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 sit revolution are Trusted House Sitters, a matchmaking service for homeowners and pet sitters.
But is it worth it? Here is my honest opinion on trusted housesitters.
This global website facilitates a mutual need for excellent pet care while giving you an authentic travel experience.
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 housesitters 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!
So if you have ever considered becoming a housesitter, keep reading.
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.
Which can be a great way to offset the costs of travel, if you can be flexible.
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. So if you are an animal lover, this is a plus. Think of it as more of a pet-sitting job than a house-sit job.
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 that you get more “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.
As I mentioned, it is more a pet-sitting job, than just watching someone’s empty house.
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 or pet 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.
It is basically free rent, so you are going to need to provide a service to the homeowner.
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, so you will have a lot more options, for both the housesitter and the pet owner.
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 has become 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 house sits being uploaded to the site daily.
It also means that there are a considerable number of great applicants for homeowners to choose from.
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.
But if you were wanting to take a long extended vacation and looking to cut back on some costs, this could help.
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. This can be helpful if you have a certain allergy to some animals.
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!
Enjoy Unique Destinations
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. There are less opportunities to stay in tourist hot spots, but a great way to travel for a local feel.
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.
What About The Safety?
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 has 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.
Can You House Sit With A Partner?
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 house 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 concerns that need addressing.
- Trusted House Sitters Is The Most Expensive Membership Fee
- Homeowners Have More Protection Than Sitters
- Not All Housesits Are Worth The Exchange
- High Competition For House Sits
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’s also good value for money when you look at what you’re saving on not having to pay for hotels.
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.
Homeowners Have More Protection Than Sitters
If you ever run into a problem that can’t be resolved with the homeowner, trusted housesitters tend to favor the home owner.
This could mean bad news for your rating and could prevent you from getting house-sitting jobs in the future, even if it wasn’t your fault.
Not All House Sits Are Worth The Exchange
Some homeowners can be very demanding or some pets might need extra care than just walking twice a day.
Make sure you know all the expectations from you before you commit to the pet-sitting gig, this can help prevent any conflicts that might arise.
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.
High Competition For House Sitters
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 To Stand Out On Trusted Housesitter?
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.
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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