House sitting is a growing community, and with the rise of people working remotely, it is more popular than ever.
At the forefront of the house-sitting revolution are Trusted House Sitters, a matchmaking service for homeowners and pet sitters, but is it worth it? Here is my honest opinion for trusted housesitter reviews.
This global website facilitates a mutual need for excellent pet care and authentic travel experiences.
It sounds like a win-win so far, but how does this work in reality? What do homeowners and potential house sitters need to know before committing to becoming a member?
This honest review for trusted house sitters will look at the benefits and the downsides to Trusted House Sitters (THS), but most importantly, show you how to make the site work for you!
How do Trusted House Sitters work?
House sitting bases itself on an economy of trust. No money changes hands, and while it is a service, it’s also about people making meaningful connections.
Normally there will always be a pet involved that you are there to take care of. So rather than earning money for taking care of the pet, you are offered free accommodation.
This a great way to work and travel with free accommodation.
The owner also benefits because they do not need to pay for the bordering of their animal.
A profile on Trusted House Sitters is incredibly easy to set up – the trick for newcomers is to think of it as a resumé.
This will ensure you to get more house sitting “jobs”
As for Homeowners they need to create a profile for their sit with a short introduction and include information about the home and location, sitter responsibilities, and information about the pets.
Meanwhile, house sitters need to complete a profile as well. This normally consists of an about me section, describing why you want to house sit. It is also smart to go into what you bring to the assignment in terms of skills like gardening or cleaning and state your age, occupation, and animal care experience.
Both parties sign up have a membership fee with trusted house sitters, and sitters can also choose to add verifications such as external references and an ID check.
The sign-up process is easy and quick. Voila! you’re ready to start house sitting or find the perfect sitter!
Trusted House Sitters – The Pros
Although based on a trust economy, there is a membership fee for both sides. So why is THS worth signing up to when other sites are cheaper?
Trusted Housesitter has Daily listings and a big community
Historically the house-sitting community relied on local groups and word of mouth to connect.
However, now with the arrival of Trusted House Sitters, house sitting became accessible to everyone.
Trusted House Sitters command a large portion of the house-sitting market. This global operation’s size automatically makes it the most attractive choice, with sits being uploaded to the site daily.
It also means that there are a considerable number of great applicants for homeowners to choose from.
While you will find house sits in unique and wonderful places.
There are usually more listings across the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe than in South America or South East Asia.
As a trend, house sitting is catching on around the world. So you may find this will start to change in the future.
Trusted House Sitters Website
The setup is simple from the get-go. THS has a user-friendly website that makes it easy to find sits in a particular area and apply with a quick, personalized message.
When looking for a sit, users can filter by country, length of sit, dates, and even the type of animal you want to care for. New and last-minute sits have different colored banners, so you can quickly head to those first.
A map of each listing’s general location also gives sitters a chance to check where the sit is and how to get there.
Homeowners can then read through all individual applications and check each sitter’s credentials with a quick look at their profile, reviews, and references.
Pet owners can also choose to search for housesitters by location and availability, but there will be multiple applicants for every sit posted, so it saves looking!
Stay in unique destinations and houses with Trusted Housesitters
From remote farms, and quaint country cottages to apartments in popular city destinations.
The site offers a unique opportunity to live life like a local in fascinating places.
It’s always best to start with lesser-known places – with less competition.
This is because it’s easier to secure your first house-sitting job. Also, keep in mind that you must be quick to apply for an apartment in Paris or a seaside villa. This is where the search alert on the THS app comes in!
Trusted House Sitters is the only global house-sitting website with a handy app, and the biggest bonus is the search alert function.
Sitters can set up a search in a specific area for the dates they need and receive an alert every time a listing goes up.
You can also favorite sits, so you can be the first to apply when dates are available.
Search alerts directly to your phone are game-changers when there are more sitters than listings, especially for popular destinations.
Safety first!
Safety is a huge concern for new sitters and homeowners. Naturally, we all worry about putting our trust in people we don’t know, but Trusted House Sitters have created a safe and secure platform for both sides.
On THS, sitters have the choice between a basic or standard level of verification.
They need to provide contact details at the most basic level and can upload outside references, including police background checks or previous employers’ recommendations.
The standard level also includes identity verification.
The chat function is entirely secure, and unless you hand out your phone number or email address, nobody can contact a sitter outside of the app or website.
Sitters do have to take more of a risk as all they have to go on is feedback left by previous sitters, of which they may not have any reviews.
Therefore, arranging a video call with the homeowner before accepting any offer to sit is always recommended.
Lastly, THS has customer service support for both sides, so you aren’t entirely on your own if an issue arises.
House Sits to suit your needs
Many homeowners will happily welcome families or couples traveling together into their homes, and solo travelers can also apply for sits to suit their needs.
Not every sit will be suitable for all sitters.
Some sits may be too remote for working online or not have space for a family, but this is usually obvious from the listing or further correspondence with homeowners.
Pet owners also range from people who need to travel a lot for work to holidaymakers.
They may want extra security for their home or someone to feed, walk, and play with their pets in familiar surroundings.
The reasons people need to seek out this service can vary, but THS creates an inclusive space for people to find each other.
Trusted House Sitters – The Cons
So far, it sounds like a dream! But like everything, there are niggling concerns that need addressing.
Trusted House Sitters is the most expensive membership fee
For newcomers, the membership fee can seem a little steep. That’s kind of the point, though.
The membership fee shows that you are serious about the process. It’s one way to guarantee that the person won’t flake on you or cancel the sit.
It also covers access to a safe and secure site, including access to a vet advice line in emergencies and customer support.
Sitters can apply for as many sits as they like, and they can request welcome guides with all the essential information they will need during their sit.
It’s also good value for money when you look at what you’re saving on not having to pay for hotels.
Pet owners don’t have to fork over massive amounts of money to keep pets in kennels or pay for a professional to look after their pets.
Meanwhile, house sitters save massively on accommodation costs and usually don’t have to pay for bills.
Before you commit, you have to be sure you are serious about the service, but if it does save you more in the long-run and you genuinely want to care for animals, this is the ideal site for you.
High Competition for House sits
It can be tough out there for sitters. Not so much for homeowners.
Seriously, if you’re the one providing a lovely home with amazing pets, you will find so many great applicants within minutes.
House sitters face a different problem. They need to be fast in applying and stand out, and for newcomers, that can be hard without glowing reviews backing them up.
How do you get around these issues?
Firstly, download the app version of THS and set up search alerts. If you are new, see if you can get recommendations from a former employer, teacher, landlord, or anyone relevant and add these to your profile.
Be first to apply. You should always apply if you see the perfect sit, but you significantly improve your chances when applying first.
Make it personal. Read through the listing and make sure you personalize your application and ask relevant questions to show keenness.
Finally, think of it as a job application.
If they have a big garden, point out you are green-fingered, or perhaps you have lots of experience with their breed of cat or dog, so highlight this.
Just remember to keep it personal, tell them what you can offer, and be quick to apply.
Homeowners have more protection
It has been suggested in house sitting community groups online that THS does tend to favor the homeowner when a problem occurs.
In general, potential problems are something both parties should keep in mind. If there is a problem, always stay in contact with each other and resolve matters head-on.
House sitters should record receipts for anything they had to pay, track what food they need to replace, take photos of the house to know how it should look on the owner’s return.
If something happens to a pet or the home, contact the owner.
Homeowners need to make sure they go over anything that might go wrong and make it clear to sitters what they can and can’t do.
They might choose to leave some emergency money for pet supplies, and they should provide things like vet contact details.
Both sides may also want to draw up contracts to manage expectations. If there are any issues, then use the customer support function. The more they deal with both sides’ cases, the better their customer service will get.
Ultimately this is a review-based service. So while house sitters are vulnerable to receiving bad reviews, sitters also can leave honest reviews about their experiences, which does matter for future sitters.
Not everyone sees this as an equal exchange
Whenever anyone offers a free service, that person is instantly susceptible to being exploited, but the whole ethos of Trusted House Sitters is that this is an equal exchange.
How do you ensure a good match?
Sometimes everything can look great on paper. The reviews are fantastic, and the interview goes well.
But suddenly, there’s so much more work involved than the homeowner let on, or the sitter doesn’t provide great care.
Managing expectations is key to any exchange. Homeowners want someone to take care of their pets and home in a respectful way, and house sitters don’t want to be taken advantage of.
Don’t go for sit if it sounds like it won’t fit. Be realistic about what you need. In the same way, when choosing sitters, follow your intuition and be discerning about your choice.
Most importantly, both sides need to make sure they have a direct conversation, via video call or on the phone before agreeing to anything. Ask all questions and be upfront with each other.
Conclusions on Trusted HouseSitter Review
Not many services operate based on trust and cooperation, but house sitting is a champion for just that.
Both sides save high costs, whether for accommodation or in pet care, and it gives people an immense sense of fulfillment.
There are other house-sitting services out there, but THS does an incredible job of bringing people and pets together from around the world.
For house sitters, you have to treat the site as if you’re looking for a job and be persistent and genuine in your approach, but with so many regular listings, it’s the best site for newcomers and homeowners.
Above all, think about your needs, and if this sounds like the right fit for you, Trusted House Sitters will connect you with like-minded people, and wonderful pet companions and provides unique experiences.
Thanks for reading I hope you enjoyed trusted housesitter reviews and that this helps you make a decision if using them is right for you.
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In my experience, it’s a bit of a scam. It favors the housesitter, not the houseowner. People are looking around for good gigs, which makes them not the most reliable. Since it’s free, they have nothing to lose if they cancel, as one sitter did to me. And there is little to no accountability for the sitters with the TH site/organization.
Sorry to hear about that, I am only writing from the housesitter’s perspective, but I understand where you are coming from being a homeowner. They should have more accountability for when housesitters cancel, as it is not fair on the homeowner. Hopefully, this will change in due time.
Love your blog, just curious about the comment in how THS favors the housesitter. I suppose a last minute cancellation would be a challenge, but with so many housesitters out there, would a replacement not be found quickly?
Thank you so much. I believe it would be easy to find a new housesitter quickly. I think the comment you are referring to, is someone who had a bad experience with THS with hosting and decided to rant about it on this post. I love the program.
Hi . May I know if there is any form of security and insurance cover for employees in the contract.
They do offer it for Premium members, so sometimes it is beneficial to pay for the premium membership.
I’m so glad I found this blog post! I’m looking for a trusted house sitter for 2023 and this is the best resource I’ve found so far.
I’m glad you found it : )