Response rating:
Preferred locations
S. Western
Additional Info
References available, Police check available, Non smoker, Experience with Domestic Animals, Experience with Farm Animals
About
Heading:
Leave home with peace of mind packed in your suitcase.
Introduction:
We are a couple in our late 50s who have decided to step off the oil & gas industry treadmill and see what the rest of the world has to offer.
We are fit, active non-smokers, down to earth, reliable, practical and adaptable. We hail from the United Kingdom/New Zealand but are both now Australian citizens and have recently built a home in Fremantle, Perth. We like to spend our spare time bushwalking, chasing down those elusive relatives on our family trees and dining out. Geoff also enjoys keeping an eye on the Kiwi's beloved All Blacks.
We love most animals but cats would have to be our favourites, especially the big cats, not that we expect to be taking care of one of those!
Why We Like To House Sit:
We have quite recently retired and are fulfilling our dream of traveling worldwide, chasing the sun, with no fixed abode and no plan. Just let the house sitting take us where it leads us :-) We love having the opportunity to immerse into and really connect with whichever place/culture we might find ourselves in and feel that spending time as pseudo residents gives us that chance more so than being regular tourists might. It also gives us exposure to areas that would otherwise have gone untapped by us, areas that we might never have thought to visit.
In our more recent work life we have been living full time in company accommodation and this means, unfortunately, no pets. We always had cats in our lives up until then and house sitting, as opposed to hotel hopping, gives us the pleasure of connecting with some furry friends again....... nothing quite like curling up with a good book and a purring cat on your lap or watching them smile as you give them a good brushing.
And then there's the scope for meeting, and hopefully making friends with, people from all over the world, including the house owners that we sit for and people from within the communities we spend time in.
What We Bring To The Assignment:
Previous House Sitting Experience
We have completed several house sits in Australia, New Zealand, UK and Europe. Below are some of the glowing references we have received:
"Geoff and Lynsey have just looked after our three cats for the last 4 and a half weeks and i would highly recommend them to anyone.
They were excellent company both before and after we traveled and looked after both house and cats with great care.
They had to deal with a cat emergency (big abcess that needed vets attention) and were utterly unfazed. They kept us up to date whilst we were away with regular photos and activity reports and left us feeling at ease.
You are most welcome back anytime!!" Nov/Dec 2019 Winterslow, Wiltshire, UK
"What can I say except perfect! Lynsey & Geoff were the perfect house sitters. From the minute they arrived we felt totally at ease leaving our precious fur babies and our house in their hands. We found them to be very open, warm people and were very interesting to get to know. They exuded confidence and this is the perfect way to be as a house sitter as it left us feeling totally relaxed. Within a day or so of us arriving at our holiday destination we had received photos of our cats looking very relaxed which was great to see. We were updated multiple times during their stay and that was a real bonus. We let them use my husbands car when we were away (they arranged their own insurance) and it was returned clean and with petrol in the tank, Just as we knew they would to be honest. We arrived home to a lovely clean house, tales of the time they had spent with our moggies and Geoff had even cleaned our vacuum filters out! They really were great sitters and I would not hesitate in recommending them to anyone that wants a very professional friendly couple to watch over their home and animals. Thank you Lynsey & Geoff for keeping our cats happy and our home safe :o)" Sept/Oct 2018 Doncaster, UK
"Lynsey and Geoff sat for us for just over three weeks in August 2018. They are a lovely couple who looked after our home and pussycat Scrabble extremely well. They used their initiative when Scrabble was unexpectedly prescribed some tablets and found a cat-friendly way of administering his medicine which was much appreciated by all concerned. They followed instructions regarding day to day tasks, left the house looking clean and tidy and purchased their own supplies of various items when they could easily have used ours. They also kept in touch with us while we were away concerning anything that we needed to know. We were delighted to have them as house and pet sitters and they come highly recommended." August 2018 Kings Langley, UK
"We were so fortunate to choose Geoff and Lynsey to care for our gorgeous rag doll cat, Oscar, and our home......I was a wreck initially leaving Oscar with anyone, but Geoff and Lynsey sent regular pics of our pampered pussycat and kept us in the loop with anything they weren't sure of....Coming home, our townhouse was in a pristine state, the pussycat was reluctant to have us even return to the house. We didn't recognise our ute we had loaned them, cleaned of all debri, and we were very happy Oscar was so well cared for. In fact we have rebooked this great couple again for 5 weeks in the near future. Thank you for being so great" Di & Nev January/February 2018 Perth Australia
"Geoff and Lynsey are the BEST house/pet sitters you could ever get. We went away for a month overseas and they came to look after our Jack Russell and house. As any pet owner will know it's always a bit of a worry to leave your pet to be cared for by someone else. But we didn't need to worry as they did an excellent job of taking care of our much loved pooch. They regularly sent photos of him and all the adventures they took him on. He had such a great time with them that he sulked for two days when they left. The house was in immaculate order and Geoff even washed my car for me. They are very kind and caring and responsible and I would not hesitate to recommend them as a house /pet sitters." Lyndal & Todd December 2017-January 2018 Auckland NZ
"Perfect sitters! Geoff and Lynsey have been house and pet sitting for us for the last 6 weeks. They have been fantastic, communicating with me regularly, both before and during the sit. Our Bearded Collie has been on wonderful long walks each day and her coat looks as though she's just stepped out of the groomers. The two cats, (not lap cats and very fussy who they take to), have been snuggling up contentedly to their 'foster parents', (lots of lovely photos). Geoff and Lynsey have left the house in an immaculate condition, (clean sheets on the bed), the garden has been tidied and the car returned sparkling and gleaming, (its not been like that since it was in the showroom)! My start date overlapped with their previous house sit and so Lynsey immediately offered to come alone, leaving Geoff to finish with their agreed commitment. They made a 4 hour return trip to come and visit, several weeks before they sat for us. They're a super couple, great fun, but serious when it comes to fulfilling their 'duties'. We'd love for them to sit for us again in the future. Geoff and Lynsey are totally trustworthy and reliable. If you choose them to sit for you, your home and pets will be in very safe hands. Thank you so much guys!" Lizzie & Mick September/October 2017 Reading UK
"Lynsey and Geoff were amazing house sitters. We have a small holding with lots of acreage, horses, sheep, dogs, chickens and also run a holiday business with a Yurt, Pod and Log Cabin on site. Geoff and Lynsey managed the lot, they were fantastic. The guests loved them and kept reviewing Geoff and Lynsey as being fantastic helpful hosts I can't thank them enough. The garden, orchard, guest and drive area was immaculate, Geoff must have spent hours strimming and mowing to make everywhere better than when we left. The Animals were really well cared for. Geoffs skills as a horseman was an added bonus because I could rest knowing my 5 horses would be very well cared for and Geoff would know what to do. Lynsey ensured everything else ran smoothly and her communication whilst we were away was excellent. They both showed a lot of initiative and dealt with problems effectively as and when they happened. We lent Geoff and Lynsey our car and they took good care of it cleaning it out and replacing a bald tyre. Nothing was too much trouble. Geoff was handy and fixed various things and Lynsey is a wizz with technology. We would have them back tomorrow. Thank you Geoff and Lynsey for all your hard work and for being such lovely people. I couldn't have trusted our home and holiday business with anyone else." Sally and Andy August/Sept 2017, Staffordshire, UK
"Lynsey and Geoff are truly wonderful pet/house sitters. They took the greatest of care of our sometimes feisty cat for two weeks and they were amazing. They kept us updated with photos and day to day happenings which is just what you want when you are away from your fur babies. As soon as we met them we knew they would be perfect. They are such a warm caring couple who made absolutely sure that Oscar was fine. We call them the' cat whisperers' as they were so good with him. When we returned our house was immaculate and puss cat so chilled out. We really wish that they lived in the UK, we would ask them back in a heartbeat. Fabulous fabulous couple. If you are looking for the perfect animal/housesitters Lynsey and Geoff are the ones for you." Sue & Phil June/July 2017, Gloucester, UK
"Thank you for the meticulous care you took of our home while we were away for five weeks on business and holidays. Also a big thank you from our two wonderful cats. They looked so healthy and happy on our return, a little overindulged but they weren’t complaining. I was looking forward to coming home and when walking in with you both I saw a house that was absolutely spotless both inside and out. I would have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone who needs a house sitter." Lyn & Elton, Australia
"Being new to housesitting we did have some reservations, but Lynsey & Geoff seemed like the right fit for our house and cat Coco. We met them before we left for 6 weeks away. We kept in contact via email while we were overseas and they sent us the odd photo of Coco so we could see she was happy being brushed. (Now she expects it every day!!)
Lynsey & Geoff took us to the airport and picked us up again. Also they left some supplies in the fridge so we didn't have go out for takeaway the evening of our return. Very thoughtful. They left the house cleaner than when we left which was great. And Geoff even dug the vegie patch over!!
We couldn't give them enough praise and would be happy to recommend them to a prospective house owner." Jo & Doug, Australia
Our Background
For the eleven years prior to retiring we had been running our own business providing logistics services to the oil & gas industry and had won contracts with many of the major players in Australia.
We specialised in running the onshore base for the duration of a company's drilling programme, where responding to urgent requests and finding solutions were the order of the day.
We worked together as a team; Geoff liaising closely with the drilling rig, supply vessels, third party suppliers, etc. to ensure everything ran efficiently and smoothly, whilst Lynsey managed the office keeping the lines of communication open to head office and controlling the computer / paperwork administration meticulously.
People often ask how we worked so closely together and comment that they could never do it with their partner, but we did so successfully, and with pleasure, for over a decade and found it only brought us closer together.
We had a hard won reputation in our work life as being the best in the business which resulted in us being constantly awarded contracts, even when times were pretty lean in the oil & gas industry.
This same level of harmonious team work, professionalism and care is what we will bring to looking after your family pets, house and garden, as it would be applied to any house sitting contract we were honoured enough to be granted.
Pet & Animal Experience
Geoff comes from a childhood on a farm and Lynsey's family home was invariably filled with cats and dogs.
As a couple we've always had cats in the house, whether they be rescue cats or strays that just wandered in looking for a better life.
And a better life is what we think they got; our last fella, CJ, would be demanding his brush each morning almost before his breakfast and this of course after a good night's sleep on his own couch at the end of our bed!
Home Care Experience
We have owned our own homes, ranging from double storey, four bedroomed suburbia to inner city apartments, as well as investment properties
We understand that your home is your castle and we will treat it accordingly.
We have used sitters ourselves and know how important it is to find caring, responsible people.
Garden Maintenance Experience
We wouldn't describe ourselves as "avid" gardeners but we have had homes with large gardens, one of which had 150 palms and flowering plants that we designed from scratch and maintained for 5 years before selling to move into the city for a change of pace.
We have also had homes with pools and are fully conversant with their maintenance needs.
You can be confident that your garden will be in safe hands during your absence.