A Comprehensive Guide to Trusted Housesitters
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This guide will help you with everything you need to know about using trusted housesitters.
Why use Trusted Housesitters?
Trusted House sitters is the best way to get a cheap weekend away whilst getting a pet fix. We started doing housesitting whilst we were saving to go travelling and living at my partners parents’ house. It was perfect for us to get our pet fix and to save money, whilst also meeting some amazing people and staying in some unique places.
Trusted Housesitters is 100% worth using — We have had the best experiences. We have looked after some amazing pets and travelled in a different way.
We continued using TrustedHousesitters when we moved to Manchester, as it was perfect for us to escape our day jobs for a weekend away. It has allowed us to travel in ways I hadn’t before and meet some fantastic people.
For the pet owners, it’s a cheap way to have their pets looked after whilst they are away.
The site is safe, and pet sitters are ID verified, and you are reviewed on previous sits and how well you create your profile. The pet sitters will also be reviewed for their pets and hospitality, therefore you will get a sense of what the pets and owners are like before agreeing.
What is trusted housesitters?
It is a pet sitting website, which allows owners to have verified and reviewed sitters come look after their pets and their lovely homes. It is a unique way to do homestays around the world, in exchange for caring for adorable pets.
If you aren’t an animal or pet lover, Trusted house sitters really isn’t for you.
Pros & Cons of Trusted Housesitters
Pros
- Free accommodation whilst travelling – the best part is going to somewhere you’ve really wanted to travel to, and the accommodation is free.
- Meet some new people and furry friends – we have met some amazing people doing trusted housesitters, people are so kind and we’ve looked after so many amazing pets which have been such characters.
- The platform is so easy – the app and the website are both so easy to use and very user friendly. It is easy to set up and apply for sits.
- Getting your pet fix – we love animals but unfortunately we live in a rented apartment which doesn’t allow pets, and we miss having pets.
- It’s a unique way to experience somewhere new.
- Peace of mind for the pet sitter.
- Membership benefits – insurance and veterinary advice on the phone.
Cons
- Sits in popular cites are very competitive – we have lots of housesits saved so we can get notifications.
- You have to be flexible – the pet is always the priority, and you will need to work around their routine.
- Responsibility – you are responsible for looking after someone’s beloved pet and they home. It can be a huge feeling of responsibility but once you’ve completed the first couple you get used to this.
How does it work?
Firstly, you will need to sign up for a membership. I would advise when first joining to sign up for the basic sitter. Once you have completed a couple of sits and if you are travelling aboard, I would highly recommend getting the premium sitter which comes with insurance in case a sit falls through.
Once you have signed up, create an amazing profile with lots of photos and go into detail why you are the perfect housesitter. You will also be ID check, the website will ask for some photographic ID such as passport etc. Once these checks are completed, you can start applying for sits.
How much does it cost?
The costs are below; we have premium membership as we have done a housesits aboard and gives us a layer of protection.
Trusted housesitters have a 14-day money back guarantee, If you do not confirm any sits within 14 days of making your 5th application as a sitter, you’ll receive your money back with no strings attached.
As mentioned the membership we have is premium sitter, we were previously on the standard but as we had a housesit booked in France, we decided to upgrade for that extra layer of protection.
How to get your first house sit?
Starting without reviews can be challenging. For our first housesit, we choose to stay local and even met some of the pet owners beforehand. This helped ease both their worries and ours. If you have pet sitting experience, be sure to gather character references to boost your profile.
Staying local for your first sit is a great idea, as it can be a bit nerve-wracking initially. Our first sit was in Ipswich, and since we were living near Cambridge at the time, it was just a 1-2 hour drive. The sit was only for an evening, which made us feel more comfortable as it wasn’t a long commitment. If we didn’t enjoy it, at least it wasn’t for an extended period.
Tips for getting your first house sit
- Make an amazing profile – I already mentioned this earlier, but it is important — make sure your profile is complete!
In our profile – we made sure we had lots of photos of us, and photos of us looking after pets. You can even add your Linked in profiles which we also did. You will need to complete About us, our experience of pet sitting and why we want to housesit. Examples of our profile are below. - Have photos and character references – as mentioned above add lots of photos of you and looking after animals. We also asked people whose dogs we’ve looked after to provide us with character references. This will elevate your profile whilst getting your first housesit.
- Respond quickly and set up a call or phone call – once you apply for housesit, respond quickly and ask to set up a call. Have clear communication and discuss all expectations and responsibilities with the homeowner beforehand.
4. Start with a local sit – as mentioned above, my advice would always be to start with a local sit.
5. Ask for the welcome guide and think of questions you might have about the pets. Clarify details about pet care, house rules, and emergency contacts.
How to avoid bad situations?
When reviewing feedback from before August 2023, be mindful of any subtle negative reviews. Trustedhousesitters used to have an open review system where each party could see the other’s review before posting their own. Reviews are the best way to see how pets and the owners have been with previous sitters. Luckily we haven’t had a bad situation on the app.
We always facetime / whatsapp video call the petsitters beforehand, that way we get a feel for them and the pets, and this is also the same for the petsitter. It really does put everyone’s minds at ease. I would highly recommend doing this too.
My experience
We have had the best time using trusted house sitters!
Over the past three years, we’ve been incredibly fortunate to experience some amazing house sits through TrustedHousesitters. This platform has been perfect for us, offering free weekend getaways while allowing us to continue working remotely with our hybrid jobs. We’ve had the pleasure of looking after some wonderful pets who have kept us entertained and added joy to our travels.
Our adventures have taken us to beautiful parts of the UK, including the Lake District, Shropshire, the British countryside, and the Cotswolds. Recently, we even had the opportunity to house sit in France. TrustedHousesitters has truly been a fantastic way for us to escape and explore new places while balancing our corporate responsibilities.
In my blog, you’ll often see mentions of TrustedHousesitters, as we’ve been fortunate to explore and travel to numerous destinations thanks to this platform.
You can get two months for free if you sign up using this link. Do it, it’s so worth it.