If you are available from 8/31 through , and find our housesitting position interesting, please contact us and we will send you an application. Aloha!
We live 2 miles from the highway, which makes it a quiet, secluded area. Our home is set on a park-like 3 acres with tropical fruit, vegetables and herbs galore. We consider it paradise.
Our dog Mika, an 8-year old spayed female 100-lb bundle of love, will both welcome you and protect you as her own. She mostly lives outside, but we bring her in to eat her dinner at night. It will be up to you whether she goes back out or stays in. She communicates with humans very well, so you'll always know if she needs to go out. We call her our hairy child :o) She loves people, but doesn't get along well with other animals, so you cannot bring your pet along for this job.
We've recently renovated the kitchen, baths, living and dining rooms so you'll have all the modern conveniences of your own home.
We're located just 6 miles from the small town of Keaau and 11 miles from the city of Hilo to the northeast. We live 9 miles from the village of Pahoa, 18 miles from the beach area of Kapoho to the southeast, and 22 miles from the town of Volcano and Volcanoes National Park to the south.
Features
Newly renovated, with a comfy front porch overlooking lawns and trees, a backyard filled with fruit trees and vegetable and herb gardens. This is a quiet, secluded area, but close to towns and attractions.
The kitchen is a cook's kitchen with all the amenities you might need. There is a big front gate for privacy, and the gated property is surrounded by chain link fencing softened by palms and foliage.
We have a landline phone and you'll have your own number (ours will be answered by machine), local newspaper delivery, satellite TV, wireless computer access and DSL.
Responsibilities
Your responsibility would be to take good care of and love our dog Mika first and foremost. We also expect you to keep the house clean and well cared for. Whether you do any gardening or lawn mowing will be up to you. We can arrange for the lawn to be mowed by a neighbor if you wish.
This is a non-smoking home. If you are a smoker, there is ample room outdoors to wander and smoke, but we'd prefer non-smokers.
Because utilities here are so costly, we ask our housesitters to share the cost of electricity, gas and telephone with us while we are away. If you wish to use satellite TV service and DSL wireless, we'll share that cost with you as well. If you don't want or need satellite TV and/or DSL wireless, we'll turn them off while we're gone. There is no rental charge or other costs.
Requirements
You must have good, verifiable references as housesitters and dog caretakers. Having had a large dog is a plus. You'll be asked to sign a normal housesitting contract, which we'll send you to look over first.
You'll need to have your own car to get around (monthly rentals and inexpensive used cars are available).
We'd like to be able to communicate with you via and be able to send pictures and info back and forth prior to your arrival.
You will need to arrive in Hilo at least two days prior to our departure date of Aug 31, so that we can show you around and explain the how-tos of the house and dog in person. Until we depart, you'll have to provide your own lodging since we'll be in a packing and getting ready mode.