Renting your house can be a lot of trouble if you are not going to leave your home for a long term.
There is little rental demand for less than 6 months. If you need flexibility on your return dates it is very expensive to break the lease, sitters are usually more flexible.
Normally the tenants won't take care of your pets and the fees for kennels can get very expensive.
You have to pack and pay for the storage of all your belongings.