House-Sitting: The New Adventure Trend Captivating Young Explorers on a Budget!

Jade and Adriana Wales last paid rent nearly eight years prior and have no intentions to do so shortly.

The married singer-songwriters have resided in various locations, including a two-story residence with a pool along the coast of New South Wales, without incurring any expenses.

“It’s a barter arrangement,” remarked Mr. Wales, 29.

“We receive complimentary lodging, and they get pet sitters while enjoying their vacations.”

“No financial transaction involved.”

After completing her university education, the young couple deemed their full-time positions as “somewhat toxic”.

“Therefore, we thought, why not become self-employed and house-sit? We can travel anywhere,” stated Ms. Wales, 31.

They discovered opportunities to house-sit via the internet and have been fully booked for the majority of the year.

“We’ve journeyed as far as Whitsundays to rural Victoria,” Mr. Wales mentioned.

When they lack a scheduled place, they reside in a campervan they constructed.

“It’s somewhat a luxurious home on wheels,” Mr. Wales remarked.

The young couple shared that their requirements for a house-sit include internet connectivity and some room for their music equipment.

“As singer-songwriters, we maintain a YouTube channel and distribute music online through our independent folk band,” Mr. Wales explained.

“Additionally, we spend the remaining part of our week creating content and providing videography services for various online brands.”

For them, it constitutes the ideal “lifestyle”.

‘Covert homelessness’

Urban planning associate professor Dorina Pojani from the University of Queensland expressed that it is “excellent” for individuals choosing house-sitting as a way of life to satisfy their travel aspirations.

However, she voiced her concern that the increase in house-sitters may correlate with a rise in homelessness.

“We want to avoid situations where individuals are compelled into house-sitting due to a lack of affordable alternatives,” Dr. Pojani remarked.

In the absence of concrete data regarding the number of individuals participating in house-sitting and their motivations, Dr. Pojani characterized it as a form of “covert homelessness”.

“If they claim, ‘I’m doing this because I literally can’t afford anything else,’ that’s the point where we need to implement policy measures,”she mentioned

Michael Fotheringham, managing director of the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, stated that house-sitting is not a “novel trend,” yet the duration people are engaged in it has evolved.

Dr. Fotheringham indicated that young individuals had previously utilized house-sitting as a temporary and transitional accommodation, but as home ownership percentages fell, it is increasingly being adopted for extended stays.

“If individuals feel compelled to resort to this because they are unable to afford to purchase or rent, or there is a lack of available housing options, then that is a significant issue,” he remarked.

Housing difficulties in 2025

Dr. Fotheringham expressed reasons for being “hopeful” as the housing framework began “to shift in a positive direction,” although complete system restoration is still years in the making.

“It is not a singular fix. Therefore, it is not simply a matter of needing to construct more,” Dr. Fotheringham stated.

“These are challenges that have arisen over several decades.

“We are witnessing reforms in our rental regulations that ensure the experiences of renters are better safeguarded or enhanced.”

Nevertheless, he emphasized that there continue to be “genuine” problems regarding workforce and supply chain inadequacies resulting in “true price point challenges”.

“We have several other concerns that we need to tackle as a housing system that will undoubtedly unfold throughout 2025 and the upcoming years,” Dr. Fotheringham commented.

No intentions to establish

The Wales’s have no intentions of settling down and “abandoning” the house-sitting lifestyle any time soon.

They mentioned it has “numerous advantages”.

“There are countless aspects to appreciate about house-sitting. For us, a major benefit is not incurring any bills,” Mr. Wales commented.

“It’s simply an excellent method to save money, and a fantastic way to connect with new individuals.