If your main motivation is to save money, read on. If you have a savings goal, read on. If you have no additional finances and are hoping to house sit because you would otherwise be couch surfing, read on. If you have no backup plan for when sits are cancelled, you guessed it, read on!

There are certain advantages and disadvantages to house sitting and outlined below is my view of Finances and Professional House Sitting.

*I say ‘during’ because in between sits you may find some of these creep up. See Unexpected Costs below.

Looking at this list, many people would probably calculate several hundred dollars in savings each week, which certainly adds up over an extended period of time. However, depending on where and how you choose to sit, these savings can disappear very quickly.

Let’s take a look in more detail, shall we?

• Transport to and from sits - if sitting at home or internationally, there will be a cost associated with getting ‘to’ sits. Whether that be by driving yourself in your own vehicle, public transport, taxi or flying, there will be a cost. Unless your sits are all within walking or cycling distance (and you have very few possessions to take with you!) it will cost money to move between sits. This particularly adds up when sitting for home owners who are away for short periods of time. The cost of a $100 train ticket shared across a four week sit isn’t too bad, but that same ticket for a weekend or week long sit is less economical.

• Accommodation between sits - when booking sits in, it is very rare to have multiple back up onto one another. Especially in circumstances where your sits are only a week long, it is important to assume you will be paying for 1-2 nights of accommodation in between.

• Accommodation when sits are cancelled last minute - especially in these times of uncertainty, it is very common to have sits cancelled last minute. Some owners may offer for you to stay a night so you can find somewhere else to go, but most often when a sit is cancelled you need to seek alternate accommodations. If there aren’t any other sits you can ‘jump on’ straight away, you may find yourself out until your next sit commences.

• Parking Charges - if you are sitting in a city where you have your own car, there are situations sometimes (particuarly inner city) where the home does not have space to accommodate your vehicle. Parking permits and parking charges may apply on a daily basis.

• Food & Meals - depending on how remote the location is for your sit (especially if you don’t have a car), you may find access to groceries to be limited. On the contrary, if staying in hotel accommodation between sits, you may not have access to a kitchen and therefore may spend more money on dining out and take away.

• International Sim Cards (overseas sits) - it is important to stay contactable when you are sitting, not only for safety but so the owners are able to reach you if need be. Investing in an international Sim Card means you are not relying on wifi to be contactable.

• Long Term Storage (for possessions) - if you are like me and are sitting overseas, you may have some posessions in long term storage back home. Keep in mind that if you don’t have friends or relatives who are able to store these items, you will likely be up for a monthly fee to store them.

• Short Term Storage (for necessities) - if you have a large suitcase which is unsuitable to cart around with you overseas and decide to take a smaller overnight bag to a sit, you will often find yourself out of pocket for a storage locker or concierge charge to store your bag.

• Site Registration Fees - these fees won’t break the bank, but in the interest of being transparent, many house sitting sites do charge an annual fee for sitters. If you are on several sites or apps, this can cost more than a few dollars.

As a professional house sitter, it is your responsibility to work these out for yourself and be sure to ask the right questions when booking a sit. It is unreasonable to be frustrated that there is nowhere to park your car when you arrive at a sit, and have to pay for parking. The onus is on you as the sitter to ask the home owners if they have somewhere to accommodate your car. Some owners will think to mention it, but if not, it is up to you to ensure that the sit conditions suit your needs. For example, if you are travelling with a partner, it is your responsibility to clear this with the owners, it is not their job to ask you (although they may anway) if you are travelling solo. In the same way if you have a car that requires parking and you do not want to pay for street parking, it is your responsibility to ask these questions of the owners before agreeing to the sit.

If your goal is to save money whilst house sitting, there are a few things you can do to ensure your best chances when it comes to holding onto your pennies! See my tips for saving whilst house sitting here.