Looking for a house sitter (no pets at this time) in St. Albert, Alberta, a bedroom community just north of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. St. Albert has a population of about 70,000 and has been rated as one of the best cities to live in Canada.
Property: Clean and well-maintained 1300 square foot bungalow, with fully finished basement. Sunken living room, kitchen-dining area, master bedroom with ensuite, office/guest room, main bathroom, and laundry room on main floor. Large family room, two bedrooms, bathroom, and utility room downstairs. Front drive attached double garage (garage not available for parking your vehicle). Basic rectangular shaped lot, bordered on sides and back with adjoining neighbour fences.
Key Responsibilities: Be respectful of property, keep home in clean condition, and inform owner of any maintenance issues that arise. Water house plants and bring in mail weekly (mailbox less than 1/2 block away). Specific winter and summer care duties are outlined below.
Winter Care: Shovel front walkway, driveway and city sidewalk; sprinkle ice melt as needed. Tools/equipment: hand shovels, electric broom, ice chipper, ice melt.
Summer Care: Cut and edge grass; water lawn and plants; weed as needed. Tools/equipment: lawn mower and edger (battery operated), sprinkler, gardening tools. The front yard has two flower beds (and one on the side), as well as a few hanging baskets and annual potted plants. There is a patio table and chairs close to the house. The back yard has a small patch of grass; small flower bed; two small raised vegetable gardens; a large perennial bed, including flowers, shrubs and trees. Ther is a large two-level deck with a conversation set and tables for outdoor living.
Amenities: Please note that a vehicle will not be provided as part of this house sit. Walkable to most amenities in minutes. Bus stop less than 1/2 block away. Cabs and Ubers about $10 to most nearby locations. Most amenities within 5-10 minutes by car, including St Albert Centre (a small mall), Safeway, Sobeys, Saveon, Walmart, Costco, Superstore, restaurants, health food stores, and Servus Place (a very large fitness centre, including pool, track, etc.). Outdoor farmer's market every Saturday in summer less than 10 minutes by car. Five minutes by car to Sturgeon Hospital. About 20 minutes by car to the world-famous West Edmonton Mall. About 30 minutes by car to much of the Edmonton river valley park system, including Hawrelak Park and Rundle Park.
Outdoors: Lots of parks/playgrounds and walking trails in the community. A continuous 8-km walking/biking trail along the Sturgeon River from one end of St. Albert to the other, reached by foot bridge 10 minutes from my home. At the closest end of the 8-km trail is a large park, narrowing to a "forest-like" walk; at the far end is Lois Hole Park and Big Lake, adjoining the Sturgeon River (kayak rentals nearby). In summer, a lovely botanical park (free) is just across the nearby footbridge. Cross-country ski trails in winter (10 minutes by car).
This is a non-smoking property. No overnight guests unless precleared with homeowner. Homeowner has a vegetarian (plant-based), primarily organic diet, and staples and condiments are available for you to use, if desired.
I welcome hearing from you if you think this might be a good match or if you would like further details on this house sit. Thank you for your consideration.