Recently, we chatted with house-sitting couple George and Michell, aka The Real House Sitters. We took a deep dive into the when, what, where, and why of their house-sitting journey!
Tell us a little bit about yourselves – who are you, where are you from, for, do you housesit full-time or sporadically?
We are George and Michell. George is originally from West Virginia, USA, and Michell is from Wiltshire, UK. We are a Yank and a Pom who met in Oz, in a hostel in Alice Springs, while on a trip to Uluru in 2010.
Despite living on separate continents, we kept in touch, and throughout 2011, we maintained a long-distance relationship. In 2012, we got Working Holiday Visas and moved to Melbourne to finally live together! In 2013, we moved to Wanaka in New Zealand for a year, where we started our housesitting journey. Until the pandemic hit, we’d been using house-sitting websites full time since 2014.
How many housesits have you completed and where?
We haven’t kept count. There have been so many, including a lot of repeat sits time and time again for the same clients. But we know we’ve sat in 10 countries – Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, the USA, Brazil, and Argentina.
Why do you housesit? What is the main motivation?
Many people’s motivation for housesitting is purely for travel, but we got into housesitting because we were looking for a place to live. The cost of rent is so high, we tend to take housesits even when we’re not traveling, to keep the cost of living down, especially in London.
It’s also a great way to meet people; we’ve made many friends through housesitting, both homeowners and other housesitters. And when we do travel, there’s no better way to experience a place than through the eyes of a local.
How did you find out about housesitting?
When we moved to New Zealand, we looked at a local online classifieds site to find a room to rent. One listing caught our eye: staying on a farm and looking after the animals for three weeks while the owners went on vacation. We arranged to meet the owners to discuss how to house sit, and the rest is history!
The following year, we decided to see if there was any way to find out more about housesitting. We researched a few sites and decided to join Trusted Housesitters, which we’ve been members of for 6 years.
Pros of House Sitting?
Housesitting allows you to meet people, see places, and experience things you would never usually get a chance to do. It’s great to see places through a local’s eyes. Since you don’t have to pay for accommodation, it keeps costs down and allows you to stay longer. And you get to look after sweet pets too!
Cons of House Sitting?
It’s not always reliable. You need a backup plan if a homeowner cancels or the dates don’t align perfectly. If we haven’t been able to get a house sit, we’ll often stay in an Airbnb or hostel for a few days. However, house sitting is a great alternative to hostels. You need to share a room with strangers!
What’s been the biggest or best adventure so far?
We spent a month in Rio de Janeiro, looking after a cat in Copacabana. It was our first time ever in Brazil, and what an amazing city it is! Visiting all of the city’s iconic landmarks was certainly an adventure.
The fact that we were there for a month meant it didn’t feel rushed. After that, we had another sit in Buenos Aires lined up, but we had a few days spare to visit the waterfalls at Iguazu. It was an incredible experience!
How do you decide on a destination?
It depends. Sometimes, we decide that we really fancy going somewhere and search that location to see if any dates come up—that’s how we applied to go to Lisbon for 10 days back in 2016. Other times, we decide that we need to stay somewhere long-term, say for three months or more, so we only search for long-term stays—that’s how we ended up in the Dordogne in France for six months!
How much luggage do you travel with?
If it’s international, we’ll take a carry-on and one small bag each that we’ll zip together in a bigger bag—it means we only pay for one checked bag! If we’re staying in the UK, we have a small car, so we may pack a few more home comforts like a yoga mat or some kitchen essentials.
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?
Well, our first house sit was in New Zealand, where we responded to the online ad, which we replied to and got accepted straight away. However, when we signed up to Trusted Housesitters, it did take a few applications before we were accepted.
It helped that we were near the Cotswolds, which had a lot of homeowners looking for sitters, and we were local and able to meet them in person. Once we were able to meet the homeowners, we were accepted for sits, and once you have a few reviews, it becomes much easier.
Did you ever have any unusual pets to take care of or responsibilities that were out of the norm?
On our first house sit, we looked after a herd of 40 cows! Luckily, George has some farming experience, and the homeowners explained how they wanted their animals managed, so it was fine. We’ve also looked after a very grumpy pig once!
What was your favourite housesitting experience to date and why?
Our sit in Benissa, Spain was really special because one: we enjoyed living in Spain, the homeowners were lovely, we still keep in touch, two: the dogs we were looking after were adorable – we still miss them and it’s been three years!
And three: the homeowners were happy for our family to come and visit us, which meant that my parents could come over for a short holiday in the sun. This was such a kind thing for the homeowners to allow, and it shows how wonderful the whole housesitting community can be.
Have you had any funny housesitting experiences?
Actually, in the same Benissa, sit, one of the dogs, Ziggy, used to jump up and down like a pogo when it was dinner time as she was so excited to get fed. The homeowners called her a ballerina, so we found a little tutu at a small hut on the beach that we modified as a gift for Ziggy and as a surprise for the homeowners when they came back—she looked beautiful, as you can see!
Tips for Others Wanting to get started?
When starting out, staying local is key. As we mentioned before, you will have an advantage if you can meet the homeowner in person, as it really puts their mind at ease. We’ve never met anyone in person who didn’t want us to sit for them afterward.
Also, apply for sits that may not appeal to other housesitters, like really short sits or sits that aren’t in desirable locations. That way, you’ll be able to build up your reviews quicker.
Where to next (when you can)?
We’d love to go to Ethiopia or Japan. To keep up with the real house sitters checkout their Instagram Therealhousesitters
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.
Want to Read More?
I’ve been looking into sitters for children and just homes locally in Kansas, United States.
Veteran of the US ARMY. Police Officer for 17yrs until suffering a few injuries. Work is not an issue. I had to be medically retired because every Officer from a day1 rookie to the Chief had to be able to put a uniform on and hit the street. My injuries wouldn’t tolerate all the weight involved. Irish and Catholic. Oldest of 13 children. Never married and no dependents.
Hi Brian 🙂 thank for writing in sounds like you would be great for house sitting I would suggest checking my resources on how to get started; https://www.thetravellinghousesitters.com/start-house-sitting/