This text offers you all the data it’s worthwhile to become a house sitter within the UK. There are a ton of UK listings simply ready for functions, and inside this put up, I’ll define right here precisely the place to search out them and how you can safe them!
I’ve years of expertise house sitting within the UK and past. I’m initially from England and constructed up my home sitting profile within the UK earlier than embarking on a digital nomad lifestyle. I take advantage of house sitting websites nearly solely for lodging. It saves a fortune and expands my touring expertise on the entire.
For me, the UK will at all times be my home base, and home sitting has allowed me to discover extra of my very own lovely nation. There are such a lot of unbelievable locations to go to, and the UK is a spot with a excessive demand for home sitters. I’ve stayed in areas that will not have ever entered my radar had it not been for home sitting alternatives.
From the Highlands of Scotland to the seashores of Cornwall, let’s get you on the street to turning into a home sitter within the UK.
The best way to Turn into a Home Sitter within the UK
There are some glorious web sites accessible for home and pet sitting within the UK. All of them include completely different options, worth tags, and membership choices. Discovering the proper one for you is a crucial first step and I’ve outlined all the data you want right here;
1. Trusted Housesitters
Trusted Housesitters has been my go-to web site since turning into a home sitter nearly 5 years in the past. The online and app-based platform is by far the preferred home sitting web site accessible. With a fast scan of the app, I can see nearly 7,000 listings presently accepting functions for home sitters – nearly 2,000 of those are within the UK.
Based mostly on these numbers alone Trusted Housesitters ought to be a prime consideration when considering turning into a home sitter within the UK. The app and web site are straightforward to make use of with some nice options that make the entire course of easy and safe. One thing I like about this web site is that should you can’t see the proper sit for you right away, it can save you your standards and obtain alerts when an identical choice turns into accessible.
Being the highest web site on the market means Trusted Housesitters can be the most costly. However priced at $260/12 months it’s the identical as a few nights in a modest lodge. I like to recommend the premium membership which incorporates, amongst different advantages, cancellation insurance coverage and enhanced customer support. Nonetheless, the fundamental membership at $129/12 months could also be a extra inexpensive place to begin.
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2. Thoughts My Home
Having multiple home sitting web site in your arsenal is a good thought. And whereas Trusted Housesitters ought to be the go-to, Mind My House is a good contender for that second spot. They’ve a pleasant and straightforward platform, loads of listings, and a low yearly membership worth of simply $29.
Thoughts My Home has been round since 2005, making it one of many oldest home sitting web sites in the marketplace. With expertise comes loads of helpful options just like the stats web page which exhibits precisely the place on the earth hosts are in search of sitters. The corporate homeowners personally oversee the wonderful customer support division.
Householders put up their listings without cost which suggests there are at all times many posts accessible. Over 40 individuals within the UK have been in search of sitters on the time of writing this text. I like Thoughts My Home lots, and with such a low annual payment it’s an incredible web site to contemplate.
3. Nomador
An vital level to recollect is that hosts typically solely record their houses on one web site. Due to this fact, the right home sit for you could be posted elsewhere. Nomador is one other very fashionable home sitting web site with a powerful lean in direction of Europe. They’ve a whole bunch of energetic customers within the UK.
The web site may be very straightforward to make use of with many options akin to these of Trusted Housesitters. Looking with exact standards is straightforward to do and saving your searches is once more a pleasant characteristic to have. Though Nomador lacks an app, the variety of listings makes them a very fashionable choice for locating UK home sits.
Nomador has 3 membership choices with quite a lot of completely different advantages the upper up you go. Their top-tier membership is simply $190/12 months. If you wish to get the complete Nomador expertise with out the annual outlay, additionally they supply a 3-month ‘Discovery’ choice. At $85 this can be a nice method to get began and not using a important monetary value.
4. Workaway
An alternative choice for locating house sitting jobs within the UK is Workaway, certainly one of my favourite touring websites. I’ve met so many fantastic individuals utilizing this web site throughout my years on the street. It’s primarily for locating volunteer placements in change for lodging and meals, however home sitting is a key search focus.
I’ve at all times discovered Workaway to have a pleasant and community-orientated vibe. Hosts with energetic profiles are at all times fast to reply whether or not it’s a sure or no to your utility. I’ve made some nice lifelong associates utilizing Workaway.
Workway has a low worth of simply $50 a 12 months or $30pp when a pair joins, so it’s one other inexpensive choice. The additional advantage of an app makes monitoring and making use of for the proper listings a straightforward and easy course of. With a whole bunch of listings presently accessible, it shouldn’t be neglected as a home sitting useful resource.
5. Housesitters UK
An amazing web site for locating UK home sits is Housesitters UK. It’s the largest house and pet sitting platform that offers solely with the UK. 1000’s of individuals have put their belief in Housesitters UK, giving them a 5-star Feefo customer service rating.
Very similar to Thoughts My Home, owners record their properties without cost which at all times ensures an incredible number of accessible houses to use for. Home sitters can be a part of for the low annual payment of simply $37 which makes it an extremely inexpensive service.
With over 700 energetic listings presently accepting functions, Housesitters UK is a critical contender because the UK’s go-to home sitting choice.
Private Expertise Housesitting within the UK
I used to be born and raised within the UK and regardless of leaving just a few years in the past it’ll at all times be residence. It’s the place I constructed my profile as a home sitter while planning my long-term journey journey, and it’s someplace I proceed to discover as a part of my new digital nomad life-style.
My first 3 home sits have been all based mostly round my residence in Cambridgeshire, while I nonetheless lived within the county. The shut proximity of them to my residence and workplace meant I used to be capable of perform the sits, and nonetheless go to work as regular while having fun with the sensation of being away. All of the whereas, I used to be banking constructive opinions for my profile. I extremely suggest contemplating just a few native listings to get your opinions up earlier than you start making use of for London penthouses.
My experiences of home sitting within the UK have all been tremendous constructive. Bath was an incredible location to pet sit. I took care of a shocking residence and a principally out of doors Maine Coon cat referred to as Leia. The house was located a brief stroll from the town heart and had beautiful metropolis views from the backyard terrace. It was a pleasure to spend a month there.
Though I’ve visited London many instances, home sitting there gave me a contemporary perspective of the UK’s capital. Taking care of 4 small canine meant exploring parks and recreation areas that I’d by no means have in any other case come throughout. With the primary points of interest just some tube stops away, it was good to really feel each at residence and on trip on the similar time.
Greatest Areas to Home Sit within the UK
The UK encompasses England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, so there are such a lot of fantastic locations to discover. I lived there for over 30 years and though the UK is tiny in comparison with locations just like the US, I barely scratched the floor. Home sitting has actually opened up alternatives for me to discover additional afield. Listed here are just a few of my favourite UK locations to search out home sits.
1. London
Properly the place else to start out however the nation’s capital, London? One of many world’s best cities and a spot everybody ought to go to at a while throughout their lives. I used to be fortunate sufficient to dwell an hour away for many of my life and have loved numerous journeys there.
It’s additionally the UK’s biggest city with round 9 million inhabitants. This implies there’s at all times lots occurring and many various areas to contemplate. A few of my favourite areas are Camden, Covent Garden, and Leicester Square. These are all well-liked vacationer spots and make for nice for day journeys, evenings out, and for ticking off a number of London’s iconic landmarks.
Any home sit within the broader London space will undoubtedly have glorious connectivity by way of the London Underground. The Tube is dependable, low-cost, and is a really environment friendly manner of traversing the town. London is inside straightforward attain of each the south and east coasts of England, so it’s a really perfect base for exploring additional afield.
Location: London is positioned within the south of England, UK. It’s round 50 (80 km) miles from the southern coast and 40 miles (64 km) to the east coast. It’s certainly one of England’s most related cities with a number of worldwide airports, practice stations, and bus terminals.
2. Cambridge
Even nearer to residence for me, Cambridge was at all times on my doorstep. It’s one other of the good UK cities to contemplate for home sitting alternatives. It was within the county of Cambridgeshire the place I racked up my first 4 home sits, so I can affirm there are ample alternatives accessible across the space.
Cambridge is a good looking metropolis stuffed with tradition and beautiful structure, and presents an exquisite restaurant and bar scene. It’s residence to the third oldest university in steady operation on the earth. The distinguished University of Cambridge is an iconic establishment famend all over the world. Its affect and impression will be seen and felt all through the town.
There are additionally many nice cities and cities inside straightforward attain of Cambridge; it’s one other well-located and well-connected UK location. A home sit even remotely shut by would enable for just a few nice day journeys into Cambridge. Remember to try my earlier article detailing the perfect 2-day itinerary for Cambridge.
Location: Cambridge is positioned towards the southeastern aspect of England, UK, and is properly related to a lot of the UK by Cambridge Train Station. Stansted International Airport is beneath an hour away and Central London will be reached in round 45 minutes to 1 hour by way of train.
3. Bathtub
I beloved my time home sitting in Bath. I’d solely ever visited for the day so after I noticed an inventory for a 2-month keep, I jumped on the alternative. The entire metropolis is a Unesco World Heritage Site and is likely one of the most lovely and historic cities within the UK.
Named for the well-known 2,000-year-old Roman Baths on which it was initially constructed, Bath is a middle of historic significance, and cultural significance, and a hub for world tourism. Bath Abbey, the Pulteney Bridge, and The Circus are just some of the architectural feats that I bought to take pleasure in day by day whereas staying in Bathtub.
With two giant universities based mostly within the metropolis, you too can ensure of a vigorous and vibrant social scene. I’ve written extensively on my keep on this metropolis so remember to try my earlier articles together with the 15 Best Pubs in Bath. It’s a unbelievable place to safe a home sit.
Location: Bath is positioned on the southwest aspect of England, UK. Cardiff, the capital metropolis of Wales is 45 miles (72 km) away. London is 115 miles (185 km) and common direct trains take round 90 minutes to get to the capital.
4. Edinburgh
A metropolis that has been on my radar for a few years is Edinburgh. Sadly, I’m but to make the journey north however have solely ever heard nice issues about Scotland’s capital metropolis. It’s a spot that’s steeped in historical past and tradition, recognized for its beautiful structure, vibrant festivals, and wealthy heritage.
Edinburgh is residence to quite a few historic landmarks, together with Edinburgh Castle, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official Scottish residence of King Charles III. The Royal Mile is a historic avenue that runs via the center of the Old Town connecting Edinburgh Citadel to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and is lined with unbelievable retailers and pubs.
Edinburgh is probably most well-known for its festivals, with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe being the world’s largest arts festival. Town comes alive with performers, artists, and guests from across the globe throughout the pageant season. I do know that a number of locals depart throughout pageant season, maybe the perfect time to safe some free home sitting lodging?
Location: Edinburgh is positioned in Scotland which is probably the most northern nation throughout the UK. It’s properly related with a lot of the UK by way of Waverly Train Station and Edinburgh International Airport. London is over 400 miles (643 km) south and takes round 8 hours to drive or 5 hours by way of practice.
5. Cornwall
The county of Cornwall encompasses England’s most southwestern area. It’s one other space that continues to be certainly one of my saved searches on Trusted Housesitters. I’m simply patiently ready for the proper sit on the proper time to come back alongside!
Cornwall, notably Newquay, Truro, and St Austell, attracts vacationers with its breathtaking coastlines, sandy seashores, and delicate UK local weather. The world-famous Cornish Pasty is a pleasant native deal with.
Being such a preferred vacationer spot, for abroad guests and UK residents alike, lodging will be very costly in Cornwall. That is very true throughout the late spring and summer time seasons. However, very like with Edinburgh throughout Fringe, a number of locals seize this chance to get out of city, and lots of home sitting alternatives await.
Location: Cornwall is a county positioned within the southwestern area of England, UK. The coastal city of Newquay is round 5 hours from London by way of each automobile and train. There are a number of daily flights connecting it to London which take round an hour.
Is the UK Protected?
The UK is taken into account a safe place to visit. The nation has a well-established authorized system, a powerful police presence, and customarily low ranges of violent crime. Vacationer locations and main cities usually have strong safety measures in place to make sure the protection of holiday makers.
Nonetheless, like several vacation spot, the protection of particular areas throughout the UK can fluctuate. Whereas the most important cities are typically secure, guests ought to train warning in sure neighborhoods, significantly throughout the night. Petty crimes, reminiscent of pickpocketing and bag snatching, can happen in crowded vacationer areas. It’s advisable for vacationers to remain vigilant and apply commonsense precautions.
General, with correct consciousness and mindfulness, the United Kingdom is usually thought-about a secure and welcoming vacation spot for vacationers from all over the world.
Execs and Cons of Being a Home Sitter within the UK
There are just a few execs and cons potential home sitters ought to concentrate on earlier than embarking on an task within the UK. I’ve outlined my prime ones for you right here;
Execs of Home Sitting within the UK
- Cultural Richness: The UK presents entry to many various and wealthy cultural scenes. Historic landmarks, museums, theaters, and fabulous structure are to be discovered all throughout the nation.
- Healthcare System: The Nationwide Well being Service (NHS) gives UK residents with free complete healthcare providers. If you’re a resident of the EU, you may additionally be entitled to free emergency healthcare while within the UK.
- Value Financial savings: Home sitting lets you discover lodging with out the massive expense of motels or house leases.
- Public Transportation: Environment friendly and well-connected public transportation methods, together with buses, trains, and the London Underground, make commuting and touring throughout the nation handy.
- Multicultural Society: The UK’s multicultural society is predominantly a welcoming surroundings for people from completely different backgrounds and cultures.
- Social Scene: Most UK cities supply a vibrant social scene with loads of pubs, eating places, and cultural occasions, offering loads of alternatives for leisure and socializing.
- International Connectivity: As a hub for worldwide journey and enterprise, being within the UK will present easy accessibility to world locations and a world of onward alternatives. Funds airways usually have low-cost offers for European locations.
- Visa: Not like a lot of the world which restricts guests to a 30-90 day go to, the UK welcomes most guests for a most of 6 months on a vacationer visa. This permits for extra exploring and opens up alternatives for longer home sits.
- Nice Meals – Any rumors you’ve heard about British meals are improper! Conventional fish and chips, Sunday roast dinners, and Scottish haggis are style sensations that should be tried.
Cons of Home Sitting within the UK
- Value of Dwelling: Some areas within the UK, significantly main cities like London, have a considerably greater value of residing in comparison with different locations I’ve visited. Guests might want to price range properly for gasoline, transportation, and day by day bills.
- Climate Variability: The UK is thought for its unpredictable climate, with frequent rain and overcast skies, which could not be interesting to people preferring extra secure climates. As a lifelong resident, I can affirm the rumors are true – the climate isn’t nice.
- Value of Healthcare: Regardless of the advantages of a free NHS for residents and a few guests, many guests won’t qualify without cost healthcare. Remember to have enough insurance coverage in place to cowl any medical incidences or threat of being hit with a giant invoice.
- No Entry to Hosts Automobile – Not like many different nations the place the automobile is insured for anybody to drive, the UK insures particular person drivers. It will imply that many hosts are unlikely to depart a automobile for home sitters to make use of. It’s doable so as to add individuals to insurance coverage insurance policies however this may be an costly and arduous job the hosts might not want to bear.
- Crowded City Areas: City facilities, particularly in London, will be very densely populated, resulting in heavy site visitors congestion, crowded public transportation, and really busy public areas.
- Value of Transport: Though the UK has a well-connected and environment friendly transportation system, trains can usually be very costly. Strikes are additionally fairly frequent and might happen with minimal discover to a practice you could have booked.
- Automobile Fees: Many main cities now have expenses for issues like tolls, low-emission zones, and congestion expenses. London now even has an ultra-low emission zone. Not having a automobile, particularly in London may very well be a constructive as making an attempt to keep away from a tremendous can generally be trickier than it appears to be like.
The best way to Begin Home Sitting within the UK: FAQs
Listed here are some solutions to probably the most generally requested questions on home sitting within the UK:
Sure, it’s advisable to have a good insurance coverage coverage while home sitting within the UK. Whereas some home and pet sitting platforms supply a component of protection for host cancellations, it’s important to make sure issues like healthcare are lined. Medical bills, even for minor occasions, can incur important prices for many non-UK and EU residents.
Having insurance coverage wherever you’re from will present monetary safety and peace of thoughts throughout your time home sitting within the UK.
Changing into a pet sitter within the UK includes becoming a member of a good home or pet sitting platform. A number of platforms, reminiscent of Trusted Housesitters and Housesitters UK, supply a spread of listings for sitters throughout the UK. Every platform has various options and membership costs to accommodate completely different budgets.
Usually, you gained’t be paid to be a home sitter within the UK. The association generally includes exchanging your home sitting providers for the possibility to remain in a welcoming residence, providing a cushty base for exploration and an enhanced total expertise.
Sure, yow will discover alternatives for home sitting within the UK with out pets. Varied web sites characteristic listings the place the primary duty is solely overseeing a property. Nonetheless, it’s important to notice that most often, home sitting preparations usually embrace the care of a number of pets as a part of the general settlement.
How lengthy you possibly can keep within the UK as a home sitter is completely depending on the place you’re from. While most guests will be capable to entry a 6-month vacationer visa and not using a payment or want for an utility, some guests might want to apply and pay a cost.
If you happen to’re pondering of home sitting within the UK long run, remember to test all visa info absolutely earlier than making use of for or accepting a home sit. It’s important you keep inside the timeframe and laws of the visa you’re getting into the UK beneath.
Home sitting within the UK presents a mix of cultural immersion, scenic magnificence, and social delights. From the attract and allure of cities like London and Manchester to the breathtaking landscapes of Scotland and Wales, every area gives a particular expertise.
Taking over a home sitting placement within the UK will let you genuinely dwell in a spot fairly than simply visiting. Irrespective of the place I’ve taken a placement I’ve at all times discovered this creates a deeper reference to the native life-style and tradition.
You don’t want a qualification to develop into a home sitter within the UK. Nonetheless, most web sites will ask you to create a totally verified profile that lists as a lot expertise and details about your self as doable.
It’s advisable to incorporate as a lot info as you possibly can to make sure a potential host feels snug choosing you as the proper candidate to take care of their residence.
Sure, you possibly can home sit within the UK without cost, as most postings sometimes don’t contain an change of cash. Nonetheless, that is contingent on customers having signed up and paid a modest membership payment on a home sitting web site. Whereas some websites supply a free profile choice, accessing and making use of for home sits often at all times requires turning into a full-paying member.
Membership costs begin as little as $29/12 months (Mind My House), and even Trusted Housesitters, with over 7,000 energetic listings, presents an all-inclusive yearly membership that’s cheaper than a cushty weekend metropolis break.
In Conclusion
Having lived within the UK for many of my life, it’s been a pleasure to write down about it for you right here. It’s jogged my memory of the numerous fantastic components the UK has to supply that when have been available on my doorstep. I by no means took them as a right but it surely’s maybe solely as soon as leaving the UK that I’ve begun to understand all of the elements of residence that I miss.
It’s an incredible location to discover a home sitting posting. Not solely as a result of actually hundreds of persons are presently accepting functions, however due to the true breadth of tradition and delight I personally have skilled while home sitting in several cities across the UK.
Home sitting was a game-changer for my life and desires of touring extensively. I want you luck in turning into a home sitter your self and touchdown some wonderful UK home sits within the close to future.
