House-sitting proves money-saver for Australians

Tamar Prevett has been house-sitting since 2015. Photo / News Corp

Australian woman Tamar Prevett has not paid rent or mortgage payments for three years, saving what she estimates to be at least A$45,000; and that's without counting the electricity bills and home maintenance costs she has also avoided.

All she has had to do to live for free is look after the odd cat, dog or bird, something she does not mind in the slightest.

"I love pets," Prevett said. "I'm a cat person in particular, so it's great."

The 38-year-old Brisbane HR adviser has been house-sitting since 2015, when a relationship ended and she was assessing her options. She signed up to Mindahome.com.au, one of several platforms, along with australianhousesitter.com.au and housesitters.com.au to match house and pet sitters with owners looking for peace of mind while away on trips.

"I work in Brisbane and my family is close by in Bribie Island," Prevett said. "I have done house sits from the Gold Coast right up to the Sunshine Coast."

This week Prevett moved into a house she is sitting over the Christmas break; the third Christmas in a row she has done so for the owners, who enjoy knowing their two cats are looked after.

"They save money, their pets are in their own house and not a kennel," Prevett said. "People's pets are everything to them.

"For me, there are great savings in terms of bills and rent, plus the houses are quite beautiful and nice to stay at."

Prevett knows people that have saved a stack on accommodation by sitting while travelling both domestically and abroad.

"It's the only way I'd travel around Australia now, knowing how much you can save," she said.

Mindahome.com.au statistics show 40 per cent of members choose to travel as housesitters in order to save money and live like a local. Founder Sue Coombs said there are approximately 30 per cent more jobs at this time of year than on average.

"There's an increase in jobs because people are going away and not only is it expensive to travel, but often you can't get in anywhere," Coombs said. "We've got between 550 and 600 jobs currently available and that is rolling over all the time."

Jobs are spread around different states and include sought-after holiday destinations, such as Lake Macquarie and Callala Bay in NSW; Hervey Bay, Cairns, Redland Bay, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast in Qld; Sorrento in Western Australia and even Darwin.

"Some people are career housesitters, they make a job out of it and save serious money," Coombs said. "Australians like to travel, we're very trusting and it's seen as quite a safe country. We love animals and it's also a pretty expensive country, so it's a great way to save some money."

Anyone interested in sitting can sign on for an annual fee, ranging from $30 to $49, depending on which service you use, while homeowners can join free of charge.

The housesitters live rent free, while homeowners save on pet sitting costs and enjoy peace of mind as a bonus.

The house-sitting websites act as an introductory service, but users are responsible for their own insurance.

"A lot of the trust rests on homeowners, but we provide them with a lot of great information," Coombs said. "It's like sitters are applying for a job and homeowners need to treat them as such, like they're employing them for a short time."