Housesitting Heaven

While any type of person may enjoy housesitting, experts say typical sitters are retired couples, writers, researchers or students able to work from anywhere with an Internet connection. There are even housesitting professionals who happily move from property to property without being burdened by the shackles of homeownership.

Why is this transient situation so appealing?

First of all, sitters experience an area or a country they might never have been able to visit otherwise. Indeed, a new survey at MindMyHouse.com found that an overwhelming 40% of housesitters said they were simply looking for a change of scene.

"Housesitters get to live rent-free in some beautiful areas and homes, and for many retirees, or those contemplating retirement, they get to try out different geographic areas and plan where they would live during their retirement," Dunn points out.

Feeling more adventurous than caring for an apartment in Paris? There are numerous tales of once-in-a-lifetime housesitting experiences in isolated farm ranches to bed and breakfast lodges in the middle of rainforests.

"We wore someone else's shoes for 8 months," says Shelley Hamel, who stayed with her husband in a remote cabin for eight months in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. "We ate what they had in the pantry for us, which meant learning to make bread on a camp stove, eating kale daily, watching out for grizzlies. And we'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Similarly, Susan Morrison is currently housesitting with her boyfriend on Kodiak Island in south-central Alaska. They call a secluded lodge home, with the nearest neighbors nine miles away -- by boat. They receive mail once a week via seaplane.

"The lodge is located on a bay so there is abundant sea and land life, such as sea lions, otters, ducks, bald eagles and fox," says Morrison. "We will be here again next winter because we enjoy it so much -- the solitude, the wildlife and the slower pace."

Meanwhile, homeowners say they're equally positive about the experience because they can be confident that their house will be protected from trespassers, any maintenance problems will be addressed instantly and mail won't pile up. Small tasks can also be thrown in as part of the deal, such as the sitter dropping the owner off at the airport in exchange for the use of a car.

"For various weeks we have ... fed and chased goats, turkeys, a cow, miniature horses, chickens, peacocks and canaries. The experiences are always unique, but always fun and a great chance to explore new regions of the world," says Nancy Dillman-Cadigan, who lives on a 45-foot sailboat docked in Marina Del Ray, Calif., and who has boatsat for people along the Pacific Coast and Sea of Cortez.

	Your Dream Home, No Money Down

While housesitting generally gets glowing reviews from people on both sides of the experience, industry Web sites point out the importance of checking references.

Most offer advice on how to check applicants, including tips on screening and on background checks.

But overall, housesitters and homeowners report an enthralling, affordable experience.

"It's a great service," says Jean Sampel, a retired gallery owner who cares for a 200-year-old Spanish colonial home in Mexico with her husband. "We provide security, property management and guardianship of someone's home at very little expense to the homeowner. And, best of all, we have formed wonderful new friendships and cultural understanding."

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