I could get paid to housesit, but I didn’t. My neighbors went on a trip recently. They asked me to water their plants while they were away. What if I’m not available? Would they pay someone to housesit? Yes, and the reasons aren’t necessarily obvious.
Things fall apart and that’s why people get paid to housesit
Have you went on vacation, come back and something is either broken or not working in your home? This feel like this happens all the time, right? The truth is anything can break at any time in your home. If you take this fact plus you being away from your home for days at a time, this feels like this happens every trip.
Properties require upkeep
Yes, things fall apart. Things require fixing. You see a small problem, you should deal with it. This is definitely true for problems in the home. A good housesitter identifies problems and raises them with the owner immediately. The owner will appreciate people who get do this. This can also be a great source for a referral if you properly address any problems that pop up.
Being handy gets you a paid homesitting gig and additional work. If you can paint, owners can leverage this in a mutually beneficial way. If your fee is less than professionals, you can win in this scenario. Also, it’s extra dollars in your pocket. This is truly a win-win situation for both parties.
How to start getting paid to housesit?
Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started. Stephanie Perry is a professional housesitter and is a wealth of knowledge on the topic. I highly recommend you check out her video. It’s great to learn from successful people. This is the case with Stephanie.
I talk about winter side hustles in this post. Homesitting is a great side hustle during the winter season. Remember if it’s winter in North America, it’s summer in South America. There are many people with vacation homes in South America that don’t fully utilize their homes during the winter season. You can housesit for them to make sure their property is maintained and ready for them to visit.
What are some cons of getting paid to housesit?
Stephanie shares great examples from her past experiences. My favorite is her point about watching pets. One of her biggest fears is pet death. She home sat for a home with a 17-year-old dog. I will not spoil her story. Check out the video.
How are housesitter vetted?
Many people want an easy button. There are a lot of services that will vet housesitters for you. If you’re looking to become a housesitter, you can use these services to land your first gig as a housesitter.