London - We’ve all spent countless hours looking at friends’ holiday snaps on Instagram or Facebook with a hint of jealousy, wishing we could be sitting on a beach, eating a fancy meal or spending the night in a luxurious hotel room. It can seem steep forking out for hotel stays, but one couple has discovered the way to do it for free.
Laura Cody, 23, and Tanbay Theune, 26, have taken advantage of the home-sitting craze, which allows people stay in strangers’ incredible houses while they are away – without having to spend a penny on accommodation.
The couple chose to embark on the adventure together after they became fed up with paying hefty rents every month, and discussed their desire to experience the world.
The option to travel was actually a cheaper one than staying at home, as they realised they could travel rent and bill free by home-sitting in whatever country they chose. They left Birmingham in July 2013 and currently have no plans to stop their worldwide adventure.
Home-sitting is a win-win situation, as home owners want people staying in their house to deter burglars, and most often, to look after their pets, in exchange for free lodging.
In two years the mathematics graduate and retail supervisor have house-sat all over Australia, the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy and are currently in Finland. They have stays lined up in Portugal and the Netherlands this year.
When asked about the best and worst places they have stayed, they revealed their secret for ensuring they stay in the best properties.
“The best two have been an Italian vineyard and a Gold Coast sit in Australia which had a pool and was very close to the beach,” Cody said.
“We haven’t had a worst one because we Skype the home owners beforehand to check it’s nice.”
They use the website Trusted Housesitters to organise their stays, paying just £5.99 (R110) a month for an annual membership.
Cody, originally from Cheltenham and Theune, from Oldenburg, Germany, have only spent £1 000 between them in the past six months on transport and food.
Travelling on the road has also given them the opportunity to earn money with the release of Laura’s e-book, House Sitting in Australia – A Guide for First Time House Sitters, through their popular blog, Travelling Weasles, and other freelance work.
From major cities, to deserted villages, and houses with pools and beach villas, the range of properties is as varied as length of stay.
The longest the couple have stayed in a property is six weeks, but they have also done weekend stays too.
“The weirdest thing we have seen in people’s houses is a life size cut out of Edward from Twilight,” they said.
“The home owners are usually very generous and have given us food, wine and day trips.”
Apart from missing Marmite and their families, the two hope to continue their global adventures, saving money as they go.
“We now have a life that we don’t need a holiday from,” Cody said.
Daily Mail