CNN Video: Joys of house swapping

CNN first aired this video on home swapping in 2005, but the tips and insights on are pretty timeless. And even though the woman profiled has a flat in Manhattan, don't think you have to have a home in a hot tourist area to swap! With a little work, you can probably find someone somewhere intriguing in the world who wants to visit your burg.

By the way, I tried valiantly to embed the video link directly into this post, but my technical skills (or the interface at DailyMotion.com, where the video is posted) failed me. Sorry for the extra step.

See the world as a pet sitter

I've heard of people travelling from city to city as serial house sitters, but I'd never heard of someone doing so as a pet sitter...particularly when the "pets" in question include rabbits and chickens as well as the more common dogs and cats. But a recent story in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune profiles Minnesotan Anne Estes, who has done pet sitting gigs in Ireland and London. Estes tells the whole tale on her blog, complete with pictures of her animal charges. She's currently in Buenos Aires taking a break from pet sitting, but scroll through the archives and you'll get the scoop on the animal gigs.

According to the Star-Tribune piece, she got the idea of travelling as a pet sitter after serving as a volunteer at a Montana sheep ranch. Estes finds leads through sites matching home owners and house sitters, such as the Caretaker Gazette and Housecarers.com.

As with any travel option involving matches between strangers, caution and intuition are important. Housecarers.com has a good online house sitting guide. Aimed more at home owners than house sitters, it nonetheless spells out some tips that will stand both in good stead. As a house/pet sitter, you should be prepared to provide references and a security deposit, and to be bonded. And, oh yes, get everything in writing.