We recently chatted with Chelsea. She is an incredible woman who has lived in Australia, London, Spain, Mexico, and Central America. She has over 35 house-sitting experiences under her belt, and we can’t wait to share her adventures with you.
Tell us a little bit about yourself—who you are, where you are from, and do you do it full-time or sporadically?
I’m Chelsea, an entrepreneurial freelance author, yoga teacher, and copywriter.
I was born in California and have lived abroad for half of my life. My mom was a nomad, so we moved on average each year since I was born.
I’ve house-sat in Australia, London, Spain, Mexico, and Central America. While doing my master’s degree in Melbourne, Australia, in 2013, there was a stint when I sublet my apartment and began undertaking back-to-back housesits. Now, I do it sporadically.
How many housesits have you had and where?
I’ve probably rented upwards of 35 houses in Mexico, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and London. I live in Mallorca, Spain, and I’m looking to house-sit in countries I love, such as Switzerland and Austria.
Why do you housesit? What is the primary motivation?
Firstly, I adore pets. As I’ve inherited my mother’s nomadic spirit, it’s difficult for me to stay in one place for more than a couple of years.
Therefore, having a pet is challenging – especially as my relocations are pretty drastic, being countries rather than just towns or states!
Housesitting allows me to be around pet energy and help people who might be apprehensive about sending their beloved animals to a cattery or overnight doggy daycare.
It allows the pet to be in the comfort of its own home and be well looked after by someone who loves animals. It’s also a way for me to discover new places without worrying about the cost of accommodation.
How did you find out about house-sitting?
A friend had posted about house sitting and the great experiences they had enjoyed I discovered Trusted Housesitters while living in Melbourne.
I undertook most of my house-sits from that platform; however, I have also utilized platforms that are primarily UK-based.
Pros of House Sitting?
- Getting to meet and spend time with an array of different animals.
- Helping people who need a caring person to watch over their pets while they’re away.
- It’s a great way to meet new people in the case of dog sitting, as you can take the dog to its regular dog park, where there are other dog lovers. Dog lovers are more often than not quite friendly!
- Sometimes, staying in a property that is much grander than your own is a good idea (for example, when I housesat for a well-known politician back in Australia, who had a giant cinema room, beautiful kitchen to cook in, and an elegant marble staircase).
- Exploring new cities or countries without the financial strain of paying for hotels or Airbnb
Cons of House Sitting?
Even when you have an in-person or virtual meeting with the pet owner, you don’t always know what you’re signing up for. The owner might desperately want to go away on holidays, so they could soften the truth to get you to sign up.
For instance, in one house sit, the owners fed their Mastiff 2 kilos of horse meat each day because they said it was healthier for him. I love horses, so this was difficult, but I said it was not an issue.
They said he might get a “bit” of separation anxiety, and if so, I would need to sauté the horse meat on those occasions to entice him to eat it. His anxiety turned out to be through the roof, which I hadn’t experienced before. I can usually make dogs super happy, so they hardly notice their owners are gone. However, he wouldn’t eat his horse meat so each day and evening I had to sauté it and I will never forget the smell.
When the pet’s owner changes dates or cancels, even if you’ve already blocked that time off or coordinated other things around it, it can be quite frustrating. This is especially true when the housesitter is in another country and you’ve already booked flights.
Have you had any funny housesitting experiences?
Probably when the owners of these two toy poodles said it was fine to take them into cafes while I’m having lunch or coffee because they always hold it if they need to go to the bathroom.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case when I tried, and one of them pooped right in the middle of this quite posh café in Melbourne. It was very awkward, but the owner was pretty cool about it.
Where has been your favorite house sit?
Definitely Benny. For some reason, I feel this inexplicable soul connection with the Australian Blue Heeler I housesat in Melbourne. His owners were away in South Africa for a month, and I was on holiday from university at the time.
Each day I took him for six to eight hours on massive walks and we both got super fit. Blue Heelers are known primarily for their intelligence but also their boundless energy – they never wear out.
His “brother” Tui was a Jack Russell and super cute as well, so I got to be around that dog energy for an entire month. The long housesits are great, but they can also make it hard when you have to go back home—I had tears in my eyes when I had to leave Benny. I always put his picture up on my wall wherever I move to.
What’s been the biggest adventure so far?
Each of them has felt like a little adventure!
How do you decide on a destination?
For the most part, I’ve housesat in the same general area where I’m living at the time. More recently, I’ve been searching for housesits in other countries in places I might consider moving to one day, and a house sit on the ground there would give me a great experience like a local.
How much luggage do you travel with?
My whole life fits into three suitcases. The last time I owned furniture was 4.5 years ago in Perth when I spent a lot of time and resources furnishing my home. However, the energy in the house felt “off,” so I moved houses and decided from then on, I’d always rent furnished.
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?
The first time I ever housesat was actually through word-of-mouth, which is often how things are done in Australia anyway.
The first gig I found online wasn’t difficult because in Australia (at the time, I’m not sure about now), there was more supply than demand. When I moved to London, I thought it would again be easy breezy, but I’d look on Trusted Housesitters and, on each gig, see a sentence underneath each headline showing how many applicants had already applied.
It was always upwards of 25 and sometimes even 50+. For this reason, I think it’s best to go for housesits in places that aren’t typical tourist/in-demand destinations.
Did you ever have any unusual pets to take care of or responsibilities that were out of the norm?
In Perth, I housesat for a woman who owned an elderly blind beagle, a deaf cat, an Australian Gallah, and hermit crabs. She asked me to leave the dog outside or else he would attack me and to quickly fling the dog bowl outside when placing food out before he came at me.
I felt terrible because I tried to go outside when he was placid to spend time with him as his family was away for three weeks, and he seemed okay at first, but five minutes later went nuts, and I had to jump over the outdoor furniture and back into the house.
The cat had to receive the medicine each day via a syringe put far back in his throat as it wouldn’t take it via its food. He was equally aggressive and would hiss and scratch as soon as he saw the plastic syringe so I had to wear gardening gloves and a thick coat while holding him to administer the medicine.
The Gallah was also aggressive, and the food had to be quickly shoved in its cage before it lunged. At least the hermit crabs were friendly. After that house sit, I questioned whether I ever wanted to do it again!
Tips for others wanting to get started?
Ask the owner many questions to learn about the dog’s personality, requirements, and routine.
If it’s a dog, then whether or not it gets along with other dogs, what his quirks are, if he ever gets aggressive or anxious, what the rules of the house are, if there’s anything off limits,
If you’re able to utilize their wifi, if they can let you know of local parks he frequents, if he’s allowed to have treats, if he’s allowed on furniture, how long the owners would typically leave him in a day, who to call if anything happens and if any neighbors can be reached in an emergency.
These are just sample questions I’ve come up with out of the blue after almost a decade of housesitting experience!
Where to next (when you can)
We have completed I have a temporary residence visa in Spain so would like to stay in Europe.
I’m currently focusing on undertaking housesits in places I’ve been before and love (like England) and places I’d consider actually living in the future (Andalucia, Switzerland, Zurich, and Northern Italy). However, I’m always up for any interesting opportunities that come my way if I can spend time with some lovely pets.
Where to find out more about Chelsea: her website
Need Help Getting Started With House Sitting?
Have we got you excited about house-sitting? We love sharing 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.
Want to Read More Interviews With House Sitters?
If you enjoyed this interview and want to read more, you’re in luck. We have interviewed over 80 housesitters, including retired couples, digital nomads in their 20s, families of 5, couples who house-sit part-time, and much more.
You can see the interviews here.
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