- 7/2/2025
Long term housesitting can completely change your life, but we made some serious mistakes that nearly ruined everything. This is our honest account of what went wrong and how we fixed it.
The Hard Truth:
Most people romanticize the housesitting lifestyle without understanding the real challenges. We're sharing our failures so you don't have to repeat them.
What Nearly Broke Us:
Homeowners who had zero respect for our work boundaries
2-hour "quick" handovers that destroyed entire workdays
Internet connectivity nightmares in remote locations
Poor planning that led to constant stress and chaos
Storage disasters when living out of a tiny car
What We Learned:
✓ The 3 non-negotiable phases of housesitting planning
✓ How to set boundaries that actually get respected
✓ Communication strategies that prevent problems before they start
✓ Workspace setup that maintains professional standards
✓ Meal planning systems that work with constant movement
✓ Internet backup solutions for remote work
✓ Departure routines that protect your reputation
Our Evolution:
From cramming our entire life into a Suzuki Swift with storage buckets to our current van setup with proper systems. We'll show you the real logistics behind making this lifestyle work.
Brutal Honesty About:
Why we stopped seeking long-term sits
The mental toll of constant transitions
How boundary violations almost ended our careers
The reality of working remotely from someone else's space
Financial planning for irregular accommodation
Chapter Breakdown:
00:00 The mistakes that almost ended it all
01:06 Planning around actual work obligations
01:17 Three phases that determine success or failure
01:42 Location choices that make or break your experience
02:05 Communication that prevents disasters
03:16 Dealing with boundary-crossing homeowners
03:34 When handovers become productivity killers
04:14 Setting boundaries that stick
05:02 In-house vs mobile office setups
06:55 Adapting to different personality types
07:41 Food planning evolution
07:57 Logistics with minimal storage
09:10 Grocery management strategies
10:52 Workspace optimization
11:46 Internet troubleshooting reality
11:59 Backup plans for connectivity failure
12:32 Maintaining productivity under pressure
13:39 Exit strategies that work
14:46 Cleaning and prep management
15:28 Handover preparation
16:52 How van life changed everything
17:29 Final reality check
No Fluff, Just Facts:
This isn't a highlight reel. We're showing you the real struggles and practical solutions that actually work in the field.
Resources:
Get 25% off Trusted Housesitters: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF582519/?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=refer-a-friend&utm_campaign=refer-a-friend
Follow Our Journey:
Instagram: @lifewithnoanchor
Facebook: @LifeWifNoAnchor
X: @LifeWifNoAnchor
The Hard Truth:
Most people romanticize the housesitting lifestyle without understanding the real challenges. We're sharing our failures so you don't have to repeat them.
What Nearly Broke Us:
Homeowners who had zero respect for our work boundaries
2-hour "quick" handovers that destroyed entire workdays
Internet connectivity nightmares in remote locations
Poor planning that led to constant stress and chaos
Storage disasters when living out of a tiny car
What We Learned:
✓ The 3 non-negotiable phases of housesitting planning
✓ How to set boundaries that actually get respected
✓ Communication strategies that prevent problems before they start
✓ Workspace setup that maintains professional standards
✓ Meal planning systems that work with constant movement
✓ Internet backup solutions for remote work
✓ Departure routines that protect your reputation
Our Evolution:
From cramming our entire life into a Suzuki Swift with storage buckets to our current van setup with proper systems. We'll show you the real logistics behind making this lifestyle work.
Brutal Honesty About:
Why we stopped seeking long-term sits
The mental toll of constant transitions
How boundary violations almost ended our careers
The reality of working remotely from someone else's space
Financial planning for irregular accommodation
Chapter Breakdown:
00:00 The mistakes that almost ended it all
01:06 Planning around actual work obligations
01:17 Three phases that determine success or failure
01:42 Location choices that make or break your experience
02:05 Communication that prevents disasters
03:16 Dealing with boundary-crossing homeowners
03:34 When handovers become productivity killers
04:14 Setting boundaries that stick
05:02 In-house vs mobile office setups
06:55 Adapting to different personality types
07:41 Food planning evolution
07:57 Logistics with minimal storage
09:10 Grocery management strategies
10:52 Workspace optimization
11:46 Internet troubleshooting reality
11:59 Backup plans for connectivity failure
12:32 Maintaining productivity under pressure
13:39 Exit strategies that work
14:46 Cleaning and prep management
15:28 Handover preparation
16:52 How van life changed everything
17:29 Final reality check
No Fluff, Just Facts:
This isn't a highlight reel. We're showing you the real struggles and practical solutions that actually work in the field.
Resources:
Get 25% off Trusted Housesitters: https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF582519/?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=refer-a-friend&utm_campaign=refer-a-friend
Follow Our Journey:
Instagram: @lifewithnoanchor
Facebook: @LifeWifNoAnchor
X: @LifeWifNoAnchor
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Do you have any nuggets that you would like to drop?
00:03No, I'm not going to drop a nugget.
00:07You don't want to see that.
00:09No, I don't.
00:10Welcome back.
00:12We're on an adventure.
00:13We are.
00:14Can you guess where we are?
00:14That rock thing behind us?
00:16Some of you might know it.
00:17Today we're here to share with you about how to create a house sitting routine that works for you.
00:23Probably one of the most important things because if you're going into house sitting as a profession,
00:28semi-profession, you're going to have to figure out how this dovetails with your life and your normal routine.
00:33Because if you don't, with what we've experienced, particularly in the early days,
00:37it can really throw things out and it can make it quite challenging to meet your current obligations.
00:42I think this really, for me, breaks down into three care areas, Chris.
00:45It's before the sit, during the sit, and preparing to leave the sit, bordering after the sit.
00:52With what we've discussed around before the sit, and I suppose we'll look at this from two perspectives.
00:57So let's look at it as prior to the van and now that we've got the van.
01:01Because they're two very different ways in which we do our house sitting now.
01:04First, we'll look at before the van.
01:06With how we were doing our house sitting, what would you say were the key things that we need to make sure that we did
01:12in our approach to make sure that the routine was maintained and worked for us?
01:17Planning was definitely numero uno.
01:19We spent a lot of time deciding location, length of stay, which we were happy to accept,
01:27and the type of animals that we were happy to work with.
01:30Now, that changed over time as we learned different behaviours of different breeds of animals,
01:37and we became a little bit more selective over time based on our experience.
01:42Then, for me, the next step after making the application and obviously understanding your schedule
01:49was very much around communication and setting boundaries.
01:53So, Matt, in your experience, what were some of the things that you found challenging
01:59prior to setting good boundaries and what we learned from those experiences?
02:04We had some parents or homeowners that didn't really, to us, and this is our, I suppose, lens on the world at this time,
02:13they didn't respect our time and the fact that we had other commitments.
02:16We had some situations where we had booked in with them at a time that worked for them to do the handover
02:23and had said, look, we can take 15 minutes to half an hour as a morning tea break, but it's a workday for us,
02:29so we need to make sure that we're back and online working doing what we need to do.
02:34We had a couple of those situations, one in particular, where they took two hours
02:39and waffled on about a lot of different things that were not related to what we needed to do
02:44to look after the property or the cat.
02:46Lovely people, lovely home, lovely cat, but the, it sounds harsh to say,
02:51the disrespect for our routine and our time was something that I felt really cut into our workday,
02:57and it put me in a position where I felt like I was failing in my obligations to the team that I was supporting
03:03and the employer that I'm working with.
03:05So that was probably one of the biggest things, so setting those boundaries
03:08and letting them know that this is what we need in order to be able to help you.
03:13So if we can't get what we need, then we can't help you effectively.
03:16Interestingly, when we went back and we did the second sit with them,
03:19we set those boundaries very clearly again,
03:21and we went out and worked in the van instead of setting up and trying to work at the dining room table
03:27inside the house with them because we'd learned from that previous experience
03:31that we need to actually have physical boundaries there too.
03:33What stands out for you?
03:34With regards to that particular experience, and I think that's a good example,
03:39the second time around, the difference, so to give you a perspective,
03:44we'd had a conversation with them before we met them in person to do the handover,
03:48and we'd set the boundaries at that point in time,
03:51but then when we met with them face-to-face,
03:55that those boundaries hadn't been reinforced that first time around.
03:59From that experience, we learned that, especially with this couple,
04:03I mean, it's different with different people,
04:06but you need to, I guess, figure out for yourself and work on your routine
04:11and what's going to work for you.
04:12For us, the second time around when we got to meeting them face-to-face for the handover,
04:17before we even got into conversation, we were very clear straight away.
04:21We're on our lunch break.
04:22We only have half an hour, and that made it easier.
04:25They still tried to push the boundaries out, but once I'd also set an alarm and said to them,
04:31I've actually got a meeting.
04:32So that made it very clear to them, I've got half an hour, I have a meeting to get to,
04:37and it was very clear to them that they couldn't push those boundaries, I suppose.
04:43So we've had other instances where it's been so different.
04:47As an example, we went to one house where we were looking after a couple of cats,
04:51and they literally just high-fived us, gave us the keys, and said,
04:55see you in a week.
04:57So you're going to get a lot of different people, and as Matt says, read the room.
05:02On the back of what Chris has shared there in relation to having meetings
05:05and other obligations during the day, you really want to try and plan for your handover
05:10or your meet and greets to be at a time that works for you,
05:12because if you have got other employment-related obligations or other things
05:17that you need to make sure that you're available for,
05:18having a handover or a meet and greet for a house sit that cuts into those
05:24really isn't going to help you, and it's not going to help them either.
05:27I think something to consider here is we're obviously speaking from our perspective.
05:31We're still working five days full-time a week, five days a week full-time.
05:35And so for us, we need to be really mindful.
05:38Even though we work remotely, we're still employed.
05:41If you have to go into an office and you're doing house sitting to supplement
05:45in some way or you're supporting your neighbourhood,
05:48then obviously you're not going to go too far away from your office, for starters.
05:54But I think it's unlikely that you would take the time in your lunch break
05:57to drive to somewhere to do a handover at lunch and then drive back to work
06:01to continue your day.
06:02That's cutting in too much.
06:04And for us, our time is money and it's precious.
06:07So I would totally understand that that may not work for you.
06:12But if evenings and weekends work better and you are working while you're house sitting,
06:17that's obviously a different bucket than if you're travelling internationally
06:21and you're coming to a country and doing house sitting as a supplement while you're travelling.
06:26Then obviously it just depends on when you want to have those engagements.
06:31Availability, when you wake up, obviously the homeowner's availability.
06:34You need to make the routine work for you is essentially what we're trying to say here.
06:39So that set of boundaries, routine, framework was consistent regardless of whether we were in the van
06:47or whether we had the Swift outside of the whole working from the dining room table side of things
06:52because we've got the office set up in the van now.
06:55We now need to look at during the sit, how do you maintain a routine that works for you
07:01now that you've got other things to take care of that aren't normally a part of your world
07:05such as someone's animal, their plants and maybe there's some other day-to-day chore related things
07:10that need to be done with the sit.
07:12For example, when we were looking after the property in Mapleton with the fire and flood management.
07:16There's aspects of doing some of these sits which I quite enjoy when we're working
07:21because it helps to break the cycle and give us a break from our work day.
07:26So as Matt was just explaining about that property in Mapleton, going for a walk around the property
07:31at lunchtime was a really good way for us to disconnect from our work for a little bit
07:36and give ourselves some time to refresh before getting back into work.
07:41I think when it comes to your routine while you're at a house set and this is just speaking
07:47from our experience, obviously everyone's going to be a little bit different with this.
07:50I'll speak to the before the van and after the van experience because they are very different.
07:57Before we had the van, we were getting around in a Suzuki Swift which is quite a small vehicle
08:03if you're not familiar with it.
08:05Everything that we owned was in the Suzuki Swift and we had three buckets which contained
08:10food and all the stuff.
08:12So we were having to cart everything out of the car and bring it into the house and I mean
08:17that was our choice but looking back there's probably much easier ways of doing things.
08:22We were traveling with, as Chris said, there were 45 litre black buckets with lids and one
08:27of them was full of condiments, spices, broad cooking related ingredients, flour, sugar, beans,
08:36whatever it might be.
08:37We're talking like canned beans, like dried packs of beans as well that we still had left
08:40over after Poco Roro and there's quite a bit that we needed to make sure that worked
08:49for us in relation to moving in and moving out of the property from a routine point of
08:54view.
08:54Predominantly where you've got animals that you need to make sure don't flee when the
08:58door is open and escape.
09:00So that move in, move out process was something that we needed to do at times when it fit into
09:06our day and it was also practical for what was going on at the property.
09:10What about, given that we're on the topic of food and it's a little bit different now
09:15with the van compared to what it was with the Swift, how did the house sits differ for
09:20us now from a planning routine food point of view compared to when we were in the Swift?
09:26I feel like our old routine, although it worked for us at the time, I think that because of
09:32how we were living in the Suzuki Swift, we didn't have anywhere to store food while we were
09:36on the road.
09:37No fridge.
09:38And so we were still very much buying groceries, cooking food in the property.
09:44But then once we left that house, we were getting lots of takeaways and eating out.
09:49And so that from a health perspective, in my opinion, may not have been the best of decisions.
09:54Whereas now that we have the van and we have our fridge and freezer, we use the opportunities
09:59for the house sitting to really get all of our day to day stuff done.
10:04So we do our laundry, we do our maintenance, Matt likes to colour his beard and I have all
10:12my beauty routines.
10:13And more importantly is our food prep.
10:16So we will plan while we're at the house sit, we'll look at what they have and how easy it
10:22is to use the equipment that is provided for us.
10:25And we will do batch cooks and the purpose for this is because nowadays we're trying to
10:31supplement our house sitting with our travels.
10:35And so when we are house sitting, we will do big batch cooks and then freeze a lot of the
10:41stuff so that when we're on the road, it's all ready to go.
10:43It's just a matter of taking it out of the freezer and defrosting and cooking it.
10:47So now we're operating with a 90 litre fridge freezer, whereas before we didn't have any
10:51of that.
10:52Previously, what we would be doing is looking at the house sit and how much food we had
10:56and we'd be planning the runway for our departure and figuring out what sort of perishable foods
11:01have we got that we need to make sure that we've consumed or that are ready to be used
11:05as a meal immediately in the next day so that we didn't have the wastage from the food that
11:11we had bought.
11:12So our grocery shopping routine had changed a fair bit now.
11:16It's much more relaxed, I suppose.
11:18We don't need to look at it and try and whittle down and make a meal out of the last three
11:23ingredients in the fridge.
11:24We're able to load things into the fridge freezer that we've got.
11:28So as Chris said, the house sits now for us, given that we've got the van, really are more
11:32of a base to set up and knock over a few things, look after someone's animal while we're there
11:37on their property, explore that local area.
11:39But really, it's an opportunity for us to stock back up, give the van a good clean and
11:44make sure we're ready for the next leg of the adventure.
11:46And have a bit of a base for a while because we can be on the road for some time between
11:50sets now.
11:51It is nice to have that little bit of a we're here for a week or four, but you do get itchy
11:56feet after a little while.
11:58Yes, that is so true.
11:59We have noticed since we've been house sitting.
12:02If we're anywhere for a length of time, we're ready to go.
12:05It's quite comical because I remember when we first started house sitting, we were trying
12:11really hard to get the long house sits in the hopes that it would ground us and we could
12:15have a good routine and feel stable.
12:18Whereas now I feel like we get to the end of the week and we're just about ready to go
12:25somewhere else because we're just always on the move.
12:28And it's just a totally different way of living.
12:31So back to the routine aspect and how to develop a good house sitting routine that
12:36works for you.
12:36If we are looking beyond the food prep, the grocery accumulation side of things, how else
12:44do you see the routine fitting in for us now?
12:48And even previously with the Swift during the set, what's the biggest takeaway?
12:53Because our work with us working remotely takes up such a huge amount of our time.
13:00Making sure that we are set up for our work day and we're comfortable, I think it creates
13:07the basis for our entire routine.
13:10And so for me, that's probably one of the more important things.
13:15What about you?
13:16I think there's a combination of the setup from a productivity and an ergonomics.
13:20Sorry about the flies.
13:21The sun's coming over the top of Uluru at the moment.
13:25And for those of you who didn't know where we were, that's where we're at.
13:28And the flies are starting to creep into this area now because it's warming up.
13:31So anyhow, it's largely about the ergonomics and the productivity that's achieved through
13:36being able to make sure the setup is the right kind of configuration.
13:39But also it's about the internet connection as well.
13:42And this is one of those things like how do you deal with an internet problem if you're
13:47at a house sit?
13:48We had one in Craffers or Craffers in South Australia, just outside of Adelaide.
13:53And the internet was horrible.
13:55So we had to drive 20 minutes away from the house sit towards the city to then be able
14:01to use our mobile data.
14:03The house internet was horrendous.
14:05Our mobile data didn't work there.
14:06Starlink was unreliable there.
14:08It was just not helping us.
14:10So our routine during that house sit had to change from what our routine normally would
14:14be, which is get up, feed the pets, do whatever you need to do, log on and get the work day
14:19started to get up, feed the pets, jump in the van, take off down to wherever we need to
14:24go so we can get a connection and work.
14:26We'll talk more about how you can troubleshoot some of those house sitting, internet connectivity
14:32related issues in the next video.
14:35Keep your eyes peeled for that one.
14:36In fact, like, share and subscribe and hit the bell notification button there because when
14:40we do drop that one, if you're trying to find out how do I get past all of these challenges,
14:44we've got some juicy tips for you to come up there.
14:46Okay, let's talk about when we're wrapping up a house sit, what is the routine that we
14:52have that makes sure that one, we're on schedule and on time and two, the place is looking spick
14:59and span for when the owners come home?
15:01Well, first up, we like to make sure that we know what the arrival and departure times
15:06are for the homeowner.
15:08So most of the departure time and the arrival time.
15:10So when are they leaving and when do they come back?
15:14So we can make sure we're there on time and we can make sure that we're out of the house
15:17without them feeling like they need to entertain us.
15:20If you've had a long flight, you know what it's like.
15:22You don't want to have to entertain some stranger who's just been looking after your home and
15:25just look around, whatever.
15:27You just want to drop back into your space.
15:28So for us, I think there's a couple of things that will temper the answer to this question.
15:33And it's going to predominantly be when do they come home, what time of the day, what
15:38day of the week, and what obligations do I have that may be at or around that time?
15:44So if they're coming home on a weekday morning at eight, nine o'clock in the morning, that's
15:50when I'm really needing to be ready to go as far as logging on with work and being able
15:55to support the team I'm working with.
15:56So what we need to make sure that we do is that we've got the house in a state where it's
16:01been cleaned the afternoon or evening before, and as much of our cleaning for our clothes
16:06and whatever we've got has been done in advance as well, we would make sure that the day before
16:12the owner returns, that we've done all of our laundry, that's all been washed and dried
16:16and packed away.
16:17So we're ready to grab a bag and go pretty much.
16:20And the very next morning, first thing, it's a case of grab the bedding, grab the linen,
16:25towels, chuck them in the wash, put them in the dryer, do whatever we need to do.
16:29If they're coming home at eight, nine o'clock in the morning, we're up
16:31at five and that's to make sure that we can strip the beds, have a shower, wash
16:35everything, dry it, remake the beds and do all that sort of stuff.
16:39If they don't have a tumble dryer, then it's going on the line and we're not remaking
16:42the beds unless there's replacement linen there to use.
16:45But typically that's the sort of stuff that we need to think about three, four steps in
16:49advance of where we are and where we need to be.
16:52More recently, since getting the van, what we've chosen to do when we, particularly when
16:57we have those early morning exits, is that we tend to do our laundry and the linen wash
17:04the day before and we will sleep in our van that night.
17:07And then we'll just come in the next morning, do our morning routine, shower, brush teeth
17:12and all that sort of stuff.
17:13Give the house a check over and address anything that needs to be addressed.
17:17And then we know when we leave, the beds are made and the place looks great so that the
17:23owner comes home to their home feeling like their home.
17:27And we're able to go about our routine as we normally would.
17:29What about you?
17:30What are some of the tips that you've got that you can share?
17:33Obviously, for those of you who are seasoned house sitters watching this video, you've got
17:37plenty of experience that can be drawn from.
17:40Share your tips in the comments below.
17:42Let people know what it is that you've learned that you can do to improve your routine.
17:48We're living our life with no anchor, watching a magpie coming in your land here before we're
17:51going to go and explore the next section of Uluru.
17:53And you should definitely do.
17:56See you on the next one.
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