Meet the couple who live in Sydney for $49 a year (by house-sitting for strangers) Laura and Tim Sugden Brown have saved $25,000 towards a house of their own by housesitting. MEET the young couple paying just $49 a year to live in some of Sydney's most sought-after suburbs in a bid to save for their own home. During 2013 Laura and Tim Sugden Brown saved more than $25,000 on rent, living for free in the inner west and eastern suburbs of Sydney, after registering as house sitters for strangers. We've been house sitting since May, when we came back after six years living in the US. We had no furniture, so decided to give it a go,"Ms Sugden Brown said. The Sugden Browns have resided in fashionable suburbs such as Balmain and Marrickville (below) Source: News Limited Marrickville Road Source: News Limited The couple is saving for a deposit to buy their own home, without making the lifestyle sacrifices that so many other young Australians endure to get on the property ladder. So far, they have lived in popular Sydney suburbs such as Marrickville, Summer Hill, Balmain, Earlwood and Sans Souci. They even enjoyed a stretch at a luxury home in Grays Point, where they had water views and an indoor spa. "It's a gypsy lifestyle, albeit a luxury gypsy lifestyle," Ms Sugden Brown said. The No.1 benefit is being able to save. Rents are high at the moment and we also aren't paying utilities like electricity and other bills. Inner West sales boom in January Redfern's gentrification attracts young couples Your property star guide for 2014 The savings have been made possible by Mindahome.com.au - a site which matches registered house sitters with homeowners who are going away and usually want their pets looked after. People interested in house sitting just register online and pay $49 a year in fees. They then make contact with owners of available homes, who meet, interview them and check their references. Founder Sue Coombs launched the site in 2008 after house-sitting with her family for three months and being impressed at the amount of money she saved. We saved a fortune. A lot of people do it as a way to save for a house deposit," she said. The service has recently experienced rapid growth, doubling in membership since the launch and experiencing 80 per cent growth in 2013. There are now 2000 members and usually around 400 available houses at a time. Ms Coombs believes the surge in interest reflects the tough saving environment for would-be homeowners. "It's very hard for young people to buy a home right now," Ms Coombs said.