Recently, we chatted with Susan. Susan and her husband, Gordan, have been house-sitting worldwide, including in Cyprus, France, Italy, Bulgaria, and the Greek Islands!
Below, you can learn about their adventures in Bulgaria and the Greek Island. Susan also provides some wonderful advice for getting started and the house-sitting website she used to find all these incredible sits!
Ensure you read to the end to find out where they are heading next to house sit.
Tell us a little bit about yourself – who are you, where are you from, and do you do it full-time or sporadically?
We are homeowners and have been pet owners. We are retired professionals. Gordon is a 35-year sworn officer with the Police Service in Australia. I am a Behavioral science professional, having worked in the youth justice court system throughout Cape York and the Torres Straits.
We love to travel and have done so more frequently since 2014. We have traveled throughout Australia, Southeast Asia and China, Europe, the UK, the Balkans, and North Africa.
We started our adventures together in 2014 after only 18 months together. Taking long service leave, we spent 16 months exploring China (and teaching English) and backpacking home through Southeast Asia.
After 6 months back home and me returning to work (Gordon retired), we then headed for a further 6 months in the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and Italy, house and pet sitting in France, Scotland, and Wales, where we started our international house sitting adventures.
Where was your first international sit?
Our first international house sit was in Brecon, Wales. We organized this sit from Australia; I recall it was the first sit we applied for. We initially traveled to France, where we have friends, before heading over the ‘ditch’ to the UK. We hired a car and arrived in Brecon to find our house sit was canceled due to the Mr. of the house being hospitalized unexpectedly.
The Lady of the house was lovely and very apologetic. She invited us to stay with her until we changed all our plans as it had been a three-week sit. We stayed a few nights in the most beautiful home overlooking the Brecon Beacons; it was magical.
We loved the area so much that the homeowner helped us source some accommodation, which she contributed to in the area. We stayed for just over a week, exploring the area and meeting up again with the homeowners for dinner after the Mr. of the house was released from hospital.
During this time, we managed to be accepted for another house sit on the Kintyre Peninsular in Scotland, where we looked after three dogs and Cyril, the Grey parrot. Cyril was a hoot and a great imitator. You would swear the phone was ringing, but no, it was Cyril. His favorite words were “shut up, Jen,” the name of the Mrs in this household.
During that trip, we also traveled to Morocco, Italy, and France, looking after friends’ homes in Oroux and Craon.
We departed Australia again in June 2018 and arrived back in June 2019. That trip saw us house and pet-sitting in Cyprus, France (several), Italy, Bulgaria, and the Greek Islands. When not house-sitting, we explored Switzerland, Romania, and Turkey. This trip made us out of our comfort zone in some parts, particularly Bulgaria.
The Cyprus seat was again the first application for this trip; we had a Skype, and 10 minutes later, the call came saying please come. From that confirmation, we applied for France, a chateau outside of Paris (2 hunting dogs), a farmhouse in Normandy (dogs, cats, donkey, goat and chickens), a farm in Assisi (dogs, cats, goats, donkeys, and chickens), and a restoration project home in an abandoned village in Bulgaria (dog and cat).
It was all very different, but we enjoyed it all the same. While in Bulgaria, we applied for a sit on Andros, and fortunately, we were accepted. This has been a highlight for us.
How did you find out about housesitting?
I think I just Googled house sitting and found the Trusted House Sitters site and Housecarers…. I created a profile, and voila!
How did you go house-sitting in 2020?
We had numerous house and pet sits booked across Canada during 2020, but of course, COVID-19 came along, and all bookings were mutually canceled. We would have cared for alpacas, goats, chickens, dogs, cats, and parrots. As a result of the lockdown, we bought a campervan and miraculously traveled around Australia, missing all travel bans along the way. It was fabulous.
Saving money on accommodations means we don’t have to dip into savings or travel on a shoestring budget.
What do you enjoy about housesitting?
On our travels, we don’t house-sit back to back; no more than half of our trips are house-sitting by choice.
We prefer house sitting to staying in hotels, etc., all the time. We like the sense of community and, to a certain extent, the routine of looking after the animals.
We have been introduced to the “friends” of many homeowners, whom we have met during our stays to socialize and learn about the local environments.
By the time a sit finishes—usually between 3 and 6 weeks—we are ready to explore the roads less traveled.
Have you had any funny housesitting experiences?
Crazy experiences in Normandy with Darra the donkey and the goat escaping the paddock and Gordon and I chasing them around the fields trying to get back to the pen…
Bulgaria with the chimney blocked and inside our house was 1 degree, the howling of the wolves in the forest adjoining the house, a village of 100 houses but only 20 of them inhabited, snow-bound dirt roads and no English
Tips for others wanting to get started?
1. Flexibility
2. don’t apply for any house sit, be picky
3. Remember you need to respect the rules of the house, e.g., no smoking, weighing the dog’s food even though they will eat from each other’s bowl!! Or not leaving the animals unattended for too long if that’s the requirement
4. Don’t accept what makes you uncomfortable e.g., for me is cameras in the house
5. I replace food or laundry products that we use. The same goes for fuel—if a car is available, fill it up!
6. Leave the home cleaner than you found it
7. limit your luggage
8. Have backup funds for both accommodation alternatives or returning home for emergencies.
Where to next (when you can)
We have an unwell grandbaby, so with multiple surgeries scheduled for the next six months, we are staying close to home.
In September 2023, we are heading to Canada for six weeks but are unlikely to house-sit. After our bubba gets the all-clear, we will probably head off for a year, going via Andros house sit… Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, and Hungary. We will look at Italy, France, Spain (restricted by Schengen) house sits, and Ireland.
Need Help Getting Started With House Sitting?
Have we got you excited about house-sitting in Spain? 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.
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