We Spent A Year House-Sitting Full Time

It’s often quite interesting to see the reactions of people when we say that we house-sat as a family for a year. The responses go from they could never do that whilst others are full of admiration that we could be so adventurous. The funny thing is, we weren’t chasing adventure at all. We were simply responding to life’s curveballs and decided to say yes to an opportunity that felt right for our family.

However, house-sitting did teach us all so much. It brought us closer together as a family, gave the kids life responsibilities, especially when caring for others’ homes and animals. But more importantly, I guess it did remind us that adventures can simply be saying yes to something different.

How did it all begin?

It started quite simply — we were planning a holiday and thought we’d try house-sitting. It seemed like a good way to save money and discover new corners of Australia. Plus, we all love animals, so it felt like a perfect fit.

Our first house-sit was for a couple of Golden Retrievers with wonderful personalities near Gladstone. Not only did we get to spend time with these girls, but we also had the chance to explore the area, kayaking on Lake Awoonga and Tannam Sands, as well as visiting the Calliope River Historical Village. That road trip also took as to the Mary Poppins Museum at Maryborough, which was an absolute delight!

From Casual to Full Time House-Sitting

At first, full-time house-sitting wasn’t the plan. But after a few unexpected life changes, we realised we had nothing holding us back. The kids were homeschooling, our work could travel with us, and the idea of living simply while exploring Australia started to sound more like freedom than disruption.

Once we decided to give it a real go, we discovered an entire community of house-sitters — retirees, solo travellers, couples, and families like ours — all connected by a love for animals and a desire to experience life differently.

So, we packed up our furniture, stored what we didn’t need, and set off — one car, one family, and an open road ahead.

What Were the Highlights? 

House-sitting gave us a collection of shared memories. We became experts at fitting our lives into the back of a car and learned the art of settling into new homes quickly. Each location had its own rhythm, and we learnt to adapt to it.

We got to see parts of Australia we might never have visited otherwise. Canberra was one stop that had always been on our list, and walking through the Australian War Memorial and Questacon with the kids was something we all really enjoyed doing together.

What Did We Learn?

Most of our sits involved caring for dogs — big, small, shy, and boisterous — each with their own quirks and charm. We learned to read their personalities and give them love in the way they needed it most. We also got to experience looking after a pig farm, watch ducklings being born and being amused by the antics of alpacas.

For the kids, it was an incredible education. They learned that responsibility isn’t just about chores — it’s about care, trust, and showing up for others, even when no one’s watching.

And for us as parents, it was a reminder that home isn’t a fixed address — it’s something you build through connection, care, and shared experience.

Looking Back

We began house-sitting as a practical solution, but it did become something much more as we grew as a family. We discovered Toowoomba and found a new place to call home. We do still house-sit. How could you not. But, it also led us to finding new passions, starting a dog walking business and also creating an online pet supplies store focusing on something we learnt was important in every place we stayed at, providing ways to make sure each and every pet was comfortable.

Extra tips: There are many online resources for anyone wanting to house-sit. It's really helpful to find ways to gain experience. Often it is more challenging at the start as you build a reputation, and not everyone is keen to have a family stay at their home. We used Aussie House Sitters and Mind a Home to set up profiles. They are both very easy to use and navigate through.