Test Driving Part-Time Life in Mexico by House Sitting
Updated August 2021
House-sitting in Mexico
If you want to know what it is like to live, really live, in Mexico by taking her for a spin, you could not reach your destination faster than by doing a house sitting gig. House sitting is role-playing. You are playing house, taking the homeowner’s role as a resident of Mexico. Their life is probably pretty representative of what daily life would be like for anyone who lives year-round in a particular neighborhood and city in Mexico.
In Mazatlán, I know a retired woman who comes every summer to house sit for the neighbors of expat friends of mine who live across the street. Before she even arrived the first year, my friends knew her name and all about her. She melded into the gang instantly and was briefed about the city, where to go and what to do. If she ever came back to live, she could call us for questions or advice. I cannot imagine an easier transition to life in Mexico.
I have first-hand experience with house sitting, both in the U.S. and Mexico. In Mexico, I house sat as a favor for my business partner The Intrepid Elise. Her home has its quirks, but having lived there for five months my first year in Mexico as her housemate, at least I knew that the oven could kill me.
Unlike being isolated in a tourist area, which can be the furthest distance from the reality of living in a place as a resident, when you house sit, you probably will be introduced to neighbors who know the area well. You talk with them about things that the homeowner likely talks about with them. You deal with same daily issues they do, you run errands and feed the cat. Life.
Those experiences, domestic and foreign, taught me quite a bit about the pros, cons and the process of house-sitting, including when to say no.
THE PROS
The company of pets
If your current lifestyle keeps you from owning a pet and you really miss having one, with housesitting you can curl up to your heart's content with the dogs and cats. Whenever there was a tropical storm, Elise’s three dogs would run into the office I set up and lie at my feet under my desk, staring up at me for reassurance. I still miss that, and the Saturday nights when it was just the four of us, Netflix, and the couch.
The digs
You have a whole, usually quite attractive home to yourself, often the type of place you could never or would never want to own. One of the houses I house sat for in Colorado backed right up against the foothills of Denver. While I would not want a big yard to maintain or to live that far out of the city, it was fun for a few weeks to experience the far different mountain lifestyle. It’s the same in Mexico. I have had offers to house sit in some really interesting beautiful homes in Mexico as well (although rarely do I accept).
The introductions
As mentioned, usually owners will introduce a house sitter to neighbors who know the area intimately. They can be great resource and friends s even after your house sitting gig is up should you decide to move to that city or town.
House-sitting gigs in Mexico are often in low-season, when the weather is not its best and the homeowners prefer to escape. As a potential expat, this teaches you what a city is like at its worst. You do not want to move there only to discover the summer or other off-season months are insufferable.
If you are considering moving to a certain Mexican town, it is crucial you spend an extended period there, including during its least popular time. You have it as an experience not just a visit. One day you will actually be able to tell someone, “I used to live there (the city)” which is a far different story than saying, “I went there on vacation once.”
The savings
Staying long-term in a place you like and in towns popular with expats can be expensive, too expensive for AirBnB and hotel-like situations. House-sitting, you probably will not pay any rent if you are taking care of pets, saving you thousands of dollars.
A quiet place to work
As a caretaker, you will be expected to be there most of the time. If you work from a laptop, you will have a positive environment for work, including the company of pets to give you a reason for an occasional break for walks and fresh air.
You have the satisfaction of providing a service.
Before you commit, you need to confirm that the homeowner respects the fact that you are providing a service. It will be you who takes care of plumbing issues if they arise, provides security, and communicates with any additional staff (pool maintenance, gardeners, water delivery, and maids) as well as take care of pets on a schedule, pets they would have to pay to kennel without you.
In coastal areas of Mexico, during hurricane season you might be the one to batten down the hatches should a tropical storm threaten to move in. The homeowner should not act as if they are doing you a favor. You have considerable responsibility, making it a fair exchange.
THE CONS
You are tied-down
While it’s not ditch-digging or brick-laying, house-sitting is not exactly a vacation. It’s not a lockdown situation but you do need to spend most of your time there. If part of exploring an area are weekend getaways, you cannot do more than an occasional evening or afternoon out.
Pets are a big responsibility
Most pets have specific feeding and walking schedules. If you care for more than one pet, their schedules might even be different. The walks have to be taken every day regardless of weather. Leash laws are not enforced in Mexico, so you have to be especially vigilant. In a sense, you have more weighing on you than the actual homeowner would.
To give you some perspective, imagine what it would feel like if your dog snapped a leash and ran in front of a car and died. Sounds horrific, right? Now think about how you would feel if it were someone else’s dog.
This shouldn’t to discourage you. You can find out anything about pet care about specific breeds online if you need to do some homework. The pet owner should also write out specific instructions on pet care and the vet to call in an emergency.
The likelihood of such an emergency is remote, however, always weighs heavily on my mind when I house sit, even more than if they were my own pets.
Security issues
While not exactly a con, home security is a bigger deal in Mexico than it usually is at home. Homes tend to have elaborate locking systems and off-beat determent features.
House-sitting in Mexico is unique, a bit different from house-sitting at home. For that reason, if I wanted to housesit in Mexico, I would use the website/service HouseSitMexico, rather than a site dealing with house-sitting all over the world.
If you get the right assignment, house sitting can be a terrific shortcut in determining if full-time life in Mexico is for you.
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About the author:
Kerry Baker is the author of three books. Her second book is If I Only Had a Place, a book on how to rent well, beautifully and cheaply in Mexico. Her third book is The Mexico Solution: Saving your money, sanity, and quality of life through part-time life in Mexico. The manual on how to live in Mexico out there that won’t leave you numb. Her most recent book, The Lazy Expat: Healthy Recipes That Translate in Mexico, is a cookbook for travelers, snowbirds and expats who want to maintain a healthy diet in Mexico. (You must cook.)