I’m a full-time house sitter — it saves me £12,000 a year on rent and bills

If you’re tired of eye-watering rents and constantly-rising bills, becoming a full-time house sitter could be the answer to your problems.

Back in 2022, Emma Truscott was looking for cheap accommodation ahead of a visit to London when she came across an app offering a range of options, completely free of charge.

Realising she could stay in other people’s homes while they were away, in exchange for keep things in order, water the plants, take out the bins and potentially look after a pet, she gave it a go.

From there, she caught the house sitting bug, and after deciding to make it a year-round thing, she’s been able to travel across the UK and Europe, from Vienna to Paris and from Malta to Finland — all without forking out for hotels.

Even better still, the 38-year-old – who works remotely as a freelance writer and virtual assistant – estimates she saves around £12,000 a year by ditching the rat race of bills and rent or mortgage payments; money sheinstead puts towards more enjoyable endeavours.

‘The majority of my expenses are spent on fun rather than overheads,’ says Emma, originally from Cornwall. ‘I can eat out more often, shop in the pricier supermarkets and go to concerts or activities that a lot of people can only afford as an occasional treat.’

Looking back on her 2025 outgoings, Emma worked out that she spent just £22 a month on bills (such as a mobile phone contract and iCloud storage plam), while accommodation came in at £86 per month due to the occasional stopgap in her house sitting itinerary.

Her highest expense was food, with a monthly average of £195 eating at restaurants and £188 on groceries, along with £148 a month on major travel like flights and £14 on day-to-day transport.

Elsewhere, Emma racked up an average of £78 per month on non-essentials, £63 on ‘fun stuff’ like festival tickets, £54 on essentials, and £58 on gifts.

This extra disposable income is certainly welcome, but the nomadic lifestyle is just as much of a plus for Emma, who says: ‘The biggest perks are being able to live like a local in neighbourhoods around the world, see places I didn’t know existed, and pay nothing for accommodation.’

And while some people might want to put down roots, feel uncomfortable settling in another person’s space, or struggle to get their bearings moving between so many new places, she’s ‘had nothing but positive experiences so far.’

Emma continues: ‘To me, there are no cons… I understand it won’t be for everyone, but I love living like this.

‘It’s not exhausting like backpacking – you’re in a comfortable home, you can do a big grocery shop and unpack.

‘Sure, there’s usually a day or two of travel every month, but that’s a small sacrifice to pay.’

Currently house sitting in London, Emma has no plans to go back to a more traditional setup, saying she doesn’t see any benefit ‘to staying in one place and spending most of my money on bills.’

‘I feel like I’m really living; seeing things, meeting people, and having incredible experiences that will stay with me forever,’ she explains. ‘Perhaps I’ll be lucky enough to make it to 70 years old and still be house sitting – what a life I would have had!’

This year however, she hopes to use some of the money she’s saved to take more trips where doesn’t stay in a stranger’s home.

‘I’d love to spend a month in Sri Lanka, and perhaps think about rescheduling an adventure through South America that I had to cancel in 2020 because of the pandemic,’ Emma adds.

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