Nowadays, there are plenty of opportunities available for people who feel capable of providing quality home sitter and/or pet sitter services. Many of these opportunities favor persons who in reality charge nothing for their services and while ‘critics’ may consider this to be a waste of personal time and energy, it is possible that such people actually end up benefiting in more ways than one.
The primary advantage of becoming a home sitter and/or pet sitter is that you get free accommodation but you can end up making some money as well.
1The Logic Behind Becoming a Non-Paid House Sitter and/or Pet Sitter
As has been observed, offering free house sitter and/or pet sitter services allows you free accommodation in whatever part of the country you feel like living in. This means that you can live in the city of your choice and have quality accommodation without investing anything more than your transport cost to that location.
The motivation behind becoming a house sitter and/or pet sitter really depends on the individual. Your career as a writer or artist may require you to experience the different environments that characterize different parts of the country; what better way to do so than taking on home sitting assignments in each of the locations you fancy? You may be a student in a foreign country and while there you may need to work just to make both ends meet – becoming a house sitter and/or pet sitter may just be the cheapest way to get through your study period. This occupation is also suitable for people who want to travel the world quite cheaply. It can be useful in helping you learn about an area before moving there permanently. It can most certainly be applicable for people who just adore living a frugal lifestyle.
2Can You Get Paid Being a House Sitter and/or Pet Sitter?
If you are into this activity for the money, then the best way to get started is by registering with one of the many house sitting agencies around. These agencies will match you to house sitter and/or pet sitter assignments that match your preferences and the homeowners will be required to pay a daily fee for your services. The need for such services usually arises during the summer months and over the popular holidays including Easter and Christmas. Prior to landing such assignments you must pass the employer’s scrutiny test and provide references who can ascertain your good conduct and so on. As a professional house sitter it is possible to earn some extra pay just by agreeing to take care of any pets that the homeowner may have.
3About the Chances of Getting House Sitting and/or Pet Sitting Assignments
Different homeowners assess different factors in considering whom to offer house sitter and/or pet sitter assignments. Some of these factors you can be able to control including attending interviews, providing the requisite references and police background statements and coming up with a security deposit for the home. Factors beyond your scope include your nationality, marital status, health status and age, etc.
4Marketing Yourself as a House Sitter and/or Pet Sitter
This can be done in the same way that a business would – word of mouth, the classified ads, physical ads on church notice boards, etc. These techniques are however only suited for local assignments. To get international house sitter and/or pet sitter assignments you just have to create an online ad in a house sitting directory or two. Online advertising is also used to link homeowners with prospective house sitters and/or pet sitters in the same country, for example www.housesittersamerica.com.
House sitting directories fall into two categories. The ‘fully online’ model is generally a website that allows you to create your advert which then remains fully searchable for every minute that the annual fee lasts. This model allows interested homeowners to make direct contact with you. You are allowed to respond to wanted house sitter and/or pet sitter ads on the site, and you can choose to update and even hide the ad if need be.
Alternatively, you can use a model in which the website is primarily an advertising tool for the business. This model charges a higher annual fee despite the fact that you have virtually no control over your ad’s management. The website’s management will normally include your ad in printed mailing lists or emails that the firm sends to homeowners of an unspecified number. The amount you pay includes a fee for receiving vacancy lists and another fee to allow you place ads. This model may seem quite shady since you cannot even be sure of whether or not your ad has been dispatched but if the reviews offered seem positive then you can consider using the same. Learn more about house sitter and/or pet sitter websites you can use via www.frugalfun.com.
