What to expect when you get a live-in job

It doesn’t matter where in the world your live-in job is, there are a lot of positives and negatives. Some of these you wouldn’t even think about until you start working there.

But luckily for you, I have had many remote work jobs in different parts of the world and I can tell you what you can expect and how to get the most from it.

Live where you work

So what is a live-in job?

There are 2 types of live-in jobs, The main type is where you live on the property which is on the same site as your job and you live there for the duration of your contract. The other type of live-in Job is a “Fly in, Fly out” live-in Accomadtion, this could be because the site moves, changes or is cheaper to transport you in and out.

This means; No travelling for work, no commuting time and no traffic. Might sound incredible but there is much more to remote work than waking up 5 minutes before you start work.

Earn more money (or save more) with live-in work

There are two main kinds of live-in work;

one where you go somewhere remote because you get paid a lot of money because of your skill. For example, this could be working in the north sea on an oil rig or in the Australian Outback mining for gold.

 Or the second place is mainly seasonal and is a much easier type of work to find and isn’t normally skilled. For example, living in a hostel in the hills or a ski lodge.

Both of these types of live-in jobs have great potential to earn you a lot of money quickly.

Skilled workers are likely to be offered a lot of money, due to their skills or the danger involved. But don’t worry there are ways to save a lot for unskilled workers too.

Live-in work normally comes with cheap accommodation or even free accommodation. If it is not cheap, it might not be worth your time. Having cheap accommodation is the best way to save money.

For example, there is a cap on how much live-in accommodation can cost in the UK. In 2023 it’s around £63.70 a week (source). But it’s more likely to be a lot less than this. We pay £25 a week each to live in the lake district and we could easily pay 10 times the amount if we was to rent nearby.

Explore the nothingness

Want to truly get to know yourself, a Live-in job is where you can find yourself. You have to find your entertainment.

 I’m currently writing this article on my phone, which is running out of battery as we speak due to the power outage in the valley we are in. There is no electricity for around 2 miles, no phone signal and the buses that come to and from this area stopped a while ago. Nothingness can be scary, boring and enlightening.

You might be like me not truly in the middle of nowhere, but still remote, or You might be working on a cruise ship with nothing but sea around you. When you are in either of these places you learn how to entertain yourself with what you have.

For example, normally for me, when we have power and I’m able to write, edit videos and explore the local area if it’s not walks in going in the local rivers for a swim. This is a great way of enjoying my time here. Especially as from the hours of 6 pm to 10 am we are pretty much stuck as there is no public transport.

But for Holly, her way of enjoying the nothingness isn’t by writing and editing videos, but to crochet. We have people that we live with that garden and play archery. Other times I have had people live with me, write music.  What I’m saying is, make sure you are willing to find your hobby that can be done in nothingness.

Once you can be entertained by nothingness you will find it so easy to enjoy it and want it in your life.

Living and working with the same people

There is an old English saying, don’t shit where you eat. Which normally refers to not sleeping with people you work with. This is because doing so can lead to a lot of problems in the work-life/home-life balance.

The reason why I mention this is, you might or not be dating someone you work with, but you will be living and working with other people. Spending a lot of time with the same people. This can cause a weird work/ home life balance with these people.

You can’t pick the people you work with and this also means you can’t pick the people you live with. Imagine living with that weirdo at your current workplace (we all have one) that could be the case with your work remote. We all work with that person that is our work best friend which we wish we could find more time for, working remotely you can spend more time with them.

What I’m trying to say is you don’t know who you are going to be living and working with.

You sometimes find the people that you work well with are terrible to live with and people that are terrible to work with are great to live with. It can be hard to tell.

The big brother problem

There was an old British program called big brother, it was a very basic reality TV. The housemates were all locked in a house together and left to interact with each other. On this programme, the housemates would fall in love, fight, laugh and then cry within an hour.

Being in a remote job can be like this, You might fall out over something at work and then not talk for days or you might be laughing over dinner later. Emotions are high. Sometimes it’s best to try and keep your own space.

The journey to the closest town

When you have nothing, you appreciate the little things. One of the biggest little things you will learn to love is going to your little closest town.

When I worked in Crianlarich (a Scottish town in the middle of nowhere) it took about 1 hour to get to a decent-sized place. Getting there and having a look around the shops was a highlight of the week.

This might seem sad but this is your future.

But there is a good point for this… want to save money, well that’s a lot easier when you have nothing to spend your money on.

Well, there is always Amazon, I brought this when I started living remotely, did I need it? No. Do I love it? Yes

Other Live-in Job perks

There might be other perks when you live remotely, these things make your life a little easier or save you a little bit more money. Here are some of the extra perks of living remotely

• Free Washing
• Free food ( or cooked meals)
• Being part of a small community (or family feel)
• Meet like-minded people ( they are living remotely just like you)
• Meet travellers that explore that area (Get Knowledge)
• Free towels and bedding
• Free facilities (Like Kitchens, Tvs or Game rooms)
• Not dealing with people
• Sports or outdoor Equipment

Where Can You Find Live-in Work?

Live-in jobs can be found easily if you know where to look. So here are all the best places to look;

• In remote parts of your own country which has a high level of tourists (hotels, restaurants and hostels) Go to these places and hand out CVs (or email them)
• You can find a lot of Live-in Jobs on Workaway or Worldpackers, these are less likely to be paid.
• Check your own country’s Job Sites and use the term “live-in“. You will find a big range of hospitality to Care Work or Specialist work

But if you just read this article and you now think a live-in job is for you… then I have the perfect article for you to read next

Why you should work in a hostel This was one of my first looks at remote living and it’s the perfect way to start!

See you again soon!