House-sitting is usually one of the last things that travelers think about.
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In fact, most people rely on friends and families to check in on their homes when they hit the road.
House-sitting duties might cover basic things like driving by to check that the home is safe and grabbing the mail. Maybe it involves entering the home to interact with a pet—or just water the plants.
At the bare minimum, a house-sitter ensures your home is in good working order while you’re away.
But in my experience, the potential benefits of having someone watching over are worth the hassle. First, for your peace of mind. Second, for pure security.
When I go out of town—even for a weekend trip—there are always two people who have keys to my apartment. The first is a friend who lives close by; they’re able to step in if an emergency comes up, like a biblical flood or a fire. The second is my dog-walker and dog-sitter (shout out to Juan on Rover), who has keys to my apartment in case there are any pup-related emergencies or in case we extend our trip.
I can call on either if disaster or even uncertainty strike.
I also house-sit for my neighbors who are away often. Want to know one of the weirder disasters I’ve fielded for them? A pigeon died on their balcony in the height of summer. Leaving its precious little corpse to rot would have created a nasty mess for them when they got back, so I was called in to perform a bird funeral.
For issues both great and small, it’s worth it to have a house sitter on your team. While you might not opt for travel insurance, I recommend opting for some kind of home care.
And while most of us rely on friends and family before paid house-sitting services, they might not always be available. If you’ve got pets, finding reliable care becomes even more complex.
So what do you do if you need a house-sitter? I recommend using a trusted company.
Not only are their house-sitters thoroughly vetted, but they’re also experienced enough to deal with last-minute problems. So let’s count down the best and most trusted house-sitting platforms that are active in the US.
House Carers
This company launched online back in 2000, making them one of the oldest house-sitting services online. They offer both pet-based house-sitting and solo house-sitting.
Though not the largest company out there, they have a solid list of reviews that span over two decades. Plus, they have an active Facebook page that makes it easy for the average traveler to get started with the platform and interact with other house-sitters and travelers.
Best of all, you can sign up and start looking around for free.
MindMyHouse
Whether you need someone to watch over your studio apartment or to handle larger animals on an off-grid farm, MindMyHouse has solutions.
The platform also has a great design that makes it easy to learn how the platform works, find answers to FAQs, and otherwise explore the site’s database of homes and sitters.
Though it’s not as large as other house-sitting platforms, that clean design goes a long way for me.
House Sitters America
Meet the US’s industry standard in house sitting.
This platform allows homeowners to list ads for house sitting, along with other jobs. That other ‘jobs’ section could include things like pet care or even lawn care.
As someone who regularly requires plant care while she’s away (I’m proud of my urban jungle), this is a huge plus for me—my plants need TLC, not a cold bucket shower once a week. If you also need that type of care for your home, make a listing here.
HouseSit Match
This international website lets you seek out house-sitters or pet sitters. As with House Sitters America, it’s pretty easy to request other types of care—from plants to pools. There’s no direct fee here, which means that house sitters voluntarily decide to look after your home. That’s usually in exchange for free lodging and getting to experience an area—but might mean that those living in the boonies don’t get much attention.
Looking for pet care, too? Explore Trusted Housesitters
From pet sitters to house sitters, you can find someone willing to hold down your fort.
Uniquely, this website offers a dual service: you can either seek out a pet sitter to stay at your home or offer your services as an international pet sitter. Just keep in mind that there needs to be an animal involved, and that this platform is slightly pricier than others.
