Tips for Planning an Extended Housesit in Europe


I’ve been spending 5-6 months housesitting in Europe for the last few years. If you’ve ever thought about doing something similar, here are a few tips.

1. Getting started. 
I use Trusted Housesitters and Nomador websites. Trusted Housesitters is the largest online listing of housesitting opportunities. Nomador is particularly useful for French housesits (most listings are in French).

Be flexible. I've stayed in wonderful places that I would never otherwise have visited.

The good housesits get snapped up quickly. I browse the websites, using the filters, at least once a day when I have several gaps to fill.

References are critical. If you’re new to applying for housesits online, be sure to get reviews from family and friends whose homes and pets you’ve cared for.

Prepare a good profile with photographs that gives homeowners a sense of your personality.


2. Start planning well in advance. 
This year I booked my first 3 housesits 6-9 months before the actual housesitting dates. Two of them are return housesits (the very best kind) to places I really enjoy and would hate to miss out on. The other is a 5-week housesit over Christmas. These form the backbone of my plan – then I fill in the gaps, sometimes at the last moment.

It’s a bit of a gamble accepting a long-term housesit months ahead of schedule as I may miss out on something really good that isn’t posted until later. I feel comfortable with this year’s decision as it ticks a lot of my boxes. And that brings me to my next point – you need to know what you are looking for and what you think you’ll enjoy.


3. Know what you want. 
My criteria for a “great” housesit change slightly from year to year and are strictly personal choices – what I choose will not necessarily suit anyone else.

Spending time in France is my top priority.

I’ve chosen not to drive in Europe and I prefer small towns which I can explore on foot, find a few favorite spots, and go for semi-rural walks. I also enjoy being near or by the sea.

I look first for cat sitting opportunities, but I’ll look after dogs if the circumstances are right or if the location is just too good to miss.

Because I work while travelling I look for a dining room table where I can set up my laptop. I also look for a nice house because I know I’ll be spending many hours indoors every day.


4. Map your routes.
Before I apply for a housesit, I check out the location online so I have some idea of where I’m going, what transportation will be available, and how difficult it could be to get there. Rome2Rio is invaluable in working out how to get from one place to the next.

As a Canadian, I can only stay in the Schengen Zone (most of Europe but not the United Kingdom) for 90 days so I have to count days and work out the best combination of housesits. I try to keep my Channel crossings to a minimum because of cost and time. It would be easier if there were more housesitting opportunities in France, but there aren’t, so I tend to take whatever is available even if it means crossing back and forth to the UK more than once.


5. Don’t exhaust yourself. 
In 6 months I’ll have 7-10 housesits and the travel and getting settled in new places can be tiring. It’s the small stuff that adds up – figuring out how the vacuum cleaner worked required an internet search at one location! It can also be more tiring if you don’t speak the language – I stayed in a suburb of Amsterdam where English was probably a third language for most of the locals.

Short-term housesits may fill a gap, but you have to make sure the length of stay balances out the travel time. Two days travelling for a 3-day housesit probably isn’t a good choice.

Housesitting is a fabulous experience. I’ve fallen in love with so many places that I wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to visit. Plan ahead and you can have a great time at much less cost and much more comfort than if you stayed in hotels. Plus you really get a feel for the local way of life.

See also
The Unexpected Benefits of Housesitting

6 Months - 1 Very Small Suitcase


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