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)
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
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.
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.Regards,
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.
We love your services! Very honest people and great services! Thanks so much and we will be back again!
wendylyn... Suffolk, Long Island NY
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.
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.
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
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)
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
I would like to leave feedback for house sitter username Woodvale.
"I’ve recently selected House sitter, username Woodvale to look after my house and four cats while I was on holiday and I was extremely pleased with the quality of service received. Woodvale is reliable, professional and extremely tidy.
I have used www.housecarers.com several times as I travel frequently and Woodvale has proved to be the best housesitter so far Upon my return home I was delighted with the condition of my house: it was a pleasure to return from vacation and find a spotless house and 4 happy cats. Woodvale is a keen animal lover and took great care of my pets.
Letting someone you don't know into your home to look after can be unsettling and I highly recommend Woodvale for providing me with peace of mind."
Thanks again and best wishes,
Silvia (username silviam)
Thankyou so much for this fabulous service!!!!
We have now arranged our ... 4th! ... sitter through this service. All have been fantastic and we look forward to our newest sitter caring for our house and animals.How wonderful to be able to go on a trip and know your home is safe and in good hands and your pets are getting the love and attention they are used to receiving. and its all so simple to do.
THANKYOU.... username Setabnor
I have found your site incredibly effective. Your automatic notifications are excellent. It has changed our lives and given us a new freedom through house sitting. We never were materialistic people and this allows us to live a nomadic lifestyle as well as contributing through caring for someone else's possessions and pets.
The housesits include - 2 in Canberra for 7 weeks, 2 out near Wagga for a total of 9 months (on beautiful properties)We had other choices also.
Thanks again, your site is very well designed
Thanks Colin
PS Please have a look at my main site and be very tempted
Some of Colin's Work
This is a wonderful service. My husband and I have used it twice and have had excellent results. Most recently we hadTom & Judy - House sitters' Username Handynhearty stay in our home in St. Augustine, Fl. for two weeks.
They were fabulous and loved St. Augustine so much they are thinking of moving here. They left before we arrived back home but left the house in immaculate shape and also left a wonderful note. I would highly recommend them as house sitters.
We hope we see them again in St. Augustine, possibly as neighbors. Thanks so much Tom & Judy!
... Judith
My House-sits have been the best experience & I have made new friends as a result. My first was at Glenugie NSW near Grafton on 25 acres for 2 months, next Kooralbyn on the Scenic Rim there for 5 weeks, after that Townsville for 3.5 weeks, Kingscliffe for 1 week, then Blackbutt, Newcastle coming up. During May, June & part of July I'm house-sitting for friends in NZ. So nothing planned after that, I don't want to commit too far ahead.
My reasons for wanting this experience are.... I am now retired, so free to get about & see other places which are of interest to me, also I do a bit of writing so I'm not bothered by all the distractions of being at home.
The great thing for me is that I don't need to do this for financial reasons ., therefore I go when & where I choose, & really appreciate my home more when I return.
I find the home owners are so grateful & accommodating which in itself is rewarding & I feel I'm providing a service, to me it is a reciprocal arrangement that benefits both parties.
Ruth (NiftyNanna)
Thank you so much for your service.... Fluffydowns - Rotorua NZ
I had House sitters Jocelyn - J552712 (retired New Zealand couple) Stay and take care of my home which included my 3 cats and 3 gold fish.
What a wonderful lady so caring and spotless. I cant say enought about Jocelyn.
If anyone is wanting a house sitter Jocelyn is the one to have.
This was my first time using a house sitter and would gladly use her again.
I came home after being away for nearly a month to find a spotless home cats all happy and extra plants in the garden. I can see she puts a lot of care into her work.
Once again thanks so much Jocelyn I would be very happy to give this lady a glowing reference anytime.
On my first house sit(that I found through housecarers) in the Northern cascades! Having a blast and can't wait for the second one at the end of January!
Great news. What a great way to see this part of the country rent-free. Where is you next housesit?
Idaho for 2 months. And already speaking with homeowners about this coming summer. Thanks for creating such a great opportunity!
Just including the link to your housecarers profile:
.. I am a non-smoking, cheerful, independent and responsible single person th...See More..
HI there - just thought I'd let you know that I've done two house sits since November. One in Penticton and one in Calgary thanks to this website.
I am about to do one on Pender Island for 3 weeks in February and then one in March-April in Naramata BC for friends.
I am on CPP Disability and this is getting me out of the house and allowing me some adventure.
Thank you. Mary-jane
I joined housecarers.com two years ago. Since then I have house sat twice - for the same people - once for six weeks, once for two years. I am now responding to other housesits (as this one comes to a close).
This experience has been great and I've had really nice feedback from the home owners of recent housesits I've applied to - I haven't been able to make a match yet re. dates and location but I will keep looking - even if it is just for 'holiday' house sits rather than being main place of living.
I do it for a number of reasons:
1. I was looking for ways to be able to make the time and
space to do part time study - by house sitting I could continue to work part time plus I had a lot of peace and quiet to study - it has been invaluable for that.
2. But I also did it because I have an
interest in alternative ways of living. I grew a vege garden, joined a vegie swap, took public transport or bike as often as possible, I picked and preserved the produce from the garden trees on the property I looked after... None of these I did 100%, or particularly well (re.vege garden), but the idea was to try and see what is possible - how you can approach work differently - ie. when I had dry patches of work (because I'm a casual) I put time into the property or preserving
something for the home owners. This isn't a a plug for a fantasy hippy lifestyle (it could start reading like that) - I am always aware that I wouldn't be able to do this if other people weren't working in the system fulltime with a house and a mortgage as a result - I just wanted to explore what is possible.