Bianca Rappaport and her husband Paolo looked after strangers’ homes and pets on 5 different continents
A woman has lived rent free for over 10 years – saving her £300k – by housesitting in over 20 countries for free so she can retire by 45.
Bianca Rappaport, 34, has spent the last decade travelling the world with her husband Paolo, 45, by house and pet sitting in strangers’ homes across the globe.
The couple have travelled over 20 countries, and five continents – and house-sat over 50 different pets.
Bianca usually stays in a home for at least two months – and plans her sits at least three to nine months in advance.
The pair say they have saved on average £30,000 a year on rent and bills which they are on track to retire early.
Bianca, who originally was from New York, said: “Here’s what most people don’t realise, you don’t have to wait until retirement to be free, you can design your life around freedom.
“I have stayed in so many random places. I once even stayed in a former old 18th century winery, where all the rooms were carved into volcanic rock.
“There was once a time I looked after a cat in Bangkok, and the owner told me she had moved to Rome, so I looked after the same cat in Italy.
“When I first started doing this, I was definitely trying to lean on the side of being more frugal – being very mindful of my spending and how I am spending my money.”
“Now I have more breathing room, I’ve really become aware of the impact my spending can have on the local community.”
“Including all our personal stuff – health insurance, flights transport food, between the two we spent around $10,000 in the first six months of 2025 – and that’s without depriving ourselves in anyway.”
Bianca and Paolo started housesitting in June 2016 – after they found that sofa surfing in their year off didn’t allow them enough time in each country.
Bianca said: “After working around the world a little bit, in 2010 I worked in Brooklyn in a job that helps people go on gap years.
“There was a book that talked about 10 ways to travel the world for free – since that point I have always had that idea in the back of my mind.
“We used a platform called Trusted House sitters but there are lots of different platforms you can go on for different parts of the world.”
Since she set off she has been to over 20 countries – including Mexico, Morocco and Malaysia – allowing her experiences such as visiting local tribes to learn about their culture, driving down American highways, and visiting coffee farms.
The pets the couple look after range from dogs to fish, chickens and even turkeys, and sometimes Bianca revisits the pets.
She travels the world with only a 40-liter carry-on backpack, that holds everything she owns.
Despite having no permanent housing, Bianca is a thriving businesswoman.
The full-time house and dog sitter quickly realised she could make more from her free rent situation by becoming a ‘digital nomad’ – a remote worker that travels.
In 2024 she started her own company ‘Wanderwell Club’, which helps others “sustainably travel” their way to “financial freedom while doing good along the way”.
Bianca said: “I feel like I have discovered the ultimate life hack. I don’t have to pay rent, and I am working to have the option to retire by the time I am 45.
“I worked out that compared to if I stayed in Brooklyn, I am going to retire two decades before I thought I would.”
As well as benefitting herself, Bianca believes that housesitting is one of the answers to slowing over-tourism.
She said: “It is a way that tourists and locals can work together, a sharing economy. They need someone to look after their pet and make sure the house is okay while they’re gone, and you have somewhere wonderful to explore.
“People often show you to their best farmers markets and shops in the area, and introduce you to their neighbours, so you have a community and a good idea of the area and inside knowledge.”
Bianca gets to indulge in all the homeowners’ amenities – gyms, cars, and pools – all for free, while building her business, and not paying bills.
She said: “It really helps you slow down travelling and get to know a place from a local’s perspective.
“I wouldn’t ever change the way that I live, and I am grateful for the trust that people put in me.”
COUNTRIES TRAVELLED:
Italy
Spain
Malta
Greece
UK
The Vatican
Spain
Hungary
Croatia
The Netherlands
Morocco
South Korea
Japan
Thailand
Malaysia
USA
Grenada
Costa Rica
Cyprus
Mexico
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