Keeping your home while you’re on the road

Many long term travelers permanently move out of their apartments when they leave. Others even sell their houses. What to do with one’s home before a long term trip is often one of the most difficult decisions first time vagabonds make.

The good news is that there are several options out there that don’t require us to give up our homes permanently. All we have to do is explore these options and we’ll have the best of both worlds – traveling around the globe while keeping a permanent home.

If you own a house that you intend to keep in the long run, one of your options is to rent it out while you’re away. Apart from ensuring that someone lives in the house and keeps it maintained, you might be able to secure some side income as well. Just remember that renting out your home requires a lot of planning and documents. Do some research by reading up on landlord-tenant laws, and by talking to a a property management company. As for apartments and other rented units, it also follows that you do some research to make sure that subletting your place doesn’t violate any existing contracts you have.

Alternatively, you can get a good friend or relative to house sit you while you’re away. It’s up to you how you’re going to arrange paying for the rent and utilities. Will you pay for everything? If not, what percentage will they pay? Your arrangement will depend on several things such as how much your friend needs your apartment, what utilities they are going to use, and how long they are planning to stay.

It might be necessary to include what assigned responsibilities your house sitter has while they are living in your home. Will they be caring for your pets or forwarding your mail? Just remember that everything you agree on should be in writing. That way, all expectations are understood and formally agreed upon by both parties.

Sometimes, having someone stay in your house isn’t necessary. In case you can’t find someone to stay 24/7, you can opt to ask them to come in and check on the place once or twice a week.

Long term travel doesn’t necessarily mean cutting all ties and giving up your home. With a bit of careful planning, you can go around the world knowing that you’ll still have something familiar and comfortable to come home to.

How do you deal with leaving your home during long term trips?