House Sitting Holidays: How to Travel the World for Free Accommodation

With the cost of living squeezing us all, going away on holiday can feel like a bit of a luxury. Flights are expensive, eating out adds up quickly, and accommodation is usually the biggest cost of all.

But what if you could travel the world without paying a penny for somewhere to stay?

That’s exactly what house sitting holidays offer.

By looking after someone’s home (and often their pets) while they’re away, you can stay in properties around the world completely free. In return, you simply keep the house safe and care for any animals.

For anyone trying to travel on a budget, it removes the single biggest cost of a trip.

What are house sitting holidays?

House sitting holidays are when you stay in someone’s home for free while they are away. In return, you usually look after their pets and keep the property occupied.

It’s become a popular way to travel because it removes the biggest expense of a trip — accommodation.

Sometimes you’ll just be keeping an eye on the property, but most of the time it involves pet sitting as well.

Instead of sending their pets to kennels or catteries, homeowners prefer someone to stay in the house so their animals can remain in familiar surroundings.

For the sitter, the benefit is obvious.

You get free accommodation while travelling.

That could be anything from a small countryside cottage to a luxury apartment in a major city.

On house sitting websites you’ll regularly find homes in places like:

• London
• Melbourne
• Vancouver
• Zurich
• San Diego
• Washington D.C.

…and thousands of smaller towns too.

When I last checked, there were over 7,000 house sitting opportunities worldwide.

Why do people want a pet or house sitter?

The biggest reason is usually pets.

Many animals struggle when they’re removed from their normal environment. Kennels can be stressful and expensive, so homeowners often prefer someone to stay in their home instead.

This allows pets to keep their normal routine while their owners are away.

House sitters typically help with things like:

• feeding pets
• walking dogs
• watering plants
• collecting post
• keeping the property occupied

That last point is more important than people realise.

Leaving a house empty for several weeks can sometimes cause issues with home insurance policies, as some insurers restrict how long a property can be left vacant. Having someone staying there helps prevent those problems.

In short, it’s a win-win situation.

The homeowner gets peace of mind and the sitter gets free accommodation.

How much money can house sitting save?

Accommodation is normally the biggest expense when travelling.

Take somewhere like Santa Barbara in California.

A similar property to one I saw on a house sitting site was listed for around £350 per night on booking sites.

For an 18-day stay, that’s more than £6,000.

With house sitting, that cost disappears completely.

Here’s a rough comparison.

Even one successful house sit can easily save well over £1,000 in accommodation costs.

Of course, you still need to pay for things like:

• flights
• travel insurance
• food
• local transport
• visas (if required)

If you’re travelling internationally, it’s also worth checking out the best debit cards to use abroad so you avoid paying unnecessary foreign transaction fees.

One small thing to be aware of is that very long house sits (several months) sometimes involve sharing utility costs like gas, electricity or Wi-Fi. This isn’t common for shorter holiday sits but it’s something that can be agreed in advance.

How to become a pet or house sitter

If the idea of a pet sitting holiday sounds appealing, there are a couple of ways you can get started.

Find local house sitting opportunities

One option is to advertise your services locally.

People sometimes find sitters through:

• word of mouth
• Facebook groups
• community notice boards
• local classified ads

The main challenge is trust.

Homeowners are inviting someone they’ve never met into their home, sometimes for weeks at a time. Without reviews or references it can be difficult to get started.

Join a house sitting website

The easiest approach is to join a specialist platform that connects homeowners with sitters.

These sites allow you to create a profile, upload references and apply for house sitting opportunities around the world.

The biggest and most popular site is TrustedHousesitters, which lists thousands of available properties.

However, it isn’t the only option.

There are also regional sites including:

• House Sitters UK
• Aussie House Sitters
• Kiwi House Sitters

These can sometimes be cheaper and are often useful if you want to start locally.

Most house sitting websites charge an annual membership fee, usually between £100 and £200 per year.

That might sound expensive at first, but if you land even one house sit it can easily pay for itself.

A single week of free accommodation could save several hundred pounds.

Is house sitting available outside the UK?

Yes, and that’s one of the biggest attractions.

Many people use house sitting as a way to travel internationally while keeping accommodation costs close to zero.

Popular locations include:

• Australia
• Canada
• the United States
• New Zealand
• Europe

But there are also plenty of opportunities within the UK.

Starting locally is actually a smart strategy. It helps you build reviews and experience before applying for more competitive international sits.

If you do plan to house sit abroad, it’s also worth checking the visa rules for the country you’re visiting.

Even though house sitting normally doesn’t involve payment, some countries may technically view it as work because you’re receiving accommodation in exchange for services.

Most travellers enter on a normal tourist visa, but it’s always worth checking the latest guidance before you travel.

It’s not a completely free holiday

While house sitting can save a lot of money, it’s important to remember it isn’t just a free holiday.

You are responsible for someone’s home and often their pets.

That means things like:

• feeding animals
• walking dogs
• cleaning up after pets
• keeping the house tidy

You’ll usually need to follow the homeowner’s routines carefully.

And the nicer the property and location, the more competition there tends to be.

Some of the best house sits can receive 30–50 applications within the first few hours, especially in popular destinations like London, Sydney or New York.

Tips to get your first house sitting holiday

If you’re serious about house sitting, these tips can make getting started much easier.

Focus on one platform

Choose one website and build your profile there.

Ten strong reviews on one platform will usually look much better than one review across several sites.

Start locally

Look for house sits close to where you live first.

This allows you to build experience and collect feedback without spending money on travel.

Use existing reviews

If you have positive ratings on sites like Airbnb or Uber, include links to them in your profile.

This helps prove you’re trustworthy.

Is house sitting worth it?

If you enjoy travelling and like animals, house sitting holidays can be a fantastic way to see the world without paying for accommodation.

Instead of hotels, you’re living in real homes and experiencing places more like a local.

Yes, it comes with responsibility, but the savings can be huge.

Some travellers even combine house sitting with online side hustles so they can earn money while travelling.

If you’re looking for ideas, you might want to check out some of the best paying side hustles to see how people earn extra income online.

If you’re curious about house sitting, take a look at TrustedHousesitters to see what opportunities are currently available.

You might be surprised where you could stay next.

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