise!
It’s a mutual exchange where we feel good about caring for someone else’s space and treasures while also getting to live there during that time.
It gives us the time and resources to be able to travel much longer and more freely than if we didn’t have these opportunities.
How much luggage do you travel with?
Much more than we used to now that we have a little one along, but I still think we fall below the norm.
We’re a pretty minimal family and definitely appreciate quality over quantity.
I’d say our luggage is usually the equivalent of a hiking pack and carryon each for Trevor and I, and a duffel bag and carryon for Ember.
Pros of House Sitting?
Freedom to travel to and explore new places we may not have visited otherwise.
Ability to work remotely and save financially while seeing the world.
Contributing to someone else’s ability to travel and take time away as well!
Cons of House Sitting?
A: It can be nerve wracking to move into some else’s space for the first time.
You put a lot of trust in the people you are you sitting for to be honest and fair, and while it has always worked out for us, I know that isn’t the case for everyone.
Depending on the situation, it can definitely become a full-time job between animal care, cleaning, gardening, etc, leaving little time to actually explore.
I feel like every con can easily be mitigated, though, with some due diligence up front! So getting a cat sitter checklist is a good idea that way you fee like everything is covered.
How do you decide on a destination?
We usually set our sights on a next destination or a few options that we’d like to explore and then see what opportunity comes up for those areas!
Tips for others wanting to get started?
A: I think that the best way to approach housesitting and life in general really is to have an open mind.
So many wonderful experiences are just outside of our comfort zones and I think housesitting is such a great opportunity to be courageous and try out a new place or way of living.
Be honest about your expectations and abilities, but also be honest with yourself about ways that you can stand to grow and adapt to experience new things.
Where to next (when you can)
A: We’re in Alberta now, so next stop is British Columbia! After that, hopefully, Costa Rica, Europe and then New Zealand or Australia.
Really though, we’re up for anywhere!
Want to try House Sitting As Well?
There are thousands of opportunities to house sit around the world!
Check out the resources for getting started as a house sitter here.
Are You Ready to Start House Sitting?
