As a retiree, I’m often asked how can I afford to travel as much as I do? The answer is simple: I house sit and pet sit in locations that I want to get to know better. House sitting is perfect for retirees who have no time constraints and offers a slower and more in-depth pace of discovery.
I had always travelled for work and enjoyed one decent holiday a year, but I knew I couldn’t afford to continue this lifestyle once I retired. I also knew I’d regret not travelling, so the perfect combination on my self-funded retiree income was to house sit at destinations I wanted to explore further.
That was 2009 when little was known about house sitting, and it wasn’t as popular as it is today. Initially, it began in Australia, USA and UK. Now it’s exploding globally throughout Asia, as well as Europe, South Africa, the Caribbean and South American countries.
I have house sat in all these regions and then taken the opportunity to travel around that region both before and after the house sitting. Sitting durations range from a few days to a month, and can even extend up to a year or more.