my bedroom while house sitting in Noosa – Australia

Exciting House Sitting Experiences from Three Travel Bloggers

How would you like to stay in a luxurious three-story home featuring spiral staircases, a large deck pool and a suspended balcony over-looking the gorgeous coastline of Fiji’s Viti Levua island?

Or how would you like to look after a beautifully landscaped garden in a plush private home located just minutes away from several stunning beaches along Sunshine Coast, Australia?

Or perhaps you’d enjoy staying in a modern three-story city condo topped by a rooftop pool & deck affording clear views of the world’s tallest twin towers, Petronas Towers, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia?

And what if those luxurious visits were expense-free in exchange for looking after the homes while their owners were away? How would that help you afford to travel the world, and in style?

It’s called House Sitting. And I’ve been enjoying many amazing assignments in recent years!

my house sitting home’s rooftop pool & deck in Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia

I’ve stayed at all three of the places I’ve just described above, all rent free, for stays of 10 days to five weeks. As a result of my repeatedly wonderful experiences, I’ve become exceedingly excited about House Sitting. I’m starting to rant and rave about it, to tell everyone how great it is and let you  know how you can do it too.

I’ve already written about my Sunshine Coast House Sitting Gig and my Fiji House & Pet Sitting Assignment. More of my own stories are coming soon.

But I’m not the only one enjoying fabulous homes in exotic destinations, au gratis. Many other travel bloggers, vacationers and even professional house sitters are exploring the world, rent-free, while taking care of gorgeous homes and properties. You can too!

Don’t just take my word for it. Following are more amazing house sitting stories from two of my fellow travel bloggers. Hear what they have to say about their own great house sitting gigs: at a famous Thai island and in Fiji. I polish off this post by telling you about  my own best house sitting gig to date.

How to House Sit by Pete & Dalene Heck of Hecktic Travels

After reading these exciting assignments, if this sounds like something you’d love to do too, I highly recommend the eBook How To Become a House Sitter by fellow travel bloggers Dalene & Pete Heck of Hecktic Travels.

Their expert advice has personally helped me tremendously in choosing the best house sitting organizations for me, setting up a killer profile on the sites, interact with home owners, get assignments, arrive at new homes and de-brief after my gigs were completed. Very valuable book.

I can also recommend joining the following House Sitting organizations: Trusted House Sitters / House Carers

Now on to the stories…

 Talon Windwalker of 1Dad, 1Kid

Talon n Tigger

We were still house sitting neophytes when we accepted a position that would find us living on an oasis in southern Morocco. At the time I couldn’t consider a more exotic situation. That is until we were offered a house sit on an island of Thailand.

We accepted the position on Koh Samui, which is located in the Gulf of Thailand. The idea of living in a small community in Thailand in a bungalow that was practically on the beach was just too intriguing to pass up. Even if it did mean caring for five indoor/outdoor cats.

When we arrived on Koh Samui, the first impression I had was that of being embraced by the country and its people. I had expected a significant culture shock, but it never came. Thailand’s culture invites you in, and you feel as if you’ve always been there.

Our bungalow was quite simple. We cooked on a one-burner camp stove. Thailand homes often don’t have kitchens. People will often cook outdoors—possibly because it’s cooler—or eat at the fresh day and night markets. Street food is incredibly inexpensive and quite flavorful.

We were able to experience veterinary care as well when one of the cats came home with a wound on his leg that appeared infected. The care was excellent. Unfortunately, our sick kitty already had a spinal issue that meant it sometimes didn’t realize when it was defecating. On antibiotics, this quickly became a big problem, and we lived with plastic sheets spread all over every couch and the bed when we weren’t in it.

sunset at Koh Samui – Thailand – photo by Talon Windwalker @1dad1kid

We explored the island and the various communities, each unique from the last, on a scooter. This in itself proved to be an adventure for two big reasons—(1) I had never driven on the left side of the road before, and (2) Thai traffic is multi-directional. It isn’t uncommon to have people driving toward you on your side of the road. Driving in Thailand is an exercise in Zen focus.

The weekly walking market in our neighborhood was always a joy. Not only was it filled with the enticing aroma of delicious foods, but there was also the exotic offerings such as crickets and fried silkworms. In addition, there were often fire dancing performances. Each market was a delight for all the senses.

The Thai people are incredibly friendly. It isn’t called the Land of Smiles for nothing! This made living there even more enjoyable. Being away from the tourist zone allowed us to get a really good feel for the local culture, including visiting a couple of temples that are frequented by more locals than foreigners.

House sitting in Thailand allowed us an experience of the country that we likely wouldn’t have had otherwise. Although, I would’ve gladly skipped the cat diarrhea episodes.

Bio: Talon is a single dad traveling the world slowly with his young son Tigger (a nickname) since 2011. He is an avid writer, author, photographer, and scuba instructor as well as a bagel addict. He shares their adventures as well as tips on travel on their blog at 1dad1kid

You can also follow Talon on: Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Instagram 

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Ryan Biddulph of Blogging From Paradise

My fiancee Kelli and I were absolutely floored when we were asked to do a house sit in Savusavu, Fiji. We accepted the offer and spent 4 fun months on the island referred to as the “Hidden Paradise of Fiji.” Our job couldn’t have been easier; we watched 1 indoor cat and 3 outdoor cats, feeding them and providing them with plenty of TLC.

Since Kelli and I are animal lovers/aka obsessed with animals, the house sit was a breeze. We were responsible for both the electric and water bills, but since we had one of the outdoor cats spayed and the water bill never arrived we just agreed to call it a draw, as the cost of spaying was about equal to the water bill we owed. Not bad. Electric cost us roughly 20 USD a month.

We had one of the most breathtaking views in Savusavu, some 50 meters above the bay, and if we needed landscaping we paid a local man 12 USD to clean up the grounds twice a month.

It was a thrilling experience on one of the most beautiful islands on earth and we didn’t pay a dime in rent. Certainly not a bad first house sit, for sure, and we’re already lining up house sits for future trips. Read the full story here.

Follow Ryan at Blogging From Paradise which focuses on teaching people how to blog successfully while traveling the world.

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Me: My Best House Sitting Gig to Date

Pet Sitting – Teddy & Rosie

To date, all my house sitting assignments have been fabulous. The locations have all been superb: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Singapore; Suva, Fiji and Sunshine Coast, Australia. Every home has been luxurious, save the modest condo I took care of in Singapore.

Each assignment entailed minimal work and responsibilities, consisting of little more than being present for home security, taking in mail, paying house staff/contractors and watering gardens.

For two gigs I had the pleasure of taking care of very cute house dogs. THAT I can barely call work since I love animals and thrive in their company.

So selecting just one assignment as ‘the best’ is rather tough. If pushed, I suppose I’d have to choose my amazing house sitting gig in Fiji. It had the best of everything.

My main responsibility was looking after two adorable little dogs – walking and feeding them. I didn’t have to clean since a weekly cleaner came in. The luxurious home sported a sundeck & pool, spiral staircases and a huge balcony overlooking the stunning coast of Fiji and tree-clad interior mountains.

This is one of the assignments that really started getting me super excited about house sitting. Read the full story here.

Wrap up: 

Great stories, right? Are you all psyched up about House Sitting now?

Come join us on in the world on your own house sitting assignments!

Learn how with this great eBook: How to Become a House Sitter

Join a house sitting site: Trusted House Sitters or House Carers

Read my own house sitting tales: in Fiji –– at Sunshine Coast, Australia

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You might also enjoy:

TRAVEL INTERVIEW: Dalene and Pete Heck of Hecktic Travels BOOK REVIEW: How to Become a House Sitter You’ve Gotta Do House Sitting! My Fabulous House Sitting in Fiji Assignment