I am looking for a clean, neat, responsible, social, and handy non-smoking couple to spend the summer and manage our 7 acre family retreat in Eastham, Cape Cod Massachusetts, USA. There is a one bedroom apartment attached to the main house and a separate one bedroom cottage with outdoor shower that we rent out to summer guests. The main house is two story with three small bedrooms and baths. The property has been in the family since the 1920s. My parents have spent their retirement summering there and are no longer physically up to the task.
Must have good references and a background check.
The couple will be responsible for taking care of the main house and maintaining the lawn and flowers (approx 1 acre area), providing keys to guests, cleaning and washing linens between guests, shopping for guest supplies (soap, paper goods, bird feed etc.) light handyman work when needed, coord. with tradesman for repairs, and helping to prep with closing up the property in the fall. (I do opening in the spring and closing in the fall). A weekly trip to take trash and recycle (3 miles away) is needed. I have a 2001 Toyota Tundra truck at the property available to use for trash hauling and supply shopping. I take care of all the utility costs, house maint supplies, and guest supply costs.
It is a historic property built in 1680. This is both good and bad! The property abuts the Cape Cod National Seashore and has a secluded private feel. Wild turkeys visit often. It is a birders paradise. There is a small secluded pond at the back of the property. There are lots of adirondack chairs, two fire pits, and an outdoor screen room on the property. There is enough room for you and the guests to have privacy. The property has a bomb shelter and a small elevated vegetable garden. It is a mile from the beach and a walking/biking path to the beach is nearby the house. Most days you can hear the roar of the surf. It is a few miles from a fresh water lake (The Great Pond) and Cape Cod Bay. It is 30 minutes from historic Provincetown. Boston, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard are easily accesible by ferry or commuter plane. There are lots of outdoor activities (trails, whale watching, kayaking, fishing, cape cod baseball, festivals, etc). It is a resort area with lots of restaurant choices. This is a place you can kick back, relax on a hammock, and enjoy life, or take endless day trip adventures, your choice.
The house has wireless Internet, and basic cable TV. There is a 32 inch flat screen high definition TV in the living room of the main house. I purchased a new couch, love seat and queen bed for the main house in 2015.
You will need a vehicle for your personal transportation use. You would need to coordinate your schedule to greet guests and provide keys and clean/do linens between guests (typically Saturday or Sundays). Guests are responsible for their own cleaning/laundry while there. There is a shared laundry in a breezeway between the house and the back apartment. Basic electric, plumbing, and carpentry skills would be ideal. The main house is frozen in the 60s/70s. Not totally rustic but missing some modern conviences (no dishwasher). Window A/C units for occasional hot days. The property is in the woods with lots of wildlife around so precautions for lyme disease (deer ticks) is necessary when walking trails. I wouldn't mind the caretaker having family members/close friends visit in the main house but need to keep impact to a minimum. No major gatherings or parties that would disturb guests. Also, please no pets.