So we’ve officially been house sitting for a week.
We’re living in a new country, learning new routines (more on that later), meeting new neighbors. There have been some interesting moments for sure, but all in all it has turned out to be better than I thought it could be. Life without AC has definitely been the biggest adjustment. All of the windows are screens so we have 3 fans pointed on us at night and an ocean breeze during the day, it’s pretty steamy at times but I think my body is getting used to it though.
The people here live a much slower paced life. There’s one dirt road in our town, two grocery stores, a small handful of restaurants. It’s the most simple, laid back community I’ve ever visited. Since it’s so remote and most people don’t have a car there is a fruit and veggie truck that comes by twice a week. He parks out front at 9am and honks his horn to let us know he’s there, then we go out and pick what we want and pay him at the back of the truck. It’s one of my favorite parts so far.
Some people have been asking me how it works so I wanted to answer some questions about house sitting here.
Is it a paid house sitting job? No, most of the ones I’ve seen online are a free swap. You stay for free and they get a free house sitter, it’s a win win. Even though you’re not getting paid, the amount of money you’re saving on housing or hotels definitely makes up for itself.
How did you get it? I made a profile and applied with Trusted Housesitters. I think the key is to tailor all of your applications to the particular house sitting job you’re applying for- similar to any job application. Also make your profile look good, put some time into it and be quick to respond to new listings.
How many people apply? Ours had over 150 people contact the owner but he only interviewed a couple applicants. Like I said, tailoring your application will really help you stand out. If you just copy/paste the same line that says, “I love pets and I’d love to take care of your dog” and then you apply for a house sit that doesn’t have a dog, that shows you’re not really trying.
Are you still working? Danny is working full time remotely and I’m still doing illustration and design. So hit me up if you have a custom project in mind ;)
What are your responsibilities? They’re all different, but at our place all we really have to do is be at the house overnight. We turn the porch lights on and off, take care of the chickens, sweep the pool sometimes. There is a house keeper and pool caretaker so it’s pretty well looked after, we’re just here for extra security.
But, why Costa Rica? And why 3 months? We had visited Costa Rica twice before and knew that we loved it, and it felt familiar. This house sit in particular was for three months but they all vary, some are just one or two weeks.
*extra application tip: you should set up a bookmark for specific cities that you’re interested in because it’s super important to apply quickly! The good ones will go fast.
You can browse for free without paying for a membership, but if you want to apply for gigs you’ll need to pay a yearly membership fee (which pays for itself once you land your first night at a free housesit). Sign up with my link to get 25% off member fees, and I’ll get a month for free :)
Let me know if you have any questions! I’d love to chat with you about it.
Here’s to learning new things and experiencing a different culture, even just for a little while. xo.