Housesitting | Two Wheeled Wanderer

Woman riding bike through empty RV placed as ‘art’ in Bentonville

Travel hack

Want to Travel the World & Ride Bikes?

One of the ways I’m able to travel so much and ride bikes in cool places is by house and petsitting. You can do it too!

One of the ways I’m able to travel so much is because I housesit. I’ve done housesitting gigs in Bentonville, Bellingham, the Kingdom Trails, Knoxville, Phoenix, and many other places that offer great riding opportunities.

My first housesit way back in 2017. It was to the beautiful green hills of Marin County north of San Francisco. I loved it! I loved taking care of the pets (two dogs, and a cat), I loved the solitude, and I loved exploring a new area. Since then I’ve done dozens of housesits around the world.

I truly think housesitting is one of the best ways to travel. Not just because it saves my money, but also because it allows me to see the world like a local and ride my bikes in some pretty cool places. It has opened up some many doors for me and I think it will for you as well!

How I do it

TrustedHousesitters

There are several different housesitting websites out there, but TrustedHousesitters is the one I use. I’ve only had great experience with the dozens of sits I’ve done through them. TrustedHousesitters also offers several ‘perks’ like a 24/7 vet advice line and the ability to save searches so you get alerts for specific dates or places you want to go.

Want 25% off your membership? Use my refer a friend link!

Screenshot of Trusted Housesitters home page

Housesitter Life FAQS

No, I don’t not get paid when I do housesits with TrustedHousesitters. This surprises a lot of people, but I look at it as a win-win situation. I get to travel to cool places, get free accommodations, and hang out with some awesome critters. In return, the home owners get someone they can trust to look after their home and pets and save money on their own travels by not paying for boarding.

Things go wrong in normal life all the time! It’s no different when housesitting. I’ve had to unclog sinks, go looking for escaped dogs, replace broken kitchen items, and make emergency trips to the vet just to name a few. There is a lot of responsibility you need to take on when housesitting, so make sure you’re up for that before committing. The home and pets always come first.

Typically, yes. There are usually pets involved. I have seen some housesits that don’t have any pets, but they’re not very common. One thing I like about TrustedHousesitters is that you can filter sits based on what type of pet you’re comfortable caring for. (For me, birds – other than chickens – are a no go).

The main thing is taking care of the animals – feeding them, walking the dogs, administering medications, etc… Other responsibilities could include taking in the mail, watering plants, and keeping the house tidy and clean. If there are any jobs above and beyond that, you can ask for some compensation.

I’ve had so many great experiences! But I think my favorite was a 3-month housesit in southwest England on a beautiful old estate in the rolling hills of Somerset. I had two awesome black labs as companions and the homeowners left me a car so I could explore.