Your peace of mind is my job, so my priority when watching your home is respect of your rules, habits, property, privacy and any special needs you might have.
Non-smoking, non-drinking, and travel-loving young professional, I am also a home owner. I am attracted to house-sitting in spite of being a home owner because I love to see new places, but don't like hotels.
I feel that the best way for me to answer the questions you will undoubtedly have is directly but I've outlined my skills below to give you a good idea to start with:
PETS! I have experience with cats (shy or cuddly), dogs (small & up to 150lbs large, as well as an older blind dog), alpacas, reptiles, horses, goats, barnyard chickens, domestic birds, fish, rabbits, ferrets, hamsters, mice and even one domestic squirrel.
GARDEN! I never stopped loving dirt, so whether you need plants watered, want the weeds gone when you get back, or have some planting you want finished, just let me know.
PROJECTS! I am handy with home improvement (my home and rental property were fixer-uppers) and I enjoy the work so short work/project stays are also welcome. Of course please detail any requests in advance so that we can discuss the practical reality of any project idea you have.
CLEANING?! whether its spring cleaning or just a pleasant 'Welcome home', if you would like to go on vacation and come home to a house cleaner than it was before; let me know. I cleaned professionally when putting myself through college and would be happy to give you the gift of "ahh.." because coming home from a vacation to a laundry list can ruin your good mood. I would outline this with you in advance as well and never go into any room or space that you want to remain off-limits.
My current job (of 9 years) allows me a great deal of flexibility which I use to my advantage for travel. I am occassionally required to be physically in the office but because the database I manage is hosted online, I can also work remotely anywhere that has internet service (high speed preferred) and frequently work from home even when not traveling. At home, I am a weekend warrior, constantly fixing, painting, etc in addition to being a big advocate for composting and recycling whenever possible. I speak functional french and can get around in spanish and have traveled around the states a great deal, growing up with parents from the west coast I was lucky to visit frequently.
I live between Baltimore, MD and Washington DC, but love to travel and see new places, or revisit places I have enjoyed in the past. Additionally, most of my family lives on the west coast between LA and Portland, OR so I am regularly on that side of the country visiting.
is checked very regularly. I welcome any questions you might have and look forward to working with you! Happy travels.