POV: A weekend in an Airbnb costs more than your monthly rent, communities are out on the streets protesting against tourists, holiday destinations are overcrowded, and the world is, quite literally, burning. Book your next adventure and you can experience much of this first-hand.
As a firm believer in travel and all the joy it can bring to your life, I am growing increasingly concerned about the sustainability of it. We’re at risk of losing both the natural beauty of destinations to climate change and the cultural richness of communities due to over-tourism.
Now, I know this sounds pretty bleak. But don’t worry, I’m not about to suggest we all quit flying and limit our holidays to a makeshift campsite in the backyard.
Instead, there’s a solution I keep coming back to – housesitting. I’ve been using TrustedHousesitters (the sponsors of this article), the largest global housesitting platform, for a few years now, and I believe it offers a way to travel responsibly whilst minimising impact on the planet and local communities. It’s also a more affordable option, especially for slow travellers like me!
In this article, I’ll share how housesitting promotes sustainability for the environment, your budget, pets, and local communities, all based on my personal experiences.
What is housesitting?
Housesitting involves looking after someone’s home whilst they go away. More often than not, it also involves looking after their pets, which is why ‘housesitting’ can be used interchangeably with ‘petsitting’.
As a housesitter, you are responsible for looking after their home and pets. In return, you will stay in their home for the duration of the stay. Unlike boarding and dog walking, it is usually done for free. This is because it is done as an exchange of services, i.e. the homeowner provides a space for the housesitter to live in, and the housesitter looks after the home and animals.
I use the TrustedHousesitters platform to arrange housesits across the world. It is a great tool for matching homeowners with sitters, with hundreds of thousands of active members. The only cost is a small yearly membership fee (around the same price as 1 night in a hotel, and much cheaper than paying for kennels or boarding). Find out why I love using their platform in my in-depth TrustedHousesitters review.
When you are ready to sign up, make the most out of my 25% discount: VEGAN25
The sustainability of housesitting
I have been housesitting since 2021, mostly through the TrustedHousesitters platform. Over this time, I’ve found it to be a much more sustainable alternative to my previous travel style, which involved staying in Airbnbs and hotels for short periods of time. Now I will go into detail about why I see housesitting as a more sustainable way of travelling, focusing on four key areas: the environment, pets, finances, and local communities.
1. For the environment
What surprised me most was how much more environmentally sustainable housesitting can be compared to staying in hotels and Airbnbs.
For one, housesitting results in very little food waste. Since most homeowners allow you to use their supply of basic cooking ingredients like oil, grains, and seasoning, I don’t have to buy these items brand new like I do every time I arrive at a new hotel or apartment. Additionally, many homeowners leave leftover perishable food for me, ensuring it doesn’t go to waste, and I always do the same in return.
Being able to cook throughout my stay also means I can shop locally, supporting the local economy and eating seasonally. This also reduces the environmental impact of eating out for every meal or buying pre-packaged food.
In contrast, hotels, particularly 5-star ones, tend to have a much larger environmental footprint due to their high water use, extensive heating and cooling systems, laundry demands, and the upkeep of pools and spas.
Since housesitting is much more affordable than staying in hotels (more on this below), it encourages slower, longer-term travel. This leads to fewer flights and less frequent travel between locations, reducing carbon emissions.
From the homeowner’s perspective, housesitting also has environmental advantages. They can avoid using energy-intensive kennels or pet hotels, knowing their pets are safe at home. This peace of mind also allows them to opt for slower, more sustainable travel options.
2. For the pets
One of the most rewarding aspects of housesitting is how it benefits the animals. Traditional pet boarding options, like kennels or pet hotels, can be stressful for them – making travel a lot less sustainable for their humans.
By caring for pets in their own homes, housesitting offers a much more sustainable and comfortable option for both the animals and their owners. Pets get to stay in their familiar surroundings, with their routines and habits largely intact, which reduces stress and anxiety. This is particularly important for animals that need more attention or have specific needs, such as older pets or those with medical conditions.
In my experience, I have found most of the animals I have cared for during my time housesitting to be relaxed and happy. Occasionally it can take a day or two for them to calm down after their humans leave, but it is nothing compared to seeing animals get dropped off kennels. I know that this makes homeowners feel a lot more secure when they travel!
3. For your finances
Everyone should be able to enjoy the freedom to travel and explore new places, whether locally or abroad. However, it’s no longer financially sustainable for many people. Holiday rentals from companies like Airbnb are getting completely out of hand, with skyrocketing fees and insane nightly prices, and using sustainable transport like trains can limit any remaining budget. Not to mention the fact that if you have a pet, without a housesitter you may have the additional costs of kennels or boarding.
Thankfully, housesitting provides a much more cost-effective way to travel, since it eliminates accommodation expenses and kennel fees for pet owners. Housesitters and homeowners need only pay a yearly membership fee (which costs less than a night in a nice hotel), to access a whole database of free housesit opportunities and housesitters on TrustedHousesitters.
Housesitting is thus a mutually beneficial option which enables both parties to go on holiday without spending excessively. Personally, I spend the money I save on more expensive, but more environmentally friendly, travel methods, and more locally sourced organic and seasonal food!
Discover other ways to budget for your upcoming adventures.
4. For the locals
One of the major issues with platforms like Airbnb is how they can disrupt local communities. By driving up rent prices and pushing out long-term residents, they transform neighbourhoods into tourist hotspots, making it harder for locals to afford to live in their own communities.
Housesitting, on the other hand, offers a much more sustainable approach. Since it doesn’t involve renting out homes for profit, it helps reduce the strain on housing in popular tourist areas. I don’t feel I am displacing anyone by housesitting – I am simply stepping in to care for a home whilst the owners are away.
This means I can enjoy travelling without contributing to the growing issue of housing shortages caused by the rise of short-term rentals.
Additionally, housesitting often takes me to quieter, less tourist-heavy neighbourhoods. This allows me to support local businesses that don’t rely heavily on tourism, whether that’s by shopping at local markets or dining at small, family-owned restaurants. I’ve found that this not only enriches my travel experience but also helps channel money into communities that may not typically see the benefits of tourism!
Start your sustainable housesitting journey
I believe that housesitting offers a blend of environmental, financial, and ethical sustainability that’s hard to match with traditional travel options. By staying in someone’s home, you reduce your carbon footprint, cut down on unnecessary food waste, and support local communities – all whilst avoiding the skyrocketing costs of hotels and short-term rentals.
At the same time, you’re providing a more humane and eco-friendly care option for pets, ensuring they’re safe and comfortable in their own environment.
As the future of travel shifts towards more conscious and responsible choices, it is the right time to get started on your own sustainable housesitting journey! Whether you are a home/pet owner or a traveller who loves animals, you will find some great opportunities on the TrustedHousesitters platform.
Get 25% off TrustedHousesitters
Use code VEGAN25 at checkout to get 25% off your first year of membership of TrustedHousesitters. Applies to both sitters and home owners.
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