Long Term House Sitting Hobart, Tasmania: Secrets to Success

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This post contains the secrets to secure long-term house sitting Hobart-wide (or further afield in Tasmania). Here is what I’ve learned after house sitting for two years… but shhh, don’t tell anyone!

What Is House Sitting?

House sitting is a trust-based transaction between a homeowner and a housesitter, who cares for the home and pets while the owner is away, in exchange for free rent and utilities*.

^{*A minority are paid, but mostly for short periods, or when the house sit requires additional pet health care or property maintenance.}

Homeowners save money on boarding for their pets, while increasing security in their homes by having someone there. You save money on accommodation while travelling, all while receiving endless pet snuggles and sniffs. House sits can be short-term (a few days) or long-term (up to a year or more).

Why House Sitting Hobart?

Hobart has a temperate, maritime climate with relatively mild winters. It is the largest city in Tasmania, with almost 50% of the population and easy access to Port Arthur, Swansea and Launceston. You can use the city as a home base while you visit Wineglass Bay, Cradle Mountain and Maria Island.

Yet, on Aussie House Sitters, there was only 12 house sits listed in the proceeding 7 days, compared to 90 in Sydney and 114 in Melbourne, so you’ll need a few tips and tricks to secure that long-term house to sit in Tassie.

House Sitting Hobart Secrets

Tasmania (TAS) and Hobart Public Holidays

Many people plan their holidays around public holidays, adding any accrued leave from their jobs to the dates on which their workplace is closed. Or, they leave at this time so that they can spend time with friends and family during ‘the holidays’ – especially Christmas and Easter.

If you want to secure a long-term house sit in Hobart, being available during these times means that you will have greater choice than at other times of the year. Regional Tasmania has a number of region-specific local public holidays as well, so you can increase your chances around these times.

Australia/Tasmania Public Holidays	Date/s
New Year’s Day	January 1*
Australia Day	January 26
Eight Hours Day	2nd Monday in March
Easter (Good Friday, Easter Sat/Sun/Mon/Tue)	Early-Mid April
ANZAC Day	April 25
Labour Day	1st Monday in May
King’s Birthday	1st Monday in October
Royal Hobart Show	Last Thurs. in October
Christmas (Christ. Eve, Christ. Day and Boxing Day)	December 24-26#

House Sitting Hobart Locations

Howrah, West Hobart and Mount Nelson are popular suburbs, so applications for house sitting opportunities in these areas might fall to the bottom of the pile. If you go further out of the city, you’ll maximise your chances.

If you are happy to travel even further away from Hobart, you may be able to secure a long-term house sit in wider Tasmania. Here are some alternative locations that you can consider:

House Sitting Launceston

≈200km north of Hobart, Launceston offers house sitting close to Cataract Gorge, Cradle Mountain and The Tamar Valley. Consider travel during The Launceston Cup (February) and Royal Launceston Show (October).

House Sitting St Helens

≈250km northeast of Hobart, St Helens is another house sitting option not far from The Bay of Fires, Ferntree Falls and Priory Ridge. Look around Recreation Day (November) and the winter months (May-September).

Meet With Homeowners

While Hobartians (rhymes with Martians) are, in general, a relaxed bunch – homeowners like to get to know the house sitters that will take care of their home – especially long term. For sits over a month, as soon as I’ve spoken to the homeowner over the phone, I try and organise a ‘meet and greet’. If I’m in another city, I let them know the dates that I will be near them and schedule an approximate date to meet.

I believe that this shows commitment to the house sit and this gesture will make you stand out from other applicants. It’s a great opportunity to be introduced to the pets and to get a ‘feel’ for the house, the location and what will be required from you during your stay.

If you meet with difficult or disrespectful homeowners, I’d rather know this before I spend months in their homes! Yet, you more often meet with people in person only to find that you quickly bond and agree to the house sit.

Finally, if you want to maximise your chances of getting that long-term house to sit in Hobart, here are some tips:

• Use the ‘Alert’ feature on Aussie House Sitters to be notified via email when house sits of 2-4 weeks/1 month or more are listed and apply as soon as you can – Go to ‘My Account” > ‘Useful Tools’ > ‘My Alerts’ > ‘New Alert’;
• Apply for a National Police Certificate ($45AUD) to reassure homeowners of your suitability;
• Provide a link to your social media accounts and/or full name in your application, so homeowners can ‘Google’ you;
• Keep it all about them – ask questions about where they are going, how they like things done around the house and their preferences. Read their ad, listen carefully and take notes of these for later. Clarify anything unclear about their expectations.

In a trust-based exchange like house sitting, the more that you show yourself to be a considerate and trustworthy house sitter, the more success you’ll have. Once you have a few good references (in addition to being available on public holidays, meeting with owners quickly and being flexible in your choice of location), you’ll be long-term house sitting Hobart-wide before you know it.

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