Response rating:
Preferred locations
ACT, Sydney, Central Coast, Hunter Valley, North Coast, South Coast, Rural/Regional NSW
Additional Info
References available, Police check available, Non smoker, Experience with Domestic Animals, Experience with Farm Animals
About
** Next available from December 2017. **
Hello.
I am a tidy non-smoking animal-loving lady in my 40's with no children or pets of my own and work from home wherever I am as a management and communication professional.
I'd be delighted to tend to your animal family, home and garden in exchange for a new living experience, and am also available to help out with your home and/or small business administration and management to keep things running smoothly in your absence if you could use a little extra support.
I care a lot about the environment I live in and like to keep it (and everyone in it!) happy, clean and well-tended because it makes us feel really good. Fortunately home owners appreciate this about me. :-)
If you like keeping up to date, I offer a weekly update complete with email summary of animal, home and garden news; scans of your postal mail; shopping receipts for any household purchases I've made on your behalf; and photos of the things that matter most to you. I understand though if you'd prefer to leave it all behind, and am equally happy to update you only when you contact me.
If you have pets and they need company during the day they will appreciate me: I work from home, find it hard to resist regular affection, and like to get out daily for a walk to nearby parks and beaches.
I've been an active host of international travellers via the global Couchsurfing network and loved the opportunity to develop new friendships and share a home and local knowledge with others seeking to live as locals in new areas. A link to the very positive hosting references is available on request.
~*~ Why I am house sitting. ~*~
It only occurred to me recently after 18 years of busy professional life in Sydney, Australia, that I now have employment that is essentially location independent.
It took a bit of mental adjustment to realise that I didn't need to keep living in the same place in order to do what I do, and then another mental leap to realise that I may even be able to travel (adventure!) more broadly. Especially as internet quality gets better and better, it seems there is really very little keeping me from exploring many new and wonderful areas and meeting many new and wonderful people and animals.
My entire work-life is online as a not for profit community and membership manager, conference director and communication producer/director.
Although I am essentially a tidy, quiet, hard-working homebody, I realised it didn't necessarily need to be *my* home that I am working from. This inspiration received in large part with the help of the Ultimate Housesitting Guide.
Travelling to different areas and living like locals (slow travel) is really hard to beat, and housesitting provides the best of both worlds.
I am organised, tidy, responsible, trustworthy and like check-lists and learning new things. At my first house sit the happy returning home owner exclaimed "you are MORE than trustworthy!" and immediately asked us to do another long term sit for her during her next planned vacation, and we were invited back again next year for the following sit too.
The main thing is that it has to feel like a good fit for you and for me because I enjoy open communication and win/win experiences.
~*~ What I bring to the assignment / relevant experience. ~*~
Apart from being tidy, organised and responsible with a love of maintaining homes and gardens to a high standard, I tend to become firm friends with the animals I meet on my travels.
When catching up for coffee with a recent returning home owner she mentioned that the animals (a cuddly cat and loving groodle) were the happiest she'd seen when she returned home. At the sit before that we were advised that it was not at all common for their cat to bond so well with her sitters over the past 13+ years, so much so that she ran to greet us when we came to visit.
House sitting is a fun way for me to make new furry and feathered friends as I explore new places. I love animals of all kinds and grew up with many, in both suburban and country homes and it *totally* makes sense to me that pets prefer to stay home where they are comfortable than go away when their family travels.
I've grown up with family cats, dogs, birds, fish, mice and various farm animals as best friends, in city and country, and am comfortable just about anywhere from city to beach, rural and remote.
My family and household dogs have included black labrador, alaskan malamute, red kelpie, miniature schnauzer, staffordshire terrier, standard poodle, weimaraner, german shepherd and rottweiler breeds. Recently I've also had the pleasure to become acquainted with 3 corgis, a beagle, scottish terrier, groodle, standard schnauzer, airedale, maltese terrier and a host of others! I love all breeds and individual animals for their various unique personality traits.
As well as a weekend with two fabulous cats in Lisarow (NSW) in 2015 we were fortunate to do a longer term cool cat house sit in Umina Beach, Central Coast (NSW); be the fortunate friends and companions to 3 very bright Corgis and a gorgeous garden in Lyons (ACT) for 3 months; were taken care of by a super cute beagle & scottie dog duo in Watson (ACT) for almost 3 months taking us into the new year; then 2+ months on a hillside in Fadden (ACT) with the lady of the house (an elegant and eloquent black cat) followed by 3 weeks with the most snuggly Groodle and cat in Hughes (ACT) followed by 4 months in a country home in Bowral (NSW) with the girls: 2 cats (a Persian & an Australian mist) and 5 chatty hens. We were then kept company in Fisher (ACT) by a charming airedale schnauzer duo before landing in Port Stephens (NSW) to care for a playful maltese terrier with a very good haircut. Then it was back to Bowral to act as summer staff to two very regal and beautiful cats, down the road to Moss Vale to care for a cat queen, and to another Moss Vale home with the furry trio: 2 dogs and a hold-her-own cat who was only recently a kitten.
I get along with less domesticated animals too (one of my photos shows Kali having brekky with a local lorrikeet) and completed the WIRES Rescue & Immediate Care Course in 2015.
If you like keeping up to date, you'll love my (entirely optional) weekly email news including mail scans, and photos.
In short, I like taking care of things.
References and police checks available on request.