Are you looking for unique ways to make a part-time supplemental income and need more ideas that work for you and your lifestyle?
While there are just about as many ways to make money on the side as there are birds in the sky, it can become overwhelming sifting through the ideas to find what will work for you.
What if you need something easy and flexible that allows you to juggle other side gigs simultaneously, doubling your daily income?
How About Something Unique Like House Sitting?
Yep, you can make money watching houses, and it can be a nice way to make extra cash! While sometimes your “pay” is the free housing you have for days, weeks, or on some occasions, even months, there are house sitting gigs where you’ll earn money.
Imagine if you need room and board and want to make roughly $25 to $55 or more a night while staying in the homes of owners who are away. Would that appeal to you? Some homeowners will have you take care of their pets, which can increase your daily fee.
If this sounds like a great way to make some extra money – keep reading for more details about this fun and unique way to make money.
What is House Sitting?
You may be wondering what house sitting is anyway and how can you can make money doing this.
Good questions!
House sitting is when a homeowner needs somebody to stay in their home overnight while they’re out of town. Often, you’ll be responsible for watering plants and outdoor landscaping, taking care of any pets they might have, getting the mail, and making sure the house is locked up and secure.
The homeowners hire a house sitter to turn on and off the lights throughout the day and night in the hopes no one suspects they’re out of town.
And if they are pet owners, they’ll hire you as a pet sitter too.
House sitters give peace of mind to the homeowner while they’re on vacation or out of town that their home and pets are being taken care of.
You’ll get instructions specific to each house sitting job. Items may include which vet to take the pet to if an emergency comes up, security protocols, how to secure homes for the night, and if they want to add services to the house sitting such as pet sitting, housekeeper services, helping with live-in care, and so on. Although mostly, you’re there to simply house sit and possibly pet sit.
How to Become a House Sitter
You’ll want to get the word out in the world about your services, and a great place to begin is just by letting your friends, family, and colleagues know about your services.
You can also join house sitter Facebook groups to find jobs and meet clients and fellow house sitters.
But you don’t have to stop there.
Though a great place to begin, there are other ways to get part-time or full-time house sitting jobs besides Facebook groups.
Some ways to house sit would be to find websites that connect house sitters to clients. These websites will charge a yearly fee to access the house sitting jobs.
They take the legwork and advertising out of it and connect you with clients directly. This can help you in getting your house sitting business off the ground.
Let’s talk about those sites below!
House Sitting Sites
TrustedHousesitters – This is one of the better-known and well-trusted sites for house sitting jobs. This company is especially preferred by house sitters in the US, UK, Australia, and Europe. You must be 21 years of age or older to work with this site. The yearly membership is $129-$259.
Nomador – This company began in 2014 with a strong presence in France and remains strong there, but they have house sitting gigs worldwide. The pricing is $99-$199 and varies from a 3-month subscription to the site to a yearly subscription.
MindMyHouse – This site was founded in 2005 and has since grown to become one of the largest house sitting websites on the internet. There are house sitting jobs all around the world. You can join the site for $29 annually.
HouseCarers – This site connects homeowners with house sitters worldwide. The fee is $50 annually. Founded in 2000, and while the interface is known to be lacking, I have read more than one glowing review for this site.
What Are the Responsibilities of a House Sitter?
You’re hired to provide real peace of mind to the homeowner. You’re there to provide reliable service, good customer support, and take care of the home, pets, and plants.
As mentioned before, in-house house sitting can be simply watching the house and making sure it remains secure, but it can also be a variety of services such as:
- Securing the home: Closing and opening blinds, locking doors and windows, turning on and off lights throughout the day and night, and making the house look occupied.
- Pet care: You may need to be a dog walker, feed and water pets, let them out to potty, and even take the animal to the vet should an emergency arise. Let’s face it, as pet owners, we want happy pets, and happy pets are safe and well taken care of. It’s essential that if you take a job with pets, you take great care of them.
- Housekeeping: You may have to do basic housekeeping while you stay in the home, such as sweeping, vacuuming, the dishes, and so on.
- Plant care: Watering and caring for indoor or outdoor plants.
- Taking care of the pool: If they have a pool or hot tub, your tasks may include general maintenance.
As a house sitter, it’s essential to ask lots of questions before taking the job so that you can provide effective service and be aware of all the homeowner’s needs and desires for you while you sit the house.
How Much Can You Make as a House Sitter?
According to Rover, you can charge upwards of $100 a night in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, and in smaller cities, the rate can be upwards of $50 a night.
The smaller the city or more rural the area, the smaller the fee, most likely.
Ideas for how to charge your fees:
- Location – Big cities typically bring in higher rates.
- Pets – If there are pets and they require walking, letting out, etc., you can charge more for that as well.
- How long is the stay – Do they want you for daytime or nighttime hours only or the entire day and night? Factor this into your rates.
- Food and drinks – Consider if the fridge is empty, and you’ll be responsible for your own meals and drinks for the entirety of your stay.
- Size of home – If the home is large and requires more effort from you, you can charge more than, say, a small home or apartment, or condo home.
You could join house sitter Facebook groups to meet and network with fellow house sitters, ask questions, and learn as you grow your experience with this type of work.
Why You May Enjoy House Sitting
There are many benefits to house sitting as a side gig or even a career alongside other remote jobs! We’ve outlined those below.
Flexibility: House sitting jobs can vary in length of time, from a few days to several months, which can offer you a flexible schedule.
This can be ideal for people who want to work remotely, travel, or pursue other interests while still earning an income.
And honestly, who wouldn’t love a flexible side job?
Accommodations: As a house sitter, you may have the incredible opportunity to live in various homes and locations without having to pay rent or utilities.
This can be a great way to save money on living expenses.
Peaceful and Easy Job: In most cases, house sitters are responsible for basic tasks like keeping the house clean and secure and caring for pets.
This can be less stressful than other jobs that require more responsibility and stress.
If you’re an introvert who enjoys a peaceful job or a homebody with another remote job you can work anywhere, this would be a fantastic opportunity to add more income to your day while hanging out and keeping a house.
Travel opportunities: House sitting jobs can be found all over the world, which can allow you to travel and explore new places.
You may even be able to combine house sitting with your travel plans, allowing you to save money on accommodation while experiencing new cultures and lifestyles. How cool would that be?
Tips for Being a Successful House Sitter
Not all house sitters are created equal. Some are better than others in the sense that some are more prepared and more professional than others.
Below are some tips for being the best house sitter you can be!
- Clear communication is key – Asking as many questions as you think are necessary before taking the job will only help you in the long run. This will ensure you and the homeowner walk away with a positive experience.
- Be reliable – A reliable and responsible house sitter is a professional and booked house sitter. Treat this like you would any other career. Show up on time, speak kindly and professionally, don’t waste the homeowner’s time, and follow their instructions and desires.
- Treat the home with care – The homeowner is hiring you to be them while they’re gone. Respect their property and any animals with care. Leave the home as good or even better than before you took the job.
- Be ready for anything – Hopefully, you won’t experience an emergency while house sitting, but in the chance that you do, it’s better to know ahead of time what to do than to be stuck in an emergency situation unsure what to do. Have the vet’s information for any pets, know the house’s security system and codes, and so on.
You Can Do This!
With the tips and information in this article, you’re ready to do house sitting as a side gig or a career.
It can be a unique, interesting, and fun way to bring in some extra money and a great opportunity if you already work a remote job or business. It allows you to make money sitting a house while you’re working.
If you want to become a house sitter but aren’t sure where to begin, I’d recommend connecting with jobs and fellow house sitters in Facebook groups first.
I recommend typing in “house sitting jobs” in the Facebook search bar, then scrolling to “groups,” which will filter out only house sitting groups.
I’ve found Facebook will typically filter by your location, but I’m sure you could type in something like “house sitting jobs (insert the location here)” when searching Facebook if you want to find jobs in other cities, states, or even countries than where you currently reside.
After that, browse the house sitting sites mentioned in this article and find the one you’d like to join. Read the FAQ section of each site for more information, and don’t hesitate to contact each site directly with any questions you might have prior to joining.
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Wishing you the best with your house sitting journey!
