Hello, my husband Richard and I are looking for house/pet-sitting opportunities in the U.K. We are a semi-retired couple currently living in the U.K. but from New Zealand. Richard was born in Bromley, Kent and came to New Zealand in the early 1970s where we met and married. We arrived in England in mid-May 2010 and have since then been combining house-sitting with travel in our small campervan, as well as part-time, live-in care work.
We are both fit and healthy (Richard is 66 and me, Linda, 61). We have owned our own home in Auckland so know the responsibilities of caring for a home, garden and pets. We are both non- smokers, both drive, and are keen gardeners while Richard has done his fair share of DIY jobs at our home in Titirangi, jobs that ranged from building retaining walls, paths and steps to renewing our bathroom and kitchen.
Richard has been a self-employed professional driver for the last fifteen years, prior to which he worked as a park ranger. Once the children were old enough, I worked for many years as a secretary at the University of Auckland and for the last six years as the property manager for U.S. diplomats living in Auckland.
During our years together we’ve lived in both country and city (we lived on a farm on an island for five years) and have had our share of pets – dogs, cats, chickens, pigs and lambs, not to mention our own three children.
Because we’re home-owners, we know the concerns you will have about going away and leaving someone to care for your property and pets. Rest assured we will treat your home just as we would our own and your pets will be in excellent hands.
We can provide references both from New Zealand and from our previous house-sits. We both have current CRB certificates as well as police checks from New Zealand.
We look forward to hearing from you and talking over your needs.