In the press
Coverage of The Caretaker Gazette and of house sitting generally. Several of these pieces date from the 1990s and 2000s and are no longer published online, so the excerpts are kept here.
National Public Radio
Business is booming in an unusual area of accommodation: house sitting. Companies that match homeowners and house sitters have seen business grow by 30 to 50 percent a year for the past few years.
The New York Times
The good thing about a vacation home is that it is always there when you need it. The bad thing is that you are not always there. Any time you leave a property vacant for an extended period of time, you are going to run into problems, said Gary Dunn, publisher of The Caretaker Gazette, a bimonthly newsletter for property owners and the people they hire to care for the property.
Financial Times
Imagine staying in a stunning Italian villa, a charmingly crumbling Irish rectory or perhaps a roomy Mexican hacienda without spending a cent. Apart from feeding the cats and watering a few plants, it is totally free.
Grand Times
The property caretaking field is growing and retirees are in demand as caretakers and house sitters. Many people now own multiple homes and properties throughout the world. They often require the services of a house sitter or caretaker to look after their properties. In many cases, property owners are seeking mature or retired singles and couples to fill these positions.
Time Magazine
How is this for an offer: live rent free for the summer on 64 acre Seguin Island off the coast of Maine. And for a small stipend, give tours of the historic lighthouse, work at the small store and museum attached to the lighthouse, and keep a daily log of the sunset, sunrise and tides.
This piece ran in print and is no longer published online.
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Michelle Bales wears two hats. A courtroom clerk in the San Diego Superior Court by day and a house sitter on weekends and nights, she said she came by her second career right out of college.
This piece ran in print and is no longer published online.
Forbes Magazine
Thomas Cooper, 49, spent nine long years as a sales representative, eight of those servicing convenience stores and other shops in and around Detroit. But traffic, competition and lazy store personnel got to him, and 12 years ago he made a change. In his last position he drew a salary to live in a 7,800 square foot house on 40 acres in semi-rural Iowa. The work: caretaking.
This piece ran in print and is no longer published online.
AARP Magazine
Imagine staying in some of the loveliest locations on earth, and all you have to do is feed the cats.
This piece ran in print and is no longer published online.
The Wall Street Journal
The problem: leaving the corporate grind but still earning a living. Gary Dunn knew he lived an enviable life, marketing financial products at Scudder Investments, commuting to his Park Avenue office from his home in Connecticut.
This piece ran in print and is no longer published online.
Whole Earth Review
You can try out country living without making a lifetime commitment, by becoming a caretaker. A surprising number of these positions are available, in nature retreats, small farms, and even national parks. Caretakers can migrate, spending their winters snowed in at ski resorts and their summers at summer camps. Some positions are paid; the majority offer free rent, free time, and a taste of the good life.
This piece ran in print and is no longer published online.
The Caretaker Gazette has been publishing house sitting and property caretaking opportunities since 1983.