17 years' experience with many repeats

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More information about this house sitter

WE ARE A MATURE, NON-SMOKING COUPLE (with four adult children and seven grandchildren who are spread between Hobart, Melbourne and Canberra and Portland, Oregon). We are experienced pet and house-sitters and caretakers, with some small acre and farm experience. (Geoffrey has an Ag Science degree from way back). We are also available to relief manage accommodation businesses (e.g. Airbnb on an income share basis), act as property caretakers, and perform other paid duties beyond the regular duties associated with pet & house sitting.

Geoffrey is the Managing Director of two (inter-related) start-up companies in drainage and irrigation. He is easing himself into a retirement/consultant role. Merilyn is fully retired from being a teacher of pre-tertiary biology and environmental science. We both assist as volunteers with the Landmark Wisdom Course, and we are keen on building supporting communities of people who want more out of life.

We have been house-sitting since 2004, mostly in 9-month stints for the same owners who were living in the United States and would come back to Tasmania for 3 months or so every year. In the three-month gaps we usually had one, two, or three shorter house-sits. These included minding a hobby farm with sheep and chooks, as well as the usual household dogs and cats. We have also minded an Airbnb on several occasions. Many of our house sits have been repeats.

Our long-term house owners’ circumstances have now changed, and the house has been sold. So, we began this new phase of our life at the beginning of 2018. We seem to be fully booked well in advance with just a few days break every now and then in which we visit our family.
In June 2019 we went to the USA for 9 months, although we were forced back to Australia when the Covid virus hit. While we were there we had 9 different house sits plus a few repeats.

We both enjoy walking. In fact, we attempt to walk 5-7 kilometres a day for 5 or 6 days a week so walking dogs is a breeze. We also go to Yoga classes 3 times a week, but I don’t think pets are allowed!

Merilyn has very green fingers. One of our major responsibilities in our long-term house-sit has been to maintain the gardens which we have not only carried out, but we have also greatly improved them.

WHY WE WANT TO HOUSE SIT
We originally went house-sitting when we sold our house in preparation for building a new one. When it came time to start the build, we decided to build closer to where we were house-sitting, so we sold the block – and the plans, and the building contract – and embarked on the new project. Alas, the Global Financial Crisis was the final straw in a series of financial battles and we lost everything.

Fortunately, we have been house-sitting all this time and have been able to regain some lost ground. Now, we are looking to continue house-sitting to consolidate our financial position while the business is growing! We enjoy travelling and living in different places (Australia and overseas) and look to do much more.

Apart from that, we have found that we enjoy being of service to our house-owners. In some cases, we open their mail and alert them of accounts to be paid and so on. We’re happy to say that we have become friends.

OUR EXPERIENCE
In summary, we bring a lot of experience, great responsibility and care, and above all a genuine love of animals who we thoroughly enjoy looking after.

AVAILABILITY:
Please check the Calendar on the Mindahome website. Read more...