Download Now or Listen on iTunes (or your favorite podcast app!)
While we know the world is crazy right now, and travel plans are not front and center, we still wanted to share this episode on housesitting as a way to increase your opportunities to explore. Right now isn’t the time book a trip, but it is a great time to learn about ways you can travel in the future, and House Sitting could open some cool opportunities for you!
This week we are chatting with Trusted Housesitters Community Manager Angela Laws. Angela doesn’t just help house sitters and hosts in her role at Trusted House-sitters, she also lives it! She has been housesitting around the world for 10 years!
Housesitting is something almost everyone will have heard of, but not so many have taken advantage of. Whatever the road blocks or concerns for you have been, we do our best to dive fully in and address them in this episode with Angela!
We talk about everything from the basics of house sitting, how to make a great profile and get jobs, what types of animals you are typically taking care of, and more!
Enjoy!
In this episode:
- Check out Trusted Housesitters: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com
- Connect with Angela on Twitter: https://twitter.com/trustedangela
- How Angela first started traveling and how she connected with Trusted House-sitters
- Angela’s first experiences housesitting and how her love of animals and travel combines with house sitting
- The type of people that make great house sitters
- How to create a great house sitting profile
- What home owners are looking for in house sitters
- The exchange between house sitters and home owners
- How Trusted Housesitters builds trust between hosts and house sitters
- How do you build a great profile and get your first opportunity as a house sitter
- Tips on making or improving your housesitting profile
- How to find the best housesitting opportunities for you
This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Audible. Audible has thousands of incredible audiobook titles and hundreds of fascinating original audio content. To get started with Audible visit audible.com/tww to get your first title free and unlimited access to Audible Originals.
If you would to get access to the past and future episodes of our nomad series as a World Wanderers Insider, head on over to Patreon.com/theworldwanderers. Thank you so much for your continued support!
Digital Nomad Life: Everything You Need to Know About Housesitting with Angela Laws
Welcome to The World Wanderers podcast, your source for travel stories, travel destinations, and travel philosophy. We are your hosts Ryan and Amanda, and we will be taking you on today’s adventure as we speak with this week’s guest.
Today you will get introduced to Angela Laws, Community Manager of Trusted Housesitters. In this episode, we learn how her love for animals and passion for traveling led her to live her current digital nomad lifestyle. As we go through the whole process, she offers tons of great tips and advice to anyone interested in finding out more about pets and housesitting.
Her story is both heartwarming and inspiring and provides an excellent example of an amazing opportunity to succeed as a digital nomad.
We hope that her positive remarks inspire you to explore this very interesting way to travel and that it lets you learn about the role of a housesitter while getting the chance to travel the world.
How Angela first started traveling and how she connected with Trusted Housesitters
Angela’s story begins in the early seventies when she immigrated to Canada and first experienced travel. Her life has revolved around travel since then. Traveling for her is the best teacher you can get in life, since you learn so much about yourself while you discover the world, meet so many new people and visit so many amazing places.
“I’ve been traveling since the early seventies, and I immigrated to Canada. I’m one of those people that when I see a plane in the air, I want to be on it. And I believe that travel is the biggest educator. It teaches you so much about yourself, teaches you so much about other people and it’s the way that you learn.”
She reflects on all the places she has lived with her family and very special dog. Her entire life revolves around travel, so it’s an integral part of who she is.
“I spent six years in India living in Bombay, North Africa, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and so it’s almost in my DNA.”
The fact that she had done all that working and traveling with an animal made her want to pursue this journey even more after losing her pet dog. She shared with us that she has been housesitting for over 14 years now, even before Trusted Housesitters was formed.
“I’d started to pet sit before Trusted Housesitters was in existence. So I did join a couple of other platforms and that’s how I came to Trusted Housesitters. I received an email saying that this company is starting, and would I be interested in joining as a member.”
Currently, she works and manages Trusted Housesitters. They are a community of digital nomads, but above all, animal lovers, who travel around the world and look after homes and pets out of passion and for free.
“It was this community of pet lovers who wanted to travel and take care of pets for free because they loved animals so much. And that’s what resonated with me.”
There’s a very interesting story in here about how she found this startup company ten years ago, and how she’s been a member ever since!
“I got this email and when I looked into it, I tracked down Andy Peck who started this company. I contacted him and I found this number and I called him. And I was housesitting in the UK. I managed to get hold of Andy and I had a conversation with him… He said, how about if I come to see you? So we sat down in the kitchen of the house that I was sitting in. And at the end of that time, Andy said, would you be interested in helping me?”
The combination of her love of pets, people and places, and her previous experience in housesitting, led her to start this amazing new venture. And this is how Trusted Housesitters was born!
“I love animals so much and I’m very aware of what their needs are and very aware of what the owner’s expectations and needs are. I was still living in Vancouver, in Canada, and so I worked remotely and I joined him and the rest is history.”
Angela’s first experiences housesitting and how her love of animals and travel combine with housesitting
As she previously mentioned, Angela gained experience as a housesitter even before joining Trusted Housesitters. The experience of living on the road with a dog all her life prepared her for what was to come.
“I think I came out of the womb with a leash in my hand. I’ve had animals all of my life. We had a Springer Spaniel that lived all over the world with us.”
Housesitting for Angela began after her dog Holly passed away. She discovered a way to maintain her career while still having animals in her life, and went to places she otherwise might not have been able to visit. This was how her nomadic lifestyle continued.
“She lived, as I say, all over with us in Canada, England, France, you name it – she was always there. We had her for 14 amazing years. It was when she passed away that I got into pet sitting. I found that I could petsit, have animals in my life and travel, and have all of that. It’s just the most amazing way of connecting with places that you might not otherwise go to.”
Having the opportunity to combine her biggest passions into one career makes her feel fortunate. Housesitting has resulted from fusing her love of animals and traveling.
I have three passions: pets, people, and places. And so what I do right now, is just my job in heaven. The travel part of it is so important.
The type of people that make great housesitters
We were curious to find out what it takes to be a housesitter, so we were not surprised to learn that anyone can do it. However, the level of responsibility you take on remains constant.
“There isn’t a typical housesit because they’re all in different locations or different homes, but the responsibilities that go with them are the same.”
Angela describes the type of people that make great housesitters, listing all the attributes you need to possess to be successful.
“First of all, it’s somebody who loves animals. Somebody who’s experienced with animals and who is aware of their needs and their expectations. It’s also somebody that has to like people because there’s a lot of communication that goes with this.
You need to be responsible. You need to be reliable. You need to be somebody who is a good planner. You need to be somebody that is so aware of themselves.”
Furthermore, we received some guidance on how to approach the whole thing. Housesitting has many benefits, but it also entails responsibilities. If you’re interested in going about your dream of exploring the world, then this is a great guide and a blueprint to get you started!
“Becoming a pet and housesitter, as I say, the first thing is you have to love pets if you’re looking at becoming a pet and housesitter. If you’re looking to use it as free accommodation only, it’s not for you because that’s not what it is. It’s much, much more. Yes, your accommodation is free, you get to stay in lovely homes, but you’ve got pets that are your priority. You’ve got a home, that’s your priority. And those are the two things. The payback is huge because you get to stay in a nice home, away from home, you get to connect with the community, and you get under the skin of places.”
How to create a great housesitting profile
Later on, Angela reveals the importance of focusing to create your housesitting profile. During the talk, she covers a lot about how to prepare for your first interview by having a good presentation and application for the sits. You will learn all the tips from an experienced sitter, so you better take notes!
“So the more time and preparation and care and passion that you give to that profile, you know, it’s time well spent because that’s what the owner’s going to learn. It’s like applying for a job.”
What homeowners are looking for in housesitters
“An owner will come to Trusted Housesitters and they’ll prepare their listing.”
It is always important to know and to meet the expectations of the homeowners. Luckily, you can find everything an owner requires from a sitter directly on their website.
“And that’s what you see when you open the site. The owners come on there and they’ve given us pictures of their homes and their pets. And they put into that listing their expectations, the needs of their pets, what it is that they expect from a sitter, etc.”
The following is an insight into what it usually takes to sit and how some of the tasks may feel when taking on your first home. As each experience is unique, it’s good to know what the owners are looking for, and more importantly, are you willing to do it.
“As far as their home, for instance, many of our owners have lovely homes and they have lovely gardens as well in the summertime. That may mean that you’re going to have to water some plants. So you might want to cut the grass or you can go stay in an apartment where you’ve got a window box, and that’s just a bit of water twice a day. So it’s all different. It depends on the skills and experiences that you have, but the owner will come to the site, they’ll put their listing up, pictures of their pets, all of their pets requirements, and it will go live onto the site.”
The exchange between housesitters and homeowners
By hearing her story, we find out what it means to live this kind of life, and how both sides benefit from the exchange.
“You realize that along with all of those benefits, which is a free home and free accommodation, comes responsibility.”
She emphasizes how it benefits animals the most, and she shares why. The relationship between the pet sitter and the owner is built this way, and it makes it more rewarding. The animals form the connecting bridge!
“You give and you get back. And the owners, you know, they give and they get back. It’s the sharing economy working at its very best. And it’s a win-win, but I always say it’s a win-win-win because the biggest winners in all of this are the animals and that’s why we’re connected.”
How Trusted Housesitters builds trust between hosts and housesitters
Additionally, the importance of this amazing platform is discussed, as well as how it plays a crucial role in building trust between owners and sitters. The answers to two key questions are revealed.
“We have owners coming to the site, two things that they usually say: one is, why would I trust a stranger? And why would I have a stranger in my home?”
The process of connecting the two sides is truly amazing and Trusted Housesitters does a great job at making that happen.
“We go back and we say, well, you’re absolutely right. No, you wouldn’t have a stranger in your home. You wouldn’t invite somebody you didn’t know into your home, give them full responsibility for your home and your pets, and walk away and give them the keys.”
Angela shares the whole process, and the importance of the decision-making on both sides. There are numerous examples of how this keeps working, and this just proves the great job that this community is doing.
“They’re not strangers with Trusted Housesitters. It is because of the process that happens when an owner comes to the site and a sitter comes to the site and they first connect. By the time that sitter arrives at the home, they’re not strangers anymore. They know one another.
They’ve Skyped, they’ve emailed. They have profiles to go by. And it is an arrangement that is built on trust. Initially, however, there is so much information available to both sides that in the end, the decision is made by the owner and the sitter, because it has to be right for both parties. It can’t be just one-sided.”
How do you build a great profile and get your first opportunity as a housesitter?
Since there are many of you out there that still wonder how you can get started, even without having previous experience, Angela has all the answers shared in this episode. You must start somewhere to earn that first experience, right?
“We all started in the same place. Every single one of us started with that experience. I always say how sitting, in particular, is not rocket science. If you’ve had a home and you’ve kept a home, then you know how you keep a home, but you also keep an owner’s home the way they leave it.”
She shares the importance of having references on your profile since all homeowners are looking for that. We hear stories and examples that show us all the differences that having a reference on your profile can make, and instantly get you your first housesitting gig.
“When you first start, we survey our owner-members or all of our members all of the time. But owner-members, we survey differently to sitter members and ask them what they want. When an owner is asked, “What’s the most important thing you look for in a sitter’s profile?’, they will invariably say, it’s the reviews or references.”
And this doesn’t have to be professional. Anything that can assure us of your abilities and trustworthiness, is a good enough start for you!
“There are verifications as well. They will say, but I’ve never done any housesitting, so I don’t have any housesitting references, but that’s not what you need. What you need are references. And you can get external references from people you’ve worked with, from people that know you, anybody that can attest to your trustworthiness, your reliability and your responsibility, and your love for animals.”
Tips on making or improving your housesitting profile
Since Angela is one experienced housesitter, we were excited to hear and share with you what special tips she has that will make you more successful and make you stand out to every homeowner.
She believes that even having the tiniest amount of experience with animals and caring for a home is enough to start becoming a nomad and a housesitter.
“Whatever experience you’ve got, and I know there are many, if you love animals, you’ve been out there and you’ve probably volunteered somewhere or you may have helped somebody do something, or you may have looked after friends and families. Any of that, anything that makes you stand out is helpful…”
As they say, a picture speaks a thousand words. In this situation, it is something that applies when reaching out to homeowners around the world. Her number one tip is to share great photos that show your love and passion for what you are about to do.
“With your profile, a picture speaks a thousand words. So put great pictures up, pictures that show you with animals, pictures that show you with people and animals. Because you’ve got to get on with the people as well.”
Along with the pictures, a list of your best qualities is an advantage you can use when you take your first sitting.
“So sit down, and think about what your attributes are. Think about what your strengths are. We all have them, don’t ever think you don’t because you do, so just list half a dozen of your real strengths and look at them and choose one as a strapline that gets people’s attention.”
Of course, we put an emphasis on that first impression, so everything you need to do to leave a great one is really important, and even the most crucial part.
“Always remember that you only get one chance to make a good impression. So as well as that profile and prep and creating and crafting, another tip is to go to the site and browse through profiles of really experienced sitters. Don’t copy what they’ve written, because it has to be about you.”
And finally, after you have built a great image for yourself and spent all that time and energy towards creating your profile, the last step is to reach out to the homeowner. It is important to make this message very personalized and find a way to get their attention. Once you have done that, you are on your way to becoming a great housesitter and start moving around!
“But the other thing that is so important is the way that you apply for the sit. You’ve done your profile. You’ve crafted that, you’ve added the references, you’ve done the review. You know, you’ve done your verifications. You’ve got this wonderful bio that somebody is going to look at and say, you know what? I want to have a conversation with this person.”
How to find the best housesitting opportunities for you
Last but not least, even after you have done all you can to begin this amazing journey, you should not lose track of what you need as well. Always keep an eye out for the right opportunities for you and try to find like-minded people. Take it slowly and walk before you run, as Angela advises. So that this way of life can work, it’s important to know yourself.
“The other thing that I would say is when you come to the site and you start looking through all the sits and you go, oh my goodness, there’s one here. There’s one there. And you’re sitting in San Diego, California, or you’re sitting anywhere and you go, oh, I want to go to the other side of the world. That’s great. But to start, you walk before you run and you start at home. If it’s possible to get local sits, apply to that owner and that owner knows that you can visit their home before you go and do the sit so that they can get to know you on a personal level.”
“But the most important thing is applying for the right sit, knowing yourself.”
Last Words
Even during these difficult times the world is experiencing, we hope this beautiful story makes you feel inspired to take on this very interesting opportunity. It’s amazing to see how this community connected by the love for animals keeps on working and expanding every day, and we feel fortunate to have met one of the most important people standing behind it.
It was a pleasure to speak with Angela and hear about her heartwarming story on how she began her life as a digital nomad. We hope you liked it as much as we did, and you got all the insight into what it’s like and what it takes to join this community of traveling housesitters.
It’s just another one on our list of endless opportunities that support location-independent travelers and explorers, and it’s amazing to see it grow.
Get more information about Trusted Housesitter, or even contact Angela directly, by clicking the link and beginning your search!
