House Sitting – travel lifestyle at home

One of our main ways of experiencing a travel lifestyle, when not actually travelling, is house sitting. Mostly our house sitting is within our home state of Western Australia, with some national and international gigs thrown in for good measure.

So, after more than 15 years of house sitting, what is the big attraction for us, especially in Perth, a place we think we know very well? To answer that question I will use South Fremantle for an example.

South Fremantle is a regular house sit for us, so we have got to know the local area very well. The quiet tree lined streets with rows of mostly restored 1880s cottages with quaint gardens. A mix of locals from business corporate types, young families, arty types, multicultural communities and hippies all seemingly connected with a strong sense of place. There are cafes, bars, and restaurants all within walking distance. There are also coastal parks and sheltered dog-friendly beaches again within walking distance.

How do we know all this? When you house sit for a month and walk the dog, you get to know local people and the nuances of the place. You are not like an out-of-towner enjoying a restaurant meal, and then catching an Uber back home after a couple fleeting hours. You are living right in the middle of it.

That is what we really like about house sitting no matter where we are. It’s like travelling in your own backyard or even better, being immersed and really getting to know a community.