Christine Estima house-sitting in Toronto. 'I get to live in these amazing apartments for free and snuggle some cats.'Alex Franklin
No one knows better than Christine Estima that, as a writer, you can work from anywhere. “So long as there’s WiFi and a cup of coffee,” she adds, with a laugh.
Ms. Estima, 43, is a full-time house-sitter, saving her dollars for a dream home one day. It’s a pursuit that’s taken her all around the world, from Montreal to Portugal to Dubai. In 2024 alone, she house-sat 17 different homes, trying on 17 different lives.
In this series, Reimagining Wealth, we explore the evolving definition of wealth in today’s world. Here, we speak with Ms. Estima about travelling the world and finding the luxury in living rootless.
How did you start house-sitting on a regular basis?
I started house-sitting around 2005, but not professionally. When friends and neighbours would go on holiday, I’d look after their cats. Then, in 2013, I was living in Europe and totally broke. I joined a house-sitting website called TrustedHousesitters, where homeowners post photos of their home and note the responsibilities, like taking care of pets and any amenities.
I’ve got it down to a science; ask questions, communicate before, during and after, be organized and leave the place cleaner than when the homeowner left it. That’s how I was able to bounce around Europe for two years, just back-to-back-to-back-to-back houses. I came back home to Toronto a few years later.
How did you end up house-sitting in Toronto too?
When the pandemic was letting up, I was with my partner at the time, and we decided to travel. I gave up my apartment, and when I came back in January 2023, I was priced out. Suddenly, a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto was $2,500 a month. I couldn’t afford anything, even with a roommate. Writers don’t make that kind of money.
I decided to use my house-sitting profile, which had grown by this time with so many five-star references, and apply it in Toronto to live rent-free. If I can’t find a sit in Toronto, there’s always one in Montreal, where I’m originally from and I can use it as an excuse to visit my family.
Where have you been so far?
The best house that I ever sat was in Tunisia. It was so remote [that] it didn’t have an address. It was owned by this British expat couple who had built their own gated villa from the ground up with a pool and a garden. It was four stories and all solar-powered. They had a housekeeper and a gardener, and my job was to look after four cats and two dogs. I remember you could walk to the Atlantic Ocean from the villa, and there were Roman ruins excavated there. You could see mosaic tiles chipping away into the water.
Another highlight was in Croatia on the island of Hvar; a 300-year-old stone house in this old village that still used the church clock to keep time. There have been penthouses in Brussels, lavish apartments in Paris, London, Dubai. Last year, I did a villa in Playa del Carmen in Mexico.
Apart from getting to travel to incredible places and not pay rent, what makes house-sitting so ideal for you?
In Toronto, it’s like a staycation. I get to live in parts of the city that I wouldn’t ordinarily go to. One day, when I make my millions and have enough to buy a house, this will have helped me make that decision.
Last year, I did a couple of sits in the Beaches, where I’d only been in the summertime. [I also did one] at Yonge and Davisville [streets]. I used to think any self-respecting Torontonian stays away from Yonge Street, but I was right by Mount Pleasant Cemetery and the Beltline Trail. It was lovely.
Basically, I get to live in these amazing apartments for free and snuggle some cats.
It sounds like there aren’t any drawbacks. Or are there?
I’ve had some sits that went awry. In October, I was house-sitting in Portugal and the cat fell ill. I had to get her to the vet, and it turned out she had an infected tooth that needed to be pulled.
But the worst sit I ever did, I walked through the front door and the homeowner said, ‘My cat isn’t doing very well, and I have a plane to catch. I’ve made an appointment for you to take her to be euthanized.’
I burst into tears. I couldn’t stand the thought [of it] and that wasn’t part of my job, so I refused. It was horrible.
You’re saving to buy a home and for retirement, all while travelling the world. Does it feel like you’ve cracked a code?
It does feel that way. The reason house-sitting works for me is because there is a little bit of privilege involved; I don’t have children, I don’t have older family [members] that I need to look after, it’s just me. My job also allows me to work from anywhere, so there is a huge degree of flexibility in my life. But so many people wouldn’t be able to do that, and this is definitely not a lifestyle for everybody.
Do you have a timeline for yourself to purchase a home, or are you kind of winging it?
Right now, I’m kind of winging it, because the housing market is the way it is.
I get asked a lot if I miss having my own place and things, and while I do think about that sometimes, I always turn back to my financial goals. I remember that the amount of money I’m saving is more important to me than having my own place.