The house-sitting metamorphosis

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Loren Sirl takes us on her nostalgic journey as a house-sitter, at a time when the practice was far from popular, contrasting it with the trendy and sustainable lifestyle it has become today.

Before it became popular, cool and ‘vibey’, I was a house-sitter. Back then, some 25 years ago, words like cheapskate, weird and eeeeewwww were the responses I’d encounter. And who would let their house become inhabited by complete strangers, for goodness sake!

Nowadays people tend to nod their heads in agreeable satisfaction whenever the word ‘house-sitting’ is spoken — rent-free, sustainable, dollar savvy — a trendy tone has since attached itself to the task.

Starting out, I minded friends’ homes and their pets while they were away and since then my list of animal caring has extended. From Japanese Koi fish, horses, highland cattle, pedigree border collies, rabbits, sensitive rescue dogs and cats who thought they were dogs, the list continued . . . I joined a house-sitting website, gathering up top-star reviews as I went and offers of palatial house-sits from around the globe started to accumulate in my inbox.

Some pets provided me with a good laugh — the big ginger cat who was so fat he would get stuck in the cat flap, back legs waving in the air. Some gave me heart palpitations. The pedigree show collie, whose owners left me with strict instructions, was “definitely, absolutely not to eat any bones” (due to a long-term gut issue). On day one, I peered outside to spot a rubbish bin strewn across the back lawn and alongside, a happy-looking dog munching on lamb bones from the previous night’s tea! Many frantic calls to the vet followed, with a 24-hour wait time to see if he would pull through (he did).

Then there were the owners, a certain town doctor and his wife in their architecturally designed glass house. We met, I was sipping tea and when I got to the bottom of the cup, something was etched on the inside of the porcelain cup. I peered closer — explicit erotic images. Almost gagging on the last gulp of tea, I quickly diverted my attention. “Oh, great view you have from the kitchen!” Later I discovered the bottoms of their teacup range all depicted various erotic drawings.

There was the pet rabbit I tripped over on Christmas Eve, followed by a race to the local hospital for stitches and the huge huntsman pet spider, called Harry, who roamed freely throughout the house. “Oh, don’t mind Harry,” they said. “He won’t hurt you!” (Harry and I didn’t get on well, needless to say.)

A memorable house-sit, for all the wrong reasons, was the Japanese Koi fish. Japanese Koi — an ornamental version of the common carp fish, often kept in ponds — can grow up to 85cm in length and can live for over 100 years. A lovely retired couple on their lifestyle property had a patio pond filled with Koi. “Oh, we’ve had those fish for years and years”, they proudly said as they departed for their holiday.

It was 6am the first morning of the sit, and I headed out, past the pond for an early morning jog. Glancing over, I noticed with sheer horror that 10 or so Koi were belly up, while many more were gasping for breath. Panic! — racing to see what the problem was, early calls to the owners who, thankfully, were very sympathetic. An overnight storm had cut the power to the pond’s pump. I waded in murky waters, trying to clear filters. Covered in fish slime, while on frenzied calls to local aquatic experts, I managed to find a neighbour skilled in pumps who came to the rescue. Still, about 10 fish died. “It’s our fault, don’t worry,” said the owners. “We had too many in the pond.”

As I carried the huge fish one by one to be buried in the mound of dirt later that day, another storm broke out, with fierce lightning and blackened skies. While I was attempting to bury fish, with rain rapidly dispersing the dirt, fish eyes and fins began poking out of the gravesite. I felt very much like the grim reaper of Japanese Koi.

The benefits of house-sitting are the opportunity to meet and make new friends. A house-sit in the Cotswolds, UK saw me climbing an ancient church staircase for bell ringing practice with the local bell-ringers club. Some homeowners leave you thank you gifts or an extra present under their Christmas tree; others have been known to jump on their mower within hours of returning home, re-mowing their lawn for neighbourhood brownie points. (The edges just weren’t sharp enough apparently.) I got emails from some homeowners after departing.  “The dog has gone into depression, missing their daily early morning walks.”

Not to be left out, there was my own cat who was able to come with me on one house-sit. Before embarking on their trip, the German couple, (not cat lovers), were chatting in the lounge. My cat, being the remarkable insightful creature that he was, knew this and spent the day on top of the greenhouse, swishing his tail and glaring up at them. This was the only time he ever did his business inside — right in their tropical centrepiece lounge-room plant.

As popularity has grown, so too have the number of house-sitting websites.

Co-founder of the popular website Aussie Housesitters & Kiwi Housesitters, Kylie Fuad said, “We have seen a large increase in house sitting, especially after Covid. I think it is partly due to the huge travel demand after two years of people being very limited in their movement. It is also due to the increased cost of living. House-sitting is an affordable way to live and travel.” The benefits of joining these types of websites are made clearer by Mrs Fuad,

“Using a website means you have support in finding a suitable job if you’re a sitter, and a suitable sitter if you’re a homeowner. We have a private messaging system, which is a great way to begin communication between the sitter and the owner. Personal details are only exchanged once both parties are comfortable doing so. It also means that all communication is recorded and easy to refer to during a house-sit.”

I knew it was time to reign in on full-time house-sitting when I drove home from work one day with the thought, “Where the heck do I live today?” . . . realising I had no idea.

I had frightening visions of being alone in a ward in the distant future, muttering to myself while rocking back and forth, with addresses and instruction lists swimming through my mind. I also dreamed of owning my own sock drawer — just the simple joys of life, a drawer I could pull out with my own socks in it.

If you decide to venture out on your own house-sitting experience, a rewarding experience awaits you. The beautiful animals you are likely to encounter and new friends are just some of the perks.

Tips — Gain as many references as you can. Be upfront and honest about yourself on your profile and in applications. If you know you are not really a large-sized dog lover, don’t apply for that house-sit, don’t be lured by the sea views and designer lounge photos on the ad. Treat the home and animals in your care as if they were your own, shower them with love and attention, and leave the house clean and tidy, just as you would like to arrive home and find it.

Cons — you will either become a pro at mastering new appliances and TV remotes or you will long for the good old days where the only button to navigate is the on/off switch or the hot/cold option.