| I'm a traveler, I always have been, and I always will be. | | | | Within our listing I highlighted everything we had to |
| There is so much of this beautiful world that we live in | | | | offer, i.e.: We genuinely love all animals. This for us is a |
| to experience, that if I traveled full time till the day I left | | | | big part of the joy of house sitting, meeting wonderful |
| this earth, I would never be able to see it all. | | | | animals we would never have had the chance to |
| This thought fills me with immense joy, as it means a | | | | spend time with. I have been a volunteer for the Cats |
| lifetime of new sights, sounds and experiences to look | | | | Protection League and also Orana Wildlife Park. You |
| forward to. | | | | may be a super keen gardener or a fantastic |
| Being the person that I am (I'm a Gemini, what more | | | | decorator. Give the home owner as many reasons as |
| can I say); a life constantly on the move suits me right | | | | you can possibly muster to make yourself far and |
| down to the ground. For most of my young traveling | | | | away the only choice to look after their wonderful |
| life I went the usual route, working visas, hospitality and | | | | home and precious pets. |
| customer service work, backpacking and cheap flights. | | | | To complete your house sitting ensemble, |
| However, as I sat and planned this latest 6 month tour | | | | HouseCarers provide an in-depth house sitting contract |
| of Australia for my partner and myself, I started to feel | | | | to protect both you and the home owner that can be |
| I may be getting a little long in the tooth for | | | | altered to suit your needs. |
| backpacking. I've heard of 65 year olds doing YHA | | | | Now you should be starting to get the general idea of |
| tours by themselves and was starting to wonder how | | | | what it really means to be a house sitter. |
| this 33 year old had gotten so soft suddenly. I found I | | | | As a professional house sitter you should have your |
| wasn't really looking forward to unhomely hotels (or | | | | police clearances ready along with scans of your |
| even hostels) and wasn't quite as enthusiastic about | | | | driver's licenses, contract and references to post out |
| this journey as I had been in my younger travels. | | | | to the homeowner. We use all these tools to be as |
| As I was searching online for reasonable | | | | helpful as we can, to take all stress off the home |
| accommodation to book, I found myself wondering if | | | | owner and to provide total peace of mind. When we |
| there may be a better way. | | | | house sit I'm particularly fanatical about keeping the |
| That's when my 'oh my goodness, Eureka!' house | | | | home to the exacting standards of the owner and to |
| sitting moment hit me. | | | | love their precious pets in the way we want our furry |
| Right there in the Sponsored Search was an ad for a | | | | kid Eleanor to be treated while we're away. |
| site by the name of With the advent of the internet | | | | Try this: Calculate the rent the home owner could be |
| making communication across the globe as simple as | | | | charging you if they decided to hire their residence out |
| typing a few words into a screen, the clever people at | | | | to you as a holiday home. That is about how much per |
| HouseCarers had seen a need and filled it with a | | | | week you owe them in keeping their home just as |
| service that brought wandering home owners together | | | | they would at all times, loving their pets as much as |
| with suitable house sitters. | | | | they do and providing them with the valuable peace of |
| While we had house sat extensively for friends and | | | | mind they require. |
| family (as one does), I had not even considered the | | | | As a professional house sitter, everything you do from |
| prospect of getting out there and really getting our | | | | the outset should be geared towards making sure |
| house sitting hands dirty on a full time basis. When the | | | | everything is organised for the home owner. The |
| thought finally made its way into my grey matter a | | | | house sit is your domain. You should make it your full |
| spark ignited, my Gemini pupils dilated and the house | | | | time job to take care of every aspect of the sit. Let |
| sitting idea ran away in many directions like a pot of | | | | the home owner do nothing but take care of their |
| spilled marbles. | | | | holiday. |
| I eagerly joined, excited at the prospect of hundreds of | | | | It really is very little to ask for the chance to |
| home owners worldwide offering me the chance to | | | | experience another way of life in a different part of |
| experience their way of life. | | | | this wonderful world that we live in. |
| To my great delight, I was now able to communicate | | | | We are now embarking on the third month of our |
| with home and pet owners as far away as Canada | | | | house sitting tour of Australia. I write from a beautiful |
| who were desperately looking for someone to take | | | | suburb located between the Gold Coast and Brisbane, |
| care of their lovely homes and precious pets. We | | | | about a 1/2 hour train ride to both. |
| were brought together by our common need, they for | | | | It is the middle of winter yet we open the windows |
| responsible, reliable, caring house and pet sitting | | | | EVERY morning to a pure blue sky and brilliant, warm |
| services, us for nice, clean accommodation and of the | | | | sunshine. |
| firm belief that a house is not a home without a pet. | | | | Out the back of the house is native Australian forest |
| But, much like the catch 22 of someone looking for | | | | filled with colorful birds and other interesting creatures. |
| employment for the first time, we needed references | | | | A short walking distance is a National Park and Koala |
| in order to get experience. Not one to be deterred | | | | Center which we spend hours wandering through; our |
| easily, I got the ones that I already had together from | | | | necks craned skywards in search of elusive, sleeping |
| friends and family and applied for our police clearances | | | | Koalas. We 'brrr' and rub our arms, laughing about |
| from the Department of Justice. I scanned them ready | | | | when engaged in conversation with the friendly locals |
| to email to home owners. Deciding this would have to | | | | how the conversation always turns to how chilly it is - |
| do, I started searching ads in our local newspaper for | | | | on a 23 degree day! We lounge around the complex |
| anyone who needed a house sitter at short notice. | | | | pool area in the evenings, much to the amusement of |
| Happily, we quickly received our first offer right there in | | | | the other residents. |
| our home town. After meeting us, they decided we | | | | So if you have ever entertained the idea of house |
| were good people and would give us a go. We | | | | sitting, I highly recommend this comfortable, inexpensive |
| enjoyed 3 weeks in a lovely, warm brick home with 3 | | | | and interesting way to travel. If you are of the notion |
| cats, 160 channels and all the mod cons. They | | | | that house sitters are always retired or middle aged |
| appreciated daily emails about their healthy, happy | | | | married couples (as we did), we can now vouch for |
| cats, having their mail forwarded and the fact they | | | | the fact they are not. |
| returned home to a spotless home and weed free | | | | There is only two easy steps standing in between you |
| garden. | | | | and a long, happy house sitting holiday and that is for |
| Our all important first 'real' home owner reference | | | | you to make the decision to do it, and then, just do it. |
| ensued. | | | | All that's required is to make a few applications then |
| After perusing the ads at HouseCarers, I realized that | | | | just sit back and wait for the next email notification to |
| in order to stand out I was going to have to write a | | | | roll in from HouseCarers, alerting you of the next step |
| pretty strong listing. The headline is the most important | | | | in your adventure. |
| part of your ad so write a few and then decide on the | | | | Happy travels! |
| one that sums you up the best. | | | | |