Trustedhousesitters Review: £99 for Accommodation All Year

What is Housesitting?

Imagine spending your summer living in incredible houses, exploring new destinations, meeting new friends, and caring for adorable animals, all on a really tight budget. Sounds like a dream, right? A couple of years ago we skeptically set off on our first ever Housesitting adventure using the website Trusted House Sitters. The concept being that you look after someones home and pets, in exchange for accommodation whilst they are on holiday.

Why did we want to try trustedhousesitters?

As holidays abroad are so expensive during July and August, we had decided we would spend these months exploring our home country of England. With beautiful beaches and some lovely weather in the summer, we didn’t see the need to fly further afield. We thought this would be a good way to save money, until we saw the price of an airbnb or hotel during the peak summer months! £1000 for a week was an absolute no go for budget travellers like ourselves, The Travel Mum is all about finding bargains, so when we heard about Housesitting we thought “What do we have to lose?”.

How much is it?

The membership to the site we use starts at £99 for the year (and using our link you get a 25% discount on that!). At first, I thought the membership fee seemed quite expensive. However, I quickly realised it was an absolute bargain when compared to the cost of just one week’s stay in the south of England. For instance, our first house sitting experience was incredible, a huge spacious home with a pool, and we even got to care for alpacas! The value became clear immediately. That first sit alone more than covered the sign up fee, and every sit after that felt like enjoying free accommodation. It was one of the best decisions we made for budget-friendly travel.

2026 update: A new booking fee has come into place for each sit. Please see below for more information.

“But isn’t it annoying having to look after the animals?”

This is something we get asked all the time – and honestly, not at all. If you love animals like we do, it doesn’t feel like a hassle. We actually love having these temporary pets and giving them plenty of love and attention while their families are away.

For us, it’s part of the joy of house sitting – a bit of companionship alongside a very affordable break. If you’re an animal lover and fancy a cheap getaway, it really is a perfect match.

The good thing is, you’re always in control. You can filter house sits by the type of animals you’re happy to care for, and you’ll see the responsibilities clearly listed before you apply. Cats tend to suit people who want to be out exploring during the day, while dogs often have more specific needs, like how long they can be left alone.

We’ did a sit more recently looking after a house rabbit and a lizard, which only needed feeding morning and evening – so there really is something to suit every travel style.

Finding a new house sit is actually really straightforward. The app is easy to use and lets you search in a few different ways – by map, by dates you want to travel, or by filtering for the types of animals you’re happy to care for.

Once you spot a sit you like the look of, you simply apply and let the homeowner know why you’d be a great fit. By this point, you’ll already have your profile set up with a bit about you, your experience, and some photos, so owners can quickly get a feel for who you are before they even reply.

Then it’s just a case of waiting to hear back and seeing if you’ve been chosen for the sit.

After our Brighton house sit, we booked another week-long stay further along the coast in Pagham, this time caring for two lovely elderly cats. From there, we continued down to Devon for yet another week-long sit – this one with two lively young dogs keeping us on our toes.

It was surprisingly easy to travel along the coast and line up brilliant places to stay as we went. We got to explore new areas, enjoy completely different experiences, and feel settled in each place rather than rushing from hotel to hotel.

Safe to say, we were fully converted to TrustedHousesitters.

Trustedhousesitters introduces a new booking fee for 2026

So… what’s the booking fee?

Alongside the annual membership, TrustedHousesitters will now charge a small booking fee each time a sit is confirmed. This applies to both homeowners and sitters, unless you’re on a Premium plan.

They say they hope this results in fewer last-minute cancellations and a smoother experience for everyone.

Booking fee vs membership fee – what’s the difference?

This is where people often get a bit confused, so here’s the simple version 👇

Your annual membership fee:

• Gives you access to the TrustedHousesitters community all year round

• Lets you arrange sits (or find sitters)

• Includes 24/7 member support if you ever need help

• Helps keep the platform running

The booking fee is more of a pay-as-you-go thing. It:

• Only applies when a sit is confirmed

• Encourages both homeowners and sitters to fully commit

In short: the membership fee gets you access, and the booking fee kicks in when you actually book a sit. Previously you did all the sits simply paying the membership fee.

When does the booking fee actually kick in?

The booking fee will start to apply after your next membership renewal, and it affects all members except those on the Premium plan.

How much is the TrustedHousesitters booking fee?

The booking fee is £9 / $12 per sit (or the local equivalent), and it’s the same whether you’re booking on the app or the website.

Trustedhousesitters Discount Code

We have got you an exciting 25% discount off of the annual membership, click below and the discount will be applied automatically.