How to Become an International House Sitter

If you don't mind living in someone else's house, watering someone else's flowers and caring for someone else's pets, international housesitting may offer you the opportunity to visit some exotic locations and literally be paid for...sitting. Check out one of the most inexpensive ways to see the world.

Instructions

1. Read an interview with an international housesitter. See how she turned an idle piece of curiosity into a wonderful experience in Australia.

2. Learn how housesitting can evolve into a permanent job--caretaking. Read the interview with Jeff and Karen Hay, two people who care for a private 26 acre island near Oahu and a 10 acre organic orchard on the South Island of New Zealand owned by a billionaire.

3. Explore "The Caretaker Gazette." This is one of the most respected publications dealing with housesitting. Subscribe to the newsletter, not only for its ads announcing potential positions but also for its advice on sticky situations that may arise.

4. Go to a website that offers links to housesitting opportunities not only all over the world but also within the continental United States.

5. Post your resume on the various sites. Apply for those jobs that look appealing. Be exceedingly personal in your application because often, housesitters are regarded as almost being extended family.

6. Choose positions that are compatible with your interests and skills. If you are particularly adept at caring for pets, emphasize that. If you know more than an average person about horticulture, emphasize that. Sell yourself.

7. Find your first position and begin to see the world--while sitting.