House sitting is becoming an increasingly popular way of seeing the world, and our latest participant in our monthly 8 House Sitting Questions just happen to be citizens of the world. Coincidence?
This month we’re featuring David and Diane Daniel, aka, the New Nomads. Check out their answers to our world famous questions!
Names: David and Diane Daniel. Born in Alabama and Massachusetts but we’ve both lived many places.
Age: 49/50
Question #1. How/When did you become a house sitter?
I (Diane) had a house/farm sitting business throughout my college years. A few years ago a friend asked us to take a house sit for her because she was double-booked. We both enjoyed it and decided to pursue it further. We have been sitting pretty much constantly ever since.
Question #2. What’s the funniest thing that has happened to you while house sitting?
Finding an iguana in the toilet at our current house sit has to be right up there.
Question #3. What’s the worst thing that’s happened to you while house sitting?
Having a pipe break in the ceiling in a house we were sitting. It was lucky that we were there because we were able to minimize the damage and handle the repairs, but it was still pretty stressful.
Question #4. What is the single most important item (aside from laptop/phone/electronics) that you take with you to every house sit?
Cameras, between the two of us we have 6 – one is a drone that we use to shoot photos and video.
Question #5. How long do you plan on house sitting?
Maybe forever. We don’t own a house anymore so we just go where we want. Sitting gives us the opportunity to live like a local in a variety of places.
Question #6. What’s been your favorite house sit so far, and why? (location, awesome pets)
We’ve had so many wonderful ones it is really hard to choose. But, I would have to say the repeat sit we are doing now is a favorite. We really love the dogs, the location of the house is amazing (50’ from the Caribbean Ocean), and the house itself suits us really well. We spent 6.5 months here last year and will be a bit longer this year. We are really travelers at heart so 2-3 months is about the perfect amount of time for us, but this place has so much to offer that we enjoy being stationary for a while.
Question #7. If you could improve one thing about house sitting in general, what would it be?
Getting the word out to more homeowners that house sitters are available for them. We run into so many people who have no idea the service is available.
Question #8. If you could offer one piece of advice to would-be house sitters, what would that be?
Be adequately funded so you can handle an emergency if something goes wrong. We’ve seen several sitters who had real problems because a situation with a house sit changed. Things happen and sometimes either dates change or a homeowner has to cancel. If you can’t fund the travel to your next destination or several nights lodging you can find yourself in a difficult situation.
Bonus question: What’s your favorite movie?
Chocolat
We wanted to know your favorite movie, not food! Just kidding. We’re currently house sitting in one the stars hometown of Vancouver, can you guess who?
The pipe bursting brings up an interesting topic. Here’s something many people aren’t aware of; some insurance companies won’t pay for water damage if you go on vacation and either fail to shut off the water or have someone keeping an eye on your place. Just another reason to hire a house sitter to keep an eye on stuff!
You can follow along with David and Diane as they create indoor swimming pools for iguanas by visiting their website at new-nomads.com. Actually, they have some fantastic photos you really should take a gander at.
Conversely, you can also follow them on:
If you would like to share your awesome (or not so awesome) stories and take part in our 8 House Sitting Questions, please visit our contact page to reach us.
Now go sell all your stuff!
Yep have to agree with the answer to Q8. We have seen people come unstuck with lack of funds while House & Pet Sitting. While the accommodation is free (for the most part), there are other costs involved which can and do add up. great post.
So true Gavin. And when a home owner says ‘eat whatever you want’, it doesn’t mean you eat whatever you want and not replace stuff! Definitely some other costs involved with this lifestyle! We also offer up some tips on what to do between gigs