Travelling to any part of the world, whether that's in the UK, Europe, or long-haul destinations like Canada, can often come with a hefty price tag. However, one savvy couple has discovered the ideal setup that lets them explore various places without incurring any extra costs.

Deb, 50, and Simon Booth, 66, from Mansfield, Derbyshire, took early retirement at the ages of 42 and 57, respectively, after facing their own health scares. This led them to reassess what truly mattered in life, prompting a bold move from London to Mansfield, which sparked an idea.

"I just Googled house-sits one day. I must have seen an ad or something when it was raining in England", Deb exclusively told the Mirror. "We applied in August this year, through House Sit Match, the online house-sitting community, and a few weeks later, we had our first match."

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This led the couple, who have been married for 20 years, to meet with the owners of a Buckinghamshire home they would be looking after, along with their adorable corgi, Dillon. After a successful first meeting, Deb and Simon later journeyed down south for their free staycation and house-sat for three weeks, while taking care of Dillon, and they settled in "straight away".

Deb said: "When we go away, we stay in Airbnb, so you're kind of staying in somebody's home anyway. However, at this house-sitting property, they showed us everything and really made us feel at home. Then when they left, we just got on with things, and we just treated it like it's our home, with respect. We kept it clean and tidy, and stuck to their rules, because obviously, it isn't your home, it's somebody else's, and if you go against what they want, they wouldn't want you back again. We fitted in, we felt at home, and we kind of felt like we were part of the community."

Simon added: "It was a very small village where everybody sort of knew Dillon. And he was a really good dog because he knew the way to the village pub. He was able to guide us quite easily to the pub, and we went on lots of walks. We were lucky as we had such nice weather at the end of September and beginning of October."

Deb went on: "All we had to pay for was our own food. They said we could eat what we wanted, but we replenished the cupboards with the food we had eaten from theirs. So, we only paid for food and petrol. Although there are some places that provide a car, we just used our own. It becomes a win-win from both perspectives."

The couple explained that, along with the homeowners, they simply have to pay a membership fee for their services to be advertised on the House Sit Match website. However, there are "no extra costs" from either party.

Simon shared: "The driving force was the fact that, although we're well-travelled, we haven't seen an awful lot of the UK. And it was a way of thinking about how we could see more. We're not having to pay accommodation costs, and for the homeowner, they're not having to pay extra costs for kennels.

"It's another option and something that suits us quite nicely, especially for us with UK visits, because you get to understand the local area a lot easier by doing it this way."

When they signed up, the couple was also questioning whether they wanted to get a dog of their own, so when they found a house-sitting opportunity that also involved looking after a dog, they were thrilled at the idea. "Dillon was an absolute dream. I think for our first house-sit, we had the perfect one."

After a successful three weeks in their first house-sit, the couple were asked to look after the house and Dillon again in June of the following year. They also have another house-sitting arrangement lined up for February.

"We're in High Wycombe for the whole of February, but they don't have a dog this time," Deb said.

"It doesn't have to be that you've got a pet to look after, it can be that you're going away, and you want somebody to come in and keep an eye on things in the house." They have also been exploring further staycations for Easter next year and have found another house-sitting option near the New Forest. It works well for us, we've got family down there, so we can combine the house-sitting with seeing our family. It's a win-win for us."

However, it's not just UK getaways they're focusing on, as they also have plans to expand their free travel to Europe, including destinations such as Portugal and Spain. And it doesn't stop there, as house-sitting can also be available in sought-after locations like Canada, Australia or New Zealand.

"If we can make it work, we'll start to venture out more," Simon said. "We would like to do more in Europe and in other parts of the world. We never say never to anything, so if the opportunity came up further afield, we'd definitely consider it," Deb added.

"But that's the beauty, you can go onto House Sit Match, find a house-sit, and you can pick and choose what you like the look of. It's not just what works for them, but also for you. The best part about it is going to new places and meeting new people."

Deb and Simon are eager to travel more, making the most of their time not working and their freedom to explore the UK and other parts of the world at no extra cost. They also encourage anyone, not just retirees, to consider house-sitting as an alternative to traditional travel options.

Founder of the home-sitting service House Sit Match, Lamia Walker, said: "We’ve seen a huge rise in the number of mature couples turning to house-sitting as a way of saving money on holidays and even general living costs. Many then find they like this form of slow travel and get hooked on house-sitting.

"Retirees can struggle to afford a getaway these days with the cost-of-living crisis eating into funds, so house-sitting makes an affordable alternative that lets them explore fun new locations while staying in a comfortable home.

"House-sitters can even save money on their own energy bills while they enjoy a holiday, as all the property’s utility bills are usually paid by the owner. We’ve got properties all over Europe, so we’ve been sending retirees off for amazing holidays in some beautiful locations - and their accommodation is essentially free. Anyone interested in house-sitting should search online for what properties are available and see where they could go on holiday next."

• Those interested should note that pet and house-sitting are considered jobs in some countries, meaning a different visa is needed. Arriving in a country with the wrong visa can result in being removed from the country or imprisoned.

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