House sitting

Hosts publish their house-sitting offer with dates, duties and photos – sitters browse for free or post their own request. When a listing fits, you get in touch directly, with no agency fee in between.

After that it works like it would among neighbours: you meet by phone or video call, agree on expectations and dates, and arrange the key handover. Many hosts invite their sitter over a day before departure, leaving time for questions about the house, garden and pets.

The core is always the same: the home should be lived in and looked after. That means plants and garden, post, bins and a watchful eye on the house or flat. Many listings add pet care – from a cat that wants feeding twice a day to a dog that needs its walks – turning the house sit into a combination with pet sitting.

The listing states how much time the duties take each day; one to three hours is common. The rest of the day is yours, for remote work, day trips or simply settling in.

On holiday4help: nothing. Neither sitters nor hosts pay membership or agency fees – the exchange is free accommodation for a well-kept home. International house-sitting platforms often charge yearly fees of around 100 euros or more, and paid house-minding agencies bill daily rates.

Free doesn't mean casual, though: a complete profile with photos and references is your strongest currency, because hosts only hand their home to people they trust.

Put the essentials in writing beforehand: dates, duties, utilities, visitor rules, emergency contacts and what applies in case of damage. Also check whether your personal liability insurance covers damage in other people's households – it often does, and a quick call brings certainty.

Hosts ideally tell their home or contents insurer that the house stays occupied during the trip; many insurers actually prefer an occupied home to an empty one.

Most offers on holiday4help are in Germany, Austria and Switzerland – from city flats to farmhouses in the countryside – plus house sits across Europe. Compared with international platforms that means short journeys and hosts who are specifically looking for local sitters.

Check back regularly: new house-sitting listings appear all the time, especially before the holiday seasons.