Top tips for being a great house and pet sitter

House and pet sitting is open to anyone with the will to travel and a love for animals. That’s it!

New people to meet, new places to visit and new pets to keep you company are just around the corner on a house and pet sitting adventure.

But some sitters are more successful than others in securing positions. With a variety of house and pet sitting opportunities across Australia ready and waiting for the ideal candidate, we’ve put together a few tips that can help you stand out above the rest:

Treat every listed position like a job interview
Respond to house and pet sitting positions professionally. This is your first impression and if the home owner likes what you have to say, they will look further at your profile. Continue reading “Top tips for being a great house and pet sitter”

Top five reasons why house and pet sitting is perfect for seniors who love to travel

Australia’s mature aged travellers are ideally suited to take full advantage of all that house and pet sitting holidays have to offer.

With the independence to travel when they want and armed with the technological know-how to source house and pet sitting opportunities at the touch of a button online, senior travellers have taken their travel plans into their own hands and are saving money along the way.

Here are Mindahome’s top 5 reasons why house and pet sitting is perfect for travel hungry seniors: Continue reading “Top five reasons why house and pet sitting is perfect for seniors who love to travel”

House and pet sitting for families – a great way to trial pet ownership and experience new places

Jai Dyson collects eggs from the chooks while his family house-sits a hobby farm near Perth If you’re lucky enough to own your own pet, then you can appreciate the companionship that a family pet can provide, especially for children.

A report from the Australian Companion Animal Council revealed that more than being a simple playmate and confidante, pets may also aid childhood development.

Studies have shown that children who have grown up with a dog and other pets have a stronger immune system and young children, aged five to six in a family who own a dog, are 50% less likely to be overweight or obese compared with those who do not own a dog. Even the incidental play that children undertake with their dog in the backyard or house contributes to increased levels of physical activity. Continue reading “House and pet sitting for families – a great way to trial pet ownership and experience new places”

Exploring Australia as a house and pet sitter

Whether you’re an Aussie traveller or an international backpacker travelling to Australia for the first time, there is more to see in Australia than just those listed in a tourist guide.

As a house and pet sitter you’re guaranteed unique places, new people and different animals and experiences.

As most house and pet sitters will tell you, the benefit of the lifestyle is that holiday accommodation is rent free. You can stay in is as many or as few places as you like at no cost other than the initial registration fee to join and list your details.

Rent free accommodation means you have more money to spend on sight-seeing and local attractions. Continue reading “Exploring Australia as a house and pet sitter”

The cost benefits of choosing a house and pet sitter

Knowing the options available to you for pet care and minding is the key to saving money.

Whether you have to travel unexpectedly or if you choose to holiday without your pet, engaging a house and pet sitter while you’re away presents a whole host of benefits for, not only your pet, but your wallet.

According to the Australian Companion Animal Council, Australians spend more than $374 million on boarding and minding for their dogs and around $98 million for their cats each year.

With the average minimum cost for boarding kennels being around $30 per pet, per night and this cost increasing to $80 or more for luxury standard, the bills quickly start to stack up.

For young families, who typically have more than one pet, pet care costs can accumulate to around $100 a day. Continue reading “The cost benefits of choosing a house and pet sitter”

Pet Care Checklist

Things to consider when you’re leaving your pet

Going on holidays can present some worries, especially when you have to leave your treasured family pet behind. To reduce some of your stress, the team Mindahome House and Pet Sitting has put together a simple checklist that you can use to help you prepare your pet’s holiday at home with the house and pet sitter.

Food
Ensure that you have left plenty of food for your pet, especially any special diets, with easy instructions about regularity, quantity and type for the pet sitter. It is better to have more than you would normally to allow for any spillages or spoilage. Also make sure all your food and water dishes are clean and filled. Continue reading “Pet Care Checklist”

House and pet sitting for annual holidays

The chance to stay rent free in the destination of your choice

House and pet sitting is a very rewarding and affordable way to travel Australia. Not only do you get the opportunity to meet new families and pets but you also get the rare opportunity to discover some of the lesser-known attractions of an area.

Increases in utility bills, child care fees and general living expenses all place additional pressure on Australians to work harder and longer hours, meaning holidays away become less frequent or even missed all together.

Holidays are increasingly viewed as a luxury rather than a reward for hard work during the year or the chance to de-stress and relax to take time out for yourself. Continue reading “House and pet sitting for annual holidays”

MY JOURNAL by Geordie

A diary kept by Geordie the Schnauzer of Brunswick Victoria while his owners were away. Jane is his Pet/House Sitter

March 2013

I spent the first night on your bed & Jane couldn’t find me when I left the fan in the lounge ! She came in with a torch in the middle of the night!! I brought an old bone in to the mat & lots of ants followed !!

Some big rain drops in the heat so Jane took me out into it for a refreshing walk. Jane moved the fan in our bedroom & I like to lie under the bed on the wooden floor 🙂

I dug up an old dirt filled pig’s ear & brought it in to share!! I had fun with the broom Jane used!! We had such fun this morning, & Jane seemed upset she couldn’t find the pig’s ear where I’d hidden it, that after our walk & dinner, I presented it to her on the lounge rug !!!! I just could not stop my tail from wagging but Jane picked the ear up & put it up high !!! & then she glared at me till I lay under her legs with the fan.

By the way it got to 37 degrees today so we didn’t go out till after 6. Jane’s a spoil sport as she didn’t use that broom this time but a boring brush & dustpan. Just chilling on Jane’s bed on 34 degree day – in front of fan – & I rolled over to do a big stretch & I fell off !!!! 🙂 I don’t get it …. I have to SIT before food but when I sat this morning I didn’t get any of Jane’s goodies. ( pills !!! ) Continue reading “MY JOURNAL by Geordie”

Wine, Cheese, House Sitting and Old World Charm in the Barossa Valley

About an hour’s drive northeast of Adelaide in Southern Australia lies the Barossa Valley which derives its name from the surrounding Barossa Ranges. With a population of only 20,000 people living mostly in four major towns, the area exudes a quiet, quaint serenity that belies its role as a world-class wine producing region. It is a restful and interesting location to venture out with a spot house sitting or pet sitting and take in a touch of the world!

If Germany and a bit of history interests you, then look no further, you can almost feel the atmosphere when you are house sitting in Tanunda. Continue reading “Wine, Cheese, House Sitting and Old World Charm in the Barossa Valley”

House Sitting in Melbourne’s Beachside

My name is Jo and although I am no longer a house sitter I thought I’d write and share my house sitting experiences with you. My partner and I first learned about house sitting from family and friends and I thought it sounded like an ideal way to save money on accommodation so we decided to give it a go.

We both work full time so are restricted to the southern suburbs of Melbourne within reasonably commuting distance of our jobs. I suppose we house sat and were members of Mindahome for about six months and during that time took on around six positions from Brighton to Edithvale. All jobs included pets, some of whom were hard work while others were great fun. Continue reading “House Sitting in Melbourne’s Beachside”

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