Stay for free – become a homesitter and explore the UK for free!

One of the perks of becoming a home and pet sitter is the opportunity to explore new places and stay for free in some amazing homes throughout the UK.

More people are choosing to employ homesitters as it means their animals are cared for in their home environment, which for dogs and cats especially is beneficial, plus their home is occupied which can make it less vulnerable to burglaries.

For anyone considering a part-time and flexible role after retirement it is an ideal choice. Not only can people earn a little bit of extra income and visiting new places and staying for free is a big attraction of the role.

For those considering relocating after retirement to the country or a city, it’s a chance to try out the lifestyle in different places. We have homesitting assignments in a huge variety of homes and locations from country manors in Cornwall to urban penthouses in Edinburgh and everything in between.

Most homesitters are in their 50s, 60s and 70s and many have retired. However, they don’t just want to sit at home after a busy working life and are keen to do something adventurous in retirement.

For two of our homesitters, Martin and Kristine Bell this was exactly why they decided to join us and become professional home and pet sitters.

Martin and Kristine are from Collingham, near Newark in Nottinghamshire and decided to start home and pet sitting after retiring. Martin retired at the age of 60 from a career in industry and legal secretary, Kristine decided to retire at the same time so they could spend more time together.

The couple were keen to use their time to meet new people and visit new places. Homesitting seemed a good way of doing this. They also wanted to spend time with animals without the commitment involved in being a dog owner, after the losing their beloved West Highland Terrier.

The Bell’s first assignment was a 17 day homesit in a lovely rural converted granary which wasn’t without its challenges.

Martin explains, “We were homesitting in a very rural location when Storm Doris hit and the power went off for 12 hours! One of the dogs we were looking after is very elderly with poor eyesight and usually the lights are all set on a timer for him so he can wander around without bumping into anything.

“In the absence of electricity we found as many torches as we could so that the dog could see where he was going! Everything in the house ran on electricity so we had no cooking facilities but the next door neighbour kindly brought round a thermos of hot water so that we could make a cup of tea – it was quite an adventure!”

The Bells love their homesitting lifestyle, they spend the evenings reading, or doing crosswords and puzzles and Kristine enjoys knitting. In one home there was a large dining room table so they did a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle over the course of their stay.

Martin says, “The best way of spending the evening is having a dog on your knee or by your feet to stroke while you’re reading, it gives us a great feeling of contentment – and the dog too!”

“We’re just ordinary people doing ordinary things and getting the maximum benefit from our retirement. You’d be surprised how many people aren’t aware that home and pet sitting is a job and we’d recommend it to anyone who’s retired. Where else would you get the opportunity to stay in different homes in new places and experience other people’s pets and lifestyles and not have to pay lots of money to do it?”

We are recruiting so if homesitting sounds like an ideal role for you we would love to hear from you. Click here to find out more and to apply.