Skip NavigationI have loved my time in New York.Photo: Alanna Parrish
Every time I tell someone how I live, I inevitably get the same question: “Wait, you can actually do that?”
I started house-sitting in 2023 as a way to save money while I was traveling. A year and a half ago, I decided to make New York my home base. I spend about 85% of my time here, but I’ve never paid any rent to live in the city, because I house sit all year round.
In 2026, so far, I’ve spent about $4,000 on travel expenses — including planes, trains, buses, subways and Ubers — and any fill-in accommodation I need between house sits. I pay $19 per month for my phone and spend about $75 per week on groceries. Without bills like rent, electricity or Wi-Fi, these are essentially my only consistent overhead costs. I’m spending about $800 per month.
House-sitting has completely transformed my life. I may not have a place of my own, and the structure of my calendar is unusual. But my life is rich in travel and all the wonderful people and animals I meet. To me, that’s a pretty good trade.
My unexpected path to becoming a house sitter
Four years ago, I was about to turn 30 and my life looked really different. I had a 9-to-5 role working as a project manager in a real estate office in the San Francisco Bay Area. When the pandemic hit, my steady routine was completely upended.
At first it was freeing, but after a while it just felt like I was losing time. Ready for a change, in 2022, I did what many people would probably advise against — I quit my job and bought a one-way ticket to Italy.
My plan was to live off of my savings for as long as I could. I traveled throughout Europe, Southeast Asia and Central America for two years. During that time I spent roughly $50,000. I knew that my savings would eventually run out, so I started searching for ways to travel more economically. House-sitting seemed like a real possibility.
I was back in the Bay Area and living temporarily with my family when I did my first house sit in San Francisco. I found it through TrustedHousesitters, where I still find a lot of my bookings. It lasted for three days over a long weekend and I cared for one dog. I did five local house sits before I started traveling for them.
Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsIt makes me really happy to be the person people trust with the creatures they care about the most.Photo: Alanna Parrish
I quickly realized that I genuinely loved taking care of people’s homes and, especially, their pets. Travel has long been a huge passion of mine, so knowing that I was helping someone else enjoy their own trip made me so happy.
If you want to become a house sitter, I also recommend starting local. It helped me get experiences and references in familiar surroundings before I jumped to places where I had to learn to do everything on the fly.
‘Sometimes I move as many as eight times in a month’
A typical house sit for me can range anywhere from two to 30 days, although my average is around one week. During periods with shorter sits, sometimes I move as many as eight times in a month. The majority of my sits — about 80% — are unpaid and in exchange for housing.
When I do charge, my fee is generally $50 to $100 per day. My bigger expenses come when my bookings don’t line up perfectly in my calendar. In the past year, I’d estimate it has happened around 10 to 12 times. When I have a gap, I have a few options. If it’s just one night, I’ll usually stay with a friend. If it’s a few nights, I might book a hotel or Airbnb. If I have a longer gap, I’ll often use it as an opportunity to travel somewhere else.
Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsI feel really fortunate that I am able to experience so many new places.
I’m definitely a budget traveler, and I’ll always look for the best deal possible. But I’m generally not willing to sacrifice too much convenience to save money. I’m not taking flights at terrible times or booking two- or three-stop itineraries just to save $50. I still want to enjoy my travels.
The costs that don’t show up in my bank account
Even though my overhead expenses are low, there are definitely costs to doing this that don’t show up in my bank account. I love the freedom this lifestyle gives me, but it’s definitely not for everyone. The biggest trade-off is the uncertainty and the need to be flexible.
I’m constantly planning where I’m going to live next and how I’m going to get there. Moving from one home to another means that I’m always adjusting to a new space, neighborhood, gym routine, pet care routine and trash pickup days.
An example of my calendar in a given month.Photo: Alanna Parrish
Sometimes I’m booked months in advance. Other times, I’m figuring things out just a few days before a house sit begins. I’ve also had to deal with last-minute cancellations and unexpected changes. I devote a lot of time to figuring out my days. I spend hours planning and doing the administrative work required to set up my next house sit and make sure my bookings line up as seamlessly as possible.
Space is also not something I take for granted. I live out of a suitcase, so I have to be incredibly selective about what I buy and what I keep.
Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsOne of the few constants in my travels, my old reliable suitcase, being investigated by a new feline roommate.Photo: Alanna Parrish
I get to live like a local all over the world
From my years of full-time travel, I’m used to figuring out where I’m going next, how I’m going to get there and where I’m going to stay. The difference is that now, instead of paying for accommodation, I usually have a home waiting for me.
Because I’m staying in these houses often for weeks at a time, I get to explore neighborhoods, develop routines and experience places more like a local than a tourist passing through. It can be lonely at times and I have to be proactive about building community. To expand my network, I make a point to meet friends of friends, put myself in social situations and simply say yes.
To date, I have done close to 100 house sits in 22 different cities around the world. This year, I have done house sits in Edinburgh, Los Angeles, Montreal, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and, of course, New York.
I know I won’t be able to do this forever, and I would like to have a place of my own one day, but I don’t have a time frame at the moment. In the future, I would like to be able to live in two to three cities throughout the year.
Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsMe in travel mode. I wouldn’t have it any other way.Photo: Alanna Parrish.
In the meantime, last year, I got a remote job working as a patient support specialist for a telehealth company. I can work from anywhere, so I’m not tied to one city. The regular change of scenery keeps remote work from becoming monotonous.
I love giving people peace of mind while they’re on vacation or in another part of the world, knowing that their home is being looked after and their animals are cared for, safe and happy. It’s wild to me that something I started as a way to save money while traveling has turned into a lifestyle and career. I know it sounds unconventional, and it definitely is. But I truly love it.
Alanna Parrish is a writer and a digital nomad who has turned house- and pet-sitting into a way to travel while experiencing new places like a local. She has completed sits in more than 20 cities and has visited over 40 countries.
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