Accommodation is usually one of the most expensive parts of traveling.

And sometimes, when you are trying to stay within your budget, you end up lowering the quality of where you stay just to make the numbers work.

That was one of the reasons TrustedHousesitters became such a big discovery for me.

I have been using the platform for around three years now, and honestly, it has been one of the best things that could have happened to the way I travel.

During the house sits I confirmed through the platform, I was able to reduce my accommodation costs to zero. I paid for the annual membership, but after the first stay I got through TrustedHousesitters, the cost already felt completely worth it.

But for me, TrustedHousesitters is not only about saving money.

It is also about staying in real homes, caring for pets, meeting kind hosts and experiencing places with a more local rhythm.

And as someone who has four dogs in Brazil and misses having pets around in my everyday routine, this platform brought something back into my travels that I genuinely missed.

What is Trusted House sitters?

TrustedHousesitters is a platform that connects pet owners with travelers. The pet owner, also called the host, needs someone to care for their pets and home while they are away. The traveler, also called the sitter, stays in the host’s home during that period and takes care of the pets and the house.

It is not a paid job. It is also not a hotel booking. It is a trust-based exchange.

The host gets peace of mind knowing their pets are cared for at home, and the sitter gets a place to stay while experiencing a destination in a more local and personal way.

There are opportunities in many different countries, with different types of homes, pets, dates and responsibilities. Some sits are longer, but there are also many shorter options. The most important thing is to read each listing carefully and understand what the host expects before applying or confirming anything.

How Trusted House sitters changed the way I travel

Before discovering TrustedHousesitters, accommodation was always one of the biggest travel costs. If I wanted to save money, I often had to lower the standard of the place I would stay. And when you travel for longer periods, that makes a big difference.

After I found TrustedHousesitters, I realized there was another way. Instead of paying nightly accommodation fees during a sit, I could stay in someone’s home and care for their pets while they were away. The exchange made sense to me because I genuinely love animals.

For me, it never felt like just a travel hack. It felt like a way to make travel more human.

You are not just sleeping somewhere. You are entering someone’s home, following a routine, caring for a pet, walking around the neighborhood and living a small piece of everyday life in that place. That is exactly the kind of travel I enjoy.

My experience after 3 years using Trusted House sitters

I have been using TrustedHousesitters for around three years, and my experience has been extremely positive. I have used it in different parts of the world, including South America, Central America and Europe. At one point, I spent more than a month traveling through Europe doing TrustedHousesitters stays.

So far, I have never had a negative experience.

Every sit brought something special into my journey. Sometimes it was the house itself. Sometimes it was the pet. Sometimes it was the host. Sometimes it was the location. And sometimes it was the simple feeling of having a temporary routine again.

The hosts I met were usually very kind and welcoming.

In some cases, there was a beautiful exchange from the moment we arrived. Sometimes the host prepared dinner, gave us local tips, explained what was nearby, showed us the best places to go and made us feel comfortable inside the house.

That part is hard to explain until you experience it. It is not only about having a place to stay. It is also about trust, connection and respect.

Some hosts may also make transportation available, such as a car, a bike or even a motorbike. Some leave food, small gifts or thoughtful notes. Of course, this depends on each host and should never be expected, but it has happened to me and it made the experience even more special.

In my case, I usually travel with my boyfriend, and TrustedHousesitters works well for us as a couple. But the platform is not only for couples. There are listings that accept solo travelers, couples and sometimes families. Usually, this is clearly explained in each listing, so you can understand if that sit matches your travel style before applying.

What you actually give in exchange

This is the part people need to understand before joining. Trusted House sitters is not just about getting accommodation without paying nightly rates. You are taking care of someone’s pet as if it were your own. You are also taking care of their home.

The host usually leaves a guide with everything explained. That can include feeding times, walking routines, medication, vet information, house rules, emergency contacts and anything else you need to know.

If the dog, cat or pet you are caring for takes medication, the host should explain that to you. If the pet has a specific routine, you follow it. If the owner wants updates, you send updates.

During the sit, you usually keep in touch with the host. If you have questions, you can message them. If they want to know how the pet is doing, you can send photos, small updates and reassurance. For me, this is part of the experience: you are not just staying in a house. You are being trusted with something very important to someone, and that needs to be respected.

What I love about TrustedHousesitters

There are many things I love about TrustedHousesitters.

The first one is obvious: it can help reduce accommodation costs during confirmed sits. That can completely change what is possible when traveling. It can make some destinations more accessible. It can help you stay within budget without lowering the quality of where you stay. It can also make travel feel less rushed, even if the sit itself is short.

The second thing I love is the feeling of staying in a real home: you cook, you walk the dog, you learn the neighborhood, you find the closest supermarket, and you notice the small details of daily life. It feels very different from staying in a hotel.

The third thing is the connection with pets. For me, this is one of the biggest benefits. Since I miss my dogs in Brazil so much, being around pets while traveling brings a kind of comfort that accommodation alone could never give me.

The fourth thing is the human side. Many hosts are kind, helpful and generous. They may give local recommendations, explain the area, share their favorite places and make you feel welcome.

And finally, I love that the platform gives you access to a different kind of travel experience: it is not only about visiting a place, it is about temporarily belonging somewhere.

The honest downsides

Even though my experience has been very positive, Trusted House sitters is not for everyone. The biggest thing to understand is responsibility: you need to care about animals, follow the routine, respect the house, and communicate clearly with the host.

If you want complete freedom to leave early in the morning and come back late at night every day, some sits may not be ideal. If you want hotel service, breakfast included, daily cleaning and zero obligations, this is probably not the right platform for you.

Some opportunities can also be competitive, especially in popular destinations. Flexibility helps a lot, but there are many different types of sits, including shorter stays. So it is not only about long trips. It is about finding the right match for your dates, destination and level of responsibility.

Another important thing: you should not see it only as free accommodation. Yes, you can save a lot of money, but you are also making a commitment.

Is Trusted House sitters safe?

In my experience, TrustedHousesitters has felt very safe and reliable. Of course, no platform can guarantee that every single experience will be perfect, but there are several things that help build trust. The platform is paid, which already creates a more committed environment.

Both hosts and sitters receive reviews. After each experience, people can leave feedback, which helps future users understand what it was like to deal with that person. That means reputation matters. You can read reviews before applying or accepting a sit, talk to the host, ask questions, and understand the pet’s routine, the house rules and the expectations before making a commitment.

TrustedHousesitters also has support, and depending on the plan, there may be additional benefits included. There are different membership plans, and in some cases there may be small fees connected to confirmed sits depending on the plan. From what I understand, this helps reduce cancellations and makes both sides take the commitment more seriously.

When someone is coming from another city or country to care for a pet, and someone else is opening their home to them, that commitment matters. For me, the review system, the communication, the paid membership and the community aspect all make the platform feel much more trustworthy.

How much does Trusted House sitters cost?

TrustedHousesitters works with an annual membership. There are different plans, and the price can change depending on the plan, country and current conditions. Because of that, I prefer not to put a fixed price here that could become outdated.

You can check the current plans and prices directly through this link:

Check TrustedHousesitters plans and prices →

What I can say from my own use is this: the annual membership paid for itself very quickly. In my case, after the first stay I got through the platform, the cost of the membership already felt compensated. That is one of the reasons I think it can be worth it for travelers who are actually planning to use it.

How to get 25% off Trusted House sitters

If you decide TrustedHousesitters makes sense for your travel style, you can use my referral link to get 25% off your membership.

Before joining, please check the final price, plan details and current conditions on the official TrustedHousesitters website.

Who I think Trusted House sitters is perfect for

I think TrustedHousesitters is perfect for people who want to experience places in a more personal and connected way. It can be a great fit for:

• animal lovers
• couples who travel together
• solo travelers
• flexible travelers
• people who want to reduce accommodation costs
• people who enjoy staying in real homes
• people who want to experience local routines
• people who miss having pets around while traveling
• digital nomads
• responsible travelers
• some families, when the listing clearly accepts them

For me, it makes the most sense when you see it as part of a travel lifestyle, not just a trick to avoid paying for accommodation.

Who should probably skip it

TrustedHousesitters is probably not for everyone. You may want to skip it if:

• you do not like animals
• you do not want responsibility while traveling
• you want hotel style comfort
• you want complete freedom every day
• you are traveling with a very tight schedule
• you do not want to follow a pet’s routine
• you only see it as free accommodation
• you do not like communicating with hosts
• you are not comfortable staying in someone else’s home

This platform works best when there is genuine care, respect and trust. If that sounds like too much for you, that is okay. It is better to know that before joining.

My honest verdict: is Trusted House sitters worth it?

For me, yes. Trusted House sitters has been one of the best discoveries of my travel life.

It helped me reduce accommodation costs, stay in real homes, meet kind hosts and bring pets back into my everyday routine while being away from my own dogs in Brazil.

But I only recommend it if you understand the exchange: it is not a shortcut to free hotels. It is a more responsible, more personal and more local way to travel.

If you love animals, respect people’s homes and want to experience places beyond the tourist surface, Trusted House sitters can open a very different kind of travel experience. If you want full freedom, hotel comfort or a trip with no responsibilities, it may not be the right fit.

For the way I travel, it makes so much sense. And after three years using it, I can honestly say it changed the way I think about accommodation, travel costs and what it means to feel at home in different parts of the world.

Final thoughts

TrustedHousesitters is not just a way to save money. At least for me, it became a way to travel differently. It gave me more connection with local routines, more contact with animals and a different relationship with accommodation.

It made travel feel less like passing through and more like temporarily belonging somewhere. And that is exactly the kind of travel I love.

If TrustedHousesitters sounds like your kind of travel, you can check it here and get 25% off your membership through my referral link: