The Cocker Spaniel Thrown In

When we were living in the camper van full-time, it hadn’t occurred to us that there were other ways to live a nomadic existence on a tight budget. But for the last year we have used the platform Trusted Housesitters to make our money stretch a little further, by looking after people’s homes and pets whilst they were away on holiday. There are other platforms, but effective SEO algorithms led us to theirs and we have not had reason to look elsewhere since.

I pride myself on being less susceptible to the advertising that draws in others, my monkey mind often in a whole other world while the adverts play unnoticed, but they found my weak point. On a wet and gloomy day, with the camper van windows fogged up from four of us trying to co-exist inside a cramped space whilst it poured down outside, I stumbled across the platform and fantasised over the shiny 5* villas being showcased on the home page. The glamorous locations certainly felt more appealing than the 2* campsite next to the dual carriageway that we were pitched on at the time.

The platform will let you peruse the house sits, but you cannot apply until you have signed up. And this is how they got us in the end. After some swift calculations, it was clear that we didn’t need to bag many sits before we could earn back our £199 per year Premium subscription. Because in exchange for our time, care and patience in taking care of someone else’s pets, we would get free accommodation. And for a family wanting to show the kids a bit of the world, without the price tag, it felt like an incredible opportunity.

We are animal lovers. As a family we have all grown up around animals, and have always enjoyed their humorous antics and loveable cuddles. From a moustache-sporting “naughty tortie” cat that Jimmy and I got as our first baby shortly after our engagement, to the family’s hopelessly loveable bearded collie who featured on our wedding day, animals have been present in our big moments. The downside to our current nomadic lifestyle is not being able to keep a pet of our own, so apart from looking after waifs and strays we have met on our travels, we have enjoyed taking these precious opportunities to care for other people’s pets.

When you sign up to Trusted Housesitters, you pay your subscription and then you set up a profile. We opted for the Premium subscription because it offers insurance that felt worth it for the price. The added peace of mind of having our costs covered should a sit cancel last minute, felt worth the premium.

When we signed up and created our profile, I’m not sure how optimistic I felt about being accepted on a sit. I knew we collectively had a lot of animal handling experience, with me even having done some basic training with the Guide Dog Trust, but I wasn’t sure how pet parents would feel about taking on a family. There are lots of solo sitters and couples offering up their services, and it felt like we were at a disadvantage. But this hasn’t proven the case, with some seeing the advantages of more humans offering love and care.

The profile set-up is straightforward and simple. It took me a while to complete ours, but having been accepted on five of the six sits we have applied for, it was worth the added effort. I ensured I linked up our AirBnB and LinkedIn profiles, as well as obtaining three references, for added credibility. It helped to be able to personalise it with plenty of room to add our experiences, and attach photos of us with the various animals we have looked after. I also mentioned that we have been previous home owners ourselves, to make it clear that we appreciate how much effort creating and maintaining a home takes.

Once our profile was accepted onto the platform, we were free to apply for sits when we wanted. We soon found ourselves in Casablanca, looking after a young rescue dog for three nights. It felt great to get a first sit under our belt, and a 5* review on our profile. Communication is on-platform, allowing direct messaging after an application has been sent. A video call with the pet parent, prior to the application being accepted, made a friendly introduction and smooth handover on arrival at the sit.

Casablanca was a great experience but it taught us that sits longer than a week are the ones that prove financially viable. The cost of four Moroccan cross-country train tickets, plus a night’s accommodation before and after to accommodate the pet parent’s travel timings, meant we were actually out of pocket for a lot of upheaval. Longer sits have allowed us to really get to know the pet, settle into the home, familiarise ourselves with the area and avoid jumping around too much, all while quickly recouping travel costs.

Three weeks in Java recently saw us save an estimated £630 in equivalent accommodation costs for a self-catered rental, with a better house in a more desirable location and an adorable cocker spaniel thrown in. Even taking into account four flights to Indonesia that we likely would have taken anyway, we came out financially better off and had enough time to enjoy exploring a place that we may not otherwise have chosen to visit.

Having travelled in Asia for the last six months, it has become clear that the housesits on this platform are heavily concentrated around Western countries. It is far easier to get a sit in countries where pets are more commonly seen as extensions of the family, such as Europe or North America. Although there are sits to be found in Asia, the majority are concentrated around expat hubs such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Chiang Mai. Other pet sits off the beaten track can be found, like our last one in West Java, but it takes patience with the searching.

We have felt grateful for every sit we have done, getting so much for giving what feels like so little in return. To us at least, it doesn’t feel like a chore to cuddle up with new furry friends, have the excuse to drag the kids out walking, and have a beautiful warm home to come back to. We have been blown away by the kindness and generosity of the pet parents, making it clear that they feel equal gratitude for us. I have never been on the other side of the table, letting strangers into my home to look after my beloved animals. But the pets are clearly happy being cared for in their own space, the parents can enjoy their trip away with reassurance that everything at home is being taken care of, and sitters like us can enjoy being pet owners again, if only for a brief while.

It is rare nowadays for something valuable to be offered on trust alone, and for that mutual trust to benefit everyone involved without any money being exchanged. After travelling to new locations, meeting interesting people from different walks of life, and cuddling cute animals, the world feels that little bit smaller and more welcoming. And for a family away from home, that has been an unexpected benefit.