New shared-housing revolutions offers way to get paid, stay cheap

HOUSTON – A favor for a friend turned into a part-time job for Houstonian Tiffany Johnson.

By day, the regional food buyer sources products for hotel chains and restaurants. At night, and on weekends, she's a professional house sitter.

“She asked me if I would be willing to move into her home for about two and a half weeks and take care of her dogs and check on the mail, and just make sure that things are running smoothly in her absence,” Johnson said of how her house sitting career began with one homeowner. 

Pretty soon, word of mouth led to Johnson booking more gigs. She said her usual tasks are the same the homeowner would perform themselves if they were home.

“I am watering plants, bringing in mail. I am walking the dog, feeding the dog and making sure that the dogs have a lot of tender, loving care while their homeowners are gone,” she said.

While homeowners get peace of mind, Johnson gets to live in the "lap of luxury," without the hefty price tag, sometimes staying in some of Houston’s swankiest addresses, including a downtown high-rise.

“It is not a bad idea to move into somebody's high-rise for three weeks, (who) lives on the 30th and 45th floor,” Johnson said.

Johnson's jobs can be as short as a weekend. Others last as long as three weeks.

Her base fee is $75 for a weekend, and can go up several hundred more for extended stays.

“My lengthy assignments include me physically moving into a homeowner's space for two and a half to three weeks, coming in there with all of my bags,” Johnson said.

 She's now signed up on www.housesitter.com, a matching service for homeowners and house sitters.

“They do extensive background checks to make sure they're not letting a crazy person into their home,” Johnson said.

If housesitting isn't your thing but you still want a great shared experience living in someone else's place, there's another new concept coming to Houston, which promises a one-of-a-kind experience.

Deidre Mathis said traveling the world led to a huge business decision for her.

“To this day, I've been to 39 countries, overall, seven continents, including Antarctica. I would visit hostels, and I absolutely fell in love with them,” Mathis said.

Now she's bringing the same shared housing concept to Houston with her new hostel, Wanderlust Houston, which opens this spring and offers guests the opportunity to experience shared housing.

“Wanderlust Houston is definitely a bed and breakfast for millennials,” Mathis said.

They may be known for being cheap, but hostels also create an instant community. Mathis says she's taking the concept a step further.

“We offer breakfast for our guests, laundry services, we're in an area near tons of bars and restaurants and parks, so very centrally located,” Mathis said. “People can come, be in the middle of all the action, all the fun.”

Wanderlust Houston accommodates up to 30 people, and offers shared dorms and private rooms. Shared dorm rates start at $40 per night, which includes 24/7 staff and a concierge.

Click here to view a 3-D animation of Wanderlust Houston

As for Johnson, she said she's looking forward to expanding her housesitting resume to include international assignments.

“If anyone in Costa Rica wants me, please, let me know, let me clear my schedule for that assignment,” she said.