About Us
We're a married couple in our 40s free to work wherever there is a good Internet connection! Ty is a manufacturing strategy consultant, and Tawnya is a photographer/writer. This means our schedule and location are completely flexible and can adapt to your needs. :) We live a minimalist lifestyle, enjoy slow travel and discovery, and appreciate a quiet life. Ours is a lifestyle choice, not an opportunity to play tourist. It gives us a calm, quiet environment to work on our projects, cuddle some animals, and perhaps dig our hands into the rich earth of a garden bed.
Ty & I have been married 18 years, owned homes for 15 years before changing our lifestyle, and welcomed many furbabies into the family. We are enjoying our last months as an adult family before our two grown "children" leave the nest permanently. In the mean time, we have more responsible hands for chores, free time for pets, and comfy laps for cuddles!
How We Work
While caring for your home and pets, we follow your routine and needs. This includes:
- Animal routines (exercise, feeding, medication, grooming, and lots of love)
- Trash and Recycling removal
- Mail & Package Collection
- Gardening & Lawn Care (watering, weeding, mowing/trimming)
- Cleaning & Pool Care (making certain your home is as tidy as you left it with vacuuming/dusting/mopping/chlorine, etc.)
- Home Maintenance (we can repair minor plumbing/electrical issues; we are able to determine when an issue is serious and requires your attention and professional repair)
- Communication (weekly status updates via / , prompt communication in case of emergency)
- We Don't: Smoke, drink alcohol, do drugs, have parties/visitors, or leave pets alone all day/overnight (unless they like hiking/camping/traveling)
**We have clean police records, driving records, and can provide recommendations. We look forward to setting up a or phone chat to see if we can help give you peace of mind while you're away!
What Makes Us Different
We can handle emergencies calmly!
We've dealt with flooding basements, electrical problems, plumbing issues, power failures, emergency kitten bottle feedings, fritzy garbage disposals, insect invasions and seriously ill pets.
We've got the skills to maintain a home!
Before house sitting, Ty and I were homeowners and landlords ourselves (5 homes). Our first home was a 1908 farmhouse in desperate shape that we lovingly restored ourselves, from replacing old wiring and windows, to rebuilding a collapsed staircase, to doing extensive landscaping. We also understand the trust needed to invite a stranger into your home and always keep this in mind!
Our Experience
Besides Responsible Home Owner experience, we've been house sitters in North Carolina (many times) and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia. In North Carolina, we took care of 6 dogs, 2 cats, 4 hamsters, 2 fish, and a crab! Our children have looked after this menagerie alone, and were asked back many times by the homeowner.
Our most memorable experience was when the owner's pregnant giant poodle went into premature labor--we ended up delivering 5 puppies before we could get the seriously struggling mama to the vet...where she delivered 9 more! The vet and owner credited our quick thinking and on-the-fly solutions to saving all but one of the puppies that stressful night.
Ty grew up spending summers on a family farm with pigs and geese, Tawnya spent her youth learning the basics of horse care. All four of us have always had at least one pet at a time to love: dogs, cats, birds, fish...
More About Us
Ty's favourite way to relax is by working with his hands: gardening, landscaping, woodworking...and cleaning. ;) He grew up in a busy house with three brothers and pets and now consults with manufacturing companies about strategy, engineering and lean manufacturing. He's lived and worked in the U.S., Japan, and Europe, has experience caring for exotic birds and fish, and thinks goats are adorable.
Tawnya is an only child and always had a dog for companionship. She has many hobbies: art, knitting, cooking, photography...which is also part of her job. She's lived and worked in Japan, speaks Japanese, and loves learning about new cultures. She thinks chickens and fresh eggs are fabulous, and loves learning simple regional dishes.
Kendall (daughter) loves science and nature, anything furry or mechanical, and is an artist. She volunteers in cat rescue shelters and prefers the company of animals to people. :) Kieran (son) is studying engineering and adores dogs and cats. He likes DIY projects, travel, Japanese language, and anything mechanical. Between all of us, we speak English, Japanese, some French, Latin, and a bit of Spanish, It