House sitting our way across Europe
Epsom (England) June 6, 2017 - When we left home last July, we knew that we would encounter animals during our year of travelling. Our children ADORE all living creatures. But we couldn’t have guessed that we would end up being responsible for the well-being of 63 animals all across Europe. How did that happen?
Éloi with Mizuki, Queenie, Isis & Fifi, 4 of the 14 animals we took care of during our house sit at Yoga Evolution Retreats (Portugal)
Without having any specific countries in mind, we absolutely wanted to visit Europe during our around-the-world family adventure. Compared to budget-friendly Southeast Asia, Europe would make a massive dent in our limited budget if we didn’t plan properly. We had come across a few expense-cutting options that could also potentially be very rewarding experiences. We considered becoming WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) or Workaway members, two very reputable organizations that offer exciting volunteering opportunities everywhere in the world. Even though it is very doable as a family, it is not the simplest thing. Our 13-year-old could certainly work and learn new skills but we couldn’t imagine our 8-year-old focusing on a task for 4 to 6 hours a day. Which means that one parent would always have to keep the youngest busy while the other volunteers. Maybe in a few years.
Then we read up on house sitting and a light bulb went off. “House sitting is the practice whereby a homeowner, leaving their house for a period of time, entrusts it to one or more "house sitters", who by a mutual agreement are entitled to live there rent-free in exchange for assuming responsibilities such as taking care of the homeowner's pets, performing general maintenance, keeping trespassers off the property, readdressing the mail, and in general, making sure that everything runs smoothly just as if the owner was at home.” Cool, right?!
Benoît enjoying a nice stroll with Molly. (France)
We found a super handy guide about house sitting published by Hecktic Travels, an inspiring Canadian couple who has been travelling the world for years. Following their useful tips, we chose the house sitting website that suited us best. We opted to become TrustedHousesitters members, which is a respected UK based company created in 2010.
We paid our membership fees that are approximately the same price as a one-night stay in a hotel. Peanuts! We then created our profile on the user-friendly website. Honesty is the best policy. We described our family, indicated when and where we were available to house sit. We also completed security verifications that homeowners really appreciate. (Better be safe than sorry.) Once our profile was created, we could view all the different house sitting assignments available around the world and apply to the ones that interested us. There are hundreds to choose from with new ones being offered every day! The first house sitting gig was the hardest to get. Being inexperienced house sitters, we had to sell other strengths such as being responsible homeowners and animal lovers. Once the hosts received our applications, they responded to us if they felt that we were interesting candidates. Before confirming the house sit, we had a Skype meeting just to see if the vibe was right. It’s a lot like a job application, but way more fun.
A kind British expat couple living in Southwest France gave us our first opportunity. We spent 10 wonderful days caring for a wonderful senior border collie, two cats, four chickens and a cockerel on a superb property. And we didn’t have to pay for accommodations! The icing on the cake was the postcard worthy region that we explored during our stay. Castles and vineyards galore! We left with two new amazing human friends, time well spent with charming animals and a new-found passion for house sitting.
Gaïa & Ollie (France)
After our hosts left us a glowing review (yay, we did a good job!), the following assignments came pretty easily. Here’s the breakdown of where we have stayed and the lovely animals we took care of:
Auriac-sur-Dropt, FRANCE – 1 dog, 2 cats, 4 chickens and a cockerel
Bonnyrigg, SCOTLAND – 2 dogs, 1 cat
Milton Keynes, ENGLAND – 2 dogs, 1 cat
Tostat, FRANCE – 1 dog, 2 cats
Vászoly, HUNGARY – 2 dogs, 3 cats
Kolind, DENMARK – 4 dogs
Atalaia do Campo, PORTUGAL – 1 dog, 8 chickens
Amieira, PORTUGAL – 4 dogs, 3 cats, 4 chickens, 2 goats, 1 donkey
London, ENGLAND – 1 dog, 2 cats
Epsom, ENGLAND – 2 dogs, 1 cat, 8 fish
These lovelies gave us the best eggs ever! (Portugal)
Since we didn’t have to worry about lodging fees, we could afford to rent a vehicle in Europe which allowed us to enjoy amazing road-trips in between house sitting assignments. During the last five months, we have also visited the Scottish Highlands, Ljubljana (Slovenia), Budapest (Hungary), Vienna (Austria), Krakow (Poland), Prague (Czech Republic), Copenhagen (Denmark), Lisbon & Sintra (Portugal) not to mention a few other countries we drove through while enjoying the stunning scenery. It has been an unforgettable European tour!
We have met the most generous people thanks to house sitting. Most of our hosts are avid travellers. They are interesting, open-minded and passionate. A few on them admitted that they chose us because they wanted to be part of our amazing adventure. How touching! They have welcomed us into their beautiful homes and trusted us with the care of their precious animals. We still stay in touch with many of them and hope to see them again.
Willie, our gracious host, was celebrating a birthday in Switzerland. His pets, Kevin the cat, Alfie and Mollie, wanted to wish him a happy birthday! (Scotland)
House sitting provides peace of mind to home owners. They don’t have to ask friends or family members to take care of their pets. And they don’t have to put them in kennels. They know that their animals will be well taken care of in their own homes. Their routine will not be disrupted and they will get tons of cuddles. If they have good house sitters, they will receive updates to let them know all is running smoothly and come back to a clean home and happy pets.
A thorough cleaning before the return of our hosts.
House sitting has also given us a purpose during our travels. It was our job and we took it seriously. It wasn’t always easy. We’ve picked up poop and vomit. We’ve had sore shoulders from dogs who insisted on pulling the lead. We’ve had 4 am meowing alarm clocks. We have also made a few blunders. Useful advice: do not let a dog escape through an open door 15 minutes after having met your new host. Do not let feral cats into homes thinking that they are part of the family. And do not lose 2 dogs half an hour before your hosts are meant to arrive after their long trip home. Yup, that happened. But all is well that ends well.
Axel (the escape artist), Annie, Gussie & Bertie (Denmark)
Our children have really enjoyed house sitting and it has been extremely rewarding for them. Travelling as a family can be quite intense. The boys often only have each other to play with. Which means that they also get on each other’s last nerve quite often. Being with animals that are full of energy and willing to play at a moment’s notice has greatly contributed to a healthy and joyful atmosphere. Our sons have new friends! And most of all, they have developed a beautiful sense of responsibility taking care of these animals. We were impressed to see them cleaning out chicken coops without complaining, walking in muddy fields with dogs, even removing ticks. Our youngest said, “We’re not just here to feed them and walk them, we’re here to love them.” So true. More than once, we’ve had to wipe away tears while driving away from a completed house sit.
The boys with Bella & Barney, the gorgeous gentle giants (England)
One year is a long time to travel. As exhilarating as it usually is, being globe-trotters can be exhausting, especially for children. House sitting has given us the opportunity to rediscover the comfort and routine of home living. It has let us slow down, have our space. It has also given us comfortable home-bases around Europe which meant we were able to go out exploring. We’ve had fantastic day trips! And at night, we could plop down, talk about the day’s activities and share cuddles with furry friends. We often talk about all the pets we’ve taken care of and how they brought us joy and made us laugh.
The end of our epic journey is almost upon us. House sitting has made us rethink the way we travel. It’s definitely a unique and exciting way to see the world. There are very few win-win opportunities out there, but house sitting is definitely a shining example!
Mélanie
If you’re interested in house sitting, becoming a host or even both, we encourage you to read more about it and to visit the TrustedHousesitters website. To get 20% off membership fees, click HERE.
Daisy and Pudding, with our great host Greg in the background (Hungary)
Jag, the majestic Serra da Estrela Mountain Dog (Portugal)
Buddy & Minnie, being really cute (England)
With Quoia in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (England)