Explore house care volunteering and work exchange opportunities involving practical help with homes, properties, gardens and everyday household maintenance.

House care can include a mixture of activities such as keeping shared spaces tidy, gardening, basic maintenance, looking after a property while the host is away or helping with everyday tasks around a home. The exact responsibilities vary considerably between hosts.

Some listings may be seasonal, archival or no longer active. Always check the publication date and confirm the current activities and living arrangements directly with the host before making travel plans.

What does house care involve?

House care is a broad term for practical help connected with maintaining a home or property. Depending on the opportunity, participants may help with:

• keeping shared rooms and communal spaces clean and organised;
• gardening and basic outdoor maintenance;
• watering plants;
• simple repairs or DIY tasks;
• preparing a property before or after guests;
• checking the house while the owner is away;
• other agreed household tasks.

The listing should clearly explain which tasks are expected. “House care” should not be used as a vague description for unlimited household duties or responsibilities that were not agreed before arrival.

House care and house sitting

House care is not necessarily the same as house sitting. Some opportunities involve living at a property while the owner is away, while others take place while the host is present and form part of a wider cultural or work exchange.

If the host expects you to remain at the property during particular hours, manage visitors, handle bookings, care for animals or take responsibility for security, ask for these expectations to be explained clearly before accepting the arrangement.

How to use this page

Open the opportunity that interests you and read the complete announcement. Look for the contact details at the end of the listing to find the host’s website, email address or application procedure.

Before applying, confirm the tasks, weekly hours, days off, accommodation, meals, minimum stay, transport and any fees, deposits or other financial arrangements.

Some opportunities may be fair exchanges with no mandatory participant fee, while others may request a contribution or programme fee. If payment is required, ask for the exact amount, what it covers and the applicable payment, cancellation and refund conditions before making a commitment.

Voluntouring does not organise placements, select participants, arrange visas or mediate between volunteers and hosts. It does not process participant payments between travellers and host organisations. Publication on Voluntouring.org does not in itself constitute verification, endorsement or a recommendation of an opportunity.

Safety and reasonable responsibilities

House care may involve ladders, cleaning products, tools, lifting, gardening equipment or other physical activities. Ask what equipment is provided and avoid specialist electrical, plumbing, structural or other technical work unless you have appropriate skills and authorisation.

If you will stay alone at the property, confirm emergency contacts, locks and security arrangements, transport options, access to essential services and how you can reach the host if a problem occurs.

If regular housekeeping, guest turnover or property-management duties form part of a commercial accommodation business, the arrangement may be considered employment under local labour or immigration rules even when accommodation is provided instead of a salary.

For additional guidance, read Voluntouring’s information about safety and legality in volunteering and work exchanges.

Related opportunities

• Homestead volunteering opportunities
• Cleaning volunteer opportunities
• DIY volunteering opportunities
• Gardening volunteering opportunities
• Work exchange opportunities abroad

Important: responsibilities, accommodation, project availability, participant fees and immigration requirements can change. Confirm current information directly with the host before making travel or financial commitments.

Last reviewed: September 2026.

Browse house care volunteering opportunities 🏠🧹

Browse the opportunities below and use the “Older Posts” navigation if available to continue exploring previous listings. Always check the publication date and current responsibilities before applying.

Do you host a house care or property maintenance exchange with clear and reasonable responsibilities? You can submit your opportunity to Voluntouring.org for editorial review.

Submit a house care opportunity