Semi-retired House Sitters escape the Hurricane season and, satisfy their Travel Bug with rent free accommodation throughout Europe, and make good Friends along the way.

House Sitters: username Cruzans

Happy to say we're now in Spain to soon start a sit in Barcelona, then several in England and one in Zurich. Looking forward to an interesting summer.

Housecarers:

Great news about the housesits. It is always good to hear stories like yours. What are you main reasonse for housesitting? Where are you from?

We have the flexibility but not the funds to travel as we´d like.

Housesitting allows us to get basically free accommodation, and we have made some good friends along the way. We have sat in Portugal, France, Belgium, England, Wales, Scotland, Canada, US, and now Spain. We have excellent references, and pride ourselves on leaving a place better than we found it. My husband is a true Jack-of-all-trades, so enjoys fixing little things the owners often don´t notice till later.

We live in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Yes, I know........why would we want to leave paradise??? We are sometimes torn, enjoying our small condo overlooking the Caribbean, but the travel bug bites, plus we´ve done our share of hurricanes so prefer to be away during those months. We usually leave early May, return in November after visiting kids / grandkids in the US.

View profile for globe-trotting retirees username Cruzans

Brisbane QLD homeowner finds Housecarers a life-saver for 14 year old Blue Healer Kelpie cross who is on heart medication, one 5 year old Fox Terrier, and four Budgies

Thank you for your e-mail I have been successful in finding found a House sitter. This will be the second time I have used this site and it has been a life saver for us... Christy - username Chasing

.... We have excellent forested views from our balcony overlooking The Gap itself. Close to 2 shopping centers a gym and indoor pool at the end of our the street. House located at the end of a quiet culdesac..

View housesit /dog sit details for Brisbane QLD housesit, near the CBD, housesitter found

Retired Canadians find excellent House sitter for their Mexican home for their trip back to Canada

This is a great site! We found a house sitter within a few days and had several good applicants to chose from. Thank you for an excellent service.... fun6644

View house sitter found for 6 weeks House sit Villa Nova Ajijic Jalisco Mexico

House Sitter Freedom7ssanz finds accommodation to be nearer to her family

Freedom7ssanz I met with new people in a strange city - and I was totally relaxed, and assured of their genuineness, because they are registered homeowners with Housecarers.com.au! We hit it off, their pets are adorable, and I now have my first official housesit engagement through your excellent service. Thank you so much!

Housecarers:

Great news about the house sit. Where is the housesit? Out of interest what is your main reason/s for housesitting?and where are you from?

Freedom7ssanz

I am in the housesit in Sydney's lower North Shore and still enjoying it. It was the first time my homeowners had used your site, and they interviewed someone else as well as me. I am housesitting because I am homeless, on a government pension, and in need of accommodation. I am on my way to achieving continuous accommodation, with the help of your website, although I do have a gap after this one and before my next one, which my family may or may not be able to fill for me. I have been living in the Far North Coast of NSW for over a decade, and have moved down here to the Sydney area to be nearer to most of my family. Ideally, I would love to have four or five long-term housesits throughout the year, Sydney in the warmer months, up north (maybe even Queensland) in the winter, with only short breaks of a week or so in between. I am on my way to that, I'm sure!

View profile for housesitter Freedom7ssanz, housesitting Lower North Shore Sydney

Mt Tamborine QLD home/pet owner finds Housecarers a boon matching with high calibre applicants for her very affectionate but strong Staffie/Mastif cross

A quick note of appreciation for this wonderful service. I found the applicants for my house/dog sit to be of a high calibre, making the choice difficult. Now that I have accepted one application, I wanted to tell you what a boon this site has been for me.,,, ... Mt Tamborine's climate is subtropical, with temperatures cooler than those ofthe surrounding lowlands. With its fertile red volcanic soil and high rainfall, the plateau produces rich crops of avocados, kiwifruit, passionfruit, rhubarb, apples and mangoes. With its cool climate and spectacular scenery, as well as its proximity to Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Surfers Paradise Many thanks ... Delle (vita66)

View Staffie/Mastiff house and dog sitter found ad for Mt Tamborine, Gold Coast Hinterland QLD

Homeowner appreciates security of a housesitter occupied home after out of pocket $40K after leaving her Busby (30 minutes from Edmonton) Ontario Canadian home vacant

I would just like you to know I used this site and it is FANTASTIC, thank you so much, last year we left our home vacant and someone broke in we lost !00,000.00 in equipment, by the time we finished up with insurance we were out of pocket $40,000.00. When I am away I am working and I found the perfect person to watch out home, once again THANK YOU Jacqui

View 5 month house sitter found to keep home safe in Busby (30 minutes from Edmonton) Ontario Canadian

House Sitters found for Peace and Quiet, and two miniature Schnauzers on the waterfront , Kerikeri, Upper North Island New Zealand

Hi, and thank you - great service, this is our second year, and we had wonderful people contact re our house sit, and found a house sitter within a few days. Thank you John & Lyn - Kerikeri New Zealand

.... If you are looking for a relaxing break away from the hassle and bustle this will be ideal.... Local walks, private garden, lemon, orange and mandarin in abundance

View housesitter found profile for New Zealand Kerikeri Upper North Island, Northland New Zealand

House Sitting in France ebook

An announcement from our housesitter member

'House Sitting in France' by Hilary Chase, will be available free to download for 2 days on Amazon.com, Kindle books, on 13 and 14 April 2012.

If you think it appropriate perhaps you would be kind enough to put a notice to this effect on your blog or web site. The book does contain a link to your web site which I hope you approve.

'House Sitting in France- ebook'

On Safari book:



http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0078DIGSA
(This one needs to be typed in the browser)


'On Safari', by Evangeline Auld will also be available, with my compliments, for free download on the same two days, 13 and 14 April 2012. This is an interactive game book for older children.


Hope some of your visitors will enjoy these.

(Books are available for free download only from the Amazon site serving the country in which you are based. Amazon uploads them as free from 12.00 a.m. US time).

Many thanks

Evangeline Auld

Bellingham WA homeowner finds it a breeze to find someone to look after beautiful, furnished cottage overlooking the bay in a very quiet neighborhood close to hiking trails and Fairhaven district

I am writing to thank you for your wonderful web site, and to say that it made it a breeze to find someone compatible for our home. I will definitively reuse the site in the future as we travel often. Best, Anne G...(2catsandagarden)

View housesitter found ad for Bellingham WA, USA

Housesitting Widow Lona escapes the Calgery Alberta Cold winter (..brrrrrrrr) to Melbourne VIC Australia, and gets to know the locals

Dear Ian: Finally getting around to dropping a note to say how much I enjoyed a 6 week housesit in Melbourne through Housecarers and to thank you for providing this website.

I live in Calgary, Alberta and guess I'd say my main reason for housesitting is to get out of the cold weather in winter.

Getting to know 'the locals' wherever you go is an added bonus . . . hopefully you'll 'click' (have enough 'common
ground') to make it a very enjoyable experience . . . which happened with Carmel in Melbourne.

Am thinking that I'm interested in applying for housesits required in California which would be closer to get to from Canada, but haven't got around to updating my housecarers site as yet.

Thanks again for providing the website and look forward to more enjoyable 'sits'.

.. Lona..(nina49)
View housesitter profile for Lona, Alberta Canada

It is all about Connections. NZ Auckland couple housesit around the Globe with free accommodation. Housecarers makes the world smaller, and helps enrich retirement years.

We have had housesits in Idaho, Colorado, Las Vegas, Arizona, Oregon a couple of years ago. This year we are in Tennessee, and again in Arizona for the same couple. We have also had sits in New South Wales, Queensland and Northern Territory in Australia, and some in the North Island of New Zealand. We live in Auckland.

When we retired from running our own business, found life rather mundane and boring, so really enjoyed organising the pet sits. We had just moved into an apartment and could not have a pet of our own, so another reason as it allowed us to look after other peoples animals. And we enjoy travelling the world and meeting new people and the costs are kept down by staying in people's homes.

We have recently organised a good pet sit in the US and we are returning to a previous pet sit we did three years ago. So it is going really well. We do enjoy meeting the people and their pets. And it seems they are equally as pleased with us as we are with them.... forrys

View housesitters profile for username forrys

Viva123 finds dogsitter for - THE best location! Village atmosphere! Close parks & Harbour! Balmain, Sydney . Immaculate home in whisper quiet spot with views of Mort Bay and the harbour bridge

I recently used your service and found a very nice couple who will dog-sit for me for two weeks in April. I received very positive responses to my ad and thank you for your service... Viva123

Suit mature age ( preferably retired) active couple who are looking for a nice relaxed break in the big smoke, plenty of time to see the sights and enjoy the unique village atmosphere of cafes & boutique shopping that Balmain has to offer cl to ferry, lots of pretty parks & local walks - all along waterfront areas. The house has all mod cons / immaculate condition. One woofa to look after...

View ad for Balmain Dog-sitter found .. with pictures of the Woofa... also know as The Handsome One

Teacher Kate Saves on Rent and Improves her Health with Coastal Housesits - Real Stories from the World of House Sitting

I have been successful through applying for two house-sits so far on this site.

Ian Housecarers: Thanks for the feedback. All the best with your applications Where have the housesits been? Out of interest what is your main reason /s for housesitting?

The housesits have been in Calliope near Gladstone, Qld and one coming up in Elliott heads for 5 months near Bundaberg. We were chosen out of 28 applicants for that one and 10 for the other one.

We are housesitting as we couldn't sell our house and have rented it out and wanted to live near the coast for awhile for health reasons as I had pneumonia last year. We also want to save some money when we get to Bundaberg for further travels and housesitting will help a lot in that regard.

Kate ... Bala10

View House Sitter profile for Teacher Bala10 on to housesitting Bundaberg QLD

Christchurch NZ family return from first Stress Free holiday in 15 years, to Pets in better condition, House in better shape, and Dinner and a bottle of Wine from their Housesitters

What an awesome awesome service!

We came home after 3 weeks in Europe to animals that were in better condition than we left them! Our house was in better shape than we left it! Dinner in the oven and a bottle of wine from our sitters.

Our holiday was the first stress free in 15 years! I am recommending this site to friends ALL over the world. Job well done - thank you Barbara & Bill! (Jobella)

View housesit profile for Christchurch NZ, homeowners Jobella

Sacramento homeowner appreciates being able to leave pets for vacation to Mexico with relatives

I did what you suggested and responded to all, letting them know I selected the first responders. Then I cancelled the ad. This is such a wonderful service. Just want you to know how much it is appreciated! Thank you so much.... Pgray1

What a pleasant place to have a break .... "We live within walking distance of a lovely park (William Land Park) with a golf course and zoo. We're close to downtown Sacramento with its historic capitol (interesting to tour) and Old Sacramento and the river with the Delta Queen hotel/restaurant. There is a nice coffee/pastry/sandwich shop and a brand new Sprouts Market within walking distance. The back yard of our home is very pleasant with a nice swing out back, and the weather should be very nice during May."


View house and live-in pet sitter found for Historical Sacremento housesit

Real Stories - Why we housesit? - Being given holiday options that we would never even normally contemplate, or as above, you cannot find that in a travel book. But housecarers - yes.

We are doing a house-sit in January 2013 for 17 days. Did a house-sit in Mornington, Melbourne in middle of last year for 3 weeks and really enjoyed.

Housecarers: Great news about the housesit. Where is the next one located? If is always good to hear stories like yours. What are the main reasons for you housesitting?

Our next housesit is located in Giru, on a small farm in Queensland. We are city people but are really looking forward to looking after the farm and animals. It is quite rural. Being city people we asked if the bus stops near to the house/farm and they wrote back and told us they were rural andthe bus didn't stop nearby. Of course not. Lesson number one. But - they are letting us use their car! It's looking after geese, chooks, dogs, cats, and a small bird that likes to sit on your shoulder. On a mango farm.

The main reasons for house-sitting are:
No. 1 - Being given holiday options that we would never even normally contemplate, or as above, you cannot find that in a travel book. But housecarers - yes.

We would never have gone to lovely Mornington only for housecarers, and met such a nice lady who owns the house. Plus we were near our grandchildren.

No. 2 - And of course it is not an expensive holiday. We do have to pay to get from Perth to over East, but we do have an option of house-sitting in WA, such as Bunbury, Geraldton, etc. which we might do some time. We would have transport then.

Regards,
Dale & Lance ... Username Luckyas

View profile for married healthy and active retired couple from Perth WA, who are keen gardeners and love pets

House Sitter found for water-side home with private beach and stairs, North Shore Of Long Island (Quiet with Hilly and Water Fantastic views)

We love your services! Very honest people and great services! Thanks so much and we will be back again!

wendylyn... Suffolk, Long Island NY

View House Sitter Found ad for waterside Suffolk, Long Island home

Active Retired Canadian couple find world-wide adventure, new places, a 'home' to live in rather than a hotel, immerse themselves in the local culture, make new friends, and get their 'pet fix'

We had a great house sit for 2 months in Australia from one of our applications and had to turn down 2 others that came at the same time. We love reading the notifications and hopefully will have more house sits in the future. We have also recommended HouseCarers.com to many of our friends.

Housecarers: Great news about the housesit - where was it?

The house sit was in a suburb of Brisbane, Australia called Manly West. It was a very nice house with a pool. We looked after the house and their lovely female dalmatian.

We spent a few days with the family before they left on an extended tour of Europe. During that time, they introduced us to their neighbours. Everyone was friendly and we made new friends. At the end of our stay, the owners even arranged for us to visit their parents.....a great place to go out to the Great Barrier Reef.

Housecarers: What is your main reason for House sitting?

My husband and I primarily live in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, however, since my mother passed away three years ago, my father chooses to also live here. That necessitates us going to just outside of Victoria, British Columbia to look after his property in the summer (not a hardship!).

We look at house sits wherever....however prefer those outside of Canada and the US. Why do we like house sits.....adventure, new places, having a 'home' to live in rather than a hotel, to immerse ourselves in the local culture and to make new friends. We do not own any pets (although we both have done so), so get our 'pet fix' sometimes through house sits. Who could ask for more!..... Margaret, 2iscompany2

View housesitter profile for active retired Canadian couple, now living in Mexico

Washington Homeowner Reunites with friend lost 20 years ago - It is a Small Housecarers Housesitting World

Ian and staff, I just wanted to thank you for your valuable service.

You might like to know that of the team of housesitters I chose, one of the women turned out to be (though this was not known when I chose them) a friend I had not seen in over 20 years, who is moving to the same apartment building as my friend who I usually ask to watch my pets when I'm away on short trips.

How ironic that an internet site based in Australia would reunite me with my old friend.

Anita (OrcasLeigh - Washington - housesitter required profile)

Housesitter and Author, AussieWendy aka IrishRover wandering the World for 10 years house sitting

Many thanks for passing on the query from Glen McPhee, a distant relative who was trying to reconnect with me. You found the right Wendy Mills.

I am still wandering the world housesitting. I have just done sits in Scotland, Yorkshire, Wales, and now in Sweden for three months. I still love this after ten years.

I have not been able to find a publisher for my 'How To' book on Housesitting, which is disappointing, becausd I tell at least three people every day about what I do, and pass on your web site. If you have any bright ideas about publishing, I'd love to hear from you.

Thank you for your help,... AussieWendy

Profile for Housesitter and Author, AussieWendy aka IrishRover