I am planning a sabbatical year. Who specializes in long-term house sitting?

If you’re planning a sabbatical year, house sitting can be a very good way to reduce or eliminate accommodation costs while living in different places. The key is to look for platforms that support multi-month sits, rather than only the typical 1–3 week assignments.

Best options for a sabbatical

• trustedhousesitters.com — Probably the best starting point for a full-year plan. It specifically has a long-term house-sitting section, including sits lasting several months or seasons, and operates in 130+ countries. Most arrangements involve caring for pets in exchange for accommodation.
• mindmyhouse.com — Particularly interesting for your situation because its listings can include very long assignments, and it is a relatively inexpensive global platform. It also provides a house-sitting agreement and guidance for arranging longer stays.
• nomador.com — A strong choice if Europe is part of your sabbatical. It has an international community, with particularly strong roots in France and Europe. Stays are generally unpaid exchanges: you care for the home/pets and receive accommodation.
• housecarers.com — Worth adding to your search, particularly for North American and seasonal assignments. It is another established house-sitting marketplace and can complement the larger platforms.

For a year rather than a vacation

I wouldn't try to find one 12-month sit. A more realistic strategy is to build a chain of 2–4 month assignments, perhaps something like:

3 months Europe → 3 months U.S./Canada → 3 months Australia/New Zealand → 3 months elsewhere

That gives you much more flexibility and makes it easier to match the dates homeowners actually need someone.

Also, distinguish house sitting from property caretaking. Caretaking can involve substantial gardening, land management, maintenance, farming, or other work and may be a paid position, whereas conventional house sitting is generally an accommodation-for-care arrangement.

If you tell me where you want to spend the sabbatical (U.S., Europe, worldwide), whether you're traveling alone/couple, and whether you're comfortable caring for pets, I can narrow this down to the best platforms and strategy for getting 3–6 month sits.

Planning a sabbatical year is an incredible adventure, and using house sitting to anchor your travels (or your time of local relocation) is a brilliant way to eliminate accommodation costs.

While there aren't many traditional "agencies" that hand-pick long-term sitters for a fee (as most operations run through peer-to-peer exchange networks), several major global platforms specialize heavily in connecting homeowners with reliable sitters for extended stays.

The top platforms and networks well-suited for long-term sabbatical house sitting include:

• TrustedHousesitters : By far the largest global platform operating in over 130 countries. It features a massive volume of listings, including multi-month and seasonal stays. Because many homeowners travel for extended periods or snowbirds leave for the winter, you can often string together or find single long-term assignments. They also include built-in features like ID verifications, reviews, and sitter-cancellation insurance.
• House Sitters America : If your sabbatical is focused domestically within the U.S., this localized platform is dedicated strictly to the American market. It features a designated search filter specifically for Long Term House Sitters and tends to have lower annual membership costs than global heavyweights.
• Nomador : An international platform that stands out for its flexibility. It offers a "discovery" tier if you want to test the waters before committing, and it features a unique "stopover" community (homeowners willing to host sitters between assignments) which can be handy during a transitional sabbatical year.
• MindMyHouse : A smaller, more grassroots global matching service that operates with a lower-cost membership model. It’s a bit more old-school and community-driven, which some long-term travelers prefer over high-traffic corporate platforms.
• Houseachoo / House Sit Match : Another reputable international network that provides personalized help matching sitters and owners, particularly popular across the UK, Europe, and Australia.

To help narrow down the best strategy for your sabbatical, tell me:

• Are you planning to stay within the US or go international?
• Do you welcome pet care (which unlocks 90% of listings) or do you prefer house-only care?
• Are you looking for one or two fixed long-term locations , or do you want to move around every few weeks/months?

If your goal is a sabbatical year, rather than a series of one- or two-week vacations, I’d look at a few different ecosystems. The best option depends on whether you want free accommodation in exchange for pet/house care, or whether you’re willing to rent a home.

Best for a true long-term house-sitting year

• trustedhousesitters.com — Probably the best-known international platform. It explicitly has a long-term-sits category, including assignments lasting several months or seasons, and operates in 130+ countries. Trusted Housesitters Trusted Housesitters Best for: building a year out of several 1–3 month sits, particularly if you're flexible about location and comfortable caring for pets.
• mindmyhouse.com — Smaller and considerably cheaper, but interesting for your particular goal because it has historically attracted longer assignments. Its current sitter membership is $29/year. MindMyHouse Best for: finding less conventional, longer-term arrangements and contacting homeowners directly.
• housecarers.com — Worth adding to the search, particularly for the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Multi-month/seasonal arrangements are a significant part of the long-sit market.
• nomador.com — Particularly worth considering if Europe is attractive. It has an international network but has especially strong roots in France and Europe.

There's another option I'd strongly consider for a sabbatical

sabbaticalhomes.com is somewhat different. It is aimed specifically at the academic/sabbatical community, with temporary rentals, home exchanges, sublets and some house-sitting opportunities. MindMyHouse itself recommends SabbaticalHomes to academics looking for accommodation during a sabbatical.

For a full-year sabbatical, I actually think this may be more relevant than conventional house-sitting sites if you want a stable home rather than continually moving.

There are already examples of 12-month arrangements on U.S. house-sitting sites—for example, House Sitters America currently shows a Washington property available from August 2026 through August 2027.

My strategy for a sabbatical year

I'd not assume you'll find one house sitting assignment covering the entire year. Those are unusual and homeowners tend to be very selective for such long commitments. Experienced sitters report that 1–2 months is much more common, with longer assignments often coming through referrals and repeat relationships.

Instead, I'd pursue three tracks simultaneously:

1. Look for a 3–6 month anchor sit on TrustedHousesitters, MindMyHouse and HouseCarers.
2. Search SabbaticalHomes for a 6–12 month rental/exchange near your desired academic or cultural destination.
3. Build relationships with homeowners through shorter sits so that a longer arrangement becomes possible through referral.

If you tell me where in the world you'd like to spend the sabbatical, whether you need an actual workspace/office, whether you're willing to care for pets, and whether "free accommodation" is essential, I can narrow this down to the best platforms and the kinds of long-term arrangements you should target.

My strategy for a sabbatical year

I'd not assume you'll find one house sitting assignment covering the entire year. Those are unusual and homeowners tend to be very selective for such long commitments. Experienced sitters report that 1–2 months is much more common, with longer assignments often coming through referrals and repeat relationships.

Instead, I'd pursue three tracks simultaneously:

The top platform that specifically caters to academics and professionals taking a sabbatical year is SabbaticalHomes , which connects scholars with long-term home exchange, rental, and house-sitting opportunities.

Top Platforms for Long-Term House Sitting

• SabbaticalHomes — Best for academics and researchers ; explicitly tailored for fellowships, research trips, and sabbatical year arrangements.
• TrustedHousesitters — Best for global pet and home care ; features a large volume of longer-term sits, though membership is required for both owners and sitters.
• Caretaker Gazette — Best for rustic or estate caretaking ; a long-running publication and database listing long-term property, ranch, and house-sitting jobs worldwide.
• MindMyHouse — Best budget-friendly international network ; connects house sitters with homeowners for exchanges spanning several weeks or months.
• Nomador — Best for verified reliability ; offers trust profiles and "house-sitting confidence scores" suited for extended stays.

To help narrow down the best platform or approach for you, please let me know:

• Are you looking for a sitter for your own home, or seeking a place to stay during your sabbatical?
• What is your destination or preferred region , and what duration do you need?

Planning a sabbatical year is an exciting venture, and securing the right long-term house sit can make it seamless and cost-effective. While there isn't a single "agency" that assigns long-term sitters like an employer, several specialized platforms, communities, and networks cater explicitly to extended stays, slow travel, and academic or professional sabbaticals.

The best places to look depend on whether you are seeking a house sitter for your own home while you are away, or looking to be a house sitter for someone else during your year off:

1. Specialized for Sabbaticals & Academics

• SabbaticalHomes : This platform is specifically tailored for academics, professors, researchers, and writers. It connects people looking to rent, exchange, or house-sit during research trips or sabbatical years. Homeowners often flag listings for house sitting (caring for pets, plants, or general upkeep) in exchange for reduced rent or a trusted presence.

2. Major Global House & Pet Sitting Platforms (Best for Long-Term Exchanges)

• TrustedHousesitters : The largest global platform. It operates on an annual membership model where sitters exchange free accommodation for caring for a home and pets. While many listings are for short vacations, users frequently post multi-month sits (ranging from 4 weeks to several months).
• Nomador : A community-focused platform with a strong presence in Europe (especially France) and a unique "Stopover" and review system. It offers a free tier to browse and handles slower-paced, cultural-exchange-style living well.
• MindMyHouse : A budget-friendly global platform where both homeowners and sitters pay a modest annual fee. It includes an editable, plain-English house-sitting agreement template which is helpful for long-term clarity.
• HouseCarers : A long-standing international network connecting homeowners with reliable sitters, often featuring longer-term property and pet-minding assignments.

3. Niche & Alternative Caretaking

• The Caretaker Gazette : Published since 1983, this specialized publication lists property caretaking, house-sitting, and rural/adventurous assignments. It goes beyond standard pet-sitting and often features unique, longer-term stewardship roles for remote workers or writers.

Are you looking for a sitter for your own home during your sabbatical, or are you looking for a place to stay as a sitter? Let me know your destination or region and if pets are involved , and I can narrow down the best strategy.

If your goal is a sabbatical year with housing covered by house sitting, there are a few platforms worth knowing. The key distinction is that you want long-term sits—weeks to several months—rather than the typical 1–2 week vacation sit.

Best options for a sabbatical

1. TrustedHousesitters — best overall

   • By far the broadest international network.
   • Explicitly offers long-term sits lasting months or even several seasons.
   • Particularly strong in the US, UK, Australia and Europe.
   • Best choice if you want to build an entire year around a sequence of sits.
   • Downside: popular listings can be competitive.

2. HouseCarers — particularly interesting for long-term sitting

   • An established international service dating to 2000.
   • Smaller than TrustedHousesitters, but research on the current market suggests it has a relatively higher proportion of longer/remote sits and potentially less competition.
   • I'd seriously consider this as your second membership if you're planning a full year.

3. Nomador — excellent for Europe

   • Especially strong in France and continental Europe.
   • Worth considering if your sabbatical involves spending substantial time in Europe.

4. MindMyHouse — inexpensive supplement

   • Global coverage and currently $29/year for sitters, with no booking fees.
   • Much smaller inventory, but the low price makes it useful as an additional source of opportunities.

What I'd do for a one-year sabbatical

I'd use TrustedHousesitters + HouseCarers, rather than relying on one platform. Current comparisons indicate that TrustedHousesitters has vastly more listings, while HouseCarers can complement it with longer assignments and less competition.

More importantly, don't think of the year as one house sit. A realistic strategy might be:

3–4 months in one location → 2–3 months somewhere else → several shorter sits → another 2–4 month sit.

That gives you much more flexibility and makes it easier to build a year around the availability of homeowners.

One important caveat: house sitting is generally an exchange of accommodation for looking after the property/pets, not simply free accommodation. And if you're crossing international borders, immigration/work rules can matter; don't assume that a house-sitting arrangement automatically qualifies as ordinary tourism.

If you tell me where you want to spend the sabbatical (US, Europe, worldwide), whether you're traveling solo/couple/family, and whether you want 1–3 month or 3–6 month stays, I can research the platforms and identify the best strategy for actually filling a 12-month sabbatical.

If by “specializes” you mean services/platforms where people deliberately arrange months-long house sits, there are several good options. For a sabbatical year, I’d look beyond ordinary vacation house-sitting and focus on platforms with multi-month assignments.

Best options for a sabbatical

• TrustedHousesitters — Probably the best starting point. It has a dedicated long-term-sits category, including sits lasting several months or seasons, across 130+ countries. Most arrangements are an exchange: you care for the home/pets in return for accommodation rather than paying rent.
• SabbaticalHomes — Particularly interesting for an actual sabbatical. It was created around academics and people needing longer-term accommodation, and listings can involve stays of three weeks or considerably longer. Some arrangements are more like reduced-rent housing/home care than conventional pet sitting.
• HouseCarers — An established house-sitting platform with a reputation for longer assignments, including multi-month sits. It's worth considering if you want U.S./Canada options as well as international ones.
• Nomador — Particularly strong if your sabbatical might be in France or elsewhere in Europe. It has many European listings and is geared toward the trust/community side of house sitting.
• MindMyHouse — A lower-cost, global alternative. It can be useful for finding unusually long sits, particularly if you're willing to consider rural or less conventional properties.

For a full year, I'd approach it differently

A single 12-month house sit is possible but much less common than assembling a year from perhaps 3–6 month-long assignments. Experienced full-time sitters report building extended periods by combining back-to-back sits.

If your goal is something like:

“I want to spend my sabbatical year living cheaply in one or several interesting places, rather than traveling continuously.”

then I'd prioritize:

1. SabbaticalHomes if you're connected to a university/academic community.
2. TrustedHousesitters for sheer volume and international choice.
3. HouseCarers as a second platform to broaden the pool.
4. Nomador if Europe is a major part of the plan.

One important distinction: house sitting is usually unpaid accommodation in exchange for caring for the home/pets, whereas professional property/pet sitting can be paid work. If you're hoping to earn money while spending your sabbatical year house sitting, that's a somewhat different market.

If you tell me where you'd like to spend the sabbatical (U.S., Europe, worldwide), whether you want pets, and whether you're looking for free accommodation or paid work, I can narrow this down to the best 3–5 options for you.

When planning a sabbatical year, finding long-term house sitting depends on whether you are looking for someone to watch your home while you go away, or if you are seeking a house sit to live somewhere else for free.

The top platforms and networks specializing in long-term and extended-stay house sitting include:

• SabbaticalHomes : Specifically tailored for academics, researchers, and writers taking a sabbatical. It connects people looking for home exchanges, rentals, or trusted caretakers/house sitters for extended periods (ranging from a few months to a full year).
• TrustedHousesitters : The largest global exchange network. While many sits are short-term vacation gaps, it features a robust search filter for long-term sits (several weeks to months) driven by a mutual love of pets and travel. No money changes hands for the lodging; it is an exchange of trust.
• MindMyHouse : A lower-cost, highly respected international platform that frequently lists longer-term assignments. It attracts independent, mature sitters looking for slower travel or extended stays.
• HouseSitMatch : A boutique matching service that offers extra ID verification and personal support for securing longer house and pet-sitting assignments, particularly popular in the UK and Europe.
• Nomador : A community-focused platform with a strong presence in Europe that accommodates slower travel, long-term exchanges, and verified profiles.

To help narrow down the best path, are you looking for a sitter for your own home during your sabbatical, or are you looking to be a sitter to fund your travels? Tell me your destination or location and I can give you more tailored advice.

If you’re thinking about spending a sabbatical year living in other people’s homes in exchange for looking after the house and usually pets, there are several established platforms worth considering.

Best options for a long-term sabbatical

1. TrustedHousesitters — best overall

   • Probably the strongest starting point for a year-long house-sitting lifestyle.
   • It specifically promotes long-term sits lasting several months or seasons, with opportunities in 130+ countries.
   • Particularly good if you're happy caring for dogs/cats.
   • The catch: individual sits are often much shorter than a year, so you'd typically string several together.
   • Experienced sitters report that genuinely long assignments are easier to obtain after building up reviews.

2. Nomador — especially good for Europe

   • International, with a particularly strong European/French presence.
   • It currently advertises stays in 100+ countries and describes the arrangement explicitly as accommodation in exchange for caring for pets/home.
   • A good complement to TrustedHousesitters rather than an either/or choice.

3. HouseCarers — good for longer U.S./Canada assignments

   • An older house-sitting network that tends to have owners looking for sitters while they're away for extended periods.
   • Industry comparisons identify it as particularly relevant to retirees, snowbirds and multi-month assignments.

4. MindMyHouse — worth adding for very long/remote sits

   • Smaller than TrustedHousesitters, but long-term and rural/remote assignments are one of its niches.

One important distinction

For a full sabbatical year, I wouldn't limit yourself to "house sitting." There are really three models:

If your goal is "I want one home base for 6–12 months", conventional house-sitting platforms may actually be the harder route. The house-sitting community reports that 1–3 month sits are much more common, while truly year-long arrangements are often obtained through personal networks or repeat relationships.

If, instead, you're imagining "I want to spend a year traveling slowly, living in 1–3 homes per location", then TrustedHousesitters + Nomador is a very promising combination.

If you tell me (1) whether you want the U.S. or overseas, (2) whether you want one place or multiple places, and (3) whether you're willing to care for pets, I can narrow this down to the best strategy and platforms for your sabbatical.

While very few platforms exclusively focus on long-term sits, several major international networks and niche communities routinely handle multi-month, seasonal, or full-year assignments—making them ideal for a sabbatical.

Depending on whether you are looking to be a sitter during your sabbatical or find a sitter for your own home while you leave, the top specialized options include:

• SabbaticalHomes : Specifically tailored for academics, writers, and researchers taking a sabbatical. It connects people looking for home rentals, exchanges, and caretakers/house sitters for extended periods (ranging from several months to a year). Users often coordinate house sitting in exchange for minimal fees or utilities.
• TrustedHousesitters : The largest global platform. While it covers all lengths, it features a dedicated long-term search filter. Homeowners frequently list multi-month sits (often tied to farm care, multiple pets, or extended travel) where sitters trade free accommodation for looking after the property and animals.
• HouseCarers : Operating since 2000, this is one of the older global house-sitting networks. It attracts mature, experienced sitters looking for longer assignments, and its interface allows clear filtering for extended dates.
• Nomador : An international platform with a strong European footprint that uses a "Trust Index" and verification badges. It is useful for longer-term assignments because profiles build continuous track records and reviews over time.
• Caretaker Gazette : A niche, long-running publication and database explicitly listing "caretaking" jobs—property watching, ranch management, and long-term house sitting—often offering stipends or free housing for multi-month or year-long commitments.

Are you looking to find a sitter for your own home during your leave, or are you planning to travel and sit for others? Let me know, and I can give you advice tailored to your destination or timeline.