A little while ago, Kristin from The Wayward Home (Home is where you sail it, park it, or build it. I love that tagline!) sent me an email. She was curious about how long-term house sitting worked, and asked whether I’d be interested in answering a few questions about the topic. I replied “Yes!” This past weekend, she posted the complete interview on her popular website. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for the opportunity of sharing our lifestyle with the world, Kristin!
Why did you and Mark decide to start house sitting full-time?
When Mark and I decided to abandon our previous lifestyle – which involved eight years of sailing, working and traveling on our 35ft catamaran Irie in the Caribbean and the South Pacific – we knew we didn’t want to settle. After selling our boat in Tahiti, we took a little break visiting with family and friends in the U.S. and Belgium, before creating a new plan.
A sailing friend had told us about house sitting jobs when we visited him in New Zealand a few years ago. We never followed through with it over there, but we became familiar with the concept, and a seed was planted.
Why not live in different places, taking care of beloved animals?
Since Mark is an American citizen, our business is US-run, and I was happy to apply for a greencard (again, but that’s another story), we “semi-settled” in the United States in October 2015 to house and pet sit indefinitely.
What does long-term house sitting look like?
House sitting is more popular than the general public realizes. Especially the last couple of years, the competition is fierce. The concept has been around forever, as in having family or friends watch your home, pets and plants while you are away on vacation, but, because of the many websites catering to this exchange in a more formal way, the appeal has spread.
House sitters come in all “shapes and sizes”. Some people, usually the ones who have their own home and do it locally, charge for their services. Others see “living like a local” in someone else’s house as the perfect way of exploring a new area. Some prefer to house sit for a few days at a time, others enjoy longer immersions. Certain sitters are allergic to cats, others desire a taste of farm life.
Schedules and responsibilities depend on the assignment and are always different. I’d say on average Mark and I spend one to two hours a day taking care of dogs (walking, brushing, feeding, bathing) and an hour a week on plant and yard work.
Spending time and cuddling with canines feels natural to us, so we don’t see this as work. In general, homeowners want you to be comfortable and treat their home, belongings and pets as if they were yours. This means leaving the house in the same condition and cleanliness (or better) as you found it. Successful house sitters need to be responsible, polite, communicative, respectful, and caring. And, a tad flexible…
Continue reading the article here.
WARNING: This website is advertisement-heavy.
If you have any questions for us, I’m happy to answer them here, or on The Wayward Home.
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