Bringing home owners and house sitters together
Sitter available
Mature Experienced Couple with Testimonials
United States
Testimonials
They have 14 testimonials (view below)
Pet experience
Dog(s), Cat(s), Chicken(s), Bird(s), Fish, Rabbit(s), Tortoise/Turtle(s), Guinea pig(s), Rodent(s), Other animal(s) – If allowed, we would like to bring our blue tick coon hound cross with us. He is a neutered and kind dog noted for his kind manner and therapeudic ability with other dogs. We volunteer at our local animal rescue as dog walkers and trainers. Our daughter i
Police check
They have a police check
Availability
From: 1 May 2023
Until: 31 August 2026
(see their busy times below)
Occupation
Retired
References
They don't have referees/references
About this sitter
We now have dual membership, both as sitters and homeowners. We own a home in Green Valley, Arizona, the Southwestern style home in the photos. We are looking for a May-June 2023 house sit. We are currently engaged in Pennsylvania through September 2022. If the engagement is in North America, we would like to bring our 45 pound blue tick coon hound cross (Cooper Alan pictured in photos) with us--though not a deal-breaker. If the engagement is in New Zealand, we would like to bring our labrador (Independence Rose pictured in photos). If the engagement is anywhere else, our dogs would stay home.
We are aged in our 70's, married 55 years, and retired from a number of endeavors. We are Americans, but have been in and out of New Zealand for forty years. Our travels have taken us to many countries. Please see our testimonials.
How everybody's life has changed in 2020-2022! We were in New Zealand until May 2021 for the worst of COVID and now returned to the USA. We are now in Green Valley, Arizona, near Tuscon.
Diane has been an elementary school teacher for 20 years, and operated a bed and breakfast in Rhode Island with Warren for 18 years. The bed and breakfast, Williams Grant Inn, was sold in June 2016. Please see the website of the inn http://www.williamsgrantinn.com.
Warren has been a military officer in the USA Corps of Engineers (USAR LTC), was an engineer in petroleum construction, a middle school teacher and a school head administrator. He has been appointed as an adjunct professor in mathematics at Pima Community College, Tucson.
We both volunteer at the local animal shelter, volunteer at local schools and are part of the Sheriff's Auxiliary in Green Valley. We are members of Rotary International.
We travel frequently around the world between visits with our daughter in Pennsylvania, USA and our son and family in New Plymouth, New Zealand. With Warren's work, we lived and traveled in many parts of the world including the Middle East, Europe, Hawaii, Asia, New Zealand, and Australia. In February 2020, we returned after nine months away, visiting: UK, France, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, Morocco, Denmark, Sweden, and the USA.
Warren is a handy fixer-upper. He can repair or build almost anything.
We enjoy animals and wildlife and often choose to go places that involve the out-of-doors. We are accomplished cooks.
Our primary language is American English, but we attempt to learn the language and the culture wherever we are. We have recently visited Alaska, Canada, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, Russia and China. Warren is currently learning Spanish online.
We are very flexible to meet the owners' or the sitters' needs. We are good with animal care, training and home maintenance. We are looking for a longer-term arrangement.
Why they want to house sit
While we have lived in New Zealand much of the time for the past 40 years, we travel frequently. We find sitting a home in a community is the best way to learn the culture of a region or for a stay in a familiar place to revisit.
Their experience
We have extensive world-wide travel experience. We have owned several homes over our 55 years of marriage and have maintained them. We are both homemakers and cooks and understand animal care and control. Diane is a retired teacher and bed and breakfast owner. Warren is a retired: army officer, engineer in petroleum and civil construction, teacher, school administrator, and bed and breakfast owner.
We operated a five bed and breakfast for 18 years, and would consider filling in at a rooming house or bed and breakfast.
We have many letters of recommendation (Testimonials). We have successfully completed many house sits in Europe and the United States. New testimonials will be posted when complete.
What can they bring to the assignment
We can manage property and understand property maintenance. Warren and Diane both have experience in business management. We have owned and cared for ten different homes of our own over the years. We have the experience of over 70 years of life.
We have lived much of the last 40 years in New Zealand with our son's family, and dogs (Independence Rose-rescue labrador/hound cross-14 years) and (Bear -German Shepherd Alsasian-7 years). We have owned a chow chow who lived to be 17. We have experience with dog control and training, which is part of what we do at the animal rescue where we live. Our dog Cooper is has a reputation for his kindness and quiet manner. He loves to play when the situation is allowed. He has the ability to help other dogs settle and recover from shyness or fear.
Last updated:
6 December 2023
Available to house sit
Africa, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Caribbean, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Middle East, Monaco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, North East Asia, Norway, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Pacific, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States
Availability dates
From: 1 May 2023
Until: 31 August 2026
They have indicated that they are busy at the following times:
11 June 2022 to 10 September 2022
Do they charge?
They don't charge for house sitting services
Membership
MindMyHouse member since 2017
Personal details
Age: 76+ years old
Family status:
Couple
Total sits
Total completed house sits: 14
References
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About this house sitter
MindMyHouse member since January 2024
Sitemap
MindMyHouse.com – https://www.mindmyhouse.com/owners/sitter_listing/30999
Testimonials
When we contacted Warren & Diane they were helpful and put my mind at rest as you know how you feel when leaving your babies. On picking Warren and Diane up from the train station it was as if we had know them for years. I had no worries about leaving my babies as both Ziva and Hank loved them from the start, and I think Warren and Diane loved them just as much as we do. The house was clean and tidy my babies very happy, I think Ziva was looking for them They are friendly and nothing was to much trouble for them, I would not hesitate to have them again to look after our babies.
Danota, France, 27 June, 2023
Super organized wonderfull couple
Diane and Warren are really very kind and sweet persons! They house-sitted for 10 days here at our home, taking good care of all our pets, our little dog was in love with them, they also watered the terrace plants and kept an eye at the house and property. Super organized and brilliant and experienced persons, globe explorers, totally reliable. Thank you very much, we look forward to have you back soon here in Friuli! Ciao my dear! Federica and family
Federica, Italy, 21 June, 2023
Happy Mum, happy hounds!
Warren and Diane greeted my two dogs like old friends and they immediately connected with them. This made me smile and very happy that I had made a great choice. They were very experienced, thoughtful, extremely well travelled and totally at ease. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending them, in fact you would be very lucky to pin them down, they seem to be travelling most of the time so I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been able to have them sit for me!
Sue, Spain, 31 May, 2023
Perfect house sitters
Warren and Diane were amazing. We had constant communication before the sitting and they even came over the day before to get familiar with everything. Warren helped with a security system issue and they even helped me to get my new refrigidator installed. My house was neat and organized and my dog was happy when I returned home. I would love to have them back any time in my home!
Szilvia, United States, 05 January, 2022
Warren and Diane house and dog-sat for me in May. I can highly recommend this couple. They are quite conscientious and detail-oriented, as well as flexible and easy to communicate with. I felt assured that my dogs were given lots of attention and were well-taken-care of. House was in fine shape when I returned.
Gracia, United States, 01 September, 2021
Perfect sitters
Warren & Diane were perfect sitters for Conny, they went out of their way to follow to the letter all the little peculiarities that are habitual for her. The house was beautifully clean on our return and Conny a very happy dog. We were kept informed of her outings and sent photos of her day out to the seaside! Warren even gave us a lift to the train! Thank you Warren & Diane it was a pleasure to meet you.
Jan, France, 19 September, 2019
House, plant and cat sitters supreme
Warren and Dianne came to house and cat sit for us for a week in August of this year. They were absolutely fantastic! Having never done this before I was a bit anxious leaving our cats with strangers but they made me feel at ease and were happy to communicate with me daily to ensure all my furry friends were happy whilst we were away. They respected our house, cared for the plants and left everything neat and tidy, even washing the sheets and towels before they left! Can't recommend or thank them enough. Best wishes Florence Family
Siobhan, United Kingdom, 02 September, 2019
Fantastic animal sitters
It was an absolute pleasure having Warren and Diane look after our home and animals whilst we were away having a much needed holiday. Knowing they were at our home gave us complete peace of mind, and we had already witnessed how much they love animals as our 'brood' took to them straightaway. Warren stayed in contact virtually every day so we knew everything was fine. The house was wonderfully clean on our return, the animals healthy and happy, and the orchards well maintained. Thank you Warren and Diane for your help. We are glad you enjoyed your time in Elche and both of you (and Megan) are welcome again any time. Good luck with the rest of your travels.
Sharon , Spain, 21 August, 2019
Absolutely fantastic House sitters
If you are fortunate enough to have Warren and Diane offer to be your house sitters, please consider yourself extremely lucky! Warren and Diane are not only reliable, professional and personable but they cared for my dog very well. During my time away I received regular updates and pictures of my dog on her day trips (think she had a better holiday than I did!!). This was my first experience of having house sitters and communication with Diane and Warren before and during the housesit made all my worries evaporate. Not only was my fur baby cared for but I know I returned to a house which was so much cleaner than when I left it. I highly recommend Warren and Diane! I can’t thank Warren and Diane enough for doing a wonderful job and they will always have a home here in Sheffield whenever they need it.
Julia, United Kingdom, 30 June, 2019
Brilliant service
You will be very lucky if you manage to arrange for Warren and Diane to house sit for you. Not only will they take very good care of your home and, in my case, extremely vocal and demanding cat, but Warren will repair the pump in your pond and rebuild your water feature while Diane will help you plant up your hanging baskets. In addition they will feed you very nice meals and leave your kitchen and the rest of your house spotless.They are two extremely nice people of great integrity and it is a real pleasure to have met and, hopefully, become friends with them.
Julia, United Kingdom, 16 June, 2019
Warren et Diane....... Séjour JARDIN FRANCE
C'est notre première expérience avec MindMyHouse et nous en sommes ravis. Nous devions partir pour le Vietnam rejoindre notre fils et nous avons fait appel à Warren et Diane. Quelle chance nous avons eue de rencontrer ce couple formidable ! Ce sont des personnes charmantes, avec beaucoup de savoir-vivre et vraiment responsables. Dés que nous les avons rencontrés, un lien s'est formé tout de suite... Nous leur avons laissé notre maison et surtout notre vieux chien Volcan, 3 poules et des perruches. Warren et Diane ont pris soin de notre vieux chien et à notre retour, il paraissait bien plus jeune !..... Et les poules mangeaient dans les mains de Warren. Les perruches se portaient bien aussi. Ce sont des personnes qui aiment les animaux et les animaux le sentent immédiatement. La maison était impeccable et il y avait une atmosphère de bien-être et de joie de vivre. A notre retour, un copieux et excellent repas nous attendait. Warren et Diane sont des personnes charmantes, sensibles et aimantes. CE SONT DES PERSONNES DE CONFIANCE ! Nous parlons très mal l'anglais, mais ceci n'a pas été un problème pour converser avec eux. Chacun a fait le maximum pour échanger et faire connaissance. La bonne humeur, et la volonté de partager et de communiquer ont permis des échanges merveilleux; Nous espérons pouvoir nous revoir et continuer à prendre des nouvelles de chacun car des liens forts se sont formés avec ce couple merveilleux; A bientôt Warren et Diane..... et surtout portez vous bien .... On vous embrasse fort. Sylviane et Marc
PIZZOLATO, France, 03 June, 2019
Wonderful animal lovers
Warren and Diane took really good care of my home and my animals (cat fish and chicken) while my husband and I were gone. Warren is very technical and fixed my pond filter when it stopped working. Very nice, very communicative, perfect house sitters!!!
Elizabeth, United States, 03 September, 2018
Reliable dog sitters
Warren and Diane have taken great care of our home and 13 yo lab on several occasions. They are very good with our dog and they keep the house neat. I would definitely recommend them as pet sitters!
Peg, United States, 03 September, 2018
Flexible, Efficient and Friendly!
We were away from June until mid August of this year. We had a lot of inquiries from house sitters and are very happy with our choice to have Warren and Diane mind our house. Warren and Diane were flexible and gracious with our ever changing schedules. They didn’t seem to mind when I got called into work and had to come home for a week or when we ended up leaving for the season later than planned. Originally, we had our pets with us but when plans inevitably changed, Warren and Diane saved the day! They cared for our cat and dog for a few weeks. I was grateful that they could take them with such short notice. Our dog Dh enjoyed his days in the backyard hanging out with Warren. And by the way, the yard looks immaculate. They took care, not only by mowing and wipper-snipping but also, by some miracle they managed to get rid of the weeds in the driveway - Five stars! Diane even harvested some of the rhubarb from our patch and froze it for us for the winter. During the time they were here, we had our house listed to sell and Warren and Diane didn’t seem to mind having the realtor arrange viewings with them and were again, flexible. They even offered us advice regarding the sale, staging the house and upgrades. I appreciated the advice they gave me because they seemed to genuinely care. And not only that, but they helped me move some stuff around to make it look more inviting to buyers and gave honest opinions on what they thought – which was invaluable. Warren and Diane treated our house like their own. I came home one day before a viewing and Warren had some pretty flowers in a vase on the table – It really brightened up the house. They even made themselves at home in our little town. They were busy volunteering with a couple of organizations throughout the summer and made such a great impression, they were invited back for next season. Warren and Diane build connections very quickly and even got to know our neighbours. It was kind of like having family in for a visit. We enjoyed getting to know them. They are very interesting, warm, and great people. We both enjoyed listening to their stories and hearing about their lives. I would certainly have them watch our house and pets again. Tricia & Josh
Tricia, Canada, 03 September, 2018