One of the most expensive parts of travel is accommodation.
There are lots of ways to make accommodation cheaper, including earning credit card points and staying in hostels instead of hotels. But still, accommodation is rarely free.
However, there is a little-known way to stay in awesome places around the world for free. The technique? House sitting.
In this guide, we’ll show you everything you need to know about house sitting, including how it works, why we love it, and how you can use house sitting to save on your next adventure. (more…)
The captivating peaks of the Rocky Mountains surround a beautiful five bedroom house overlooking the charming town of Breckenridge.
Yeah, that Breckenridge.
The insanely popular ski destination.
The place with world class restaurants and amazing hiking and biking.
And oh, those views; some of the most majestic America has to offer.
Add it all up, and you’ve got one of the most expensive places in the US to stay.
So how did I, a frugal traveler known to walk a mile in the rain to save the $5 taxi fare, end up in a 5 bedroom mansion complete with a BMW and a hot tub?
The answer is simple (and is also your key to unlocking a world of amazing travel opportunities):
Housesitting!
Heather and I have been members of the popular and ever-growing site Trusted Housesitters for almost two years now (which was founded by our good friend Andy Peck, whose interview you can find here).
And for the last two years, I would open my email every single day and lust after the amazing options available for a free house in various countries.
From castles in Ireland to bucolic estates in the French countryside, I knew one thing for sure…
Someday we needed to housesit.
Enter Breckenridge.
When this opportunity came through my email, I jumped on it.
It just so happened that spending three weeks in the Colorado Rockies at the beginning of fall fit perfectly into our schedule.
Finally, we were going to housesit…
And wow, what a house it was!
We had an absolutely amazing experience housesitting and taking care of two labs, Gracie and Rufus.
The house we stayed in was spacious and well decorated and the house owner provided every convenience we could need – including a car.
And not just any car – a BMW SUV!
There were plenty of rooms, and while every house sitting profile is different, this particular one did not mind if we had guests (within reason, of course).
Heather’s sister and our friend came out to visit and we all enjoyed hiking and relaxing in the hot tub with the amazing view of Breckenridge.
We arrived in Breckenridge just as the temperature started to drop at night.
It was the perfect opportunity to enjoy a nice soak in the hot tub and for the leaves to begin changing.
So, How Do I Start Housesitting?
If you’re someone who is interested in housesitting, the first place you should start is with Trusted Housesitters.
Not only is it the world’s biggest housesitting website, but it’s also the easiest to use.
And because Andy is a friend of mine, I’ve even been able to work out a special discount code just for EPoP readers.
If you grab a 12-month subscription, you’ll get an additional 3 for free!
Here’s how to sign up and make sure you get the extra free months:
Click this link to be taken to the Trusted Housesitters website.
Hit “Join Now” in the top right-hand corner.
Click on “Housesitter Membership and Pricing Plans” on the right-hand side.
Scroll to the bottom and enter EPOP where it says “Have a Promotional Code?”.
Hit Apply Code. Scroll back down to bottom and you should see a message that says “Promo code applied” as well as a checkmark.
Now, pick your plan.
Enter your info and create your account.
When you get to the confirmation page, you will see that the length of your membership has been extended. Yeah!
I LOVE housesitting because it offers an incredible opportunity for all people involved.
For the homeowner, they know that they’ll have people taking care of and watching after their house while they are away (and in some cases, their pets as well).
For the traveler, it provides the unique ability to stay in some amazing places across the world while having all the conveniences of home – and sometimes even more – for free.
Housesitting is part of the new wave of accommodations opportunities that every traveler should look to take advantage of.
From short weekend stays in penthouses in Manhattan to long term opportunities on remote islands, Trusted Housesitters has a wide variety of options, and with new ones being posted every day, there’s always something for everyone!
So, what are you waiting for?
Sign up today (don’t forget the discount code) and let me know what amazing housesits you’ll be applying for in the comments below!
The captivating peaks of the Rocky Mountains surround a beautiful five bedroom house overlooking the charming town of Breckenridge.
The answer is simple (and is also your key to unlocking a world of amazing travel opportunities):
Enter Breckenridge.
