I started housesitting in Ireland and abroad to avoid paying rent – this is my experience

Aoife CodyKane shares her experience of using a housesitting website to travel while keeping costs low — and all the pets she befriended along the way

Aoife CodyKane and rescue dog Max. Picture: Moya Nolan

You’ve seen the headlines, you know the story: the housing crisis in Ireland is out of control. When my partner Luke and I started planning on coming home to Dublin after a few months’ travel, it only took a cursory glance at daft.ie to know our prospects were bleak.

Our funds were low — we had saved up for a year to go backpacking, and our pockets were well and truly emptied. Hoping to avoid less-than-desirable house shares or moving back in with parents, we had to get creative. That’s when a suggestion made by my auntie Anne resulted in a lightbulb moment; why not try housesitting?