Have you ever wondered how people get paid to house sit? Although it appears to be a very trivial job, some people are seriously making a decent amount of money from it. Aside from the money involved, there are a few other benefits of house sitting.
For example, people who don’t have a permanent home of residence won’t be homeless if they can consistently find house sitter jobs. If you’re an animal lover, some homeowners can keep their pets in your care. You could spend time with a lovely dog or cat until its owner returns home.
I will be sharing insights into how to earn money house sitting. This is an occupation that doesn’t require any special skill set or degree. It’s a very simple job. This post has also provided a list of legit apps where you can find paid house sitting jobs.
What Is A House Sitter?
A house sitter is someone who is charged with the responsibility of looking after people’s homes in their absence. When people go on vacation or long trips that would keep them away for days, they can pay someone to stay in their apartments until they return.
What Does A House Sitter Do?
As a house sitter, your duties can range from keeping the apartment clean to looking after plants or a garden in the backyard. Sometimes, you may also have to look after pets. Depending on the purpose of the trip, pet owners may not be able to travel with an animal.
How Much Do House Sitters Make?
As of 2024, the average pay for an experienced house sitter is $679 per week. However, some house-sitting companies pay as much as $923 per week. That’s $3,692 a month.
How To Become A House Sitter
The first step to becoming a house-sitting professional is by adopting the key qualities of a competent house-sitter. These qualities include knowing how to care for animals, brilliant communication skills, being hygienic, and knowing how to adjust to a new environment.
If you possess the above qualities, the next thing you have to do is apply for a legit house-sitting job. You can begin job hunting by signing up on a few house sitting websites. To increase your chances of getting a paid gig, you need to build an impressive portfolio/resume.
Since you don’t have any experience in this job, you might wonder what to include in your resume. However, your resume can be centered on the qualities and skills that qualify you for the job. For example, if you own a pet or know how to grow plants, that’s something that should be buttressed in your resume.
12 Best Places To Find Paid House Sitting Jobs
Knowing the right places to look at when searching for luxury house sitting jobs is important. You may never find a house-sitting gig if you are looking in the wrong direction. Here are some of the best places where you can certainly find paid house sitting jobs:
1. Care.com
Care.com is a well-known site that connects families or individuals with caregivers. House sitting is one of the common jobs you can find on this platform. But you have to first register by providing a few personal details and filling out a profile. Your profile is what attracts potential clients.
Care.com allows you to set your rate for the services you offer. As a beginner, it’s important you do a little research to see what other house sitters are charging. That way, you can offer a competitive price to your clients. Your hourly rate can range from $15 to $50.
2. Indeed
Indeed.com is a very popular job-listing site. Millions of people regularly visit this platform in search of job openings. It’s also a legit site for finding jobs as a professional house sitter.
All you have to do is create a compelling profile with your resume and some personal information. The site has a search function you can use to filter jobs that are relevant to your profile. Indeed doesn’t influence your pricing. You have to determine how much you want to be paid by your clients.
3. Rover
Rover is actually a platform where people find dog-walking and dog-boarding jobs. However, in a bid to cater to someone’s dog, you could be put in charge of the owner’s apartment as well. So if you have a soft spot for dogs, you might want to find an opportunity on this legit site.
To get started, register with a free account, and then you can start offering your services to interested clients. Roger provides support round the clock to make your job easy as a pet sitter or house sitter.
4. Craigslist
Almost everyone is familiar with Craigslist. It’s been around for years, connecting people with products and services.
The famous site has also been helpful when it comes to finding house-sitting jobs. However, you must be very observant when searching for a gig here. The site is quite popular and accessible by millions of people, including scammers. Ensure you verify every house-sitting opportunity you find before going ahead with the job.
5. Caretaker Gazette
Caretaker Gazette is a newsletter and online resource for finding caretaker jobs close to you. It’s also one of the legit places where you can get paid to house sit.
With listings of interesting and various house-sitting positions, you can actually find a job that suits your interest as a professional house-sitter. You can find jobs on farms, ranches, or in luxury homes.
Another amazing thing about Caretaker Gazette is that they provide job listings from almost every state in the US.
6. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook is a social network for over a billion people across the world. This also makes it a large marketplace for local buying and selling, as well as job hunting. You can use Facebook to find the nearest house-sitting job in your area.
The next time you log in, go to the left side of the user interface and click on the “Marketplace” button to get started. Search for available house-sitting jobs and also check the rates other house sitters are offering.
7. HouseSit Match
House Sit Match is a legit site that lists jobs for people living in the US, UK, and Spain. You can find house-sitting jobs here and apply instantly. But like most sites, you have to first sign up to access all the features of the platform. Using your location, duration, and other specifics, you can find a good opportunity that suits your expectations.
8. HouseSitter.com
If you want to get paid to house sit, HouseSitter.com is another credible platform you should check out. This site lists good-paying jobs for homeowners looking to hire professional house sitters or pet sitters. Sometimes, the job description may include both.
The amazing thing about using HouseSitter.com is the company’s goal to maintain everyone’s privacy. When sending or receiving calls via the site, your number is always hidden. Although basic membership is free, you can upgrade to a premium membership that comes with several nice features. This costs $26.40 monthly.
9. Pawshake
Pawshake is similar to Rover. It is geared mostly toward pet sitting. But occasionally, one could get paid to house sit (with a pet in the house).
Getting accepted as a house sitter or pet caregiver on Pawshake can be somewhat difficult most times. The company actually boasts of accepting only 15% of the application it receives. To stand a chance, you need to have a very compelling resume with enough experience on the job.
Aside from the United States, Pawshake is available in 20 other countries.
10. Sabbatical Homes
The next time you go online to search “paid house sitting jobs near me”, think about Sabbatical Homes. But interestingly, this platform is suitable for only people looking for house sitting opportunities that would help them avoid spending money on rent.
The platform basically connects homeowners with tenants who pay rent by carrying out some domestic duties in the home. Apparently, you can stay in someone’s home for free or get a huge discount on the rent.
11. Luxury House Sitting
If you want to figure out how to make money while house sitting for the rich and famous, this site is meant for you. When you sign up on the site as a member, you can search and apply for luxury house-sitting jobs within your city. Opportunities are available all over the United States and in other countries such as Spain and Ireland.
12. Sulekha
One of the ways to get paid house sitting jobs is by joining an online classified platform such as Sulekha.com, connecting people with local businesses. On this platform, you will find interesting house-sitting jobs. There are also jobs for pet sitters.
To use Sulekha, you can visit the site or download the app on your Android or iOS device. But to gain access to thousands of jobs, you need to sign up and register your profile. Using the data from your profile and previous searches, this platform brings the best selection of jobs available near you.
Rent-Free House Sitting Jobs
It’s really interesting when you get paid to house sit. It’s like earning money for doing nearly nothing. However, bear in mind that these house sitting jobs can be difficult to come by sometimes. Many house-sitting opportunities you find online aren’t paid. Instead, you are offered a free room in exchange for your services around the house.
If you are fine with this offer, here are some legit places to get rent-free house sitting jobs:
1. HouseCarers
HouseCarers is currently one of the most credible sites for applying for rent-free house sitting jobs online. Thousands of house sitters are often connected with homeowners who need their services. However, this platform is not one of the regular free house sitting websites anyone can access.
To become a house sitter on HouseCarers, you must first register with a $50 annual fee. Then you will be able to create your profile and apply for any open house sitting opportunity near you.
2. House Sitters America
The name obviously implies that this one is meant for only Americans. Over the years, this platform has been connecting thousands of house sitters with homeowners in the US.
To register on House Sitters America, you have to sign up with a $30 annual membership fee. This is what allows you to have access to all the premium features of the site, as well as legit house-sitting opportunities in your area. You don’t have to promote your profile to reach more prospects. The site would always list your profile in a database that homeowners can view when searching for house sitters.
3. Trusted House Sitters
If you are an animal lover who wants to get paid to sit at home, Trusted House Sitters is a legit site that can connect you to the right prospect.
As a member of the platform, you can be contacted by families who need someone to look after their pets anytime they are away from home. You’ll be able to stay in the house for free as long as you look after the pets and carry out any other trivial task that the homeowner wants.
Mind you, there’s one downside to signing up on Trusted House Sitters. You have to pay an annual membership fee of $119.00. However, the price may be worth it since the platform provides a wide range of opportunities for house sitters.
4. Mind My House
This is a global online service for anyone who needs house sitting for free rent. Although this platform is quite popular and resourceful, they offer a relatively low membership fee. For only $20 a year, you can search the database for different rent-free house sitting jobs. You will also receive emails when new opportunities are available on the site or when the platform creates a new feature for its members.
5. Nomadoor
Nomadoor is one of the best house sitting websites for people who can’t afford to pay rent. You can find free accommodation in exchange for your services.
Although the site requires an annual membership fee of $89, you can begin with a free account. The free account allows you to create a profile and search for available house-sitting opportunities. But since it’s a free account, you can’t make more than 3 applications. The membership allows you to apply for as many jobs as you want.
Tips For A Successful House Sit
Although house sitting is not a difficult job, there are some ground rules you need to keep in mind. This will help you maintain a healthy relationship with the homeowner and improve your reputation. Here are some tips to improve your house-sitting experience:
Communicate Effectively
Whether you want to get paid to house sit or you simply need free accommodation, always remember that communication is key.
You need to understand the expectations of the homeowner. You need to know their likes and dislikes. The only way you stay informed is by communicating effectively with them. Besides, if there’s something you also need from the homeowner during your stay in the house, you have to make your requests known. No one would read your mind.
Ask Questions
Getting into a new home can be a little bit awkward. You won’t know your away around the house, especially if it’s a large apartment. This is why you must ask questions. How often do you use the microwave? Are you supposed to make use of the water heater? You need to know if the homeowner is trying to save money on electricity. Find out by asking the right questions. Don’t ever assume you know the answer.
Treat The House Like It’s Yours
Although you aren’t the owner of the house, you have to treat it like it’s your home. You wouldn’t want to damage someone’s apartment because you are staying temporarily. That could even get you in trouble. Hence, look after the apartment like you rented or bought it. Keep the environment clean. If there are any house chores the homeowner needs to you do, do it wholeheartedly. Technically, that’s your job as long as you remain in the house.
Be Friendly With The Pets
Pets are lovely to have around, but not everyone is a lover of animals. Spending time with pets is something you have to consider if you want to get paid to house sit.
Most homeowners won’t take their pets when traveling. They would leave these animals in your care. It’s your responsibility to cater to these pets until the owners get back. Hence, you have to be friendly, except if you have allergies to any of the pets put in your care. For example, some people are allergic to cats.
Be Honest About Your Plans
Whenever you are getting free accommodation in exchange for your services, the homeowner needs to know your plan.
For example, how long do you want to stay in the apartment? Do you have a regular job that keeps you away from the house all day? These are key factors that the homeowner should be aware of before letting you into their apartment. There’s no need to lie or tweak your story. Being honest is one way to build a good reputation as a house sitter.
Wrap-Up: How To Become A House Sitter And Get Paid
Do you think you can make enough money when you get paid to house sit? Of course, you can. You can make up to $3,600 every month looking after people’s homes. Interesting, some people working at a coffee shop don’t even make that much. But in a situation where you can’t find a paid house sitting job, you still have the opportunity to get free accommodation in exchange for taking care of the house.
Thankfully, this post has done well to list some of the places where you can find rent-free house sitting jobs.
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