House Sitting Spain: Our First Long Term House Sitting Job in Spain!

Living in Spain is a dream for many. But making that dream a reality can be a challenge - how can you afford to live in Spain? I have a special trick. I can teach you how to not just live in Spain luxuriously, but how to also live in Spain for free! I lived in Spain in a luxury mansion, complete with two swimming pools and located right next to the beach. And I did all this rent & bill free. For real. [This post was last updated on the 19th of November, 2024.]

House Sitting in Spain: Our Experiences

SO how did I do it? Well, I simply started house sitting in Spain and I'm gonna tell you how too - I am a house sitter: I stay in other people's houses whilst they themselves are away on holiday. [Read: What is house sitting?] In Spain, house sitting is an accepted practice, especially among open-minded and friendly upper-class citizens... and I have to tell you, our very first house sit in Spain was one of the most fabulous long term house sitting jobs we've done so far. But despite what I like to think, I'm not a super-special, super-lucky person. It's actually super easy to start house sitting in Spain yourself, and I wrote this blogpost (and quite a few others, too!) to help you do just that.

When we started looking for a house sit in Spain we never thought we'd actually find a little bit of paradise. But we did. And it was a long term house sitting job, too, meaning: 6 weeks in aforementioned paradise! :) The house we were looking after was right on the Costa del Sol. It was perfectly located: a short drive East took us to Malaga, full of history, tourists and partying. A short drive west was Marbella, which is extremely fancy and teaming with celebrities! So becoming house sitters in Spain turned out to be one of the most colourful episodes of our lives :)

Our immediate area still hadn't been discovered by tourists or celebrities (or other potential house sitters), which meant we could have the beach and the sea to ourselves:

We made sure that we made the most of it and went swimming every day, or went out on the boat and tried to spot dolphins and tuna... and these are just some of the perks of being a house sitter in Spain! :)

And in the afternoons, after our siesta, we liked to head North into the mountains.

Which was where we were able to see the famous Spanish dancers - flamenco dancers:

We also spent a lot of time wandering around a town called Fuengirola, enjoying the Spanish markets. Since we were doing long term house sitting we had time to look around, get to know the local sellers a bit and pick up some Spanish :)

To be honest, though, a lot of our time was spent eating local food [Read more: how to be vegan in Spain]... another one of those wonderful perks of doing a house sit in Spain!

So the Costa del Sol really does have something for everyone. And it's not just Costa del Sol, our other favourite places in Spain include Barcelona, Madrid, and literally the whole of the north. House sitting in Madrid is a big thing [we have written a blog post which is particularly useful when house sitting in Madrid, see our friend's post about the best neighbourhoods in Madrid]

But what about the house itself? When we first started house sitting we were only interested in living rent-free... and with high renting fees who wouldn't be interested in that? However, we quickly learnt that it wouldn't just be any old free accommodation. More often than not the places you will house sit in will be jaw-dropping... one could literally call these luxury house sitting jobs, and for a good reason. This specific house sit in Spain came with two pools! This was the main one: 

Now, generally with house sitting, you're expecting to keep the house 'in the way you found it'. This doesn't mean cleaning up the home owner's mess (that's called volunteering), it just means hoovering/dusting/moping up after yourself (like you would if you were a guest in a friend's house). However, in this particular house sit in Spain, as is often true with fancy houses, we didn't have to clean at all - they continued to employ their cleaner! And yes, that meant we (luckily) didn't have to clean the pool either. 

But if we're not cleaning up after ourselves and are spending days in sunny Spain for free, what are we doing in return? As a house sitter in Spain, your title will almost always be stretched to pet sitter, i.e. the main reason you are there is to provide pet sitting services like dog sitting or being a dog walker:

In return for looking after some cute dogs like these furry fellows, you get to stay in the owner's house. When it comes to cat sitting and/or dog sitting, Spain is a good place to go to. It's quite popular among wealthier citizens and for a good reason: Pets are always happier in their own homes than in kennels (not to mention it's A LOT cheaper for the owners), so everyone wins - the house sitters, the homeowners, and especially the pets. So if you, like us, love animals and especially, love to do some dog walking on a daily basis, you will be in heaven. If you pet sit dogs, your duties will be to walk them, to feed the dogs and of course, to cuddle up with the dogs - and if you're a dog person this won't be a chore at all! It could be described more accurately as another of those perks of doing a luxury house sitting job in Spain :) I mean, look at this little guy (called Kenzo):

Even if you're not a dog person, don't worry, there are also lots of cat sits out there too. Cat sitting services are perhaps lesser-known but just as coveted. We usually opt for the dog sits though, because we went on morning walks we were met with views like these: 

These three dogs (Kenzo, Inca and Jason) loved walking through the beautiful mountains, and they also loved walking on the spectacular beaches:

So, to summarise, we spent six weeks house sitting in Spain, living rent-free in a mansion. Our days were filled with walking gorgeous dogs on the beach or in the mountain, relaxing in the pool and in the house and taking occasional day trips to the big cities nearby. All in all our house sit at the Costa del Sol was amazing and we loved it! 

Whilst doing a house sit in Spain do you have the freedom to go sightseeing?

Surely you have to stay inside with the dogs all day when you're doing your house sit in Spain? Well firstly, if that had been the case, you've seen the house and pool - would relaxing in that house and pool for six weeks (for free) be the worst thing that's ever happened to you? As 'digital nomads' we do actually tend to voluntarily spend a lot of time at 'home', and we highly recommend long term house sitting jobs to other digital nomads or anyone wanting to work on their own business.

But that aside, in general with most house sits, it's just like looking after your own dog, as long as your dog has been walked and has had water (and preferably other dog company or a toy), s/he can be left alone for a few hours (generally up to 4 hours, but longer if they have a dog flap and shorter if they aren't used to it). Always check with your homeowners first. The point is, you're not a prisoner to the house, and mostly you'll have more freedom than ever before - with the burden of paying for accommodation lifted! 

How to Find House Sitting Jobs in Spain

House sitting was once almost exclusively done by retired people who mostly found their sits by word of mouth. Nowadays, thanks to the internet, most house sitting jobs in Spain are found online (and by people of all ages - for example, I started when I was 21). A quick google search will show you that there are many house sitting websites out there, but which is the best one? When I first started house sitting, I signed up to all of the sites, in the end, the one I had the most success with (read: the only one I successfully found house sitting jobs on), was TrustedHousesitters:

TrustedHousesitters (or THS) is the largest house sitting website out there, thus there are a multitude of sits for you to choose from. It's also has a well-deserved trust reputation (it's in the name!) which attracts lots of luxury sits, like these: 

Complete with pool, right next to the beach, with a view to die for. Put simply, with new luxury house sitting jobs in Spain popping up every day on THS, it's the best place for you to find your dream house sitting job. So how do you start?

Step 1. Sign up to Trusted House Sitters Spain!

For just $119 per year, you get access to house sitting jobs not just in Spain, but all over the world (THS is a worldwide house sitting website). I've renewed my membership five years in a row and have house sat all across the globe with them.  

But Laura, you said it was living in Spain for free, why do I suddenly have to pay $119? Okay, hear me out, $119 per year = $0.33 per day. In my opinion, "how to live in Spain for $0.33 per day" doesn't have quite as good a ring to it as "how to live in Spain for free" 😅 I'm sorry!! To make it up to you, allow me to give you a TrustedHousesitters 10% off discount code (click on the link and follow the instructions to get your discount), meaning: $0.29 per day. For living in a luxurious mansion with a pool. If you compare this cost to the price of hotels in Spain (which can easily cost $107 per night), you'll be laughing. If you compare this cost to the price you pay on rent/mortgage + bills, you'll be laughing even more - yes, you've just cracked making travelling cheaper than staying at home 😱

Step 2. Fill out your profile!

Fill out your house sitting profile honestly and clearly, and don't sell yourself short :) List anything and everything that's relevant: knowledge of Spanish, experience with looking after houses and/or pets, good references, and any jobs where you were responsible. The more well-done, honest, responsible and trustworthy your profile looks (and the more you are actually like that in real life lol) the higher the probability of getting some of the best luxury house sitting jobs. So get some new photos done and have a few trusted friends, family members or even colleagues look at your profile to make it look like the best version of you! :)

Step 3. Apply, apply, apply!

Once you've signed up and filled out your profile all that's left to do is apply, apply, apply - only apply to house sits in Spain that you're available for and ones that you feel confident in your abilities (don't sit 15 cats if you're allergic etc). Long term house sitting in Spain can be heaven but if you take on more than you can cope with (especially if you're without a partner or don't speak the language) it can very easily become hell.

Don't worry if you don't get the first few house sitting jobs in Spain that you apply for - the competition is fierce! But not that fierce, keep applying and you'll find a dreamy house sit in no time. To give yourself an edge, check out my post how to become a professional house sitter filled with top tips on how to get hired. 

How to Find Long Term House Sitters in Spain if You're a Home Owner

Long term house sitter wanted for your Spanish residence? Dog sitters, dog walkers, cat sitters, pet sitters wanted? For a month, two months, maybe even half a year? If you need someone to mind your house in Barcelona, Madrid or basically anywhere, Trusted House Sitters is your best bet - not only as a house sitter, as a home owner as well! Here are some of the reasons why Trusted House Sitters is the best website for home owners looking for long term house sitters in Spain:

• Every house sitter has to have verified profiles; house sitters are evaluated based on previous references that can be checked by you - you can choose and pick long term house sitters who suits your and your pet's needs the best! 
• THS is the currently the biggest house sitting website out there which means there are numerous house sitters (single, couples or even families) you can choose from!
• It has also been recognised globally for providing outstanding house sitting and pet sitting services, acknowledged by many awards such as the Amazon Growing Business Awards (2018).

So there you have it! Also, click here if you would like a 10% promo code for getting house sitters in Spain! Enjoy :)

How to Get Permanent Residency in Spain (if Wanna House Sit for Longer...)

If you liked house sitting in Spain so much that now you're considering how to obtain residency in Spain (I mean a permanent one), you typically need to follow some steps - first, you must have lived in Spain for a continuous period of five years with a valid residence permit. This could be through work, study, or family reunification. After this five-year period, you can apply for permanent residency (known as "residencia de larga duración"). You will need to submit your application to the relevant immigration office, gather all the documents, etc - do get some professional help through an agency if you feel lost, it's worth it!

Wrap Up: House Sitting in Spain, a.k.a. How to Live in Spain for Free

For many, house sitting in Spain is the dream - luxurious accommodation in the sun, with a pool, for $0.29 a day? Yes please! If you liked what you saw here, sign up to THS and start living your own house sitting Spain adventure! Also, if you're looking for more on house sitting in Europe, check out my other guides:

• 5 Reasons to House Sit in Portugal
• What's it like to House Sit in Berlin?
• What's it like to House Sit in Finland?

So what do you think? Would you like to live in Spain for free? Would you like to start house sitting in Spain? Let me know in the comments below! And come and say hi to me on Facebook and Instagram + keep up to date with the latest house sitting tips and tricks! We have also made this video for newcomers to housesitting, enjoy :)

P.S. Trustedhousesitters.com was kind enough to provide us and our readers with a 10% discount -- click on the link to use it!

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ABOUTME

We overland. We eat plants and fungi. We live outside as much as possible. We are all connected. A female travel blogger overlanding and writing about ecotourism, ethical and sustainable travel, socially conscious travel and housesitting. An online travel magazine since 2015.