We live rent-free in strangers’ homes with our kids – we’ve saved over £20k in 8 months and live out of Bag for Life
IMAGINE living a rent or mortgage free life without the worry of having to pay a single penny for household bills.
It sounds like a pipe dream scenario but that’s exactly what it’s like for Nikki Robson, 43, and her husband Ry, 40, who ‘live’ in homes belonging to strangers.
And better still, they’ve even managed to save themselves over £20k in living costs after selling most of their possessions and upping sticks.
Since last September they’ve been on a house-sitting odyssey with their two young children and all Nikki and Ry have to do in return for the free roof over their heads is look after the homeowners’ pets and plants.
Nikki says: “Other than the £99 house-sitting site membership fee, we’ve not spent anything on accommodation in 11 months and have saved over £20,000 in rent and bills.
“We are on a money-saving mission.”
‘We have one bag for life each’
So far, the family has stayed in 16 homes across the UK and Europe from four days up to six weeks at a time, which means they have to travel as light as they can.
“We have one bag for life each for clothes and shoes, plus another for toys for the kids. We also have two laptops, toiletries, and one or two bags of food,” Nikki adds.
The family’s monthly rent in their old house in Whitstable, Kent, was £1200 and bills came to about £400-£500.
Now, Nikki says their only outgoings are two mobile phones, food, car and travel insurance, petrol, and Nikki’s minimal costs for her online business @blossomandstardust selling nature-based educational resources.
She says: “If we go on days out, we usually use our Tesco Clubcard points.”
‘We removed the kids from school’
The family turned their back on ‘ordinary’ living in June 2023 after Nikki and Ry, a musician, became fed up with the rising cost of living.
They decided to take children Ziggy, eight, and Cherry Blossom, seven, out of school which signalled the start of a brand new life for the family of four.
Nikki recalls: “We removed the kids from school and set off in a converted van.
“We aimed to travel for the summer and see what happened.
“We had lots of festivals booked where I was running workshops in the children’s area for my craft business or Ry was playing in exchange for weekend tickets. It was such a fun experience with the kids.”
‘We quickly realised how easy it was’
However, fast-forward a few months and the family realised that life on the road wasn’t quite so van-tastic.
Nikki explains: “We really loved van-life but with fuel and repair costs, it was more expensive than we anticipated, so we switched to house-sitting. We sold the van and bought a tiny car for £900.
The more we did it, the less appealing spending £1700 on rent and bills became!”
Nikki Robson
“A friend of ours was regularly house sitting for holidays and I thought it was a good idea for us until we worked out our next move.
“We signed up to the same house-sitting website as her and quickly realised how easy it was and how much money we could save.
“The more we did it, the less appealing spending £1700 on rent and bills became!”
Luxury living – for free
House-sitting has not only helped the family save money but has also allowed them to experience places most can only dream of, including Switzerland, the French Alps, Paris, the Netherlands, the Scottish Highlands, as well as various locations in England.
Nikki says, “We’ve stayed in three high-end houses with games rooms, including table tennis.
“One home in Surrey came with 25 acres of private land. We also stayed in a manor house in the Scottish Highlands which was previously owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed and had views over a loch.
“We spent a magical white Christmas there, looking after two Highland cows.
“We’ve also stayed in a luxury apartment in Switzerland overlooking Lake Zurich, and a traditional wooden chalet in the French Alps with an open fire and mountain views.
“It even had a climbing wall in the kids’ bedroom!”
Double bed drama
In exchange for offering free accommodation, the homeowners – often on holiday – gain peace of mind knowing their pets and homes are well-cared for.
Nikki explains: “We water plants, keep the house clean, and care for their pets, meaning the animals can stick to their daily routine instead of going into catteries or kennels.
“Although the homeowners don’t typically stock the fridge, they often leave us welcome gifts with treats or some vegetables and fruit.”
But Nikki says full-time house-sitting comes with drawbacks.
“We like to eat healthily, and it’s difficult to manage when you are constantly moving. We do end up spending more money on food than we would when based in one home, but we save so much money overall,” she adds.
And sleep can also be an issue.
“Ry and I had a super-king bed at our old home, and I don’t understand how people can comfortably sleep in a regular double bed!” Nikki laughs.
Nikki’s top tips on how to navigate house-sitting
- Take the time to create a great profile with plenty of lovely photos of yourself. This could be the reason a host chooses you over someone else. Let your personality shine through so they feel like they have already met you and feel comfortable with you.
- Hosts pay close attention to reviews. If you’re new to house-sitting, try to include up to three reviews from third parties. These could be from previous house sits or character references. This helps build trust and credibility.
- When applying for house-sits, always send a personalised message. Address the pets by their names to show that you’re genuinely interested in them and not just looking for a free place to stay.
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Apply for multiple house-sits, especially if you have specific dates to fill. This increases your chances of securing a sit.
- Rejections are normal. We have 16 5-star reviews and still get declined so don’t take it personally. It is usually just because someone got there before you, not because they didn’t like the look of you!
- Begin with a short house sit near your home. This helps you get familiar with the process and gain your first good review.
- If you’re travelling with children, keep your eyes peeled for houses that have similar aged kids as they are set up for them. It makes a world of difference to not turn up to a house laden with delicate ornaments within reaching distance and instead, have a house full of toys and games for them to use.
- If you are house sitting full time, book around 2-3 months in advance to avoid having gaps between sits. We remain completely flexible on location so we can always match dates.
- The best time to find amazing house sits is during school holidays when most people go away. This is ideal if you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford peak-time holidays.
- Choose the animals you care for with consideration. If you want to explore during your stay, opt for homes with independent pets like cats. Dogs require more attention and time, so ensure you’re either taking them with you or planning to spend sufficient time at home.
Home comforts
As for the kids, Nikki admits that they do miss things like attending regular clubs such as gymnastics and seeing their friends back in Whitstable.
She says: “The children have grown up moving and travelling a lot, so this is fairly normal for them.
“As we move around, we always hunt out local home-education groups and they interact and meet friends as we go.”
While the kids’ relationships are currently short-term, Nikki believes they have the potential to make lifelong friends and says the positives for Ziggy and Cherry Blossom far outweigh the negatives.
“They have pen-pals, play with children who don’t speak the same language, and they see children living completely different lifestyles to them, so they gain perspective on the world,” she explains.
Flexibility is key
Nikki says it’s a common misconception that home-educated children lack opportunities to socialise.
“Ziggy and Blossom have brilliant social skills and are confident and comfortable in almost any situation,” she says.
“Learning happens naturally in everything they do. We have English Heritage membership – we always check out the local sites – we also do project work at ‘home,’ and they read every day,” Nikki says.
The family’s flexibility is key to their success, booking house-sitting gigs a few months in advance and remaining adaptable with their locations.
During gaps, they visit friends or family, ensuring they always have a place to stay.
No burden of bills
Recently, their nomadic lifestyle was put to the test when Cherry Blossom was diagnosed with genetic kidney disorder, FSGS and had to spend two weeks in hospital.
Nikki, who shares the family’s adventures on her Instagram profile @travelsandtantrums, explains, “Neither I nor Ry could work during that time and for the next three months, we had to stay within a certain radius of Evelina hospital in London for weekly appointments.
“Of course, it would have been nice to have a home base during this time, but not having the burden of paying rent or bills was actually a huge relief.”
For the time-being, Nikki and Ry are happy to continue this lifestyle as long as the children enjoy it.
The family’s dream is to save enough money through house-sitting to eventually buy their own land and live off-grid.
Nikki says: “It’s a wonderful way to save money while having incredible travel experiences as a family.
“Hopefully, one day in the not too distant future, we’ll be in our little wooden cabin of our dreams with a vegetable garden and goats and chickens roaming around.”