House and pet sitting in Florence countryside

About this assignment

We are looking for an experienced house sitter (single, couple or family) who will look after our home and our pets as if their own.
We live in a farmhouse in the countryside, 50 minutes drive from the city center of Florence and 40 minutes by train (train station is about 10 minutes drive from the house). Our guests can enjoy our place for free, the only things we ask are to feed our cats and give them some love, to feed the chickens, collect fresh eggs every day and clean the chicken coop once a week, to take care of plants in our garden and vegetable garden (which are watered automatically).

What responsibilities are required of the house sitter

To feed our cats at least once a day: one cat lives at home, she is 1 year old but very small sized. She loves stay on the sofa, but she also wants to go outside in the garden. There are 2 other rescued cats who live around the house (they are not allowed in the house, anyway they are not interested in).
We also have about 20 feathereds: adult chickens and chicks. They need to be fed once a day, water refilled when needed, and the eggs have to be collected every evening and stored. The chicks and chicken coops need to be cleaned when required (approximately once a week). You are more than welcome to use our fresh eggs and vegetables from the garden. The vegetable garden has an automatic irrigation system: it has been checked if it works properly . You might have to give water to few vases.

What are the good features of the property and location

We are Stefania (University researcher) and Enrico (fireman, nurse and trekking guide), with our two children (6 and 4 years old).

Our farmhouse is in the countryside near Florence (30 km far from the city center, about 50 minutes by car).
We live 10 minutes driving from the town of Borgo San Lorenzo, from where you can catch the train or the bus to Florence. In Borgo San Lorenzo you can find all the services: shops, restaurants, hospital, pharmacy… You definitely need a car, there is not public transportation to the house.
Our home is located at 400 s.l.m. in a little community of typical Tuscan farmhouses surrounded by hills and forests. There are a lot of important places for art and culture nearby (Giotto birthplace, several small churches with beautiful frescos, many ancient Villas from the Medici family, UNESCO heritage). We are in the Mugello area, a beautiful valley where you can enjoy rural culture, great hiking on the Appenine Mountains, fresh swimming in lake or streams, and visit the Mugello Circuit famous for the MotoGP and other important racing events, just 20 minutes far. At last, but not the least the food and the wine: everywhere near our place you could enjoy typical restaurants or Sagra (local food feast) where you can taste our traditional food (tortelli mugellani, bistecca alla fiorentina, rosticciana, zucchini fried flowers, ficattole, mushrooms and wild boar). The Chianti area is 1 hour drive.

The house has three bedrooms with double beds, and two bathrooms. It is fully equipped, with washing/drying machine, WiFi connection, TV and all the comforts a family would need.
Our garden is composed of a grassland area where we usually have lunch and dinner during summer, equipped with a barbecue, a vegetable garden and fruit trees. You can find homemade sheep cheese from our neighbors, you can enjoy our fresh eggs and vegetables from the garden when you like.

What does the house sitter need to consider before applying for this assignment

Having a car would be highly recommended since there is not any transportation to the house and no shops in walking distance. To love nature and animals, and to enjoy and respect our place.

Can I bring my own pets?

No, sorry.

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