Maynard Paye

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been experiencing something new; my first house sitting gig. I got the idea a year ago when I came across Trusted House Sitters, a membership website that allows people to either search for someone to watch over their homes and pets, or to search for house sitting jobs all over the world. They had me at “all over the world”. Read on to see if house sitting could be perfect for you.

Pros

• Besides the annual fee, it’s completely free. I’m staying in a 3 bedroom house where I can literally see the ocean as soon as I step outside and it’s all free. I would have had to pay at least a couple of hundred per night for an Air BnB that is a comparable size and location.

• It’s perfect for slow travel. If you have a considerable amount of time to get to know a place, this situation is ideal. You’re staying in a real neighborhood and can get to know the surrounding area well. You can also get to know your neighbors and meet locals who are from the area you are visiting.

Cons

• It’s difficult to build your whole trip around a house sit. For example, when planning my current trip to Los Angeles, I wanted to take a side trip to Puerto Rico for a few days or drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. But once the house sit was all set, I couldn’t back out and I certainly couldn’t be missing in action while I was supposed to be house sitting.