Some retirees keep the homes they own, and earn income from renting them out while they house sit elsewhere.
For example, the Cutts estimate they net about $1,000 in income from a home they own in England, while retiree Silvana Clark and her husband rent their home in Seattle when they are gone, occasionally choosing to retreat there in between house sits.
When dateworking.com dating consultant Steve Dean, 28, moved to New York in 2011, he did not have full-time employment or much in savings. He began house sitting out of necessity and by 2013, was doing back-to-back house sitting gigs.
"I've gotten to see how hundreds of people live their lives, and I've emerged with oddly specific preferences about things, like which type of cat litters or dog leashes are optimal," he said.
While he has no monthly housing expenses, he said he must meet at least 500 new people a year to keep a steady flow of housing by word-of-mouth. Sometimes this means bouncing between two to three houses per week.
While a house sitter may request money for pet sitting services or flights, and the homeowner may ask the house sitter to pay for utilities, many serial house sitters say the arrangement works best when no fees are involved for either party.
"I don't ask for anything in return for my service," Dean said. "I prefer to remain ultra-competitive by charging nothing. This allows me to be the easiest referral option for the maximum number of people, which greatly facilitates me keeping my housing expenses at zero."
"We like to think of it as a win-win," David Cutts said.