Quick answer: Yes! But having some relevant experience definitely helps.
Welcome back to our mini house sitting blog series! In these short and specific posts, we dig into the questions we get asked most. After 5 years of full-time house and pet sitting around the world, we've learnt that getting started isn't always as difficult as people think. So let's dive in…
Today’s Topic: Can You House Sit Without Any Experience?
Yes! You don’t need previous house sitting experience to get started.
One thing we’ve noticed is that most people have more relevant experience than they realise. They just don't think to count it.
Have you ever looked after a friend’s dog? Fed the class goldfish? Cared for a neighbour’s cat while they were away? Helped walk a family member’s puppy?
It all counts.
House and pet sitting isn’t necessarily about having years of professional animal care experience. It’s about being responsible, reliable, respectful of other people’s homes and comfortable caring for animals.
What Counts as Experience?
You might be surprised by how much you can draw on:
Pet ownership: Have you owned a dog, cat, rabbit or even a goldfish? You already understand some of the responsibilities involved in animal care.
Helping friends and family: Walking a friend’s dog or feeding the family cat while your parents are on holiday both count.
Childhood experiences: Looking after the class pet, caring for a neighbour’s animals or growing up around pets are all worth mentioning.
Looking after someone's home: Have you stayed in someone else’s property or rented through Airbnb? This demonstrates trust and respect for other people’s spaces.
Professional experience: Working with animals, gardening, property maintenance or even customer-facing roles can demonstrate useful skills.
You don’t need to tick every box. The trick is recognising what you’ve already done and explaining why it makes you a good candidate.
How to Build Your Profile Without Reviews
If you’re completely new to house and pet sitting, you might be wondering how to convince homeowners to trust you without any reviews.
There are a few ways to strengthen your profile:
Ask friends and family for references. Anyone who knows you as a responsible, reliable person or animal lover can provide a character reference.
Collect external reviews. TrustedHousesitters now allows members to import eligible reviews from other platforms, including Airbnb, helping you demonstrate that you're respectful and trustworthy in other people's homes.
Include relevant photos. Pictures of you with animals you’ve cared for help bring your experience to life.
Write a detailed profile. Explain your background, lifestyle, experience with animals and why you’re interested in house and pet sitting. Keeping the pets at the centre of it all helps, as people love their animals like their children.
Be honest. Don’t claim experience you dontt have. Homeowners appreciate transparency, particularly when it comes to their pets.
Can You Get Your First Sit Without Reviews?
Yes, you can! We all start somewhere, and it can be a little more challenging with no reviews.
Homeowners often receive several applications, and sitters with plenty of positive reviews naturally have an advantage. But everyone starts somewhere!
Our advice? Apply for shorter, local sits first. These can be a great way to gain experience, build relationships with homeowners and collect those all-important first reviews.
Don’t overlook opportunities looking after animals you’re already familiar with, either. If you’ve spent years around cats but never owned a dog, a cat sit could be a great starting point.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a portfolio of housesitting reviews or a professional animal care qualification to get started.
You just need to demonstrate that you’re responsible, reliable, respectful and that you really care about the animals and homes you’re looking after.
Remember, everyone starts somewhere. And chances are, you’ve already got more experience than you think!
Stay tuned for more mini blogs :)
Got questions about house sitting? We’d love to help. Message us anytime on Instagram: @hitchedhikingandhousesitting 🫶
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