I was looking for this specific question, but I could not find it.
I’m working full time from 9-5 in an American company. The job is fully remote and is mostly answering emails and other things like that. It is an everyday job routine with two days off during the week.
Currently, I’m in Brazil, which is my home country. My rental contract is due in April 2022, and I’m not willing to renovate it.
I was wondering if it is possible to house sit and work full time.
Could someone help?
Has anyone had a similar experience?
Welcome, @Felipe! Housesitting with a full time job is totally possible, I work full time while I travel. I take breaks in the day to walk the dogs I look after the same as I would to walk my own at home. The only thing that gets tricky for me is timezones but that is par for the course when travelling, housesitting or not! Sounds like you have a good amount of time to plan your housesitting adventure, good luck with it!
HI @Felipe welcome to our community forum thank you for joining us from Brazil, there are many sitters who work remotely and pet sit, it means they are at home with the pets more and there is nothing better than having a pet companion in your “office”
Also pets can help you maintain a good work life balance, they need our care and attention making us put them first instead of our devices.
You’ll find lots of good advice and support with your plans here on the forum.
Si! Absolutely! Be patient and flexible as you establish yourself and known as a home and pet sitter @Felipe. You will find many opportunities that will not only meet your needs but the needs of the homeowners and pets.
Have fun and best wishes
As others have said, it’s totally do-able for a full-time remote job.
However, not every sit is suitable for someone with work commitments. Read the listings carefully and ask questions of the HO if/when you connect. For example, I was on a sit a few months before covid that required substantial time and energy. I was freelancing at the time, and it was a quiet period. I would have struggled otherwise, mostly b/c the dogs were a LOT of work. The HO expected me to drive the dogs to dog parks and hiking trails at least once/day (despite having a back yard), and they were very difficult to get in the car and secured. (They were good dogs at home.) Plus two cats. Plus a LOT of gardening to keep the veggies and plants alive. Plus mail sorting.
Then there was a lower maintenance sit in terms of the pets and home, but the HOs sprung it on me at the last minute that they expected me to pick them up at the airport (2+ hours round trip). I had a work call scheduled, and their noses were out of joint over having to get a cab.
That’s so sensible it’s all in the planning, having a Plan B and work aside choosing the sit(s) that are right for your experience, lifestyle and that meet the pets needs and the owner’s expectations. Communication is key and again choosing the right sit and not just a sit.
Thank you for sharing this experience.
I’ll make sure to keep an eye on the HO requirements, and I’ll also let them know that I have a work schedule as well. It seems like you had a busy time back then.
I’ve been working 50-60 hours/week remotely for the past 21 years. Completing 12 housesits during that time. And I completed one of those sits with only my oldest daughter (I am married, with two daughters), and another of those sits by myself. It certainly can be done! Though I would jokingly say that the hardest part about doing it is all the people back home asking how my “vacation” is going. I tell them I am on a WORKation. Working 9-10+ hours/day, while having fun things to do in new places only after calling it a day.
That sounds exactly what I’m looking for. Thank you for sharing!
It is nice to know that it is possible, as you have completed plenty of sits. I’ll keep an eye on the longer-term sits and those that will match mine and the HOs’ goals.
