New Zealand is beautiful, but expensive to visit. Auckland is my home, and I love it here.
Visitors flock in daily and are greeted with seemingly unlimited luxurious options at a premium price. There is no doubt that many of these will create lifelong memories.
However, for animal lovers, there is an alternative both in New Zealand and worldwide. That is house sitting.
Note: Based on world conditions, we advise checking official channels including cancellation policies prior to booking. Also, with often reduced capacity, booking ahead becomes more important.
What is house sitting?
House sitting involves staying in another person’s home and caring for pets, plants, or just the house. It all depends upon what you agree.
Pet owners love it as it allows them to leave their furry friend in the care of a verified sitter who will love and care for them, rather than a kennel.
As no money changes hands, the homeowner saves on pet care costs, and the traveller has a free place to stay. That’s only the tip of the iceberg.
While it can be arranged independently, there are advantages to having experts behind you.
Advantages of becoming a pet sitter, plant sitter, or house sitter
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- Free accommodation in return for pet or plant care.
- Lower food costs as you can prepare your own food.
- Cat or dog sitters have a furry companion while they are away from home.
- Live in a neighbourhood rather than a hotel, allowing travellers to better absorb the culture.
- Enjoy the benefits of a cosy home environment.
- You don’t need to be a professional house sitter, but if you use TrustedHousesitters, you will need to be verified (this protects everyone).
House sitting New Zealand and international house sitting
And it’s not just house sitting in New Zealand; there are thousands of opportunities for house sitting abroad (regardless of where you live now).
In fact, TrustedHousesitters is the world’s #1 house and pet sitting website with registered homeowners in over 150 countries needing care for a variety of animals. Timing ranges from a weekend to long-term house sitting opportunities.
Finding house sitting vacancies
Are you wondering how to start house sitting?
It’s as easy as filling out an application. You will be verified and approved.
Then you search for the destination you want to visit, filtering on the types of animals you want to look after.
Contact the homeowner and begin conversations. The terms of the deal are worked out by the individuals involved. While we haven’t done a house sit, we have done multiple home exchanges (a similar concept, but you swap houses while you travel).
By the time we were ready to travel, we felt that we knew our partners well and were comfortable living in their home and having them live in ours.
→ Register as a house or pet sitter
Cuddling a puppy is a special opportunity. Dog or cat sitting, which do you prefer?
Just for fun…. Here are ten reasons why a date with a pet is better than a date with a human:
- A pet won’t stand you up
- Pets don’t order the lobster
- A pet is not embarrassed by a public display of affection
- A pet won’t grumble about the film you choose on Netflix
- Pets won’t veto your romantic songs playlist
- A pet won’t text its ex on your special evening
- A pet won’t moan you scrimped on champagne
- You can bet you’ll get more likes for your pet-date selfie than the human equivalent
- With a pet, it’s always clear who’s paying
- A pet will suspend all judgement because they just want to be with you
(Edited from Valentine’s Day list provided by TrustedHousesitters. Used with permission.)
Other like-home accommodations
If you love the idea of staying in a private home but don’t want to be a pet sitter there are several hotel alternatives out there. Or, you might want to look into a house swap.
In a home exchange, you swap houses with someone else for a prescribed period of time. We have successfully done home swaps three times, twice in Spain and once in the USA.
Like house and pet sitting, we had a free stay, as did the people who stayed in our home. Living in a neighbourhood, we met the locals, participated in local activities, and got a better understanding of customs and cultures.
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Find more money-saving resources and T&Cs on some of the above, check our Travel Resources page.
Is house sitting right for you?
This page is part of our travel resources series.
Dale
I m really glad to read that you ve started your own house sitting adventure! Would love to see where you end up over the course of the year ??
Siddhartha Joshi
I love them so much that if an opportunity comes, I would totally do it without a fee! If I get a house to stay, that’s an icing on the cake 🙂
I think I need to find a few such opportunities in India as well…it’c certainly an important unmet need here!
Bryna | Dotted Line Travels
What a great idea! And it’s especially ideal for someone like me who loves animals but doesn’t have a pet. Saving on accommodation costs and getting to look after an animal at the same time!
Lydia C. Lee
Not your point but that monkey is GORGEOUS!
Ghia Lorenzo
Wow! Sounds really cool. Also, you can enjoy some stuffs from pet sitting. And yes, sometimes it is nice to be with a pet than to be with humans haha! I really love that ten reasons why a date with a pet is better than a person this valentines day. Thanks again for sharing this post!
michelle cross
Love this blog Rhonda. Love the picture of Charlie before he got his long hairs. so cute, I forgot how much he has changed. Quite like the idea of getting a house sitter to take care of house and Him. Although not sure about having someone I don’t know.
Rhonda Albom
Charlie is so cute, and his puppy face was just adorable. I couldn’t resist using it here.
Alli
I love the list of 10 reasons why spending Valentine’s Day with a pet trumps going on a date with a human! Haha! So true. Pets will ALWAYS be there. I would much prefer to babysit dogs over cats, but wouldn’t complain either way. This way of life sounds absolutely fascinating to me – so simple, yet the benefits are extraordinary. Free accommodation in exchange for time spent with some furry friends? I am so in 🙂
California Globetrotter
We have been talking about doing this! I think it’s a great way to save on accommodation and still have furry friends while travelling! I would tend to stick to cats and dogs, although I’d love to care for a horse. Sadly I have no horse experience!
Lara Dunning
I haven’t housesat in a few years, but I’d be totally game to travel and house sit. it sounds like a great way to see a place and live more like a local. New Zealand is on my list so maybe when it comes time to go there we will consider visiting this way. It would sure save money and I love dogs, so it could be a win-win!
Megan Jerrard
I love your ten reasons why a date with a pet is better than a person this valentines day! It’s true, they’re like the perfect companion!!! Pet / house sitting is such a fabulous way to travel, I really love trusted housesitters – we’ve never had a home to exchange before, but recently bought, so maybe that’s now something we can look into for future travel.
Ida P. Krause
Never have done any house or pet sitting but it sounds like a good idea. Enjoyed the sweet animal photos.
Efthimis Kragaris
The list your provided is hilarious! 😀 I wanted to try home exchange for a while. Maybe that’s the time, so I can visit New Zealand, which is a country with so much natural beauty!
Holly
Never thought about doing house sitting although I have heard of a lot of bloggers doing it. Especially long term. Not something I don’t think I would be interested in doing it, but sounds good for the right person.
Paul F. Pietrangelo
Hi Rhonda, I’m back from my cruise. It was fantastic and I want to go back. Oh, I am. I have already arranged a 10 day cruise on the same ship in january. I can’t wait. See ya.
Cruisin Paul
Sofia
What a great option! I see it’s becoming more and more popular – it’s a good idea and your guide covers it well!
Medha Verma
I’ve never given it a go although I have been hearing a lot about pet sitting lately. It seems like its a great way to make money, rather enjoy certain facilities, while travelling. I don;t have any pets of my own so that does not work in my favour but I do love animals. I need to start researching more about it and your post is a great place to start, thank you!
knycx.journeying
I love animals so I have no problems taking care of them… although I know it could be a lot of work at times. Besides, that’s great to have some time to yourself and enjoy different places as you go while accommodations are free!
Thanks for the information about pet sitting in New Zealand! By the way, great idea of having a pet as a date for Valentine’s Day, happy Valentine’s Day! @ knycx.journeying
Natasha Amar
Some great tips here and I imagine it will be so helpful to people looking for ways to afford exploring New Zealand. It was one of the most beautiful places I’d ever seen when I went in 2014- and home to one of the friendliest people in the world too.
Rhonda Albom
New Zealand, or anywhere in the world. We have used home exchange in USA, Spain and almost in Turkey but the deal feel through.
Sharon
What a great idea, Rhonda! We just found a new pet sitter because our moved to another state. I know how much pet owners value a good sitter. So this makes sense. And I’m a total animal lover, so this would be SO much fun for me!
Rhonda Albom
If you pay your pet sitter now, using house sitters might be a money saving option in addition to having your home and pet looked after.
Ruth
This is a great option! I have never used any of the services you mention in here but I am interested in staying in a city or area for an extended period of time (in m world that would me more than a month). I know the options in here work well for that. The sister of a friend goes every year to Paris for two months and house sits for a family.
Rhonda Albom
They are great for long-term, but some people like them for short term too.
Urska
This is great idea, though as a cat-owner I’m not sure if I would feel comfortable leaving my two cats to a care of a stranger. Our current cat sitters are really good friends of ours and I know I can trust them. Oh yeah, I’m crazy cat lady, so I complicate too much when it comes to my furry babies. 🙂
Rhonda Albom
Perhaps you could find a cat sit at someone else’s house when you travel.
Jo Tracey
I have a couple of friends who have been doing this permanently for a couple of years – going from house-sit to house-sit. It’s something I wouldn’t do with my pooch at home, but I would get one in to look after my dog if we were all away at the same time.
Rhonda Albom
I know of a few people like this too. It’s a great way to live, as hotels get old in long-term travel.
Jenn and Ed Coleman
As mid forties travelers (too soon to be fifties), we have looked into house sitting or house swapping with considerable interest. We still have fur babies at home, so long term house sitting isn’t really an option, but house swapping might be. We are in Orlando, which has some tourism. The vetting processes would have to be very strict because, not only will they be in our house, but also with our pets. We might need to get permission from the HOA too. Fascinating article though.
Rhonda Albom
There are long and short-term options for house sitting and house swapping. Some people just need someone to watch a pet for a few days.
Anda
I was always curious about housesitting. It seems to be the latest trend in traveling and more and more people are using it. My husband is still working free time and we can’t afford to go away for more than 2-3 weeks at a time. I am kind of uneasy with the idea of allowing total strangers to stay in my house, but probably that’s something that I could get used to in the future. For now, sending our dog to a dog sitter seems to work just fine.
Rhonda Albom
I was leery at first too, but I really felt that I knew my exchange partners by the time we agreed to do it.
Stephanie
Great idea to house sit. I have always thought of doing something like this. Great link to a provider that verifies people. I might have to check it out and see the world especially New Zealand. Thanks for sharing!
Rhonda Albom
I agree. I like that there is both verification and a fee. That way only those who are serious about it will join.
Fiona Maclean
I have a cat-sitter sometimes when I travel from London – it’s definitely the right thing to do for your animals. And, people who house sit in my experience are usually very thoughtful. I love that you can travel the world this way – NZ is definitely somewhere I’d want to stay for a few weeks
Rhonda Albom
Animal lovers are a special sort of people.
Sandee
Great idea for those that don’t mind having other people living in their homes while they are away. Good for the pets for sure.
I linked this post to Feline Friday because of all the felines.
Have a fabulous day. ♥
Rhonda Albom
We find that the people who do this sort of thing are careful. At least they are verified.
Anu
I am not too much into pets but for those who love pets, this seems like a decent option to explore. In my earlier traveling life, I have tried CouchSurfing successfully & it was fun. Now, I kind of look for my own private space while traveling, and hotels kind of work for me.
Rhonda Albom
Sometimes you just need to look after the plants, or some people just prefer to have someone in their home to having it empty.
Sandra
Very informative post! House sitting may or may not be for everyone, but its benefits are no secret. Even though I prefer hotels, it is definitely a great way to immerse in the local vibe and enjoy a few perks for free.
Rhonda Albom
Try, they are not for everyone, but for us, we love living in a home.
Julie Kemp Pick
I prefer hotels to staying in people’s homes, probably because I’m messy and enjoy
having maid service. I love that you’re comfortable staying in so many different places
and have had the opportunity to travel all over the world.
Rhonda Albom
LOL – I don’t remember you being messy.
Jill
My husband travels as part of his job – and by the time he retires in a few years I’m not sure he will ever want to stay in a hotel again. We’ve started discussing pet or house sitting as part of our plan for traveling when we retire. I love the idea but I’m not sure he’s sold yet. I’m still working on it. Fingers crossed!
Rhonda Albom
Just get him to give it a try on a short one. He will fall in love with the idea after that.
L. Diane Wolfe
If it was a cat, I’d be happy house and cat sitting.
Rhonda Albom
There are plenty of cats needing house sits. There are filters to pick your animals.
Alex J. Cavanaugh
I don’t think I’d be comfortable staying in someone’s home. I know you’ve taken advantage of that opportunity many times.
I don’t let anyone grumble with my NetFlix choices.
Rhonda Albom
LOL – Isn’t Netflix controlled by your computer? If you don’t give them your account, they won’t have it. Besides, they might already have their own.