Have you dreamed of spending a few weeks in London or New York, but your dream was quickly crushed after seeing the accommodation prices? Luckily for you, there is a way to stay in a comfortable home in these expensive cities for free. Trusted Housesitters is an online platform that allows you to stay in people’s homes for free in exchange for looking after their pets.
We have used Trusted Housesitters pretty extensively over the past couple of years while traveling the USA and the UK. After using the platform several times, each sit ranging from a few days to more than a month; we are finally writing our honest review of Trusted Housesitters as digital nomads.
Do we think it’s worth it? Would we recommend it? We will answer these questions and more in this honest review of Trusted Housesitters for digital nomads.
Disclaimer: This blog post includes affiliate links, which means we receive a tiny commission – at no extra cost to you. Don’t worry; this doesn’t affect our recommendations whatsoever. It just helps us keep the lights on.
What Is Trusted Housesitters?
Trusted Housesitters is an online platform that connects homeowners and pet parents with (trusted) housesitters and pet experts. Similar to Airbnb, homeowners create listings in which they post photos and descriptions of their home and pets and describe the housesitter’s responsibilities. Housesitters then browse the platform and apply for house sits that look attractive to them.
Both homeowners and petsitters must make an account and pay an annual fee to use the platform, but the trade-off is that the housesitters don’t have to pay for accommodation, and homeowners don’t have to pay someone to look after their home or pets.
Trusted Housesitters has a comprehensive reviewing system, so both parties can do their due diligence before confirming the sit.
The site gives budget travelers and digital nomads the opportunity to save a bit on accommodation while also getting to spend time with a cute dog or cat!
How to Get Started: Step-by-Step Guide
Does Trusted Housesitters sound perfect to you? Before you crack on applying to house sits, let’s start from the beginning. First, you’ll need to create an account and set up your sitter profile.
Step One: Make an Account
First things first, head over to the Trusted Housesitters website and click on “Join Now”. Then, click on “Choose Sitter Membership” and create your account. If you also have a pet of your own you want to have looked after, you can also “Choose Combined Membership”.
Step Two: Purchase a Membership
Unfortunately, Trusted Housesitters isn’t a free service, so you’ll need to pay a membership fee to fully enjoy the platform’s benefits. After creating your account, you’ll then be presented with three membership options:
- Basic Sitter: $10.75 per month ($129 per year)
- Standard Sitter: $14.10 per month ($169 per year)
- Premium Sitter: $21.60 per month ($259 per year)
The main difference between the basic and standard plans is that you are insured for liability and accidents, you’ll get better customer support, and free video consults with a vet.
With the premium plan, you get everything from the standard plan plus two free lounge passes, sit cancelation insurance, and a premium profile badge.
Want to become a Trusted Housesitter and save $?
Use code ALMANAC25 for 25% off!
Step Three: Create a Petsitter Profile
Now for the fun part! Setting up your THS profile is arguably the most important step of the process and can significantly impact your ability to land sits. This is where you’ll fill out information about yourself, such as your housesitting experience, qualifications, references from previous sits, and other details.
Make sure to put plenty of photos and go into detail about your experience and expertise when it comes to house and petsitting.
Step Four: Get Verified
The final step of your account setup is to go through a background check and get your profile verified. Trusted Housesitters offers free background checks to sitters to help solidify trust. The platform will verify your ID, phone number, and email. Then, the site uses Evident, a third-party background check provider, to scan your criminal record.
Step Five: Start Applying for Sits
Once your account is verified and you have completed your profile, you are good to go! It is time to start applying for sits.
Simply click on “Find a House Sit” and type in the country/region you want to visit. When you find a sit that you want to apply for, click on “Apply Now” and send them a message introducing yourself.
What Countries Is Trusted Housesitters Available in?
Trusted Housesitters is essentially available all around the world. But that doesn’t mean you’ll be spoilt with choice in every country.
By FAR the countries with the most housesit listings are the United States and the United Kingdom.
In the US, you can find housesits across every state with dozens of options in major cities.
The UK also has a ton of listings. In fact, we spent four months traveling the UK using Trusted Housesitters, and due to the sheer number of listings and lack of sitters, we were accepted to almost every sit we applied for.
Other countries that tend to be good for finding housesits are Canada, Australia, France, Germany, and New Zealand.
Pet ownership is popular all across the world, so naturally, pet sitters are going to be a necessity. So, if you have a specific destination in mind, you can “Save Your Search,” and the platform will email you alerts whenever a new housesit pops up.
Trusted Housesitters Pros and Cons
We absolutely love Trusted Housesitters and have used it for a couple of years now, but as with anything, there are upsides and downsides. Let’s get into the specifics and dive into some pros and cons of the platform.
Pro: Saving Money on Accommodation
This one is obvious, but we cannot overstate how much of a benefit getting free accommodation is. We have housesat for weeks at a time in expensive cities such as New York, Washington D.C., and London, where a substandard hotel room can cost more than $250 per night. That is around $1,750 in savings per week! Not to mention, the places you get to stay are generally much more comfortable than a standard hotel room.
One of the coolest things about the platform is that it gives people on a tighter budget the opportunity to travel!
Con: Relatively High Annual Membership Fee
The major downside of using Trusted Housesitters is that it isn’t free. You’ll have to pay a minimum membership fee of $129 per year in order to apply for any sits. That said, considering most hotel rooms will cost more than that for a single night, you should easily make up for the membership fee after getting accepted to a sit.
Want to become a Trusted Housesitter and save $?
Use code ALMANAC25 for 25% off!
Remember, you can get a 25% discount on the annual membership fee by using our code: ALMANAC25
Pro: You’ll Get the Chance to Get Off the Beaten Path
Here is the truth: oversaturated destinations, while popular for a reason, can be overwhelming. Not only do popular destinations get super crowded, but they can lose some of their authenticity. In fact, one of the best ways to travel sustainably is to get off the beaten path and explore more backwoods destinations.
Housesits on Trusted Housesitters are rarely going to be in the middle of tourist hotspots, so you’ll get the chance to explore some places you otherwise wouldn’t visit. We love going to lesser-known destinations because we avoid the crowds and tend to get a warmer welcome from locals.
Housesitting is also a more ethical accommodation choice as it doesn’t contribute to gentrification or take housing away from locals like Airbnb.
Con: You Need to Be Flexible
When you housesit, you take on extra responsibilities. Remember, you are getting free accommodation in exchange for taking care of someone’s house and pets. While sometimes, the responsibilities will be as simple as watering the plants and cleaning up the house, some require a lot more work, such as caring for animals and mowing the lawn.
You’ll also need to prepare to adjust your schedule to the pets in the home. For example, in a recent house sit, we watched a dog that would wake us up at 7 am on the dot to be fed and walked.
Additionally, homeowners may expect you to get to their house at a specific time so that they can show you around the house before they leave. This means you won’t always be able to be flexible with your transportation.
Pro: Living in an Established Home
We didn’t really know what we were missing until we started housesitting. But, after months of staying in only hotels and Airbnbs, living in an established home makes a world of difference in terms of comfort.
Airbnbs tend to have basic (emphasis on the word basic) amenities, but they don’t generally have an extensive amount of kitchenware, spices, cleaning supplies, etc. When you housesit, you are staying in a home that someone actually lives in, so you’ll actually have access to everything you need.
Housesits generally have all the spices and cooking supplies you’ll want, as well as laundry powder, soap, and shampoo. The furniture in housesits is also generally way more comfortable since homeowners are much more willing to buy a nice couch or mattress than an Airbnb owner.
We have even done some long-term housesits (2+ weeks) where the owners left tons of food in the house for us to eat because otherwise it would just spoil.
Con: Can Be Difficult to Land a Sit When First Starting Out
Don’t expect to be landing every housesit you apply for as soon as you make your account. Trusted Housesitters functions on a two-way street. While you may be looking for the perfect housesit for you, on the flip side, homeowners are looking for the perfect person to look after their home and pets. Just as you are more likely to apply for a housesit that already has several glowing reviews, homeowners will be on the lookout for the same thing. That means, when you first start out on the platform, when you don’t have any reviews, it can be more difficult to land a housesit.
Don’t let this put you off, though. You can still land your first sit with relative ease if you make a great profile, get references, and write a good proposal.
Pro: The Platform is SUPER User Friendly
The Trusted Housesitters platform is super easy to use with pretty much zero learning curve. Use it like you would any travel accommodation platform. Click on “Find a House Sit” on the header and type in where you would like to travel. You can then filter for dates, duration, pets, and more. You can even filter to ensure you find sits that are reachable by public transport, have high-speed wi-fi, and include use of a car.
Top Tips for Using Trusted Housesitters
Landing a housesit can be easier said than done; trust us, we know the struggle. But by following these tips and tricks, you’ll be one step closer to getting accepted to a sit and having a great experience! Here is everything we wish we had known when we first got started on Trusted Housesitters.
Spend Some Time Creating Your Profile
Besides the initial proposal you will be writing, one of the main things homeowners will be looking at is your profile. Be thorough when editing your profile, and provide as much information as possible about your experiences. Try to write at least a couple of paragraphs. Make sure you have plenty of photos as well so that the homeowners can get to know you even before you start chatting.
Thoroughly Vet Sits Before Applying
As with any platform, not everyone has a great experience on Trusted Housesitters. You don’t want to be stuck in an uncomfortable home with an incredibly difficult dog! So, always thoroughly vet any sits before applying. Read their profile and descriptions and, most importantly, read the reviews!
For more on this, scroll down to discover how to avoid negative experiences on THS.
Ask Off Platform Housesits for Testimonials
When you first begin your Trusted Housesitters adventure, you won’t have any reviews. For good reason, owners are more likely to take on house sitters who already have reviews over someone who has zero. To help you get your first housesit and your first review, ask for testimonials from people who you have lived with before or, even better, people who you’ve pet-sat for in the past.
Write an Engaging Proposal
Especially in the beginning, when you don’t have any Trusted Housesitters reviews, it is all the more important that you stand out from the pack by writing an engaging proposal or application. Don’t simply say you are interested and that you are free on those dates; instead, detail your experience with looking after animals, talk about whether you will be working from home, and mention how housebroken you are (you are a clean freak, love to take care of plants, etc.)… Most importantly, make sure to personalize the proposal so that they know you’ve taken some time to write it seriously.
Ask Lots of Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask questions! You will want to know everything about the home and the pet you’ll be looking after so that you can look after the owner’s home and pet to the best of your ability. You don’t want to be surprised by the little quirks of the home or animal in the middle of your housesit. It’s best to be prepared. Always prepare a list of questions to ask before committing to a housesit. Some questions we like to ask are:
- What is the pet’s daily schedule?
- What is the pet’s personality like?
- Does the pet have any behavioral problems I should be aware of?
- Is your pet completely housetrained?
- On walks, does the pet have any triggers?
- Does the pet have any medical conditions?
- How does the pet like to play?
- Are there any broken appliances I should be aware of?
- Do you have a security system?
- Is there anything else we need to know about the home?
- When I leave, would you like us to wash the towels and bedding?
How to Avoid Negative Experiences on THS
We haven’t had any truly negative experiences with Trusted Housesitters. But after talking with friends who also use the platform and from our own tips for filtering out bad sits, avoiding negative experiences involves communication and thorough vetting beforehand.
First things first, if you want to play it safe, only go for housesits that already have reviews – the more reviews, the better. Read through every single review to see if the previous housesitters mention anything that might be a problem for you. Until recently, Trusted Housesitters allowed housesitters and hosts to read each others’ reviews before writing their own, so it’s important to read between the lines. For example, if the description of the dog says it’s calm and an easy walker, but a review says that the dog is energetic and loves to chase squirrels, you might want to take that into consideration.
After reading the reviews and description of the sit and deciding it’s something you want to go for, apply! If you hear back from the homeowners, make sure to talk with them beforehand so that you fully understand expectations – both for you and the owner. You don’t want to be surprised, so ask as many questions as you want regarding the pet’s disposition, what is expected of you, how long you can leave the animal alone at home, any quirks to look out for… The more you know about the house and pet before your sit, the better. Ideally, you would schedule a video call so that you can chat about everything you need to know.
And that’s pretty much it! By reading reviews and asking enough questions, you should be able to easily avoid negative experiences on Trusted Housesitters!
Trusted Housesitters Discount Code
So, do you want to try your hand at housesitting? We think it’s worth trying it even for a single sit, as you can earn that money back by housesitting in just one home. After all, most will spend way more than $129 on accommodation, so why not try it to see if it’s for you? In fact, we even have a discount code, so you’ll spend just $96.75 for the basic plan, which is fitting for most digital nomads.
Want to become a Trusted Housesitter and save $?
Use code ALMANAC25 for 25% off!
After clicking on the link above, use our discount code ALMANAC25 to apply the 25% discount.
The Verdict: Is Trusted Housesitters the Best Choice for Digital Nomads?
We wouldn’t say Trusted Housesitters is the best choice for digital nomads, but it is a great option if you’re looking for free accommodation and some animal company. We wouldn’t recommend using Trusted Housesitters the entire time you’re abroad, as it takes away some of the freedoms you may have simply staying in a co-living space or hotel. After all, you do need to look after some pets and plants!
That said, Trusted Housesitters is one of the best options for accommodation while traveling the world. Especially for digital nomads who work during the week, the platform allows you to stay in a comfortable home while exploring a new place.
All in all, we are super glad our friends introduced this platform to us, and we’ll definitely be using it many more times.
We hope that this review of Trusted Housesitters gives you some good insight into the platform and helps you decide whether or not it is a good money saving travel option for you!
FAQ
Is Trusted Housesitters Worth It?
Yes, Trusted Housesitters is 100% worth it. Even if you find that housesitting and petsitting are not for you, a single sit can earn you back the money you spend on the yearly membership. So, in our opinion, it’s definitely worth trying it out as you’re likely to spend more than the yearly fee of $129 for accommodation if you were to simply stay at a hotel. Plus, you get the comfort of staying in a proper home.
How Much Does Trusted Housesitters Cost?
Trusted Housesitters has three plans. The Basic costs $129 per year, the Standard costs $169 per year, and the Premium costs $259 per year. We have found that the Basic plan more than covers our needs.
Can You House Sit as a Couple?
Absolutely! We are a couple, and we use one Trusted Housesitters account together. On creation of an account, you can set up your profile to say that you will be sitting with someone else. You can even sit with a friend or a family member; it doesn’t necessarily have to be your partner.
Does Trusted Housesitters Pay for Flights?
No, they do not. Both the hosts and the platform expect you to take care of your own transportation to get to the sit. With that said, we have had one host pay for our Uber to get to the house from the train station, and we’ve had hosts pick us up from the airport, but this is something you will need to discuss with your host beforehand.
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