House-Sitting as a Travel Lifestyle: How One Family Found Freedom, Community, and a World Full of Home

The Beginning of an Adventure

We didn’t begin house-sitting with a grand plan. In fact, it started with a disaster.

It was midnight in a tiny French village when we walked more than a mile — children, luggage and all — to discover that the Airbnb we’d booked didn’t actually exist. The “hosts” admitted they didn’t even own the property; they were simply “seeing if anyone would be interested.” Nothing was open, no taxis, no hotels. So that night, we tucked the kids up outside the train station and turned it into an “adventure.”

As my family slept, I stayed awake, determined that this would never happen again. While the village lay silent around us, I made $6,000 online and typed a sentence that changed our lives: How to live in the world for free.

That search led us to international house-sitting.

Our First House-Sitting Experience

Within weeks, we had said yes to our first sit — six months in rural Romania, in a village that had never seen an English family before. Temperatures dropped to –18°C, the roads froze solid, and neighbours brought us eggs, stories and warmth.

By the end of our stay, after months of fixing, gardening, caring for animals and helping around the home, we donated a washing machine to the owners, who had become dear friends. That first experience was humbling, grounding, and completely life-changing.

The Journey Continues

Eight years later, house-sitting has taken us across Europe and beyond, from cosy cottages to off-grid fincas, from snowy woods to sun-baked olive groves. We’ve cared for everything from Great Danes to cuddly chickens, donkeys, ducks, horses, sheep, pigs, goats and even an axolotl. Every home taught us something new — about people, animals, culture and ourselves.

And somewhere along the way, we cleared all our debt, simplified our lives, and stepped into a lifestyle that feels purposeful, connected and beautifully free.

How to Begin (And Why Families Really Can Do This)\

For anyone wanting to try house-sitting, the best place to start is close to home. A weekend sit nearby gives you references, confidence, and the chance to learn without pressure. When we started, we used our Airbnb reviews — anything that showed we were responsible, clean and respectful.

Platforms like Nomador are wonderful, and today, there are countless Facebook groups for almost any country you want to visit. The key is your profile: warm photos, honest descriptions, clear communication. Never pretend to be something you’re not. Trust is everything in this world.

Travel insurance is essential for any trip, offering peace of mind and protection. Explore options with SafetyWing or SquareMouth to find the coverage you need.

The Benefits for Families

Our children learned early on how to behave in someone else’s home, how to care for animals gently, and how to respect property. Once homeowners saw how responsible they were, doors opened everywhere. From then on, sits began coming to us — invitations, not applications. Some for days, some for months, one for a whole year.

And yes — families absolutely can do this. In fact, many homeowners prefer families, believing (often rightly) that children bring steadiness, kindness and reliability.

Read More: Family Travel on a Budget: How to Save More and Enjoy More

The Heart of a Country Lives in Its Homes

What we love most about house-sitting is that you don’t stay on the surface of a place. Hotels give you a comfortable bubble; house-sitting lets you step straight into the heartbeat of a community.

Neighbours introduce themselves quickly — often with vegetables, eggs, fresh bread or stories. We’ve been welcomed to dinners, taught local traditions, pulled into festivals, shown hidden waterfalls and invited into tiny community events tourists never know exist.

Building Lifelong Connections

Some homeowners became lifelong friends. Others we’ve visited again and again. Some still message us regularly, sharing photos of animals the kids once adored.

And we always try to leave a place better than we found it. In Romania, we left footballs in local parks so children had something to play with. In Hungary, we chopped and stacked enough firewood and kindling to last the winter. In Spain, we repaired a car, demolished unsafe buildings and built a huge fruit and vegetable garden with full irrigation. Acts of kindness flow both ways, always.

The Places That Stole Our Hearts

Every country has been meaningful for different reasons.

Hungary was our son’s favourite — endless woods, donkeys, deer, snow sledging, a hot tub under the stars, and the funniest Christmas video we’ve ever made (donkeys included).

Spain was my husband’s paradise — ten acres of off-grid land, quad bikes, a pool, a rooftop terrace, local markets, and a herd of goats that passed by twice a month.

Our daughter fell in love with a countryside home where she discovered a secret door to a games room and a 100-year-old dolls’ house she was allowed to play with.

And Romania will always be my favourite — our first sit, where kindness wrapped around us like a warm blanket and reminded us how good people can be.

Lessons Learned

We’ve had power cuts, frozen pipes, surprise puppy births (from a dog we were told was male), runaway chickens, and four days without water. But every challenge became a memory, a lesson, a story we still laugh about.

Read More: The World Is Our Classroom: What Eight Years of House-Sitting Taught Our Family

The Life It Created for Us

When we started, we were drowning in debt. Three years later, through house-sitting and living simply, we cleared it all. But the real gift wasn’t financial — it was who our children became.

They learned courage, resilience, adaptability, curiosity and compassion. They care deeply for the planet and naturally leave every place better than they found it. They know how to connect with people of all ages and backgrounds. They understand cultures, accents, traditions and ways of living. They are non-materialistic, aware, grounded and confident.

Most importantly, they know that home is a feeling, not a place.

If You’re Even Slightly Curious… Try It

Try one house-sit near home. A weekend. A short holiday. Just enough to feel whether this lifestyle sparks something in you.

If you don’t have to spend money on accommodation, you’ll have more to spend on experiences — and more space to discover who you become when the world opens its doors to you.

We wish we’d known about this sooner.

It changed everything for us.

And it might just change everything for you too.

Need a hand planning your trip? Here are the sites and services we rely on most, from booking tools to travel products we love.

Inspire your next adventure with our articles below:

• One Carry-On Each: Our Family’s Budget Travel Lifestyle
• How Pet Sitting Can Help You Travel: Exploring Free Accommodation Through Trusted Housesitters

Author Bio: Laura Helen is a multi-bestselling author, worldschooling mum, and adventure-led creator who has spent nearly a decade travelling full-time with her family. Featured on Sky TV and across international media, she helps families rewrite their stories, live with purpose, and turn the world into a living classroom. With a playful heart and a deep belief that life is meant to be lived fully, Laura inspires others to choose courage, curiosity, and connection—wherever in the world they may be.

Want to discover more hidden gems and helpful travel tips? Join our free newsletter for the latest travel secrets and travel articles.

We are reader-supported and may earn a commission on purchases made through links in this article.