IIn our experience house sitting is the best way to travel on a budget and to get the most complete experience of living in a new place.
However, without any review to our name, landing your very first house sit is where most people struggle. So, how do you get your first house sit!?
Luckily for you, we’ve been through this before and we’re going to share how we successfully secured our first house sit within a couple of weeks of trying.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the 5 essential steps to secure your first house sitting assignment.
Step 1: Finding the Best Opportunities
To kickstart your house sitting journey, you’ll first want to choose the right platform. While there are various options available, we would highly recommend Trusted Housesitters as the best place to start.
In our experience, it offers the widest range of worldwide opportunities, and although it has a higher membership cost, we have found it to have much less competition than cheaper or free alternatives.
With Trusted Housesitters even if you don’t have prior house sitting experience, you can list references from friends or family to build trust with potential homeowners (particularly valuable for first-time house sitters).
While Facebook groups can be a decent free alternative for finding house sits, be aware that competition is much higher in these spaces. You will probably find yourself competing against hundreds of applicants for a single opportunity.
Step 2: Create an Impressive Profile
This is one of you best chances to stand out so don’t rush this step! Make sure to create a profile that not only showcases your relevant experience and skills, but also provides insight into your personality and character.
Highlight any prior house sitting experiences, even if they were informal arrangements for friends or family. If you’re new to house sitting, emphasize relevant skills such as reliability, responsibility and a love for animals.
Plus, if you have any special skills that could be valuable for house sitting, such as gardening expertise or home maintenance abilities, be sure to highlight these as well.
Remember to include as many friendly, approachable photo of yourself as possible – preferably ones that shows you interacting with pets!
Good photos will go a long way to boosting a homeowners’ trust and connection with your profile – seriously, we cannot stress this enough.
Step 3: Apply for you first House Sits
When applying for house sits, it’s so important to make your application message super specific to the homeowner’s listing.
Start by addressing the homeowner personally, using their name if provided. Next, demonstrate that you’ve thoroughly read their listing by mentioning specific aspects of their property or pets.
For example, you might say, “I noticed you have a beautiful garden and two energetic Labrador Retrievers. I have experience with both gardening and caring for large, active dogs.”
Share any relevant experiences or skills that align with their needs. If they mention they have a lot of indoor plants that will need looking after, and you have such skills, highlight this in your application.
A rough template is fine, but stay clear of generic, copy-paste applications that could apply to any house sit.
Help yourself to stand out by taking the extra time to craft a unique message for each opportunity, as not everyone will!
Step 4: Prepare for an Call with the Owner
Once you’ve successfully applied and caught a homeowner’s attention, be prepared for them to request a phone or video call with you. This is your opportunity to impress them and show them that you are perfect for the house sitting role.
In our experience homeowners are likely to ask about various thing, including 👇
- Your previous experience with house sitting or pet care
- Your availability and flexibility for the required dates
- Your approach to handling potential emergencies or unexpected situations
- Your comfort level with specific pet care tasks or home maintenance duties
To make the best impression, it’s advisable to 👇
- Prepare thoughtful questions about the home, pets or neighbourhood
- Show confidence but be honest about your experience and capabilities
- Demonstrate enthusiasm and a genuine interest in the opportunity
Remember, the interview is not just about answering questions, but also about building a rapport with the homeowner.
Aim to leave a positive, lasting impression that sets you apart from other applicants and increases your chances of securing your first house sit.
Step 5: Make Sure you Understand your Responsibilities
Before starting your first sit, be sure to have a detailed discussion with the homeowner to clarify their specific expectations – ideally before you come to an agreement.
This conversation should cover all aspects of the house sit, from pet care routines to any unique requirements of the property.
Typical responsibilities often include 👇
- Daily pet care (feeding, walking, grooming and administering any medications)
- Maintaining the cleanliness of the home
- Watering plants and garden upkeep
- Collecting and managing mail and packages
- Ensuring the security of the property
It’s a good idea to prepare yourself mentally for handling unexpected situations, just in case. This could involve anything from a pet falling ill to something breaking in the house.
Clear communication with the homeowner and a proactive approach to problem-solving is always the best approach to ensuring a smooth and enjoyable house sitting experience for everyone involved!
Our final piece of advice is not to give up too soon – it will probably take a good number of application attempts before you secure your first sit, but sooner or later someone will give you a chance.
After you’ve finished you first sit got your first review, we promise it gets much easier!
If you’re looking for more house sitting tips or advice, be sure to check out our other blog posts below:
👉 How to Travel with Free Accommodation: Getting Started with House Sitting
