A 25-year-old has given up living in her own space thanks to her new profession but admits it has some downsides
Tara Little was struggling with rent payments, finding work and “horrible” housing situations when she discovered a simple career change that fixed it all for her. But she admits the lifestyle isn’t for everyone and has some major downsides.
The 25-year-old has become a full-time housesitter, living in other people’s homes year-round. The mutually beneficial partnership gives Tara some income and a place to live while the homeowners get peace of mind that their property and pets are taken care of when they are away.
Thanks to her new occupation, Tara has been able to stay in almost every suburb of her native Darwin, Australia. Paired with her other work as a social media manager, Tara is living her dream as she gets to save money, avoid roommates and spend her days with adorable pets.
She told creatorzine.com: “The best part of house-sitting is being able to live in solitude and without the stress of paying rent or bills. No waking up to housemates slamming doors or clanging kitchen pots, and no bickering over who left their dirty dishes in the sink!
“On top of this, I enjoy beautiful homes, spend time with adorable animals, and most importantly, I save money.
“I have had some horrible past experiences living in shared houses, and am so grateful that house-sitting has given me the opportunity to live independently.”
The 25-year-old explained that she sets her own daily rate for housesitting and finds regular clients through two main platforms or Facebook groups. She’ll then set up meetings with the homeowners to go over the layout of the house, routines, pets and exchange keys.
Each house has different rules and Tara revealed this lifestyle may not be a great match for everyone. In some cases she has been limited on when she can leave the house due to anxious pets and one of the most common rules she has to live with is not hosting any parties.
She can also only bring a limited amount of luggage with her. Tara shared: “Living out of three suitcases is the biggest challenge I face as a house-sitter, especially as someone who loves fashion and trinkets.
“I’ve had to learn to minimise my wardrobe and stop indulging in buying useless things. House-sitting has shown me how much we all participate in overconsumption and has forced me to make better choices in spending.
“Because of my lifestyle as a house-sitter, there’s honestly not much I can buy. I can no longer indulge in buying things that I used to, like clothes and trinkets, because I don’t have a home of my own to store them.”
Tara estimates she’s saved around $10,000AUD (£5,298) a year in rent and bills alone thanks to her housesitting lifestyle. Although she has only earned around $5,000 from house-sitting over the past year, Tara revealed that taking away the stress of paying all of her rent and bills allowed her to focus more on building her social media business.
She continued: “My second biggest trial as a house-sitter has been the moving process.
“I have thankfully gotten used to it, but some days are still a challenge; the last days of a house-sit are the hardest because it usually involves the most tedious and painful tasks- cleaning the house, packing the suitcases and loading the car.”
Tara has also faced a few cancellations, which can be extra nerve-wracking when she’s relying on bookings for a place to live. She said: “It can be difficult to secure a new house-sit when cancellations occur, especially at the last minute! I’m lucky I have amazing family and friends living in Darwin that are happy to take me in when this happens!”
Tara has no plans to settle down to a permanent address. In fact, she hopes her future holds a van that she can travel across Australia with.
She said: “I would love to take care of people’s pets and homes when and where I can find house-sitting opportunities, and stay in my van in between house-sits. This is my dream.
“I’ve definitely gained much more from my lifestyle as a house-sitter. The only loss is the comfort of living in one place.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
