Hello Housecarers,
We are looking for housesitters from the end of August to the Middle of November Our plans are not yet fixed so we have some flexibility in our dates.
About the location:
We live within walking distance from the coast (1.5 km), the town center (1 km) and 20 meters from the bus stop for good connections to downtown Victoria. You can use our bicycles for getting around in town.
Sooke has a character of its own. The town offers everything you need for day to day life: doctors and pharmacies, 2 well-stocked grocery stores, a library, post office, banks... There are a couple of restaurants, coffee shops and pubs. We even have our own brewery in town (walking distance from the house).
There are plenty of hiking and biking opportunities, a good library, swimming pool, fitness facilities, yoga studio, a golf course (3 par) and lots of clubs (as in interest groups, don't come for the partying variety) to keep you entertained.
In Langford (20 km) you can find big box stores,a movie theater, pubs and restaurants.
The coastline is rugged here and very inspiring. You can go for walks to the Sooke Potholes or East Sooke park, ride or walk the Galloping Goose trail or go beach combing on the many beaches. Lots of wildlife too: whales, seals and sea lions, bears and cougars, deer, racoons...
About the property:
We have a comfy two-story house with a private, fully fenced yard that includes lots of shrubs, flowers and trees. We also have several raised garden beds and hoophouses. You can sit on the patio under the grapevines.
There is a fully equipped kitchen, laundry room and two full bathrooms (with bath), sitting rooms, a master bedroom, a "man cave" and an office. The other room will probably be used to store some of our clothes and teaching supplies. There is a wood burning stove (and wood) to keep you warm and cozy if cold weather comes early.
We enjoy a simple, quiet life, without luxuries like swimming pools and marble counters. Our home is comfortable but it does not have the latest electronic gadgets or cable. (Though you can always sign up for cable if you wish). We have a TV and DVD player for a good old movie night. We have good internet service.
About the housesit:
This is an easy housesit as we have no pets and few requirements: provide a secure presence, pick up the mail, some garden maintenance and water the houseplants once every two weeks.
We have planted a complete veggie garden, and we expect the harvest to be in full swing in September. This means watering every couple of days (depending on the weather). This also means that you can eat fresh produce. We ask that you would freeze the extra produce (basically put it in a bag in the freezer).
The rest of the garden requires little else than maybe a little mowing towards the end (in summer the grass turns golden, so no mowing required) and pulling some dead plants (at the end of the growing season). If you like gardening (like Neil and me) you are of course welcome to “play more in the dirt”.
Please be aware that we are converting part of the lawn to a food growing area. This means that parts of the front garden are covered with black plastic. Not the most pretty right now, but you will not have any work with it either. You can still enjoy the garden in the back of the house.
The Ideal Housesitters:
We are looking for dependable, fit housesitters that understand the requirements for caring for a property. A non-smoking couple that can stay levelheaded in case of an emergency and can remedy small issues that can come with maintaining a house. We would like you to be there most nights to keep the place secure.
We are environmentally conscious and and try to reduce our garbage, water, car and electricity use. Our garden is 100% organic. We hope to find housesitters with the same mindset.
Please let us know if you are interested in this housesit, so we can set up a further meeting/ call.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Neil and Sofie