Travel
The housesitting life: Meet the retirees living rent-free and travelling the world
These retirees are house and pet sitting their way around the world, living like the locals and travelling for less.
By Carolyn Tate
Ever wanted to pack your bags and fly away – but your bank account says, 'hmmmm, maybe not'? Or maybe you want to really get to know a place and live like a local, instead of skating across the surface as a one-week tourist. If that sounds like you, housesitting could be the answer. It's affordable, it's authentic, and for many older travellers, it's become a way to explore the world with purpose and freedom.
Check out more ways to travel for less.
Trusted Housesitters reports Australia is the third most popular country for housesitting memberships globally, after the UK and US, with 40% of members aged 45 and over. Around 40% of Australian housesits are abroad, with 30% of those in Europe, while 60% are domestic, giving you the option to explore both home and away.
Whether you're housesitting or house swapping, the appeal is the same: the chance to live like a local, explore at your own pace, and experience places in a way that traditional tourism simply can't match.
Sue Leighton, 71, Tweed Heads, NSW
Sue Leighton has been housesitting full-time for five years, and she's not even close to being done. Originally from Brisbane, Sue sold up in 2019 with one clear goal: "My idea was to have an endless summer," she says.
When Covid hit in 2020, Sue was stuck in Perth. But rather than seeing it as a setback, she made the most of it. "I ended up living in the backyard in a bus of one of the houses that I was housesitting for," she recalls. "I lived in their bus at the front of their house for three months and they're still good friends to this day."
That stay gave her time to swim with whale sharks and immerse herself in the WA experience while the borders were closed. "I had it all to myself," she says.
Since then, Sue has housesat across Australia and the world. Her most recent travels took her through 18 countries, including Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Southeast Asia. She spent four weeks living like a local in Albania.
"I wanted to see what it's like," she says. "Not many people go there. I wanted to explore a part of Europe that really isn't explored."
After five years on the road, Sue recently decided it was time to settle down – but she didn't last long before she changed her mind.
"It almost hurts and you can't [stay in one place for long] – it just doesn't feel right," she admits. "I've been home for four weeks and I'm already looking and planning the next one."
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Sue's top tip for new housesitters is to always go the extra mile. "Every single review said we left it cleaner than when we got there," she says. "That to me is everything, because without reviews, you're never going to get another sit.”
"Once the travel bug bites – and in this case the house and pet sitting – there's no known antidote and you'll be happily infected for the rest of your life. Once you start, you're gone for life!"
Peter and Debra Holst, both 73, from Warragul, Victoria
For Peter and Debra Holst, housesitting opened up a whole new chapter of life. The couple have been housesitting for eight years and have completed around 80 sits, around Australia and the world.
"We have grandkids now and we don't want to miss out on any of that sort of stuff," Peter explains. "So housesitting allows us to do that because we're only committing to maybe four weeks or six weeks away."
The couple initially tried house swapping but found it didn't quite suit them. "We tried that and it wasn't to our liking," Peter says. With housesitting, they can be more flexible with their travel plans.
Their house sits have taken them across Tasmania, up to Cairns, and overseas to places like England, Scotland, Wales, and France. One particularly memorable sit involved looking after a miniature pony.
"He turned up at the back door every morning and we'd feed him his breakfast," Debra recalls with a smile.
The Holsts say they appreciate how housesitting allows them to experience destinations differently. "You haven't got to rush around and see everything. You can just take your time," Peter says.
Over the years, they've developed a system for choosing their sits. "We usually try and aim for smaller places. We've learnt that the bigger the house, the harder it is," Debra explains. "We always do a phone call or a Zoom call with the owners beforehand."
For those considering housesitting, Debra's advice is practical: "Communication is the key to the whole thing. And take lots of photos before you go in, during, and when you leave."
The couple plan to keep housesitting for as long as they can. "It enables us to be with the grandkids and still have that adventure," Peter says.
Belinda David, 59, from Gold Coast, Queensland
Belinda David has found the perfect blend of housesitting and adventure. With grown kids and remote work as a hiking blogger at Soul Treader, she's free to base herself anywhere in the world, and she's made the most of it.
"I love that housesitting lets me live overseas for months at a time instead of cramming everything into a two-week trip," Belinda explains.
For her, it's about depth rather than speed. "What I enjoy most is feeling part of a community rather than just passing through. I shop where locals shop, walk the same streets, and settle into the rhythm of daily life."
That local lifestyle also has unexpected benefits. "I was chatting to a friend who'd just come back from Europe, and I said, 'Isn't it crazy how much cheaper it is?' She looked at me like I was mad. That's when it hit me – because I live like a local, I spend far less than a normal tourist."
Belinda is frank about the challenges too. "You're packing up and settling into a new place every few weeks, and that can be exhausting," she says. "You also lose the comfort of routine, as your local gym or yoga studio isn't just round the corner."
The isolation can be difficult too. "Your friends and family are not in the same town or even sometimes the same country," Belinda says. "The flip side is that there's usually a pet, and they give you that bit of company and serotonin hit that helps keep you grounded."
Belinda's advice for newcomers is practical and grounded. "Start small and local. Get a feel for what it's like to live in someone else's home and care for their pets before you take on big international sits."
She says it's important to remember that housesitting is built on trust. "Homeowners are trusting you with everything that matters to them: their animals, their home, and their peace of mind."
Most importantly, Belinda says, be clear about your expectations. "Housesitting isn't a free holiday; it's an exchange built on responsibility and trust. If you're using housesitting as a way to travel slowly and live more like a local, it can be an incredibly rewarding lifestyle. You see places from the inside out, form real connections, and gain experiences no holiday can match."
Sharyn N., 59, from Brisbane, Queensland
Sharyn and her husband Tim have turned housesitting into a finely tuned operation. With 99 sits under their belt across five continents, they've perfected the art of slow travel without the hefty price tag. They also blog at Catch Our Travel Bug.
"Housesitting allows us to slow travel in comfort to amazing (and expensive) destinations worldwide without breaking the budget," Sharyn says. "We get all the comforts of home, with time to really explore each destination well – and some furry love as a bonus."
Sharyn and Tim's numbers are impressive. "We've had almost 1000 no-cost nights in some stunning properties on five continents and saved hundreds of thousands in accommodation costs over the years."
Sharyn is proud of her 5-star rating across all her sits, and says successful housesitting comes from having a systematic approach. "Getting an application in before the competition in popular destinations can be a challenge," she admits. "But we've developed well-oiled alert, screening and application processes and rarely miss out on the sits we want these days. Our biggest challenge is screening out the multitude of sits that are fabulous and very tempting, but don't perfectly align with our needs at the time."
Sharyn says if you want to start housesitting it's important to be thorough and strategic. "Housesitting should be a win-win-win arrangement for you, the homeowner, and the pets," she says. "Put a lot of effort into understanding your motives for sitting, what you want from the arrangement and what you can offer. That clarity then informs a stellar profile and engaging applications, plus helps screen out sits that don't suit your needs."
Sharyn emphasises the importance of clarity and commitment. "Never commit to responsibilities you're not prepared to carry out to the letter," she says. "That means having checks and balances to ensure you know what they are and are comfortable with them."
For Sharyn and Tim, housesitting has become more than just a way to travel – it's a lifestyle that's given them access to extraordinary experiences while maintaining the comfort and routine that makes long-term travel sustainable.
If you've been dreaming of traveling the country or the world without the hefty accommodation costs, housesitting might be for you. These travellers know there's a whole world out there waiting to be explored, one home at a time – and they’re not done yet.
Feature image: courtesy of Sharyn
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