legacy travel - official partners of trusted housesitters

On December 1, 2022 we had our Canadian working visas in hand, jobs in Toronto lined up, and our flights booked. By December 21, we had thrown it all out the window. We were still moving overseas, but we wanted to live rent free, travel continually throughout Canada and the USA, and we wanted safe and reliable spaces to build our small travel business.

Finding TrustedHousesitters allowed us to do this.

Fast forward nine months and we’ve completed 12 house sits, covered 8 US states, 4 Canadian provinces, and made 20 furry friends. The business is doing OK too!

We’ve been skiing in Banff; driven through the Canadian Rockies; lived just around the corner from the White House; cruised through Alaska; overlooked the Grand Canyon; watched the sun rise and set over Niagara Falls; eaten way too much Texas BBQ; and we’ve seen every inch of every Disney in every World.

And we’re also booked out with housesits until September 2024 - a whole year away!

So, What is TrustedHousesitters?

TrustedHousesitters is a global community that connects pet parents with reliable and trustworthy house sitters. And whether you’re looking for an overnight stay or a three month house sit, there is something suitable for everyone.

Annual plans start from just AUD$109, and it is the best money you will ever spend.

You can join TrustedHousesitters by clicking here and all of our Legacy Travellers receive 25% off when you use the code LEGACYTRAVELLERS25

Benefits

There are so many benefits to travelling with TrustedHousesitters. Here are our top four!

1. Authentic Experiences

Taking photos in front of landmarks you’ve seen in movies is fun, but it pales in comparison to some of the authentic experiences we’ve had as housesitters.

As housesitters, you get a real sense of what it is like to live in different areas, and you also get to experience communities that are off the beaten track and out of the major cities. Our first housesit was in a small Canadian town called Salmon Arm! We’ve also been fortunate enough to stay in places for at least 3-4 weeks at a time which has allowed us to immerse ourselves in these communities and get a true sense of what the locals get up to. Whether it’s trying the local cuisine, hiking popular tracks, or simply supporting the local ice hockey team, the experiences are unique and what we travel for.

2. Making New Friends

One of our favourite parts of house sitting is arriving the day before a sit is set to start and sharing dinner with the pet parents. Pet parents usually encourage this as it allows them to show you around their home and answer any questions you might have, and the transition also helps the pets settle a little faster. We love it because it is a great way to meet people and find out more about their neck of the woods. We have made lifelong friends, new clients, and we’ve even got ourselves our own American grandparents!

A lot of our pet parents have also introduced us to their neighbours before departing on their holidays. This is another opportunity to meet people and make new connections. It’s great to have other people to share a meal with or to catch up for a pet play date, and we still keep in touch long after our housesits. Our friend Suzie made us maple butter and makes sure we stay on top of our duolingo goals!

3. Financial

I can hear the internal calculators going already. All of those flights must cost a fortune, right? Wrong. When we add the cost of flights between stays, transfers/ubers/public transport, as well as the odd hotel in between; and compare this with the cost of living we had been experiencing in Australia, we are spending far less per week.

We have travelled all over the place in 2023. From Vancouver to Seattle, to Washington DC and Toronto, Orlando and Dallas, as well as Calgary, New York, Las Vegas, Portland, and a small place called Biggar. We have seen a lot. Obviously some flights are more expensive than others, but when averaged out, the cost has come to around $200 per person per flight. Two to four weeks rent for $400 isn’t bad… And when you remove other costs of living such as electricity and WiFi, it looks even better. Our weekly grocery bill has even decreased because we don’t have a lot of the usual cleaning products to worry about.

4. The Pets!

We’re not going to lie… When we first started researching we were looking for house sits only. Minus the pets. Who wants cat and dog fur all over their clothes and the constant hassle of walking a dog everyday? How wrong we were! Spending time with these animals has been one of the highlights of our year. The pets are great company, can be very entertaining, and it’s great to know which pets we may or may not want in the future. I think we’ve decided on a small Australian Shepherd, a tabby cat, and a German Shepherd!

Things to Consider - Realities/Logistics

OK, now we’ve gone through everything that’s great, it’s time to delve into some of the considerations and realities of this lifestyle. This lifestyle isn’t for everyone, and the last thing we want to do is encourage anyone to get on a plane, only to find themselves in their version of hell.

Here are 3 things to consider before dusting off the suitcase and raising your middle finger to ‘the man’.

1. Adjusting to Different Time Zones

Depending on your working situation, you need to be prepared to adapt to multiple time zones. We work Australian business hours 9-5pm, which has definitely been testing at times. The West Coast isn’t too bad, as 4pm-12am was our working day. However, find yourself on the East Coast and the working hours are 6pm-2am, and 7pm-3am when daylight savings changes. We tried to push through, but it ended up being too hard. Crawling into bed at 3am, only to be woken by a hungry dog at 7am is not ideal.

We got through by operating off two different timetables. This ensures that the pets are fed and walked and their routines are not disrupted, and it also means we both get our 8 hours of sleep!

2. Airports and Flying Get Old Very Quickly

It’s easy to get excited by the allure of a jetsetting life. Instagram this, Instagram that. But it gets old, very quickly. When you factor in getting to the airport, waiting for three hours, then the time it takes to get your luggage and transfer to your final destination, even a one hour flight can turn into an 8 hour day!

We’ve managed to nullify a bit of this with access to airport lounges. They provide a great working environment, enough food and drink to keep you satisfied, and the time flies! We are Velocity Gold members with Virgin Australia, which has allowed us access to all of Air Canada’s lounges. You also receive two lounge passes per year if you are a TrustedHousesitters Premium member!

3. Your Social Life Changes

Whether you’re thinking of embarking on this journey on your own, with your significant other, or with a friend, you need to be prepared for your social life to completely change. As we mentioned earlier, you will meet a lot of new people and make a lot of new friends, however there will also be large periods of time where you might not meet anyone, and you’ll be forced to spend time on your own. This isn’t an issue for some people, but being someone’s everything (partner, colleague, friend, gym buddy) 24/7, week after week, month after month, can test even the strongest of relationships!

Tips for Success!

You’ve read through all of the above, and you want to give this a go but you’re still a bit unsure… Don’t worry! Over the course of the year, we’ve learned some lessons the hard way so that you don’t have to. And being the legends that we are, we’ve compiled a nice list of tips so that you have the best possible chance for success!

  1. Take the time to create a really good profile. Pet parents care for their animals just as much as parents care for their children. They really do take the time to read your profile and your application message.

  2. Create a profile early and start collecting references. Even if they’re from friends and family about their pets you’ve cared for, reviews help build your credibility when you apply for house sits. Everyone has to start somewhere, and we were knocked back quite a few times before we got our first sit!

  3. Set notifications for your preferred dates and areas of interest! This is a competitive environment and other sitters are quick to apply. We’ve found that if we take the time to write a well written application letter, and we’re first in, most pet parents have given us the first opportunity to interview. The rest is then up to you!

  4. Following on from above, always insist on a zoom, Facebook, or some form of video call. You are interviewing the pet parents as much as they are interviewing you. If something seems off, or if you just can’t connect with that person, you want to know sooner rather than later. You’ll also find out how good their internet connection is!

  5. When you’ve been chosen for a sit, ensure you read the Welcome Guide thoroughly. Reading the Welcome Guide will help you find useful information about your new temporary home and furry friends. It might seem boring, but when a cat won’t stop meowing at 4am in the morning and you know what to do to stop it, you will be thankful you read the Welcome Guide!

  6. Nail the transition between housesits! Working out the best way to get from one sit to another, especially when flights are involved, is a fine art that takes much time to perfect. Taking advantage of day-use hotels, purchasing an extra night at a hotel so you can get off your redeye flight and go straight to bed, and booking flights early, are a few things you can do to get the transition right and save your money (and sanity).

  7. Research public transport early! A number of our friendly pet parents have kindly offered us to use their vehicles while they’re away. We’ve driven everything from a Mini through to a RAM 3500, and this makes day-to-day things like grocery shopping so much easier. However, when you don’t have that luxury, you need to be prepared. Understanding what public transport is available is vital, as well as how often it operates, and whether you’re required to download apps etc.

  8. Compare Uber and Lyft. If there is no public transport and you need to rely on a rideshare, be sure to compare both apps. It is amazing how often the rates are completely different, and Lyft generally offers a discounted fare if you’re willing to wait a little longer for your ride to arrive. Signing up for Uber One and Lyft+ can also save you loads of money in the long run!

  9. Take advantage of grocery delivery services. Walmart delivery has been our best friend. We must be getting old, but one of our favourite things to do is pre-order our Walmart order and have it delivered as soon as we arrive at our new housesit. It’s quick, cheap, and gives you peace of mind knowing your food is sorted!

  10. Download Maps.Me. In an ideal world our phones would work all the time, and we would never have data issues. Unfortunately this happens, generally when you least need it to, and so it’s important that you are prepared. Maps.Me is a directional map service that works offline. You simply download the map of the city (when you do have an internet connection) and you’re good to go.

  11. Have multiple access points to your money. Even if you’ve let your bank know you’ll be travelling, the most harmless of transactions can lead to your card being blocked. If this happens in an emergency, it is not ideal. We have three different bank cards with funds that we can access at any time. It is surprising how many times 2 out of 3 haven’t worked! Also, do your research and sign up to banks that do not charge you crazy fees. We use ING and we do not pay any withdrawal or currency conversion fees, and we’ve always found their exchange rate on par with anyone else out there. The Barefoot Investor would be proud!

  12. Have a credit card! We hate credit cards, but they are lifesavers when checking into multiple hotels, hiring cars etc. We have a simple credit card with a $5k limit, and we use this for all of the security/pre-authorisation payments required by suppliers. As the amounts always stay in pending and then release back, we never pay interest or go into any debt.

  13. Be aware of visa requirements and maximum lengths of stay in the countries you are travelling to. We are on Canadian working visas which allows us to enter the US freely, exempt from the usual 3 month restriction for Australian and New Zealand passport holders. Visas can take a while to process, so start the process early!

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about our experiences so far. We can’t wait to share many more and to hear all of yours.

If you’re interested in giving this a go, follow the link here  to begin your TrustedHousesitters journey. Don’t forget to use the code LEGACYTRAVELLERS25 for your discount!

Izaya & Rylee