They have 18 testimonials (view below)
Dog(s), Cat(s), Horse/Donkey(s), Chicken(s), Bird(s), Fish, Rabbit(s), Tortoise/Turtle(s), Reptile(s) – We are fit and can handle also strong dogs.
They have a police check
From: 1 Jan 2027
Until: 31 Dec 2033
House and pet sitters, VA (virtual assistant) and remote sales advisor
They have referees/references (view below)
We (Kirsten, 46 and Iwan, 50) are a reliable, experienced, tidy, non smoking and easy going couple.
We lived for 17,5 years on the tropical island Curacao (Dutch Caribbean). We were home owners for more then 10 years and we had 3 adopted dogs and a land turtle.
House and pet sitting is a way of living for us, so we will do our utmost to receive good recommendations from you.
We look after your property and all kind of pets (cats, dogs, horses, chickens, birds, fish) and we also manage your B&B during the holiday season.
In January 2018 we sold everything (house, cars, furniture) and we started traveling. We love the freedom and the chance to explore different cultures, meet new people and animals and learn new languages. We can do so, because we are independent, remote workers. We don't have our own place anymore, so we are complete flexible. In Europe we travel with our own car.
We successfully completed 41 house and pet sits as of June 2018. We had many different house sits where the home owners were more than satisfied. We looked after horses, dogs, cats (including medications), chickens, doves, ducks, fish and also houses only. From top of the class luxury properties to very basic, rural places. We also managed a holiday property with 4 apartments and we are used to live off grid.
Kirsten (45) was an interior designer and a property manager for 3 years for different home owners, who rented their house/apartments to tourists. She did the check in/out of the guests and she was responsible for the maintenance. Recommendation letters can be send to interested home owners. Currently she's part time virtual assistant for a Dutch company.
Iwan (48) studied for bailiff, but developed himself as insurance advisor and sales manager in the insurance industry. Currently he's part time remote supervisor for the Dutch organization which coordinates the Covid testing and vaccination.
A lot of experience! We are available for short term, mid-term and long term periods for house and pet sitting. We also run B&B’s. We see this as “a way of life” and not as a holiday, so we’ll be putting a lot of efforts in a good relationship with the home owners and guests.
We don't have children and that's also why we love animals around us. Dogs, cats and chickens were the most common pets we had to take care of. All with their own stories (chasing a boar, climbing in a tree and not getting out, medications, sleeping on the bed, dog biting one of the owners the night before they left).
During house sits we can give as many updates as you want, by phone, email, WhatsApp or Skype.
We speak fluently Dutch, good English, German, Papiamentu (creole Caribbean language), intermediate Spanish and a little French. In Europe we have our own car so we are very flexible with start and end dates. We have excellent experiences with home owners. We are non-smokers, Iwan is very sportive (hiking, biking and running) so he can take even the most energetic dog with him for a run.
We don’t need much, only good WiFi and a mobile signal for our business. We look after your property and pets as if they are our own and we are very tidy. All places are left spotless clean.
We are also very aware and low consumers of energy (like limited electricity from solar panels). We have our liability insurance in case something goes wrong (we never had to use it).
We are both fit and never had to cancel a sit before or during a house sit, because of an illness. In case of any health issues we have our Dutch medical insurance with worldwide coverage. And we have a private liability insurance with worldwide coverage.
Countries: Africa, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, Caribbean, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Middle East, Monaco, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, North East Asia, Norway, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South East Asia, South Korea, South Pacific, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam
From: 1 Jan 2027
Until: 31 Dec 2033
They don't charge for house sitting services
Age: 46-55 years old
Family status:
Couple
Languages spoken:
Dutch (Nederlands), English, German (Deutsch), Spanish (Español/Espanol)
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Testimonials
The best possible first experience
Kirsten and Iwan were our first sitters and we can’t think of a better way to be introduced to house sitting as home owners. Since they are very experienced sitters they guided us through the process, arranging a video call to meet and helping us discuss all the important details. We felt very relaxed and confident from the beginning and while we were away we were always in touch through messages and receiving regular videos and updates about our pets. If they had a voice I am sure they would ask us to extend our holiday so they could stay longer with Kirsten and Iwan! When we got back we found our house clean and tidy as if not a day had passed. Really, we couldn’t have expected a better experience and this is all thanks to Kirsten and Iwan. We definitely recommend them and hope to have more sitting opportunities with them in the future.
Pandelis, Spain, 30 Aug 2025
Best house sitters ever!
Kirsten and Iwan immediately presented themselves as a nice and friendly couple, and so it was. They travel around Europe with their car and have already had many housesitting experiences, they are very organized and ready for new experiences. Before arriving we always stayed in contact and from the moment they arrived at our house they immediately made friends with our animals. Our dogs have become so fond of them, they have always cuddle and spoiled them. They also took very good care of our hen and her newborn chick. They always watered the garden and the vegetable patch and also kept things tidy when overgrown weeds needed to be removed. The house was very well kept and tidy. during our holiday we always kept in touch and they also sent me some very nice videos of the animals. I highly recommend Kirsten and Iwan as housesitters, they are really good. I hope they come back to our house again when we need them.
sofia, Italy, 20 Sep 2023
Very good experience
This was our first time using housesitters and we couldn't have get any better housesitters than Kirsten and Iwan. The communication before the housesit was really good and the moment they arrived at our house we knew everything would be fine. We left our house and animals with a trusted heart while we traveled around Norway. During our travels, we got regular updates which was really nice. When we got back everything was well organized. Our house was very tidy and clean, the garden looked perfect and our dog and cat looked really happy. If next year we will be traveling again for a longer period of time we sure would ask Kirsten and Iwan to housesit for us again. We recommended them to our friends and family and if you would be able to get them as housesitters you would be very lucky! Overall it was very nice experience and it made our traveling relaxing to know at home everything was taken care of!
melinda, Czech Republic, 2 Aug 2023
Best pet and house sitter ever
Kirsten and Iwan took care of our 5 dogs, 1 cat, garden and house for 3 months.The biggest dog is 63 kg the smallest 3kg. Kirsten and Iwan are fantastic sitters They took our dogs for a walk which is not easy! They met our friends with other dogs, who really liked them. They cuddelt our cat ! We had constant information about the animals. Our house and garden were so clean when we came back! If they apply to you I can only say - TAKE THEM !! Very nice couple.I hope they will come back to us !
Tatjana, France, 19 Mar 2023
I can't thank them enough, and recommend them 100%
Iwan and Kirsten are brilliant sitters. They had been to Pecany before, in 2018, and I had no hesitation in asking them back. They are so good at communication, and using their initiative. I didn't see them whilst they were at the house, but I had no worries whatsoever. They went above and beyond their commitments, and our sales agents remarked on how clean and tidy the house and gardens were. I can't thank them enough, and recommend them 100%.
Saralynn, France, 12 October, 2022(This was sourced outside of MindMyHouse, but is verified)
A charming couple, efficient and organised
Kirsten and Iwan clearly had lots of experience housesitting and they were both calm and composed in the unusual circumstances of this housesit. They were very good at keeping in touch by WhatsApp and sent photos and regular updates. I managed to meet with Iwan away from the house for a few minutes and he was friendly and engaging. We came home to a clean and tidy house and as we arrived after they left, Kirsten checked with us that we were home safe. A charming couple, efficient and organised who clearly like animals. Thank you guys.
Jenny, France, 04 April, 2022(This was sourced outside of MindMyHouse, but is verified)
Kirsten and Iwan....we can't thank you enough
Kirsten and Iwan....we can't thank you enough! We are very happy to say that our home and cat were looked after perfectly. Our place was neat and tidy and our sitters made a lovey meal for us the day we arrived home. As it tuned out, we had workers on the grounds of the property at the time of the sit and Iwan gave us daily updates and photos of the activity. Great and easy communication, we highly recommend Kirsten and Iwan as professional sitters, they know what to do and managed the complexities of our place with ease.
Kay, Australia, 24 March, 2022(This was sourced outside of MindMyHouse, but is verified)
Fabulous - yes!
FABULOUS - Yes!! This was a one of a kind experience in a good way of course!!!! We can’t thang Kirsten and Iwan enough for going that extra mile. Originally, they were booked to stay from 6th of February 2021 - 10th of June 2021, but because of unbelievable coincidental personal circumstances in all of our lives, this sit was extended to 11th of December 2021. Our personal stories connected us in a very close, unusual and incredibly positive way. Apart from the fact that all our animals and home were looked after wonderfully – we feel that we have made friends for life. I think Iwan would have smuggled Poppy our smaller dog with him to Holland if it had been possible – they both have the same kind of endless enthusiastic happy positive energy. We spent a lovely couple of days with them before they headed back to Holland for Xmas. During their stay there were regular updates, photos and long chats – they dealt with anything that needed to be sorted in a calm professional manner and kept us informed at all time. If there were any emergency expenses, they just informed us, paid for it and we then reimbursed them immediately. We felt a great connection with Iwan and Kirsten and we would totally recommend them to other owners – form an orderly queue behind us!! They are planning to come back to sit for us again later on this year and hopefully we can get to spend some more time together as well. We loved their can-do attitude and our pets were very well cared for. We certainly feel that we all connected in a very special way and we look forward to meeting up with you both again when you are next in Spain. Hasta la proxima
Ginnie, Spain, 06 February, 2021(This was sourced outside of MindMyHouse, but is verified)
We highly recommend Kirsten and Iwan as pet sitters
We highly recommend Kirsten and Iwan as pet sitters They looked after our 2 kittens whilst we was away in the uk for Christmas The kittens took to them instantly and enjoyed lots of cuddles and playtime They also sent us pictures and videos to keep in touch and for peace of mind Kirsten and Iwan kept our home spotless and clean which was a big help that we did not have to start cleaning on our return home They were also very flexible with timings for our return journey as we struggled getting back from the uk with the covid situation changing daily We would definitely use Kirsten and Iwan again for pet sitting and will keep in touch We feel like we have made some new friends that we can rely on and the kittens loved the time they had with Kirsten and Iwan This was our first ever pet sit and we was very nervous letting people stay in our home and looking after our kittens however now we have had a positive experience we would not hesitate to use pet sitters again
Nigel, Spain, 12 December, 2020(This was sourced outside of MindMyHouse, but is verified)
Kirsten and Iwan, fantastic, reliable house sitters and very good with dogs. Leave your home in good hands without any worries, that's where they stand for!
Kristen and Iwan have taken care of our house, two dogs and the garden for a longer period. As they say themselves, we do not see it as a vacation, but as work. They do this with great enthusiasm and always a smile on their face. They are very serious and responsible. They are also solution-oriented and take initiative, are caring and thoughtful. They keep you well informed and have good communication skills. We have a large, old house that needs some attention; they have done this with care without many words and questions. They understood exactly what we wanted and there was an excellent click between us. The dogs had a fantastic time, ran a lot, well cared for and they were consistent. The dogs are in top condition now. The garden and all plants are wonderfully cared for, which can be quite difficult in a hot summer. They occasionally sent pictures of the dogs as well as the house and garden. This is a very nice initiative and it gave us an idea of how well everything was going. During and on departure they were very neat and clean on our house and our belongings. They speak both Spanish, which is very nice and handy in Spain. We are very enthusiastic about Kirsten and Iwan we hope that they will look after our house again in the future, but we really allow everyone these fantastic house sitters. Leave your home and pets in safe hands without worry. How relaxing, reassuring and pleasant is that! Thank you again Kirsten and Iwan. A review is important, but sometimes it cannot be expressed in words. (It was more than excellent.)
Leonie, Spain, 8 Nov 2020
It doesn't get much better
We asked Kirsten and Iwan to take care of our home and animals including horses, despite the fact that they had never before taken care of horses before. The reason we trusted them with our horses was because they communicated very well and quick from the moment we started talking about a housesit and because they clearly showed interest in learning about these big animals. They were willing to come a day early to have time to get to know not only the horses, but also the dogs, cats and ducks. One of our dogs doesn't warm up to just anybody but Iwan and Kirsten just gave her time to adjust to them and this clearly paid off. We have never seen this dog so relaxed with strangers. We loved that they asked many questions about animalcare but also about how we treat the dogs, the commands we use etcetera as to minimize the guesswork later on. And when we were gone they sent us more updates than we asked for with a lot of pictures, which clearly showed how well it all went. On top of that when we came home, Iwan was willing to pick us up at the station later in the evening and we arrived to find our house in a cleaner state than when we left! It doesn't get much better!
Chiara, Netherlands, 02 November, 2019(This was sourced outside of MindMyHouse, but is verified)
Thanks for every single day, for what you have done
I don't have the words when talking about Kirsten and Iwan... It's the 2nd time they come home to take care of our pets and now it's clear for us that we will match our holidays depending on the days they will be able to stay at home... Our dogs are basically our "babies" and we will not be able to travel "easy minded" if they are not with Kirsten and Iwan. Moreover, our cat and 2 recently rescued dogs (appart of our 2 dogs) had to have medication in daily basis and as well they had to go to the vet...Well...for Kirsten and Iwan that was not a problem. They were always willing to take care of the dogs, to drive for 30 minutes and drive them to the vet and to give them medication in daily basis... And something that we didn't ask at all was done by this amazing couple...: House was so clean and tidy when we arrived!! it was amazing!! and also we had for dinner an EXCELLENT dutch speciality when we arrived!! Honestly, I don't have the words to say how amazing, reliable, clean, super nice, willing to help and to serve they are... Kirsten and Iwan are simply THE BEST!!! And they know that our next holidays will be when they will be able to come to Montpellier again!! :) Thanks for every single day, for what you have done with the rescued dogs, for our babies, for Mani "the chatter", for the hens...thank YOU! Hope to see you soon!
Gemma, France, 18 October, 2019(This was sourced outside of MindMyHouse, but is verified)
A JEWEL for your pets and your house
Kirsten and Irwan are the best House sitters that we ever met! So exceptional that we are from now arrange our next holidays to their availabilities to come back again! :) They are such a NICE couple!!...easy, cool, open, super funny, reliable, super tidy... THE perfect couple! They took care of the hens but most important for us was Mani. Our cat with some healthy issues. They went to the vet 3 times and they keep us updated every time with also nice pictures! The house was perfect, much more clean that the day we left! they cleaned as well the garden and prepared a super nice vegetarien quiche with some excellent wine for dinner on our return! Honestly, the best couple ever!! So funny, nice and truly reliable! A JEWEL for your pets and your house!
Gemma, France, 15 February, 2019(This was sourced outside of MindMyHouse, but is verified)
We were truly delighted to have found Kirsten and Iwan
Well, what can I say! We were truly delighted to have found Kirsten and Iwan as pet and villa sitters. We left in the knowledge that our home and pets would be thoroughly looked after whilst we were away. As this was out first time, we were very apprehensive about leaving our home in the hands of complete strangers. We had absolutely nothing to worry about. We asked them to arrive a couple of days before we left and they very quickly absorbed all the information that was required for the needs of the 3 dogs and the running of our home. We drove to the airport to start our holiday extremely happy in the knowledge that we had nothing to worry about and this indeed was the case. Our dogs were very sad to see them go so that tells you all you need to know! Kirsten and Iwan kept the accommodation in perfect order and upon departure left everywhere absolutely spotless and clean. There was not a leaf to be seen on any of the terraces outside and the gardens looked great. As a couple they are great company with a fantastic sense of humour and they put you at ease right away with their company. If you are thinking about booking this couple, do it, do it now as you will not regret it. Iwan and Kirsten arrived as strangers but left as friends. Our dogs really do miss them. Thanks again guys for all your professional help and support with making what was a nervous and apprehensive time an absolute breeze. If I could give you 7 stars, believe me, I would. If you are in our area in the near future, call in for a cuppa. We would love to see you as would the dogs too. Thanks again for such fantastic help in letting us have a good holiday with no worries.
Eamonn, Spain, 20 December, 2018(This was sourced outside of MindMyHouse, but is verified)
Perfect housesitters
Its always russian roulette, you never know what kind of sitters you are going to get! Are they pet minded, clean, trustworthy...you just don’t know until they arrive. But from the first moment that Kirsten & Iwan arrived I knew we would be fine! Out going, enthusiastic & easy to talk to. It just clicked. We went away on our holiday with no worries! Our pets were taken good care of, with daily walks & they got lots of love and attention. We came home to a lovely meal & the house was clean & tidy the way we left it. Should I ever need a house sitter again Kirsten & Iwan will be on top of my list.
Roxanne, Spain, 16 Dec 2018
Kirsten and Iwan were brilliant
Kirsten and Iwan were brilliant.... We have had wonderful house-sitters and this lovely couple raised the bar! They settled in really easily and had already started collecting a mountain of leaves as I left the house! Excellent communications and a lovely meal when we returned. Kirsten and Iwan were very interesting and we enjoyed their company very much. Ziggs sent numerous photos showing how well they were looking after him! Many thanks and hope to see you again soon!
Saralynn, Canada, 18 November, 2018(This was sourced outside of MindMyHouse, but is verified)
Smart, caring friendly couple
Iwan and Kirsten are the best thing that happened to us during a terrible year. My mother broke her hip and is now in a wheelchair, my mother-in-law died and one of our cats died as well. But they were there for us. They came to our house so that I could visit my 89-year-old mother in the US. And now they’re coming back so that we can go to Holland and clear out my mother-in-law‘s apartment for sale. I don’t know what I would’ve done without them. They are extremely reliable, communicative, kind and just all-around good people. They left the house so clean it was like a professional did it! And the most important thing was that they were so good with our cats. We have older cats with medical needs and they made sure that they ate and got their medication and kept an eye on them on a regular basis. It really meant the world to us and we never had to worry while we were far away in the United States. They are the perfect housesitters really, and I have nothing but good to say about them. If you need someone to take care of your house and/or your animals, you can’t go wrong with this lovely couple.
Barbi, France, 29 Oct 2018
Excellent friendly housesitters
Kirsten and Iwan were great housesitters, they kept the place nice and clean and were able to deal with any issues that arose. Communication with them was good and they are really laid back and easy to get along with. Unfortunately I wasnt able to meet with them in person, but I would be happy to host them in my home again.
Benjamin, Spain, 5 Oct 2018