They have 2 testimonials (view below)
Dog(s), Cat(s), Chicken(s), Bird(s), Fish, Tortoise/Turtle(s), Guinea pig(s), Rodent(s), Goat(s), Farm animal(s) – saltwater and freshwater fish
They have a police check
From: 18 November 2023
Until: 8 January 2025
Engineer
They don't have referees/references
We are Kathryn and Bill – a retired Canadian couple with 31 years of experience as homeowners and two lifetimes of experience as pet owners. We’d love to take care of your home and pets while you're away. You can leave everything in our capable hands, and enjoy your time away without having to worry.
We’ve been married for 35 years and have three grown children. Kathryn is a writer-editor and Bill is a mechanical engineer. We’ve always travelled a lot but, now that we’re retired and have the time, we want to experience really living in other countries. We are non-smokers and would want a smoke free house.
We've learned over the years that we love 'slow' travel: staying in one place for a length of time so you get to know a community, the people and the culture much more deeply than when you’re quickly passing through. That’s why we want to housesit – because it’s usually for a few weeks or months and you become immersed in the community. We love grocery shopping, taking dogs for walks, riding our bikes around the countryside, trying new foods, meeting people at local markets, attending local music concerts and festivals, running errands, and all those things you do when you live in a community. Housesitting allows you dive in to the experience, something that staying in a hotel can never do.
We are planning to travel and live abroad for a few years. The downside to that is that we’ll miss our pets. Housesitting and pet sitting will let us spend time with furry friends for a while!
We both grew up with dogs, cats, guinea pigs, birds, rats and hamsters. As adults, we have continued to love our pets, which have included many cats, saltwater fish, a leopard gecko, a chinchilla, turtles and butterflies. While volunteering on farms in Costa Rica and Australia, we’ve worked with goats, sheep and chickens.
We've looked after the pets of our friends and family while they've been away, and have had to handle pet emergencies.
We've owned our own homes for 31 years in Canada, so we know how to take care of the routine maintenance required inside and outside. We have shoveled a lot of snow and mowed a lot of grass! We enjoy gardening and landscaping, and have also undertaken many renovations over the years, primarily to kitchens and bathrooms. We have a lot of practical skills: painting, carpentry, plumbing, drywall, tiling, woodworking, cooking, sewing, planting, weeding, harvesting, preserving, pruning, and looking after a hot tub (adding chemicals, cleaning, changing the water). We also know how to keep a house clean, wash dishes and do laundry.
Between the two of us, we've been to 33 countries. In 2002 to 2003, we took a year off to travel around the world with our three kids, homeschooling them along the way. These experiences have taught us to be flexible and adaptable to new routines as we travel. We can figure out how to get around in other countries, how to navigate the culture and language, and how to get errands done. English is our first language; we also have intermediate French, basic Spanish and a little Italian and Portuguese.
Other skills: Kathryn is certified to teach English as a second language, has strong writing/editing skills for print and digital publications, and has strong clear language editing skills. Bill teaches guitar and bass at all levels and in many styles. We both love to sing and are certified scuba divers.
We bring peace of mind for homeowners. They can go off on their adventures, knowing that their home and pets are in capable, experienced hands. Please contact us today. We would be happy to have a video call to find out more about your house sit.
Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
From: 18 November 2023
Until: 8 January 2025
They don't charge for house sitting services
MindMyHouse member since 2019
Age: 56-65 years old
Family status:
Couple
Total completed house sits: 2
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MindMyHouse member since October 2023
Testimonials
Best first experience
Bill and Katherine looked after our house and two cats during our 3-week holiday this summer. Previously we asked neighbors and family to come in to feed the cats, this was our first experience with a hous-sitter. We were a bit nervous at first, but what a great experience it was!. Bill and Katherine were absolutely lovely, warm people. They left the house possibly cleaner than they found it, and the cats were happy and very relaxed what we returned. We had good contact throughout, it was nice to hear (&see) that all was well with the cats being on the other side of the globe. Thank you Bill and Katherine! I hope we will have an opportunity to meet again.
Janna, Netherlands, 03 September, 2023
Pet sitting
BIll and Kathryn are the best.. The animals fell in love with them immediately. They are really friendly , courteous and considerate. We felt really secure leaving our home and animals in such safe hands. They kept in touch with us sending photos and updates, we couldn’t have asked anything more, Ian just hoping they will come back to Portugal . Thank you soo much.
Lorraine, Portugal, 04 November, 2019