A woman has shared how she became a full-time house sitter – meaning she hasn’t had to pay rent for over two years, all while getting to travel the world.
Emma Truscott first dabbled with house sitting in July 2022 during a visit to London, realising she could stay for free in other people’s homes free of charge – in exchange for keeping things in order, watering the plants, taking out the bins and often caring for pets.
The 37-year-old has since been able to sustain this method of living and travelling ever since, having started remote work as a virtual assistant and copywriter.
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Emma, originally from Cornwall, has since lived in 29 houses – and says she is able to save an estimated £12,000 a year with this lifestyle.
“It became a bit of a game – seeing how long I could maintain a continuous schedule of travelling,” Emma told What’s The Jam.
“The app I use – Trusted Housesitters – has thousands of active sits available at any one time, so it’s actually not too difficult to do it full-time.
“Plus, I was receiving some lovely five-star reviews, which made being selected much easier.
“I started house sitting two years ago and have been actively looking for back-to-back house sits for the past 18 months.
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“As a single person, I imagine I’m saving around £12,000 a year by not having any bills or rent/mortgage payments.”
So far, Emma has visited London, Brighton, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Dublin, Belfast, Vienna, and Berlin, and is currently in Paris.
Her 30th housesit starts next week in Ghent, Belgium.
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The idea for a life of full-time travel was sparked after Emma worked for a stint on yachts.
She said: “I disliked the job and didn’t want to go back.
“However, I loved the lifestyle – travel, free accommodation, free food, no bills.
“All the money I earned was my own, and it was great to spend it on whatever I wanted.
“I wondered how I could have this financial freedom, travel and do a job that I loved, so I looked into starting my own business as a virtual assistant.
“Before the yachts, I had my own beauty salon business for 12 years and felt I had a lot of experience and skills.
“Then, just by chance, I found out about house sitting on social media and thought I’d try it.”
She has since pivoted into copywriting work, which pays for her travel expenses.
Emma said: “The biggest perks are being able to live like a local in neighbourhoods around the world, see places I didn’t know existed, and pay nothing for accommodation.
“I love having the company of a pet, too, and ensuring they are happy is, of course, my first priority.
“To me, there are no cons, and I’ve had nothing but positive experiences so far.
“I understand it won’t be for everyone, but I love living like this.
“It’s not exhausting like backpacking. You’re in a comfortable home, you can do a big grocery shop and unpack.
“Sure, there’s usually a day or two of travel every month, but that’s a small sacrifice to pay.
“Right now, I don’t see any perks to staying in one place and spending most of my money on bills.
“I feel like I’m really living – seeing things, meeting people, and having incredible experiences that will stay with me forever.
“Perhaps I’ll be lucky enough to make it to 70 years old and still be house-sitting – what a life I would have had!”
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