How To Start House Sitting As A Side Hustle [Step-By-Step]

What You'll Need to Become a House Sitter [& Associated Costs]

• Transportation: It's important to be able to transport yourself to where the house-sitting job is. Depending on whether you're going domestically or internationally, this may require a car or plane ticket. It's your responsibility to you to get to the home that you will house-sit.
• Internet Access and Online Presence: To find house-sitting assignments, you will need to have an online presence which requires internet access. House-sitting jobs are often posted online, so you will need to create a profile and communicate through these websites to start.
• Insurance: While it's not required, many house-sitting websites will recommend getting insurance. Having insurance boosts your credibility as a house sitter.
• Pet Care Supplies: It would look good on your applications if you carry your pet care supplies. If you specialize in dealing with certain animals, such as horses, it may be more comfortable to have tools you're used to working with.
• House-Sitting Website Membership: Many of the top websites require you to pay a membership fee to seek out jobs. On many of these, like House Sitters America, you will build a house-sitting profile and be connected to homeowners in a safe way.

How Much Does it Cost to Start a Side Hustle House Sitting?

Becoming a house sitter doesn’t cost much. According to Starter Story, it can range between $60 and $35,000.

It depends on what you’re willing to offer, and whether you want to start a business or do it as a side hustle.

To start doing house sitting as a side hustle, you won’t need more than some basic expenses, including:

• Internet access: You need internet access to find house-sitting gigs.
• Website membership: Most websites require you to pay a membership fee to search for jobs.
• Transportation expenses: You should be able to reach the house where you’ll be sitting easily, so keep the transportation cost in mind.
• Pet care supplies: Any tools that help you care for pets will come in handy if you get a job that requires caring for pets.
• Insurance: That’s not mandatory, but it raises your credibility among clients.

How to Become a House Sitter in 4 Simple Steps 

The first steps to becoming a house sitter are simple. The important part starts once you get your first gig and start building your reputation.

Follow these simple steps to get started:

Step 1: Look at House-Sitting Websites and Build Your Profile

The first step to becoming a house sitter is to build your profile on common house-sitting websites. These sites allow homeowners to seek out potential house sitters based on their profiles.

Plenty of options exist, and some websites are specific for certain skills. If you have specific valuable skills, such as experience with farm animals or maintenance or gardening, then you may find specific websites better for you.

If you have no specific skills that feel applicable, that's okay too! There are many general opportunities available. Even just being a pet owner yourself at some point in your life could be considered a skill for pet owners looking for a pet sitter.

Some of the top house-sitting platforms you should check out are:

• House Sitters America
• Trusted Housesitters
• Nomador
• HouseCarers
• HouseSitMatch

Step 2: Apply to House-Sitting Jobs

On house-sitting sites, you'll be able to look for the right house-sitting assignment for you to start. This may be based on the location or the duties involved with that role.

Start applying for jobs that suit your specific needs.

Step 3: Start House Sitting

Eventually, you will get a house-sitting opportunity!

Once you have some experience under your belt, it will be easier to become known as a trusted sitter. With profile reviews from homeowners, you can find paid jobs easier.

In time, you may also narrow down what your house-sitting services are. Maybe it won't include pet sits, or maybe you will specialize in a certain type of pet sitting.

Step 4: Build a Website or Business With Your Network

Once you've house-sat quite a few homes, the owners may want to use you outside of the website to avoid fees. You can start your business once you've built this network and avoid the costs of membership fees!

This is also a great way to get more jobs as a long-term house sitter, as you'll be considered one of the highly trusted house sitters!

Is It Hard to Become a House Sitter?

Establishing yourself as a professional house sitter takes time, but it's entirely doable with the right mindset. The most important thing is building a positive reputation because it will help you get the most house-sitting jobs!

Finding house-sitting gigs is the first part, but being a great house sitter may just be the most important part of the job.

Other professional house sitters have often been doing it for many years, so convincing someone to give you a try and then showing them how great you are is important when starting.

How Long Does It Take to Become a House Sitter?

You can become a home sitter as quickly as you can get your first house-sitting job. For many, this is only a few days. For others, it can take a few weeks or months to build relationships and get into the industry.

There are some tips and tricks to getting your first house-sitting gig to get your foot in the door and start building experience. Securing house sits becomes easier as you become more experienced.

Why You Should Consider House Sitting As a Side Hustle

House sitting is the job for those not afraid to try new experiences. Here are some of the benefits of housesitting:

• New adventure: Whether you live in the house or only visit, taking care of someone’s home and pet can be a new adventure. You’ll meet new neighbors and make new pet friends or even live in a whole new city.
• Free Accommodation: You can cut down on travel expenses if you’re living in a new city temporarily. Instead of booking a hotel room, you can do house-sitting in return for accommodation.
• Escaping Routine: Escape your daily routine with a cheap vacation. You can plan your house sitting in a vacation destination. That way, you can have fun while performing your duties.

 Problems With House-Sitting

 Here are some of the cons of house-sitting:

• Commitment: Once you accept a job and arrive at the property, you’re stuck. Regardless of any surprises that come along the way, you can’t leave the house or the pet.
• Instability: Sometimes, you get used to the house or the pet. That’s great, but it can be a problem when it’s time to go. When you do this job a lot, you can feel that life is a bit unstable.
• Responsibility: Caring for someone’s pet and property can be a huge responsibility. Don’t expect the job to be a walk in the park. Every pet has its habits, and every plant requires a certain level of care.