Homesitters

What Homesitters does

Homesitters Ltd is a UK family-run service business that has provided nationwide live-in home and pet-sitting services since September 1980. The company employs, vets and manages a UK-wide network of homesitters who stay in clients' homes while owners are away, caring for pets, maintaining property appearance, deterring intruders and meeting insurance requirements. Services are organised into Domestic Sits, Probate Sits and Commercial Sits for property professionals, alongside specialised Dog Sitting and Cat Sitting lines.

The business operates without a proprietary technology platform — its core operational asset is its vetted employee network (DBS-checked, 20-year background checks, face-to-face interviews) and a 24/7 human backup line. Client Liaison Executives manually match homesitters to assignment briefs, and bookings are taken via the company website and Head Office phone line. There is no app, API or AI/ML capability disclosed. All client and homesitter data is encrypted and stored securely in GDPR compliance.

Homesitters generates revenue on a per-24-hour pricing model starting at £87/day including VAT with a 48-hour minimum, plus mileage (55p/mile), a food allowance paid directly to sitters, supplementary charges for Christmas/Boxing Day/New Year periods, and additional fees when duties exceed 1 hour 45 minutes per day. The customer base is highly fragmented across individual homeowners in England, Wales and Scotland, with secondary exposure to executors, banks, building societies, estate agents and commercial landlords. Distribution is direct-to-consumer, and the firm has remained wholly family-owned with no external funding rounds.

Name

Homesitters

Legal name

Homesitters Ltd

Website

https://homesitters.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Homesitters Ltd is a UK family-run, employee-based live-in home and pet-sitting service operating across England, Wales and Scotland since 1980. It serves individual homeowners, executors and commercial property clients with vetted live-in guardians rather than gig contractors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Home and Pet Sitting Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (81291), Private Households (8141)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Live-In In-Home Pet Sitting (24/7 Presence) (HSANAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

House Sitting + Pet Care Bundles (Mail, Plants, Security Checks) (HSANAEAI)

Keywords

• Home sitting services
• Pet sitting services
• Live-in house sitters
• Probate property guardians
• Domestic pet care

Headquarters

HQ city

Buckingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Home and Pet Sitting Services: The company charges per 24-hour period for live-in home and pet sitting services. Fees start at £87.00 per day including VAT. The company also charges for mileage (55p per mile), food allowance for homesitters (paid directly to homesitter), and additional charges for tasks exceeding 1 hour 45 minutes of working time per 24-hour period. Supplementary charges apply for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Homesitters provides a nationwide live-in home and pet-sitting service in which directly employed, DBS-checked homesitters stay in the client's home while the owner is away, caring for pets, maintaining security, and looking after the property and garden. Service lines cover Domestic Sits for homeowners on holiday or business trips, Probate Sits for properties awaiting probate, and Commercial Sits for vacant or sparsely furnished properties, alongside specialised Dog Sitting and Cat Sitting offerings. Pricing starts at £87.00 per day including VAT with a normal 48-hour minimum, billed on a pay-as-you-go basis.

Product overview

Homesitters is a service-based company offering live-in home and pet-sitting services across England, Wales, and Scotland. The portfolio consists of three core home-sitting service lines (Domestic Sits, Probate Sits, and Commercial Sits) combined with specialized pet-sitting offerings (Dog Sitting and Cat Sitting). All services share a common infrastructure of meticulously vetted, DBS-checked employees, 24/7 backup support, and a personalized matching process between homesitters and client requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Domestic Sits Live-in home and pet-sitting service for fully-furnished homes while owners are away, including pet care, security monitoring, garden maintenance, and weather damage prevention. Targeted at UK homeowners travelling for holidays, business, or other absences.
• Probate Sits Live-in guardian service for properties awaiting probate, sale, or repossession, protecting against burglary, vandalism, and weather damage, and maintaining unrestricted insurance cover. Designed for executors, solicitors, and bereaved families.
• Commercial Sits Caretaker and site-management service for empty or sparsely furnished commercial properties, instructed by banks, building societies, estate agents, developers, and commercial landlords to deter squatters and maintain presentation between tenants.
• Dog Sitting Nationwide live-in dog-sitting service providing continuous in-home care in the dog's familiar surroundings, following normal routines to reduce separation stress. For dog owners who travel for holidays or business.
• Cat Sitting Nationwide live-in cat-sitting service allowing cats to remain in familiar territory with regular routines and companionship. Targeted at cat owners who want their cats cared for at home rather than placed in a cattery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100,000 successful bookings completed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• NFU (National Farmers Union)minorOthersHomesitters is a supporter of the National Farmers Union, indicating a community connection with the farming community. The company occasionally has assignments involving farm livestock care.
• National TrustminorOthersHomesitters is a supporter of the National Trust, aligning with their homesitters who enjoy exploring historical properties and countryside.
• Hearing Dogs for Deaf PeopleminorOthersHomesitters supports Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, a charity that trains hearing dogs to support deaf people.
• KatzenworldminorOthersHomesitters is a supporter of Katzenworld, a cat-focused media platform that has featured Homesitters Ltd.
• CrisisminorOthersHomesitters is a supporter of Crisis, the national charity for homeless people.
• Macmillan Cancer SupportminorOthersHomesitters is a supporter of Macmillan Cancer Support, the cancer care charity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rover: Global online marketplace for pet care including dog walking, pet sitting, and boarding. Competes with Homesitters in the pet-sitting segment via gig-economy model; significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach, but lower-touch vetting and independent-contractor workforce.
• TrustedHousesitters: UK-founded global marketplace connecting homeowners with house and pet sitters on a subscription model. Direct competitor to Homesitters in live-in home and pet sitting, with similar value proposition but platform-based (self-serve) delivery rather than direct-employee model.
• BorrowMyDoggy: UK-based platform connecting dog owners with local borrowers for dog walking, sitting, and temporary care. Comparable to Homesitters in dog care segment with platform-driven matching model and UK geographic overlap.
• Tailster: UK-based platform offering dog walking, pet sitting, and home boarding services. Competes directly with Homesitters in the UK pet-sitting category with similar geography and customer base, though delivered via gig-economy model.
• Cat in a Flat: UK-founded platform specializing in cat sitting services connecting cat owners with local sitters. Directly comparable to Homesitters' cat-sitting offering with platform-based delivery and UK presence.
• Pawshake: Online platform connecting pet owners with local pet sitters for boarding, house sitting, dog walking, and drop-in visits. Operates in the UK and internationally. Directly comparable to Homesitters' pet-sitting offering with platform-based booking.

Emerging players

• PetBacker: Global online marketplace for pet care services including pet sitting, boarding, dog walking, and grooming. Comparable to Homesitters in pet-sitting category with international footprint, but lower UK brand recognition and platform-based model.
• Pet Sitter Club: UK pet-sitting directory and platform connecting pet owners with local sitters. Smaller-scale direct competitor in the UK pet-sitting segment with platform-based delivery.

Broad incumbents

• BarkBox / Wag!: Wag! is a US-based pet care platform offering on-demand dog walking, pet sitting, and boarding. Not directly competing in the UK but represents the broader category of tech-enabled pet care services that compete for consumer mindshare and investment capital.

Regional players

• DogBuddy (now Gudog): European pet care platform operating in multiple countries with dog boarding and sitting services. Comparable offering to Homesitters' pet-sitting category with platform model, though primarily European (not UK-focused).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/homesitterslimited
• Facebookfacebook.com/Homesitters-Limited-392972224246828/timeline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/homesitters-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/homesittersltd
• Xx.com/homesittersltd

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Homesitters