Do you want to visit Australia, but not break the bank? Here’s a solution: house sitting in Australia.
House sitting while travelling down under is a fantastic way to cut costs especially when accommodation prices there can very easily put a huge dent in your budget.
Given the vast size of Australia, house sitting also allows you the freedom to explore more and experience a range of different locations. If you are not sure how to start with house sitting we have some tips that will ensure you land all the house sits you want in Australia.
Why you should consider house sitting in Australia?
House sitting in Australia offers a chance to explore new landscapes, immerse yourself in the local culture and community, and its a fantastic way to enjoy free accommodation in Australia, while still getting to experience everything it has to offer.
Responsibility for homes and pets can also contribute to a sense of purpose while travelling. It’s wonderful that you can blend house sitting with travel, responsibility, and community for a fulfilling and budget-friendly Australian trip.
Here are a few tips to secure the best house sitting jobs.
Create a good profile
Creating a good house sitter profile is equivalent to a good resume when it comes to house sitting. Your profile is your first contact with homeowners and your chance to set yourself apart from other house sitters on the site. First impressions count, so making your profile the best it can be will help you get homeowners to take the next step and contact you.
It is important to use a friendly, yet professional tone to allow your personality to shine through and make your content easy to read by breaking up paragraphs. Furthermore, include any references you have if you’ve been a house sitter before as they showcase your responsibility for looking after a home.
Getting a police certificate that displays the results of a background check on your criminal history is also a crucial part of your profile. Having an empty police check will put home owners at ease with regards to having you stay at their property with their valuables and pets.
Lastly, it’s important that your profile reflects who you authentically are to ensure you get a house sitting opportunity that is most aligned to suit you.
Know your limits
While there are some homeowners who are just looking for someone to look after their home while they go on holidays many include a lot more responsibility. This could be caring for pets, gardens or even a pool.
There also might be homeowners looking for someone to look after their farm with horses, sheep and cows. This requires more skills and experience, so make sure you’re able to fulfil the duties of the sit before agreeing to it.
Do you have gardening or maintenance experience?
Most homeowners going away for an extended period would like someone to do some basic lawn mowing, watering of plants, maintain the pool or to collect dead leaves. If you have experience in this or are willing to learn, you should put it on your profile. It may be the difference between being passed over or getting on a shortlist!
Be flexible with your availability
It’s important to be flexible with your availability to find a good home to house sit for. Limiting your availability to specific dates such as the school holidays or long weekends may be challenging as these dates are popular and may be hard to secure.
Many house sitting jobs need someone at a short notice. Hence, being prepared to take a job on short notice will set you apart from the rest and make you an ideal candidate.
Work on your application
If you’ve found a perfect listing and want to apply for it, you’ll need to have a suitable contact message. While you can write a message on the move, it’s better to take time beforehand to draft out a message that allows you to introduce yourself.
This message should ideally be direct and to the point, and should give the homeowner more details about yourself than what is already stated in your profile.
If you have the time, each application message should be personalised to the specific opportunity you are applying for. For example, including the homeowner and their pets’ names or talking about your interest in their particular listing may display your enthusiasm which puts you at a better position for securing a housesit.
Do not cancel
After landing your house sit job, it’s important that you maintain a sense of responsibility and don’t cancel it.
Most homeowners tend to be slightly nervous about the house sit experience as they are technically allowing a stranger into their home for a long period of time.
It’s your responsibility to assure them that everything will go smoothly and that you are responsible and trustworthy. Make sure to ask the homeowners a lot of questions and note everything down before the house sit as you don’t want to disrupt their holiday by emailing them random questions.
In the case of an absolute emergency, try and inform the homeowners as soon as possible. However, once you’ve agreed to the job, cancelling it should be a last resort.
Bottom line
House sitting can be an excellent way to travel Australia while saving money on accommodation.
You can book a house sitting job in any state of Australia to meet some excellent people and truly live like a local.
Not sure where to visit in Australia? Check out this guide to the best cities in Australia and these dream destinations to visit in Australia.