Have you heard about the global trend of housesitting yet? Well don’t miss out. It is the Expat care solution, an affordable and safe way to care for your property and pets when you travel away. Wherever you live in the world there will be housesitters out there who want to visit your neck of the woods. In exchange they’ll be happy to walk your dog, feed your cat and care for your property in exchange for free accommodation.
But how do you find each other to collaborate? And how do you know you can make a good and safe match? Here is a brief run down on what you should do to ensure a safe and reliable arrangement with your house sitters.
Understand how housesitting works
You may have known people who travel the world on extended trips without paying for accommodation. As volunteers they might sign up to do this using websites like Habit For Humanity or Work Away to promote their profiles and skills. Volunteering means there is no payment for the services, however, there are other sites like Rover.com that require payment for service.
When it comes to housesitting and petsitting in exchange for free accommodation there are specialist companies like HouseSit Match that can facilitate a safe and fair exchange. They offer only the free exchange of services, it’s like a mutual gifting where no money changes hands. This makes the arrangement itself of immense value to both parties, and often leads to newly formed long term friendships. Often the companies that offer this format or housesitting arrangement will ask you to join as a member. They will ask you to undergo an ID check to maintain the safety of the network. For this there is a small annual joining fee.
How you benefit as the Expat Pet and Homeowner
As an Expat home and pet owner your gains are multi-layered. First it allows you to find sitters with a good reputation even though you may be new to your area. You can choose your own sitter from the list of housesitters who checked and verified by the housesitting platform. For security your identity and contact details are hidden until you reveal them to the sitter of your choice, before they arrive to start your assignment. And you don’t pay for their services, kennelling or a cattery. Instead the sitter stays in your home protecting your property and your pets and they pay for their own travel and upkeep while they stay in your home. You simply provide free accommodation and clean linen and suggestions for where to visit in your neighbourhood that they might find interesting as visitors.
If you need help online just ask – Support is available
New members may need a little help online as they learn how to use the website, to build a profile and publish their first housesitting assignments. HouseSitMatch can offer this support in real time at your convenience. Once your housesit advert is published, housesitters will see your advertisment and apply directly to you through the site. The housesitting platform facilitates by offering a series of guides and documents to help you brief the sitter, and arrange a formal or semi-formal housesitting agreement to pin down the terms of your arrangement. Best of all your pets secure a companion in their own home, and your garden is watered in your absence!
How did ‘Housesitting’ start as an International Option?
We’ve all cared for our neighbour’s cats or pets, or watered important garden plants in their absence. However, it can be bind to ask neighbours you don’t know well, or frequently demand help if you travel a lot. About 20 years ago an IT web developer called Ian White started an online resource to help friends in Sydney Australia to find house and pet sitters for when they were away from home. The idea soon became so popular he started a business called Housecarer, connecting people all over Australia to exchange services.
Now two decades later this great idea of petsitting like a friend has become a global trend, enabled by web-based companies offering to connect you to sitters who help out while you are away. Some companies that claim to be the biggest in the world, and others specialise in particular regions of the world.
Top Tip – look for a company that has an excellent safety rating and more checks on all members, especially housesitters.
Safety comes first in Housesitting and at HouseSit Match
Through my own personal experience I have found that safety must come first when you match pet homeowners with travelling housesitters. using the latest online tools for ID and facial recognition on all members, and Police and Background checking on all sitters the company that does the most rigorous checking is HouseSitMatch.com . This network not only ensures that all members are thoroughly checked but that the network and site are managed there is support should you need it.
Housesitting: A positive experience, a force for good
As a home and pet owner myself, who has lived and worked abroad. I value the opportunity to collaborate with like minded individuals, to help each other. That’s why I decided to start an international housesitting platform, to create a safe way for people to connect across the world and make mutually beneficial arrangements.
Today we connect people across the world in over 20 countries. We are a Trustpilot rated housesitting community where we uniquely offer you direct contact to myself the founder, and our team in real time. We’ll always try to help.
Read our Customer Reviews on Trustpilot
Couldn’t ask for better service
I couldn’t ask for better attention to our house sit requirements! Lamia is always in touch as soon as possible with helpful hints and fantastic friendly attention! I would recommend this site to all my friends!
Rosemary, Melbourne, Australia ~ Home owner & Pet owner
First Rate Organization!!!
HouseSit Match is a professionally run organization that meets the needs of many people. I have been a member for several years, have successfully used their services and have always been satisfied. Lamia, the “Administrator, extraordinaire” does a wonderful job of keeping the site fresh and appealing. It’s a first rate organization!!!
Linda, House and pet sitter in Florida, USA
Absolutely fantastic experience…
Absolutely fantastic experience throughout. Constant support from HouseSit Match and excellent care and thoughtfulness from Cathy and Jimmy who looked after our three dogs and home for three weeks. Couldn’t have asked for nicer people.
Thank you, Helga and Joe, Pet and homeowners in Javea, Spain
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