House Sitting in New Zealand

New Zealand, also known as the “Land of the Long White Cloud” is known for its geographic isolation, natural splendour and the highly distinctive flora and fauna.

Home to many national wonders, world class ski resorts, beautiful beaches, intense rainforests, rich culture, and stunning landscape, New Zealand is located in the Pacific Ocean in the Southern Hemisphere (with Australia to the north-west).

New Zealand consists of the main bodies the North Island and the South Island and a group of smaller islands including the Chatham Islands and the Stewart Island or Rakiura Island.

Where can I House Sit in New Zealand?

North Island

On the North Island, Auckland is one of the most popular destinations and with its beautiful beaches, Mountains, Harbours, Rainforests all on its door step, it’s no wonder. The North Island offers many things to do and see such as: Fishing, Diving, Boating, Swimming, Hiking, Exploring the Historic buildings, Cruises, Galleries, Theatres, and visiting the worlds tallest building; The Sky Tower.

House Sitting Destinations on New Zealand’s North Island

• House Sitting Northland
• House Sitting Auckland
• House Sitting Bay of Plenty
• House Sitting Gisborne
• House Sitting Waikato
• House Sitting Taranaki
• House Sitting Manawatu Wanganui
• House Sitting Hawkes Bay
• House Sitting Wellington

South Island

New Zealand’s South Island is dominated by the Southern Alps, which run the full length of the island. The main city is Christchurch and it’s home to Queenstown, New Zealand’s adventure capital. The South Island is surrounded by amazing natural wonders including Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park and diverse wildlife. Other regions of the South Island include: Nelson, Canterbury, West Coast, Timaru, Queenstown, Fiord Land, Otago and Southland.

House Sitting Destinations on New Zealand’s South Island

• House Sitting Canterbury
• House Sitting Marlborough
• House Sitting Nelson
• House Sitting Otago
• House Sitting Southland
• House Sitting Tasman
• House Sitting West Coast

How to Get Started

Getting started is simple. Just head over to our membership page. You will then be directed to registration and the membership fee payment page (we often run promotions as well, so you may score yourself free membership, or a discounted membership!). We use PayPal as the checkout method, so you can pay via card or directly through your PayPal account. We use PayPal’s secure online payment gateway. You don’t need to be registered with PayPal or need to be a PayPal member to be able to pay.
If payment goes through, your membership is a success! You will see a notice to activate your account once you have logged in. It’s important that you do this as this will activate your membership. Once that’s done you can go ahead and create your house sitter profile.

What is expected of me as a House Sitter?

As a house sitter, you will be expected to perform agreed tasks that involve caring for a home owners property and pets. This includes taking care of all the usual daily tasks involved with running and maintaining a home such as house cleaning, garden maintenance, pool maintenance, general house security, forwarding or collecting mail, caring for pets and the occasional odd job. House sitters are expected to bring their own food and some may prefer to bring their own linen and cooking utensils. All this needs to be discussed prior to acceptance of the house sitting position.

Do I need References and Experience in House Sitting?

References are a major advantage and are therefore we say it’s a must for all house sitters. Obviously the best type of reference would be from someone you have house sat for, however even a character reference/s from people that have known you for a reasonable amount of time are acceptable. These may include your landlord (if you have rented in the past), your employer, friends or people you know with an advanced standing in the community. Your reference/s can be written and or verbal, with the referrer agreeing that you can provide their phone number to home owners.

Why do people house sit in New Zealand?

People choose to house sit for a variety of reasons. Many do it whilst travelling, to meet new people and explore new places. Others do it to save money on rent.
However, what they generally all have in common is a love of caring for animals and taking care of peoples homes in exchange for the unique opportunities that house sitting provides them with.

How do I find a good house sit in New Zealand?

Patience is the key!

Write up your profile carefully!
When setting up your profile, make owners feel like they’d like to get to know you. Give details and describe who you are, your experiences (including pet care) what you do for a living e.g.
Make sure to upload nice clear photos that catch home owners attention.
If responding to a house sitting position, explain what you like about the home owner’s proposal and why you’d be the right person. Don’t hesitate to provide a link to some references and other relevant documents (such as a police check) uploaded to a third party such as eg.Dropbox, OneDrive, CloudMe.

Request a FREE account verification
Requesting a free account verification will display a tick on your profile, and helps establish more trust between you and the home owner. To find out more about the free account verification, please scroll down this page to the section labelled “FREE ID Verification”.

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About NZ House Sitters