Housesitting in Europe and around the World - Great Budget Vacation!

House and pet sitting is a booming non-business. People want someone to keep their home occupied and care for their pets while they are away. You could find positions house and pet sitting in Europe, Australia, the Carribean or even in the US. But it's not quite so simple - there are some steps to success.

Keep reading to find out where to find house sitting positions and how to get the housesit you want.

There are several meeting places online which bring together house sitters and home owners. If you are serious about house sitting in Europe, it's a good idea to sign up for all of them. The relative cost of a yearly subscription is quite low and they all serve different markets. The two biggest I use are House Carers and The Caretaker Gazette.

A quick search for 'housesit' or 'property caretaker position' should give you all the major players you need.

Have you always wanted to visit California, Mexico, Europe or Australia but don't have a lot of money? Are you thinking of moving to a new area of the country but want to check it out first? Housesitting is a great option! Why pay for a hotel in France when you could live like a local for free?

How house sitting works:

Home owners often want someone to watch their house while they are away on vacation or for work. They list an advertisement saying where, when and for how long they need a housesitter. Sometimes they offer money if the house sitting position is for an extended time or requires a lot of gardening or house maintenance. Others offer the stay for free in exchange for your responsible house sitting. Still others request that you pay utilities during your stay but the accommodations are free.

People who want to housesit can either place an ad or respond to advertised housesitting opportunities. With the right references, an agreement is reached and voila - you're living for free!

So you've decided that housesitting in Europe is the answer to your budget vacation dreams? How can you ensure that you'll get the house sitting job you really want?

Having references in hand when you apply will give you a leg up on your house sitting competition. A popular listing in a coveted vacation destination will net hundreds of applicants and those who offer their references up front will definitely have a better chance at landing the prime house sitting jobs. This is especially true if the house sit opportunity is in the very near future.

Imagine that you apply for the house sitting job of your dreams, and when you contact your references they are on vacation or too busy to assist you. One week can make all the difference.

Make a list of people you can use as references, including former landlords or roommates. Many home owners have a pet or three who need to be cared for and if you have references for petsitting, you stand above the crowd.

If you've never cared for someone else's pet - why not do it now? That pet sitting reference could make the difference between a free month in France and staying home. Offer your services to friends or family, or put an ad up at the vet's office or on craigslist for your area. Get a letter of reference from that pet owner when they return.

If you have informed all your contacts that you'd like to use them for recommendations, the matter is simple once your home owner asks for the references. Forward the pre-written letters to the home owner and drop a note to all your references telling them that they may be contacted.

It's important to have more references than you need, because if you only have two and they're unavailable than someone else's references, you might lose the house sitting job you really want.

While you might not get every house-sit you want, with a little forethought and organization you could be on your way to a popular vacation destination and saving money. Get those references today!