House Sitting Magazine Issue 2: August 2016

Welcome to Issue 2

by Ian Usher and Vanessa Anderson

Hello, and a big "Cheers" from us to welcome you to the second issue of House Sitting - The ultimate lifestyle magazine.

It's been a busy month as we've settled into our new house sit in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico.

We completed and published Issue 1 on 15th July, managed to fit in quite a bit of online English teaching (our regular source of mobile income), and celebrated Ian's birthday in fine style as you can see in the picture above.

After listening to your feedback, we decided to also produce a simple Flipbook version of the magazine which can be read on your PC, if you prefer this to using an app.

You have obviously found this issue in FlipBook format. You'll find a link to all other issues here: http://issues.HouseSittingMagazine.com

In this month's issue You'll find plenty to inspire in our second issue, whatever your current situation. Maybe you are a home owner considering using the services of a pet sitter, perhaps you're already living a nomadic global lifestyle, or you're just interested in what house sitting could offer you and your family.

We discuss one of the most common hurdles many give as the reason they can't become house sitters - their kids - and hear from Tracey Tullis, who has been house sitting with her family now for a couple of years.

House sitting contracts - yes or no? We find out what you think, and get some advice from house sitting platforms.

A stand-out profile is the key to your house sitting success. Nat and Jodie from House Sitting Academy give some great advice on how to make your profile "kick ass" !

We take a look at handling dominant dogs with "Doggy Dan", and farm sitter Donna Mulvenna gives us the complete low-down on looking after sheep.

We also cover travel insurance, long-haul flights, building a successful travel blog, downsizing and much, much more.

Last but definitely not least, we have a SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT featuring house sitting platform HouseSitMatch. We meet founder Lamia Walker, and look at the website in depth, covering the opportunities and advantages it offers.

There is also a very special 50% discount offer from Lamia for HouseSittingMagazine readers.

Now enough from us, it's time to take a step inside once again and enjoy!

Vanessa and Ian

You'll find extra news, reviews and snippets throughout the magazine!

Are the kids your excuse?

Tracey Tullis

A matter of trust Vanessa Anderson

Create a kick-ass profile Nat Smith and Jodie Burnham

Livestock - looking after sheep Donna Mulvenna

How to train a dominant dog Dan "Doggy Dan" Abdelnoor

Destination UK - South Downs Vanessa Anderson

Risky business Yvonne Bauche

Surviving long haul flights Carrie Trip

Build a successful travel blog Dariece Swift

Come out of the closet Al McCullough

Meet, greet, eat - Eggplant parmesan Jen Evans

Photo gallery Resources In the next issue...

HouseSitMatch Feature Supplement Introducing Lamia Walker of HouseSitMatch Vanessa Anderson

HouseSitMatch - video intro Vanessa Anderson

Home owners turned house sitters Alma and Mike Gross

Top tips for new house sitters Home owner: Philippa

Student diary - "My first house sit" Nick Caley

Trustpilot explained Lamia Walker

Family house sitting is no big deal Lamia Walker

House sitting with a toddler HouseSitMatch interview with Elena Carboni HouseSitMatch SPECIAL OFFER - 50% off membership

Click here to find out more about HouseSitMatch:

Are the kids your excuse?

Do you think you can't become a house or pet sitter BECAUSE you have children?

Often when we describe our house sitting lifestyle to friends with children, we are met with the comment, "It's easy for you because you don't have kids".

We admit, it probably is easier for us to get house and pet sitting assignments as a couple, but we have actually been turned down after reaching the shortlist on two occasions this year. The reason? Because the home owner wanted to offer the opportunity to a family.

It's easy to assume that home owners will be less likely to want a family with kids looking after their property.

But it just isn't true.

Many home owners have families themselves, and have no problem handing over the keys to other respectful families.

What does seem clear is that more and more families are hoping to find house sits. So it's likely you will start to find more "family friendly" filters appearing on websites as house sitting platforms realize the need to cater for this.

Trusted House Sitters already have this filter in place, and when we looked at their site today, around one quarter of all house sits indicate they will consider family applications.

That's not bad odds.

Maybe you'll have to work a little harder, make your profile a tad more special, or wait a bit longer to get your perfect assignment, but it does seem that family house sits are certainly more than just a slim possibility.

The choice of house sitting website can make a big difference to your success when applying as a family, and we will be talking with all the platforms over the coming months to see how each can specifically help families looking for short or long term assignments.

One platform already offering to help to families is the international site HouseSitMatch.

Owner, Lamia Walker offers a very personal service to help families secure the best option for their particular situation.

This is something that has benefited long term house sitting family Tracey, Rob and Makai Tullis, since they set out on their house sitting adventure back in 2014.

Tracey Tullis shares her family's experience below.

If you enjoy this article please feel free to share it on Facebook or Twitter by using the "share" button above the magazine.

Making house sitting easier for families

by Tracey Tullis

HouseSitMatch makes choosing assignments easy for families.

We are a location independent family that has been travelling the world since April 2014. We set out in search of destinations where we could live for less than what it cost us to live in our home country, Canada, and now use house sitting as a means to keep our travel costs low, and to immerse ourselves in local cultures.

So far we have completed 9 house sitting assignments, adding up to almost a year of free accommodation!

What makes HouseSitMatch so family friendly?

We've used three different house sitting sites over the course of the last two years, but HouseSitMatch really stood out for us as the most "family friendly". The biggest difference is the individualized service that they offer their members.

Personalized service and support In our opinion HouseSitMatch is unrivalled for their personalized, friendly communication. We really benefited from the "live chat" facility that is available on the site. The founder, Lamia Walker, personally helped us communicate with home owners, making the whole process much smoother.

People on her team call every new home owner who subscribes to get to know them and help them with "on-boarding".

This level of communication is extremely valuable for all members because it helps HouseSitMatch create the best "matches" for all of their listed house sits.

Having Lamia and her team act as liaison between home owners and house sitters ensures excellent communication right from the start, resulting in less guesswork for both parties. This is especially important for house sitting families like us.

Finding perfect matches for house sits can be challenging. Usually, house sitters and home owners meet for the first time and communicate via a computer, often by Skype or email. It is less likely that both parties will meet in person before a decision to work together is made.

The list of unknowns can be much longer due to this remote type of communication. For example, we walked into a less than 'kid friendly' house sit because of questions we neglected to ask, and things we should have insisted on, but didn't. This led to a less than ideal assignment.

I know this awkward situation could have been avoided if we had been able to use HouseSitMatch, because of the personal link they provide between house sitting families and home owners. We haven't found this kind of communication on any of the other sites we've used. It's really worked for us.

The effort that HouseSitMatch employs to get to know the house sitters and the home owners personally builds trust, helping house sitting families feel more confident when choosing assignments.

Personalized support really does help families land house sits!

Overcoming objections Some home owners do prefer singles or couples as house sitters. They want to avoid having kids in their home for one reason or another, and we've had to overcome some of these objections because of our young son.

In one case, the three-way communication, that included Lamia, helped put the home owners concerns about our son to rest sooner than we could have possibly achieved on our own.

Lamia was able to act as an intermediary both because of the relationship she had with us, and the trust she had built with the home owner. Her opinions and suggestions helped us all "click" and we landed the best house sit we have had yet... in sunny Spain!

All of this personalized service and support makes choosing assignments with HouseSitMatch easy for us.

Anything that simplifies family travel is a good thing, right?

If you want more advice and top tips about how to secure family house sits then Lamia Walker of HouseSitMatch has even more information for you.

Read Lamia's recommendations in the HouseSitMatch supplement at the back of this issue.

We're Rob, Tracey and Makai, a Canadian family who has been travelling and house sitting along the way since April 2014. We love sharing what we learn about the places we visit and the challenges and rewards of living an unconventional family life on our blog: The Expat Experiment

Part of living and travelling in this way involves home schooling our son Makai. This is another obstacle that often faces long term or expat travelers and I (Tracey) will be sharing our knowledge on this subject in Issue 3 of House Sitting - The ultimate lifestyle magazine.

Editors Note: Makai was recently named one of 2016's "Top 30 Adventurers under the age of 30."

See our mini-article on Makai's adventurous nomination in Issue 1 of House Sitting - The ultimate lifestyle magazine

A matter of trust Are house sitting agreements really necessary?

by Vanessa Anderson with contributions from members of the House Sitting Academy, HouseSitMatch, TrustedHouseSitters and Nomador

There's a lot of talk about house sitting being a "trust based community", so we've always been a little bemused that most of the larger international house sitting platforms, and many of the smaller ones, recommend and offer downloads of "house sitting agreements".

We have our own house sitting agreement that we are always prepared to offer home owners, but after three years of house sitting, we've only used this document once.

This was for new home owners and it provided them with a level of reassurance that made them feel more comfortable about letting strangers into their home.

Are we opening ourselves up to potential problems?

Are we relying too much on the trust which is so often spoken about in our community?

Or, can we feel confident that we have enough mutual respect to deal with all aspects of a house sitting assignment by communicating and confirming details together, without the need for a formal contract or agreement?

Contract vs agreement The words contract and agreement are often used to mean the same thing, yet there are unmistakable differences between the two. According to Laws.com: "A contract is a legally binding agreement reached between two parties, the terms of which the courts have the authority and obligation to enforce. An agreement is a less formal creation of an obligation between the two parties.

An agreement usually lacks one or more of the essential elements that are required to be present in order to form a valid contract that will be considered legally enforceable by a court of law."

Nat Smith co-founder of House Sitting Academy reaffirms this point.

"If a house sitter or a home owner finds peace of mind and therefore confidence in having a signed agreement, then they should absolutely use one. However if either party are feeling to follow their instincts and trust the essence of the win/win fair exchange benefits of house sitting, the only documentation required is a handbook, or manual of instructions.

Personally we have never had a signed agreement in our 35 plus house sits, but we would be happy to sign one if a home owner requested it. And just to be clear, an agreement is something very different to a contract."

We know some house sitters who do use agreements, but many others who don't.

For the purposes of this article we are talking generally about house sitting assignments listed with match making platforms, or through personal recommendations, and not those organized by house and pet sitting agencies, where you may be a paid "employee" for the period of the assignment.

Erin Poettker, International house sitter told us: "I use the agreement from MindMyHouse for home owners where we sit for the first time, mainly because I think it gives them some inkling that we're serious about what our role is. It also gives them a place to write down any instructions regarding their pets and home maintenance chores.

For repeat house sits, we don't bother, but some owners have chosen to update their last agreement with new information. It's also a good thing for the owners in case they have different sitters in the future, as they don't have to start from scratch.

I send the document in advance via email and just explain that it's mostly for our benefit - that we need written instructions to ensure we do the very best job maintaining their home.

It's more important when we are fronting the money to fly somewhere to house sit for owners who are new to us; it makes me feel confident the house sit will actually happen, but it also reassures the home owners (whom we've never met) that we are going to show up!"

Eden Rudin, long term house sitter and owner at ReallyTrulyLiving.com, gives her perspective on this: "I have never used contracts nor have I been asked to. Mostly because we aren't residents of the countries where we are sitting, so it would be pretty hard for anyone to pursue any legal action against us.

We have also had very good communication with our home owners and are not embarrassed to ask the tough questions when we take on a sit, so we don't feel we need one either. However, one exception would be if I were sitting in the USA, where we are residents. Here I would absolutely have a contract, just because the culture of suing is so common."

What do the house sitting platforms say?

We asked three of the top international house sitting platforms what they think. They all offer non-legal "house sitting agreements" for their members.

Rachel Martin of Trusted House Sitters describes the options available.

"At TrustedHouseSitters we provide lots of tools to facilitate the perfect house sit, all of which can be found on the members dashboard area.

They include:  

A Home Owner's Manual complete with a "pet profile" Guidelines for home owners and house sitters detailing what is required to achieve the best arrangements  A House Sitting Agreement Form Our House Sitting Agreement form is not a legal agreement or contract as such, although it could be made into one with a lawyers input. But what it does do very well, is provide a clear communication to manage the expectations of both parties - home owner and house sitter.

The house sitting agreement form ensures that there are no misunderstandings about what is required on the assignment. It is comprehensive and covers key areas for the house sitter, including but not limited to, expectations of behaviour and requirements within the home and for the pets. It can also cater for any agreed financial arrangements.

For the home owner it provides a lot as well. Examples include a check list of key areas that the home and pet owner should consider covering with their house sitter, and also an area to provide emergency contact details for their home and pets.

Though the form is not mandatory for our members, we do actively encourage them to use the house sitting agreement form, as it absolutely helps the parties to ensure clear communication from the outset of the house sitting assignment."

Do agreements keep us more focused on the details?

It seems that a contract or agreement can really focus the home owner and the house sitter, ensuring that misunderstandings do not arise, especially on first time assignments.

International platform Nomador uses a standard contract which takes its inspiration from the "Lending for Use Contract of Articles 1875" and follows the French Civil Code.

Platform owner Mariannig Ferrari explains: "The spirit of house sitting is usually one of mutual trust - nevertheless, signing a contract is always important because it provides a formal framework for the relationship, and helps avoid any ambiguities or misunderstandings.

In international house sitting, the degree to which a contract is recognized in law may vary, depending on the countries of origin and nationalities of the parties, but a written contract will formalize each party’s commitments.

At Nomador we propose a standard contract. This agreement must be adapted to the assignment's specific requirements, if any, and is best accompanied by a home-book (house and pet instructions etc.), and a basic home-inventory. All these documents are downloadable on our website for free."

Building trust is important ... ... but even friends fall out occasionally and often over the smallest of issues.

So while you are developing your own reputation in the house sitting community and feeling your way, maybe a contract or agreement is a good option to avoid conflict when things go wrong that are outside your control.

Lamia Walker of HouseSitMatch is very clear about preparing for the unexpected, and advises in which situations she believes an agreement is a prudent move: "Anyone engaging in a house sitting assignment should prepare well, to ensure a clear brief from the home owner and an understanding of the responsibilities by the house sitter.

We recommend both parties formulate a house sitting agreement together, because we all occasionally have to deal with the unexpected. Thinking through 'what ifs' prepares you for this, and the very process of writing an agreement together protects you both by outlining expectations. It ensures you know what to do 'just in case'.

HouseSitMatch offers lawyer-prepared templates for house sitting agreements to all registered members.

These are my suggestions for when to use a written house sitting agreement:      

The first time you house sit for a home owner If pets are to be cared for and medication is involved If a damages deposit is requested by the home owner If payment for services is agreed If utility payments (including Wi-Fi) are requested by the home owner If use of the home owner’s vehicle is offered.

Protect yourself against the unexpected and create a house sitting agreement."

Have you discussed your mutual expectations?

It is rare that house sits go wrong, but when they do having a clear understanding of each others original expectations goes a long way to preventing a situation of conflict. For some this can be a verbal contract based on trust, but for others a written agreement provides more reassurance.

To build trust between two parties, you need to talk, air your concerns, and make sure you understand fully each parties expectations and requirements. If this needs to be in writing then so be it. If you are happy to trust each others word then that is fine too. At the end of the day it seems it really is down to personal choice.

Communication is key A lot of problems that occur on assignments are simply due to a lack of communication.

For instance the home owner didn't mention that the food in the freezer was off limits, or the house sitter forgot to ask what to do in the case of expensive vet fees needing to be paid.

Preparing a house sitting agreement, or at the very least a questionnaire, means all of these things are considered and thought through by all parties.

Alternative options - a questionnaire A detailed questionnaire can be just as effective and far less formal. It still allows you to address expectations and requirements, and clarifies everything including duties and responsibilities for the house sitters and the owners.

Gavin Merritt has five years of house sitting under his belt. He sums this up very succinctly: "The interesting thing is, (and I know it's only perception) we love a lifestyle of trust and appreciation, which was why house and pet sitting fitted so well. Having a questionnaire seems to promote that lifestyle for us, while contracts and agreements seem to detract from it. We feel that building relationships works better than any written word ever could."

Jane Dempster-Smith of ToTravelToo has taken this idea of a questionnaire and developed it into a personal Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), between the parties. She told us: "The MOU explains that it is not a legal contract as no money passes hands, and no consideration is involved. However the MOU asks a number of questions. Recently we added,    

Do you have external and/or internal security or web cameras?

What is their purpose?

Where are they located?

What is the process if a call back to base is activated?

We find the MOU clarifies and presents in one place exactly what each parties expectations are."

However, for long term house sitter Martin Gray, things are much more clear cut: "I don't necessarily see myself as part of a trust-based community. With each new home I am potentially dealing with people who see this as a clear service that they have a requirement for, at any given time.

They need what they need, (i.e. contracts, agreements, references, assurances), and they offer what they offer, (free utilities, use of car, comfort of home etc.). Many see this as a straightforward transaction between two parties and don't conceive of the web or community that lies behind that in a circle of like-oriented, inter-networked house-sitters."

Is it a case of trust your instinct?

So it seems there is no definitive answer one way or the other - in some cases a contract or agreement may be purely practical, providing a degree of reassurance. In other cases they may be seen as unnecessary.

As with many decisions when house sitting, it seems that the best advice might be to trust your instinct and weigh up each house sitting assignment individually.

A final note on contract law We'd like to thank everyone who contributed to this discussion, and also stress that none of us are "legal" experts.

Contract law is complicated, and varies country to country, and even state to state in the USA. There is a very fine line (we've been told), between a contract and an agreement in America, and many people we spoke with were more concerned about the use of contracts and agreements in the US than anywhere else.

If you have any concerns about the legality and possible consequences of using agreement documents when house sitting in the USA, talk with a lawyer experienced in US contract law.

Downloadable agreements If you would like to take a look at some house sitting agreements, you'll find most of the major platforms have sections for useful downloadable resources, either on their websites, or within their Member Areas. We also have a few useful documents you can look at on our HouseSittingMagazine.com Resources page.

Even if you decide against using an agreement, by reading some of these standard documents you may be prompted to ask or consider certain questions not previously thought of.

by Ian Usher

After an extended road trip by RV in the USA, Vanessa and I needed to top-up our seriously depleted funds. So towards the end of 2014 we set off for China to become English teachers.

We spent a full year in the amazing city of Shenzhen, and also travelled around China exploring for a month or so.

As we were planning to leave for a house sit in Australia, our Chinese employers asked if we would like to become online English teachers. We jumped at the opportunity, realising this would be a great way to make a flexible, location-independent income.

Almost a year later we still teach English via an online platform to our Chinese students.

Combined with house sitting, it makes for an almost perfect easy-going lifestyle.

We'll be writing about this in a future issue of House Sitting - The ultimate lifestyle magazine as a great way to make a decent income while roaming the globe.

However, just a few days ago I had to teach the meaning of "irony" to one of my students, and while planning for the lesson, came across this photo.

Perfect! Irony summed up in one image.

How to create a kick-ass house sitting profile

by Nat Smith & Jodie Burnham

Perhaps the most important thing that determines whether you will be chosen for house sitting assignments, is the profile you list on a house sitting match making site. After all, it is ALL the home owner has to go on, until they speak with you.

Writing something like a profile does not come easy to all people, and it's especially difficult when you have to talk about yourself. But this is not the time to be coy about your talents, or what it is you bring to the table for home owners.

You don't, however, want to take the other stance and become completely egotistical or mention things that are simply not true, just to be successful.

We have found the best idea is to write from the heart. Put some planning into it and think about what home owners would want to know about you.

Remember the home owner wants to take their leave knowing that you are capable and responsible so they can relax and focus on their time away.

And this is the message you must give, starting with your profile.

Photos Most house sitting platforms give you the ability to put up at least some photos, but often not many.

Think about what the home owner would want to see and maximize the number of photos you have available to you by making them count.

Good photos home owners would want to see:  

A shot of you that is clear and probably up close so they can put a face to a name and profile.

Images of you with animals or various pets you have looked after or have experience with.



If there are a number of you that will be applying for house sits, ensure that ALL of you are in the photos, or at least some of the shots.

The headline This is the first thing that home owners will see, so make it short and punchy. Wordy flowery headings, as in all marketing, lose home owners attention quickly no matter how good your profile is - especially if every one of the other 50 applicants says they too are 'responsible and capable sitters'!

You need to be more specific about what YOU bring to the table and present that with certainty.

The best idea is to sum up who you are, and any key points that will support your applications.

Have a good think about what qualities might grab a home owner with what you have to offer.

Sum that up in your heading.

You could include things like:     

Are you a single, couple or family?

Your age Your background and profession Any pet experience or training you may have had Specific location availability if applicable

So an example of a headline using the above suggestions, would be: "Couple in 50's with extensive management backgrounds and experience with all domestic pets - available in UK and Europe."

As you can see, this descriptive headline tells the home owner a lot about the people and whether they might be suitable for the assignment.

And although it is not spelt out, a home owner could also make the assumption from this headline that the applicant is responsible, a good leader, mature and well experienced - all important house sitter qualities.

Your introduction This is really an extension of the heading and provides a full explanation of who you are, together with your circumstances.

Tell them a little about yourself:     

where you live whether you rent or own your own home your work family (if you are applying as a family) any hobbies or skills that might be relevant e.g., gardening or handy man

Be upfront about your own needs. For example, if you have an allergy to cats, state in your profile that you can't look after cats. This way you won't waste a cat owner's time by reviewing profiles that are not relevant.

Do you absolutely need internet? If you work remotely online make this clear. A home owner may state that WiFi is available, but is it fast enough or stable enough for your requirements.

Make this clear.

State preferences for countries or regions you are happy to house sit in. State how available you are, and if there are only specific dates you can do?

Would you be at home often with their pets? Do you work online or love pottering around the house, spending most of your day around the house? This could provide extra reassurance, especially for first time home owners.

Why do you want to house sit?

Addressing this question will give the home owner an indication of how serious you actually are about house sitting, and show that you are not just using it to have a good time in another country for free accommodation!

For example, if you say you want to house sit so you can be out all day checking out the sights, then this may not resonate for the owners. We are not saying that you can never get out and do things in the local area, but pet owners do want to know that you will be around to look after their pets too!

Perhaps mentioning something like this might be more appropriate, and should produce a more positive response:   

"I would love to live as a local for a while" "We love the company of pets and enjoy spending time with them" or "We love working online in new environments and would be home most of the time doing so"

What I bring to the assignment - relevant experience Really this is the crux of your whole profile and where you can sell yourself the most.

The following is a list of some of the things that would be relevant to mention in this section:       

Do you have your own pets? If so what are they?

What about experience with other animals or farm animals?

How would your current or past careers help you in being a great house sitter?

What qualities did you develop?

Have you house sat before? If so, how many and where?

And in what types of environments?

Do you own your own home, an investment property or do you rent?

Have you minded a family member/friend's home or pets before?

Have you had your own pool or do you have experience with pool maintenance? Chlorine or salt? What about a jacuzzi?

  

Have you looked after your own or someone else's plants? Indoor or outdoor?

What about a garden, roses or greenhouse?

Are you capable of basic house maintenance?

References Most house sitting platforms will categorize their house sitters based on how many references they have and their associated star ratings.

If you have not house sat professionally before, then a good way to start collecting appropriate references is to request them from friends or family for whom you may have minded pets.

You can also get character references from your boss, clients or even your landlord if you rent a property.

A profile video This is THE most important thing you will ever do for your profile!

A bold statement - but true.

We put up a personal video on our profile from day one, and every one of our house owners has stated that they chose us because of it. There is no denying that video connects!

For more inspiration, take a look at other house sitting profiles on platform websites. But remember, don't be tempted to copy what other people say. This is your profile and it should be unique to you!

Originally from Australia, Nat Smith and her partner Jodie Burnham have been full-time international house sitters and travellers since early 2013. They currently have no home base or residency.

In 2013 Nat & Jodie started the 'House Sitting World' Facebook group for house sitters and home owners to connect, inspire and learn from each other. This group is now 13000+ strong, with people discovering and delighting in the benefits of house sitting, hungry for information about how to get started and use it to travel the world!

That is exactly why they have developed the House Sitting Academy's '10-C Confidence & Competency System' to take the wisdom, tips and experience of those who have been house sitting for years.

This wealth of experience is combined with teachings from specialized experts in a step-by-step online video course - a complete resource hub and private referral network for house sitters around the globe.

Last minute update: Nat and Jodie have just finished putting the finishing touches to their video mini-course called "Setup to Stand Out".

Find out more about this affordable, practical, hands-on training which can help you get your kick-ass profile set up and ready to go as quickly as possible.

CLICK HERE for all the details

Livestock - looking after sheep Last month we found ourselves experiencing the joy of "hobby farming" while house sitting in the South Downs of England. As well as the home, and Hamish the border terrier, we also looked after 20 sheep - a mix of ewes and month-old lambs.

Lambing season was over and the fields fairly secure, so we were assured that there was little to do except count the ewes and lambs morning and night, feed them a small amount of grain (for the purposes of said counting), and make sure that they didn't get brambles or other vegetation caught around their hooves. This could cause them to limp uncomfortably.

We didn't experience any problems, and loved hanging out with and observing these gentle creatures.

If you think you can't possibly house sit a small flock of sheep because you lack experience with livestock, don't be put off - with a little bit of knowledge, a small number of ewes and lambs are not difficult to care for.

Hobby farming is, however, very different to caring for a large herd on a "real" farm. To discover more about what this might entail, we asked Donna Mulvenna, an experienced "farm sitter", to give us the lowdown on what it's like to become a temporary shepherdess.

Feature image courtesy of Faith Coates

What to do when a farmer picks ewe!

by Donna Mulvenna

The absolute, non-negotiable motto for every farm sitter is, “Be prepared.”

It was good enough for Franklin, Lincoln, the Scouts movement and the Lion King, all of whom prepared themselves by thinking out and practicing how to act in every situation, so that they were never taken by surprise.

Something you need to know about sheep is that they are not survivors.

They are not strong or independent, they easily throw in the towel while giving birth, and they are completely directionless.

They are also defenseless and when left to themselves, they will not and cannot last very long.

Just about any other domesticated animal will stand a fighting chance in the wild. But not a sheep.

That is why sheep need a shepherd.

However, don’t mistake these traits for being dumb. Sheep aren’t dumb. Trusting would be a better word.

They are also manageable, functional, single-minded, gregarious, cute and easier to care for than horses. You can’t render a horse completely docile by flipping it onto its backside with its legs up in the air!

The challenge with sheep is that where one goes, they all go. Just ask the group of lax shepherds in Turkey who discovered their 1500 sheep had jumped off a cliff in the time it took them to eat their breakfast. Yes, one took the plunge and another 1,499 blindly followed on.

True story.

Likewise, if one sheep doesn’t want to go where you direct her, none of the other sheep will go either.

The first lesson in caring for sheep: Food is a great motivator.

If you don’t have a sheepdog, you need a bucket of grain. It makes sheep so much more cooperative, friendlier and less intimidated by new people.

A sheep’s social calendar When accepting a placement to care for sheep you need to know what skills and level of care will be required during that period. There are basically four seasons in the year of a sheep:    

Tupping Pregnancy (Gestation) Lambing Weaning

Tupping Tupping takes place during the autumn. There is a lot of careful planning goes into this season.

Different breeds have different genetics, so farmers use the best ewes and rams they can to deliver fit, healthy offspring. Needless to say, allowing a ram on the outer, to enter the ewes on the inner, is not a good idea.

Allowing a fat ram to enter is an even worse idea as they can be too heavy for some ewes and cause injury.

Ewes are only in season once per year – so unlike other animals that become fertile multiple times a year, there is a short time period for them to fall pregnant.

Generally, after tupping is the time most sheep farmers will try to take a break, but not always.

Sometimes, you might find yourself up to your elbows in it during the lambing season.

Ewes are generally docile, however, this is not always the case with a ram, especially during tupping season.

Head butting is a natural behaviour used by rams to get into physical shape for the breeding season and to establish their dominance.

To avoid being at the receiving end of a swift, hard and sometimes lethal head butt, don’t ever let your guard down or pet or scratch rams on the head. Ever!

Some of the things you need to “be prepared” for during tupping season are:   

signs of injury fluke clostridial outbreaks

Pregnancy (Gestation) After mating, sheep have a gestation period of around five months. The proper feeding and management of the sheep during this season determines the success and ease of the lambing season.

Providing the ewes have all that they need, most problems can be prevented and all should go well until a few days before the impending birth. Then, they may lie down and stand erratically, paw the ground, or otherwise act out of sync with normal herd patterns.

Some of the things you need to “be prepared” for during gestation season are:    

avoid stressful situations and handling pregnancy toxaemia listeriosis hypocalcaemia

Lambing Experienced ewes mostly deliver their lambs easily and happily, but others, particularly firsttime mothers, need a little extra help.

That’s why they need a shepherd. Someone to be on hand all day and all night for when there is a difficult delivery. And there will be.

If you accept a placement during the lambing season you can expect:    

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No more than a few hours of shut-eye per night, and rising at the crack of dawn (actually well before it) Being confronted with a pen full of confused ewes who don’t know who their babies are Permanent iodine stains on your hands, arms, and boots A moment when you dive in to help a struggling ewe and find a head and no legs, or a head and only one leg, or a pair of back legs. Unfortunately, not all lambs face the right way on exit The frustration of trying to teach lambs that teats are not located under the neck, on the chest, or in fact on the ewe’s legs

The most important thing during lambing is to get the lamb off to a good start. That means ensuring the ewe has quickly dried them off, and that they are up on their feet and attached to their mother’s teat drinking a good dose of colostrum.

However, sheep only have two teats so if there is a third lamb, and there will be, you have the tricky job of adopting the lamb onto another ewe. You can use the wet adoption method where the birthing fluid from a newborn lamb is transferred to the adoptive lamb so the ewe thinks it is her own.

Or you can use the more gruesome dry adoption method of taken the skin from a dead lamb and tying it to the orphan lamb so that the adoptive mother recognises the scent and takes it as her own.

Healthy lambs nurse often, one or two times per hour during the first few weeks. A lamb that bleats all the time is probably hungry. A healthy lamb stretches when it rises and tends to sleep 8 to 12 hours per day beside its mother, not alone.

In a cold climate, lambing will most often take place in a barn. Once there are a lot of happy, exuberant lambs leaping around with full bellies they can be released out into the field with all the other ewes and lambs leaping about.

Some of the things you need to “be prepared” for during lambing season are:       

starvation hypothermia scours mastitis nematodirosis pneumonia.

Also, ewes being turned out on to fresh pasture can suffer from grass staggers

Note: pregnant women or those who may be pregnant should never work with sheep during lambing season.

Weaning Ewes baaing, lambs crying, and farmers praying for just five minutes of respite from a noise that never ends. This is the weaning season when the ewes have been separated from the lambs.

You can lower the number of decibels on the farm by ensuring the lambs are eating adequate solid feed before weaning, and that they are accustomed to drinking water.

Weaning generally takes place when lambs are 60 days old, but earlier weaning may take place when lambs are just 30 to 45 days old. On the other hand, some farmers prefer a natural weaning method where lambs stay on pasture with their mothers until they are four to six months old. This greatly decreases the stress of weaning for everyone involved.

During weaning, the ewes should be moved out of sight, and the lambs should stay in the pen where they were raised because they are familiar with the surroundings and know where to find feed and water.

Some of the things you need to “be prepared” for during weaning season are:   

fly strike coccidiosis scours

When the farmer’s away, the predators come out to play Have you ever wondered whether sheep fight or flight?

To fight would mean bearing their fangs, showing their claws or raising their spines. Sheep don’t do any of that.

To flee would require just turning tail and outrunning the predator. That’s a good defence mechanism. But no, sheep don’t do that either.

Instead, sheep gather in packs and run around in circles in complete panic while bleating, “Pick someone else!”

Coyotes, bears and wolves in the United States, dingoes and wild dogs in Australia and sheep rustlers in the UK: all these creatures will know the moment the farmer has left the property.

Sheep know they are easy prey for predators. That is why they are supremely vigilant and suspicious. It also explains why they have a herd mentality and need to see other sheep.

Sheep become highly stressed if they’re removed from the rest of the herd.

This is why sheep need a shepherd.

Following instructions to the letter Farmers are often calm, collected and quiet types, but when they say something it is always for a good reason, even if you are not aware of it at the time. Someone’s farm and livelihood is not the place to learn as you go, so take notes, notes, and more notes.

Clean the water troughs at least once daily: Fresh clean water is a must for sheep as typically they will drink a couple of gallons of water each day. If there are automatic waterers in place they have to be cleaned of algae at least once a week, and poop, bugs, and debris strained out of them regularly.

If there is any poop in the water, and there will be, the sheep won’t drink it. (See I told you they weren’t dumb).

Remember that water does freeze so during a cold winter’s morning you might find yourself schlepping buckets of warm water to each water tub.

When sheep are in gestation (pregnant) or lactating (producing milk) they need a lot of water, consuming anything up to 4 gallons every day.

Spread the feed from one far end of the trough to the other: It is important that every ewe has room to move and is not pushed out of her trough space. If you see this happening you might have to put that ewe’s feed quota into a bucket and feed her separately.

Never put feed on the ground where the sheep urinate as this is one of the quickest paths to disease. Adequate nutrition supports fetal growth, especially if there are multiple fetuses involved, support mammary development, ensure a plentiful milk supply, to prevent the occurrence of pregnancy toxemia (ketosis) and to ensure the birth of strong, healthy lambs that aren't too big or too small.

Lock all the gates - A rural community in the Yorkshire Dales might seem like a safe and trusting place to you, but over 88,000 farm animals were snatched by thieves in the UK during 2014, at a cost of £6.6m to farmers.

Farmers spend decades building up bloodlines and investing in their herd, and then overnight all that can be taken from them.

Hold the bottle at this exact angle - If a lamb doesn’t receive colostrum from its mother during the first few hours of its life, you’ll be hand milking another ewe that has just given birth, or defrosting a frozen supply of colostrum and feeding the lamb directly from a tube.

Later, holding a bottle at the correct angle means fragile little bellies won’t fill up with air.

During lambing season don’t go anywhere without a can of stock spray - With so many lambs being born on a farm, the only way to keep track of them is with a spray can. New lambs and the ewe are always sprayed with a number for identification purposes.

Record everything - The date a ram serves a ewe; the allocated number, time and day each lamb is born; any change in an animal’s behaviour; anything suspicious around the farm. If you’re not sure - just play it safe and write it down.

A farm sitter knows:       

Changes in normal animal behaviour are an early sign of illness or threat.

Teeth grinding is a common sign of pain in sheep.

Sheep like routine, so be patient if introducing something new.

Sheep react negatively to loud noises, yelling, and new obstacles.

Rough handling when moving, sorting or wool grabbing causes bruising!

Sheep tend to move in the opposite direction to their handler.

Sheep are afraid of, and won’t want to move in the dark.

Sheep have no depth perception, so shadows, dark surfaces, and water are an issue.

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Sheep have good memories. The aim of a good farm sitter is to make sure these memories are as positive as possible.

If you accept a repeat placement on a farm, you want the sheep to say, “I remember ewe,” and to do it without any signs of stress.

Donna is a horticulturist and writer who lives on the fringe of the Amazon forest in French Guiana.

She left behind decades of corporate writing to write about nature, health, passion, love, and living simply and sustainably - in essence, her code for living a good life.

TAP HERE to read more by Donna in her inspiring and entertaining books:

How to train a dominant dog

by Daniel "Doggy Dan" Abdelnoor

Have you ever been in the situation where you are out for a walk with your dog, happily going down the street when your heart misses a beat and then sinks because you see another dog coming?

It means only one thing. Your lovely but very dominant dog is going to try to leave their mark on yet another dog. And you've no idea how badly this could go!

Even though the other dog is on a leash you know you're in trouble if they come too close, and so you start looking for an exit strategy...

But before you know it your dog is pulling like crazy and the hair on their back is starting to rise.

You’ve tried everything to stop this behavior. Like tugging on the leash, a different collar, distraction with food but nothing has made the slightest bit of difference. Now it’s just a case of keeping them separated at all costs.

You've started to give up all hope.

So where did it all go so horribly wrong?

The thing that so many dog owners and trainers don’t seem to understand is that if you’ve been giving your dog the wrong messages at home then it's too late to turn it around when you see another dog on the street.

The simple fact is this...

Dogs are simple animals. And I mean that in a very loving way. But they’re simply not interested in bigger TVs, faster cars or their next holiday.

Rather, dogs are about survival. First and foremost. Which includes protect the property and the pack, especially when they are outside.

Now. Think about it. Dogs are pack animals. They understand there are leaders and followers.

And the leaders decide what is dangerous and take the initiative protecting the pack.

So what do you think happens when your dog thinks that they are the pack leader and they walk down the street and see another strange dog coming?

That’s right. They walk up to them chest-up, head-up, tail-up and try to get them to back down.

And that’s when it all goes pear-shaped.

But what started the reaction was giving your dog the message that they were in charge in the first place! That they're in fact the Pack Leader in your home.

Now of course all dogs are different and some dogs are naturally more dominant than others, and there are some who like to be more submissive. It doesn't really matter what kind your dog is.

The secret is this: YOU need to be the Pack Leader.

Once you establish this you will find all the other training tricks will start to work. A gentle pull on the leash, the distraction using a food treat and the gentle word of warning.

The fact is that the training approaches that you're currently using are probably really good ones but without a solid foundation they simply don’t work.

Because in summary your dog is not taking any notice of you once the other dog shows up.

Your dog has bigger things to worry about, like protecting followers in their pack (you).

So, to turn it around... again, YOU need to become the pack leader.

Here are a few of my best training tricks and tips. These will help you achieve that calmer dog as the other dogs approach. But remember, the pack leader foundation HAS to be in place first. 

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Food distractions: This approach can really work with some food hounds! The key is this - use it as a distraction. Do not reward your dog after they have lunged towards the oncoming dog. Use amazing food, such as chicken or cheese. Not their usual biscuits!

Take it slowly: Do not expect miracles overnight. Unless you've just put the pack leader rules in place! Often pushing things too fast will result in it going wrong, but going slowly builds confidence.

Master the walk: Make sure that you've gotten control of your dog's walking before you meet the oncoming dog. If you need to consider a device other than a flat collar to achieve this then do so.

Stay focused on what you want: It’s easy to get sucked into following your dog's behavior but remember that you need to continue to show your dog exactly how you want them to behave.

Be ready to step in: Stay focused on the best result but be ready to step in and quickly guide your dog away or gently tug or correct them. Once you've done this remember to relax immediately afterwards.

One of the things that I love about this whole method is that it works with your dog's natural instincts.

For example it’s natural that one dog will be above another. You can’t take that out of dogs. But by positioning yourself as the top dog in the pack, they will not be nearly as likely to become overly protective, tense, dominant or take things too far.

If you want to watch a great video of two dogs playing at being dominant and submissive then check out this video from my online dog training website.

CLICK THE VIDEO BELOW TO PLAY

Remember that trying to deal with the problem when you see the other dog approaching is always going to be too late. It’s about sorting out the real cause of the issue that will turn things around.

Your dog is just waiting for you to give them the right messages!

If you're thinking that it's time to take control back from your dog, and become the kind and gentle pack leader that they are looking for then we suggest you take a look around Dan's amazing website now.

Doggy Dan created a FREE video mini course called "The Easy Way To An Obedient Dog", which will help you become the pack leader.

This is where Doggy Dan’s dog training method is so cool. He totally understands how to show dogs that you're the pack leader and the site explains how YOU can do all of that in a very simple way. But what's really impressive is that he does it in such a kind and gentle way.

CLICK HERE TO ACCESS DOGGY DAN'S FREE VIDEO COURSE .

Destination UK - The South Downs National Park

by Vanessa Anderson

If you are house sitting in south-east England, it's likely that you'll find yourself within close proximity to, or even living within, the beautiful South Downs National Park.

Since the 1950's, fifteen areas considered "important to the national heritage and worthy of special protection and attention", have been designated "National Parks" in the UK. There are ten parks in England, three in Wales, and two in Scotland, with the South Downs receiving its status most recently, in 2011.

This is also the closest and easiest National Park to reach from London and the home counties.

Dog walking opportunities for house sitters This area is, quite simply, a dog walker’s paradise. There are over 3,000km of public rights of way to explore. However, this is also farming land and in spring, when lambing and bird nesting is underway, you should be respectful, by keeping your dogs on leads around all livestock and wildlife.

Sheep are nervous animals especially when pregnant and it's easy for them to go into premature labour when frightened by an excited dog, however friendly he wants to be!

If you are house sitting with dogs, check with the home owners how your charges behave around sheep and other livestock. In any case, you will often see signs indicating that you need to keep your dog on a leash.

Many people in the countryside will tell you not to worry if your dog poops on grass or fields, away from the track or path, and we've seen many avoid pickup at any time in rural locations.

We prefer to pickup, bag and dispose of responsibly when close to a track or where kids play and roam a little away from the trail. Any public bin can be used for properly bagged poo!

Location The South Downs lie sandwiched between London and the south coast, and encompass an envious mix of rolling hills, quaint well cared for villages, and breathtaking landscapes.

There really is something for everyone here, unless perhaps your preference is for remote mountain vistas - for that you'll need to venture much further north!

Walks and hikes can be tailored to any level of fitness and you can explore Roman villas on foot, cycle along ancient tracks or redundant railway lines, attend local village fetes, or shop at abundant farmers' markets.

There's always something happening and something to do. And it's easy to immerse yourself in the local community, especially if you partake of a few pints of beer at one of the welcoming village pubs - many of which welcome dogs in the public bars or garden.

Traversing the three counties of Hampshire, West Sussex and East Sussex, the South Downs also provide access to a number of historic cities and towns.

Check out our recommendations a little further on, but don't forget to also wind your way through the picturesque smaller villages where you'll find it hard not to succumb to long, leisurely lunches in a pub or hotel garden.

In winter months most will provide a glorious real log fire to warm you after a day's walking.

Do I need a car?

We would say yes, if you want to fully experience this vast (by English standards) area, some of which isn't serviced directly by buses or trains. A car gives you the freedom to really discover some of the off-the-beaten-track destinations.

We were back in the UK in June 2016, house sitting in a small village called Soberton, close to the coastal town of Southampton. We couldn't have managed without a car, as the closest supermarket was a 20 minute drive away.

It was possible to walk or cycle less than a mile to a garage shop which catered for (expensive) emergency provisions, but personally we felt that for an eighteen day house sit such as ours, a car was a distinct advantage.

Please do remember the drinking and driving laws in the UK are severe - so if you are considering a pub visit along the way, please seriously bear this in mind.

Best car hire deals in the UK We used Skyscanner to find the best monthly deal for car hire in the UK, about 4-6 weeks in advance of our trip. We started our search while still in Australia, and found the rate was quite high. By waiting and watching for offers, we were able to get our rate down to £11.00 per day for a 2-door compact size vehicle with Europcar.

We collected our car at London Heathrow, and paid an additional £50.00 "one-way fee" to drop-off at Manchester Airport seven weeks later. This represents good value, given that trains in the UK are now expensive (unless you book online well in advance).

Accessibility to the National Park The South Downs National Park is relatively close to London and if you don't have a car there are regular trains from Waterloo and Victoria train stations. They take between 60 and 90 minutes to get to locations such as Winchester or Lewes, both of which are gateways to the National Park, in the west and east respectively.

Image credit - SussexScenes.co.uk

National Parks in the UK do not have official entrances as they do, for example, in the US. You are able to access them from many different entry routes, and they are free. This does mean an element of planning is necessary and information can be found on the National Parks UK website or at tourist information offices in local towns.

Discovery Tickets - for the bus network There is a good network of bus routes linking train stations, villages and local visitor attractions.

Discovery Tickets provide you with unlimited bus travel across most of the bus operators within the South Downs National Park and beyond. In 2016 a family day ticket for up to five people is £16.00 and individual tickets are £8.50 per adult and £7.00 per child.

Seaside town Brighton utilizes open top "Breeze Buses" to connect you to the rolling downs at Devil's Dyke, Ditchling Beacon, and Stanmer Park. Or if you are in the county of Hampshire, you could explore 10 miles of the Watercress line, from New Alresford to Alton, by old fashioned steam train. They also run "real ale trains" on selected dates, when you can drink beer from local breweries "on tap" as you travel!

Popular outdoor activities There are many activities to be experienced in and around the South Downs National Park. They include paragliding, mountain biking, cycling, horse riding and walking. The nearby English Channel also provides opportunities for sailing and leisure boating.

Cycling There are 15 bike hire sites around the National Park. With 1,200kms of bridleways weaving their way through forests and countryside, cycling is a great way to see the best of the South Downs. See this link for much more information.

The 100 miles of the South Downs Way (more info below), is the only UK National Trail that is fully traversable by bike. There are also over 30 hidden geocaches across the National Park, with over half of them reachable by bike. If you want more challenging riding, there are a number of mountain bike tracks too.

Walking and hiking Walk in the footsteps of writers and artists from history. This area was home to Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf.

Take advantage of the open access, rights of way across local fields and land. There are walks from almost every town and village, all of which will be way-marked if public access is available.

We found our home owners had a collection of local maps, but any good bookstore will have a good selection or Ordnance Survey maps. Take a look at the Ordnance Survey Map website there's a FREE app for 7 days, or for just £3.99 you can get access to maps for a month. These maps show all the public access trails around the UK.

Long distance trail - The South Downs Way Traversing the entire length of the South Downs National Park, from Winchester in the west, to Eastbourne in the east, there are 100 continuous miles (160km) of National Trail - The South Downs Way. It is clearly marked with the Acorn symbol to show you the way. There is a great PDF download at this link, that shows the complete trail.

The trail takes in the market towns of Petersfield and Lewes (see below), and winds along the banks of the River Adur.

There are many beauty spots along the way, with about 4,150m (13,600 feet) of ascent and descent whichever way you travel. Of course you can just attempt short sections of the walk.

The trail is also suitable for cycling and horse riding.

You can plan your trip here or use the interactive Discovery Map.

Cost of living Living in south east England is not that different to anywhere else in the UK. But eating out at restaurants and drinking in bars and pubs isn't cheap.

This is the home of many of the rich and wealthy who have moved away from London and the suburbs, to enjoy a quiet life in this beautiful countryside.

As such, many of the village "gastro" pubs cater for this level of wealth and an evening meal might be more expensive than in some of the larger coastal towns.

Gastro pubs are popping up all over the place and some are better than others. Again ask your home owner to give you tips about the most popular village pubs and the best value eateries.

While we were house sitting in Soberton, Hampshire we found one great pub "The White Lion" and we didn't ever make it into the other three locals! Try the fish and chips!

Remember though, the countryside is free and a tasty picnic lunch doesn't cost much to make.

A flask of coffee keeps down the costs of high priced coffee shops, and markets provide cheaper produce than some of the supermarkets.

Do beware of Farmers' Markets, which although often have excellent local and even organic produce, are these days a little pricey if you're on a budget. We look out for homes with veggie gardens who often sell their extra produce cheaply at the end of their driveways.

Places to visit There are so many places to visit, it would be impossible to list them all. You'll find historic cathedral cities like Chichester and Winchester, and seaside towns like trendy Brighton with it's famous pier, the Royal Pavillion, and "The Lanes", famous for its small shops, bars and restaurants.

We've listed only a few of the places you might enjoy visiting, but there are many website links in this article to help you plan other sightseeing trips and days out.

Seven Sisters Country Park, South Downs, Eastbourne SevenSisters.org.uk The actual South Downs (which, in reality, are only a small area of the South Downs National Park) are a range of chalk hills that cover around 260 square miles (670 square kms), from Itchen Valley in Hampshire to Beachy Head (close to Eastbourne). To the north is a steep crest where you'll find extensive views.

The South Downs have been inhabited since ancient times, supporting large populations especially during Roman times. You'll find many archaeological sites and burial mounds as part of a collection of over 35 "Sites of Special Scientific Interest".

Visible from miles away along the coast, the distinctive chalk cliffs known as The Seven Sisters lie at the easternmost end of the country park.

You can canoe, cycle, walk and enjoy bird watching.

The park is a working farm with grazing sheep and cattle. It's therefore important to keep dogs under close control at all times. You must pick up after your dog and use dog bin locations for disposal.

There is a visitor's centre and parking. The cost of car parking is £3.00 for up to 2 hours, or £4.00 for the day. The machines do not take cards or notes, so take exact change.

This link shows you the three best places from which to view and photograph the Seven Sisters.

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Arundel wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/arundel/ This provides a great family day out. The 26 acres of wetlands include board-walks and bird hides, bird feeding areas, and an explorer pond where kids can discover and examine small aquatic creatures. There are also guided boat safaris which travel deep into the reed beds.

An entry fee is charged, but you can save 10% by booking online at the centre's website. Both individual and family tickets are available. Nearby Swanbourn Lake hires out boats, has a small café, and is a good spot for a picnic.

The town of Arundel and its spectacular castle are also worth a visit.

Winchester VisitWinchester.co.uk Winchester-Cathedral.org.uk/ The historic city of Winchester is full of surprises and is well worth a visit. We chose to drive to one of the "Park and Ride" car parks and use the buses to get around. This avoids driving and parking issues on the narrow, medieval streets.

A note about the Park and Ride: it was not possible to pay by notes or credit card. You either need the correct coins or an active sim card in your mobile to pay by phone.

Winchester is full of culture and history, and is home to one of the largest cathedrals in Europe.

It was a beautiful warm spring day when we arrived, so we bought sandwiches and coffees in a nearby shop and sat on the sprawling lawn that surrounds this royal Anglo-Saxon church.

There is a fairly hefty entry fee although you can view part of the interior of the cathedral free of charge.

The history surrounding the cathedral is fascinating and dates back to the 7th Century, when England's pagan monarchy first became Christians. The website history is well worth a read especially if you are home-schooling kids!

And if you are home schooling, a visit to the City Museum provides a visual history of Winchester with plenty of hands-on activities - and admission is FREE. Kids can make a small brass rubbing, colour in their own Anglo-Saxon pot design, and try on period costumes.

Other places to visit in Winchester include Wolvesey Castle, the River Itchen, The Hospital of St Cross, and the Great Hall.

Winchester is well known a "foodie" destination and you can visit the largest Farmer's Market in the UK. There are plenty of restaurants, cafes and pubs where you can sample great food and drink. If you want a special night in a hotel in-between house sits then try the acclaimed Hotel du Vin this hotel chain used to be one of my personal favourites.

There's so much more you can do in and around Winchester, so check out the city website for much more information.

Lewes (pronounced Lewis) Lewes.co.uk If you enjoy browsing in antique or gift shops, checking out delicious foods in delicatessens, or reading the morning papers over croissants in an independently owned café, then Lewes won't disappoint you.

I have visited Lewes a few times, and still there are so many small cafés and eateries that I haven't had the chance to try.

You won't find a day out here cheap, especially if you are weak willed where food and drink is concerned - there's so much to tempt you.

Lewes is also home to the quirky South Street Sports Day and Dog Show, which is held on Saturday 20th August this year. Events and entertainment include the the Sports Day highlights:   

Egg and spoon relay Bean bag boule Welly shot-put

The Dog Show features:   

Best sausage catcher Prettiest bitch Smiliest face

Ah, English summer festivals - delightfully eccentric!

See the flyer on the next page for full details.

But it's one of my favourite South Downs towns, especially around Christmas, when you'll find homely pubs with roaring winter fires to warm you after a day's Xmas present shopping.

Chichester and West Witterings Beach VisitChichester.org Chichester is another cathedral city with history dating back to Roman times. Apart from the cathedral built 900 years ago, you can visit one of the finest stately homes in the country Goodwood House.

You are close to the coast here and it's an easy route out to West Witterings beach - a large, sandy beach in a designated "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty".

As a child, my parents used to take my brother and I on day trips from the London suburbs to both the West Witterings and nearby East Witterings.

My memory is of a typical English "bucket and spade" seaside location.

Goodwood House

West Wittering Beach in summer. Image courtesy of CoolPlaces.co.uk

It has changed little since then, but it is now patrolled by lifeguards in the summer months, and the beach holds a Blue Flag Award for cleanliness and safety. It's also a good starting point a walk around East Head.

A beach café serves food throughout the day (weekends in winter).

Conclusion If you want to experience England at its "countryside" best, then you can't go wrong house sitting in this area.

Of course, the UK is well known for its beautiful rural landscapes and there are many other areas that you could consider, such as Devon and Cornwall, The Lake District and the Brecon Beacons in Wales, to name just a few.

But what we enjoyed most about the South Downs was the ease of access to both London, the south coast, and a great network of walks and cycling tracks.

Most of all we loved that we were able to visit any number of village pubs and enjoy the great British pint - something we have both missed since leaving the UK to pursue our long term house sitting travel adventure.

Which house sitting platforms are best for assignments in this area?

You'll find all of the international websites have house sit assignments in, or close to, this area at various times.

For a UK-specific platform you'll find HouseSittersUK offer great value, and focus on.... well, it's quite obvious really!!

Both HouseSitMatch and TrustedHouseSitters are based in the south of England, so they are well placed to advise and help you if you have any questions about house sitting in this area.

Risky business

by Yvonne Bauche As house sitters, we all understand the advantages of having sitters in place for the owners. But as well as caring for the property and pets, we also provide an extra level of security and 'insurance' - in case of tripped breakers and plumbing issues.

So why is it that we often avoid our own insurance needs?

Take 'travel insurance' for instance. It's a blanket term that covers everything from medical care, emergency evacuation, repatriation, trip cancellation, trip interruption, lost or delayed baggage, and lost or stolen goods, to name a few.

Finding the right travel insurance can be confusing. It can also be expensive, especially once all those little extras are added in.

The hassle of finding and purchasing travel insurance meant that we would put it off for as long as we could. At one point, we even considered going 'naked', just like we did in our twenties at a time when we considered ourselves indestructible.

Thankfully we didn't.

An unexpected event On January 1st of 2015, Michael was fit and healthy and celebrating the New Year at home with family and friends. The next day he was in an emergency room with a serious, life threatening condition.

Completely out of the blue - and still with no known cause - he developed deep vein thrombosis, which resulted in a 'massive' saddle pulmonary embolism.

A clot had developed in his leg, broken loose, travelled through his heart, and was then pumped into the fine network of veins that carry blood to the lungs for oxygenation. This caused, in his case, a sudden collapse and a weak erratic pulse.

We later found out that the first symptom in 15% of incidences of this type of embolism is death. Mortality rate statistics range between 15 to 25%.

Fortunately, we were close to the best trauma hospital in our home province. A hospital Michael was a patient in for over two weeks.

It could all have been very different If this had happened three days later, we would have been in Miami, Florida. The medical system in the United States is world class. However, as Canadians, that care would have come with a hefty price tag.

Had we needed to pay the costs for a two-week hospitalization, plus ultrasounds, CAT Scans and MRI's, plus drugs and blood work 3 or 4 times a day, we would have been crippled financially and unable to continue our roving retiree lifestyle.

More worryingly, had this happened five days later, we would have been on the tiny island of Utila in Honduras. The health care system there is inexpensive, but woefully inadequate to diagnose, let alone provide the necessary treatment.

If this had happened in Utila, the outcome could have added to those mortality stats.

Would our insurance have covered us sufficiently?

We had already purchased travel medical insurance for our upcoming trip. However, after seeing the full extent of the care Michael needed and received, the question was, "Would that insurance policy have covered us, if this had taken place while traveling?"

This nagging question and the ensuing battle with our credit card company over our trip cancellation cover, made us look long and hard at what types of insurance are available, and to reassess our specific needs.

Grounded for a few months, we started digging into the fine print.

Although I have a background in the insurance industry, I was surprised at what we found.

We soon realized that not all insurance policies or insurance companies are equal.

Reasons not to avoid the details Did you know that many travel insurance policies are 'secondary' to your home province, state or country's insurance coverage?

If you do not have this home or 'primary' cover in place, your secondary cover may not be valid at all, or mean at the very least you have big gaps in your coverage.

In our case, our travel insurance provider will only pay the difference for out of country health care, over and above that which our home provider covers.

As an example, your home 'primary' cover may pay up to $200 CAD for an x-ray. If the total cost is $450 CAD, the secondary provider will only pay the extra $250 CAD. This means you have to find the difference yourself if you do not have primary cover in place.

What did we learn?

The more we dug, the more we learned, which is why we decided to write an easy to read and understand book on travel insurance, and not just about travel medical insurance.

Family policies Family policies often appear to be more attractive and have lower premiums, especially if you are travelling with children. However, they have downsides.

Travelling as a couple or a family under a single policy may make sense until you look more closely. If one party returns home, or makes a claim, the policy may become void. If the other members continue to travel, they are now without insurance cover.

In our experience, purchasing separate policies has been more cost effective, rather than buying a family policy that covers us both.

Our biggest piece of advice is to ensure that you purchase the right policy in the first place.

Take some time and assess your needs before you go shopping for insurance.

Read the fine print Yes we know it's as inspiring as watching paint dry, yet it is the one thing we stress above all else. Only by wading through the legalese and paying careful attention to the 'limits' and 'exclusions', will you truly know what it is you are buying.

Better that, than realizing too late that you bought the wrong policy and that you are not insured for emergency evacuation, repatriation or pre-existing medical conditions.

Remember the size of the print matters "The large print giveth… and the small print taketh away!"

This is especially true with travel insurance offered by credit card companies. It may sound like you have wonderful and comprehensive travel insurance benefits, however, the fine print often reveals a different reality.

We go into all of this and more in much greater detail in The Globetrotters Guide to Travel Insurance, including, how to assess your current cover, determine your actual needs and how to find comparative quotes.

You'll also find 11 ways to reduce your premium.

The claims process may not be easy Then there is the claims process. Be warned that making an insurance claim is often a drawn out battle of wits and determination. We hope you never need to make one, but if you do, be persistent. And make sure you document every call and every email, at every step of the way.

Wishing you long, safe and happy travels!

PS. In case you are wondering, we are still travelling and confident that we have the right insurance, just in case life goes sideways on us.

Yvonne Bauche is a full time roving retiree, along with her husband Michael. Since April 2012, they have visited over 30 countries. Along the way, they have house sat in Europe, Central America and the Caribbean and head to Ecuador this fall for a series of sits there.

They have written a series of e-books, covering insurance, how to retire in 5 years or less and a comprehensive guide to setting yourself up for a nomadic lifestyle.

TAP HERE for more details on their books They also host the "Nomadic Retirement Living" Facebook group.

Surviving long haul flights

by Carrie Trip

You're excited to jump on the plane and arrive at your next house sitting adventure. Until you ponder the lengthy flight to get there ...

It's not necessarily the cost of the transit, it's the time in the air and the thought of sitting in the same spot for hours. And that's not even mentioning the unexciting (and on some flights questionable) meals you'll be served.

So how do you survive a long haul flight and step off the plane feeling ready to take on the world?

Let's tackle this step-by-step and look at the basic necessities of life.

Food.

Sleep.

Hydration.

Entertainment.

Food glorious food!

If you are a picky eater or have certain dietary restrictions, you'll want to make sure you take enough nourishment to get you through the duration of your flight. This includes meals and snacks.

Keep in mind though, that you won't be expending a lot of energy while sitting or standing.

Eating less on a flight is not a bad thing and as long as you have enough calories, vitamins and minerals - eating light is actually better for you.

Choose healthy and easy to digest meals and snack foods. First be sure to check the airline guidelines for bringing food items on the airplane. If none are allowed (as is sometimes now the case), purchase food items from the menu, but keep the following in mind.

Heavy meals, carbs, sugary, fatty, fried and processed foods might upset your tummy while in transit. All of these are hard on your digestive system and other organs, plus calories can add up quickly.

If you do have special food requirements and will be choosing from the plane's menu, it's a good idea to call ahead or go online to book your meal. If you have a food allergy or intolerance, a follow-up reminder call the day before departure will ensure your needs are well taken care of.

Most international airlines, and even some of the budget carriers, now offer meal packs to suit passengers needing to adhere to special diets.

Getting your head down Seat choice should be a consideration if you are looking to grab a quality nap or full sleep.

You might want to book a window seat if you plan on sleeping for a good portion of the flight.

This way your neighbour won't end up disturbing you by stepping over you for bathroom visits.

Neither will you be interrupted by the cabin attendants as they bump their trollies down the aisle as they offer the regular drinks service.

However, if you yourself are a frequent lavatory visitor you may wish to secure the aisle seat for convenience.

To check out your best seating options look at SeatGuru. Then book your preferred seat as soon as you can before someone else snaps it up.

Plan your sleep schedule around the airlines in-flight services. Let's look at an overnight flight for example.

At the beginning of the flight drinks will be offered, followed by dinner, after which is a good time to use the facilities, brush your teeth and get comfy, ready to settle in for the night.

Make sure to have essentials easily accessible in your carry on, including:   

a warm pair of socks eye sleep mask quality ear plugs

You may also like a neck pillow, although these tend to take up precious luggage space.

Other items that are nice to have are:     

lip balm chewing gum or mints travel sized hand sanitizer body lotion mouth wash

It's not uncommon these days to carry sanitizing cloths and wipe down the surfaces, and the television monitor and remote, before settling in.

A recent Daily Mail article highlighted some of the dirtiest places on an aircraft.

It's typical for the body to become cooler in a resting state. Dressing in layers and having a sweater and light blanket for sleep time may prevent you from waking due to a chill.

The next meal to be served won't usually be until breakfast, so in-between is the perfect opportunity to catch some zzz's. This is when everyone else will want to sleep as well so it tends to be a much quieter time.

Keep your seat belt loosely fastened over your clothes or blanket to avoid being woken up by the cabin crew, if the seat belt sign comes on. There is nothing worse than being woken up from sweet dreams or a deep sleep.

Staying hydrated Flying to a new destination is exciting, and can be cause for celebration. This is made even more attractive is if your flight offers free beverages. But before indulging in alcohol, consider the consequences of the almighty cocktail.

Consuming alcohol disrupts sleep patterns as the body tries to process it.

Frequent trips to the washroom may also interrupt your ability to sleep. Then there is the resulting dehydration the following morning. While tempting, the thought of a hangover is worse, especially if you add the compounded effects of jet lag.

Jet lag is manageable. With a good sleep, proper nutrition and plenty of hydration you'll be able to breeze through your long haul flight.

Jump straight into your normal routine during your new time zone's daylight hours, and this will help you get through what could otherwise be several days of adjustment.

Regular H2O is the perfect way to stay hydrated. Avoid fizzy sodas and fruit juices that contain added sugar and sodium.

If you want an improvement on natural spring or purified water, try a flight formulated drink such as "1above", which is said to reduce the effects of jet lag.

Let me entertain you To survive a long haul flight, you'll also need to be entertained, unless you are one of the few lucky passengers who can sleep through the journey start to finish!

Make certain you have a good book, magazine or movie. Noise-reducing headphones have a dual purpose, great for listening to music or movies, as well as cancelling out any uninvited noises.

A flight is not typically the most productive time to study or work on a project. Depending on the noise levels from other passengers, it may be possible, but you just never know for certain how much disruption you'll encounter.

Keep on moving The last point, and possibly the most important, is to move around as much as you can during your flight. When you are awake, make certain to get up, stretch and if possible walk about. It's actually quite harmful to be sedentary for long periods of time and this can result in the formation of blood clots, especially if you have heart or blood pressure health issues.

To prevent stiffness or worse, make a point of moving. Even while you are seated there are exercises you can do to keep the blood flowing. Try neck rolls, chin tilts, shoulder shrugs, wrist and ankles flexes, rotations and stretching your arms over head. Some flights now have exercises in their in-flight magazines.

Don't worry if you think you look weird - health, comfort and safety come first.

And finally ...

Remember, not everything is within your control. Do your best to be a good in-flight neighbour.

Do what you can to make yourself comfortable but don't sweat the small stuff. It'll all be worth it in the end.

Enjoy your flight and your next adventure!

Carrie Trip and her husband Jack Janssen are Seasonal Nomads, luxuriously wintering somewhere new for five to six months at a time.

They share their knowledge, insight and money saving tips in Another Cocktail Please – the Essential Guide to Long Term Vacationing. Their goal is to help others achieve an exotic lifestyle of leisure, travel and adventure.

Take a look at Carrie and Jack's book by TAPPING HERE These experienced vacationers are happiest exploring new destinations and cultures. They love to snorkel, exercise and stay healthy while travelling so they can enjoy life to the fullest.

Check out their completed, and ever growing, bucket list of travel, exploration and adventure on EvolvingBucketList.com

Sadly, it isn't always positive when house sitting makes the news In an unfortunate incident, reported on 15th July 2016 in the Paradise Valley Independent, a 78 year old house sitter was found drowned in the pool of the house she was looking after.

There is no suggestion of suspicious circumstances, so it was an accident, presumably.

A most unfortunate incident and very sad. Please be careful around the pool if you are house sitting alone.

TAP HERE to see the article online

Be careful about who you invite to visit ... ... and consider the time of day (or night!) they call round.

One house sitter in Ohio ended up having to explain himself to the local police. We imagine he also had some explaining to do when his home owner returned!

We strongly suggest you have the home owner's permission before you have any guests over to visit.

And 1.16am probably isn't the best time to have your visitors drop by!

The snippet, posted on 13th July 2016, on the Cleveland.com website reads: Suspicious person, Countryside Drive: Police investigating a suspicious person call at 1:16 a.m.

July 12 found that the person house sitting at the home allowed friends to come over.

Building a successful travel blog

by Dariece Swift

Are you struggling to build a successful travel blog?

After four years in the travel blogging business, we feel like we're veterans now. In this industry, few people last this long.

Why is it that we've only been doing this for four years and we're already considered oldtimers?

Well, it's because so many people don't know how to build their blogs effectively, and they give up too early.

In this article, I'm going to give you 5 easy-to-follow steps to help you build a successful blog today, so that it can earn you money and pay for your travels tomorrow.

STEP 1 - Post on a schedule This is the first step towards building a successful travel blog. You must have consistent content. And not just any content. It has to be kick-ass content.

Posting useful content on a schedule will make your blog seem like a newspaper or magazine.

Your readers will know when they can expect the next edition, and the Google Gods will reward you for your consistency.

I honestly believe that one of the reasons our site "Goats on the Road", has so much traffic is because we spend a long time writing useful guides and solid articles, and we post on a schedule. Our schedule is not perfect, but we generally publish two articles a week, as well as a video.

Our blog now sees over 100,000 unique visitors per month, so I believe that Google likes us. If you can't keep up with a 2 post a week schedule, you're probably spending too much time on your articles.

If you're a perfectionist, you may be hurting yourself. The longest I spend on an article for "Goats on the Road" is around 8 hours and that's on 10,000 word travel guides that could technically be sold as e-books. These guides are epic and combined they bring us over 10,000 readers per month because they rank high in Google and are very useful.

If you're spending days writing an article that is about your story, isn't useful or isn't ever going to get traffic, you're probably wasting your time. Eight hours should be the maximum you spend writing a post, and that's only if you're sure that post will be super informative and get you lots of new, organic readers.

For simple story articles and photo essays, 3 or 4 hours should suffice. You're never going to live Tim Ferris's "4 Hour Work Week" lifestyle if you're spending 12 hours on every piece of content that you create.

STEP 2 - Be a boss on social media This is an obvious one and probably a point that you'll find on every list about building a successful blog, but it's important.

One thing you may not always read is that Pinterest is your best social media channel for building traffic to your website.

Create as many social media accounts as you can keep track of and publish on them frequently.

Learn what the best times of day are for posting on different channels and always post around that time.

But your bread and butter should be your Pinterest account. When you're trying to drive traffic to your blog, and build an audience, Pinterest is your best bet. Join share groups on Facebook which are for the reciprocal pinning of participant's articles.

Apply for Rich Pins, create Pinterest images for all of your articles using Canva and download a plug-in (if you are using a WordPress website) to make sure that your articles are easily pinnable as well.

We just started using Pinterest this year (what were we thinking?!) and already it brings us more than 7,000 people per month. Some other bloggers we know get over 20,000 readers from Pinterest alone.

The reason this social media channel is so epic for traffic is that the content is evergreen, meaning that it's out there forever. With Facebook and Twitter, once your posts have been seen in someone's news feed, they drop down to the bottom and fizzle out within a day or two.

If you have a specific product that you want to sell, or an article that you want retweeted, consider "pinning" it to the top of your Twitter profile. See our profile here for an example. We often change the pinned article after a few months.

Instagram is a photo platform, which is an important channel for many reasons, but generally, it won't drive traffic to your site.

Video is key! Shake off your nerves about being on camera, and open up a YouTube channel.

Try to create videos as episodes so that your readers will know what to expect from you, and when they can expect the next video. Check out our weekly GoatLife TV episodes!

Also, SnapChat is becoming a very popular social media channel, but again, it generally won't bring readers to your actual website.

STEP 3 - Do a guest post bomb I've said it before and I'll say it again. A guest post bomb is the number one best way to quickly build the traffic and organic SEO for your site.

Contact as many bloggers as you know and ask them if you can write for them. To find blogs to write for, you can check out this list of Top 50 Travel Blogs.

Write killer content and have them publish it.

The kicker is having multiple blogs publish your articles on the same day or at least within the same week. Try to get 10 - 15 blogs publishing your articles in the same week and you'll see a huge boost in traffic on your site.

Having this much of your content out on the web all at once can create a buzz for your blog.

People will see you on one of their favourite blogs, then surf to another one and see your face again. This will trigger something in their brains that tells them: "Hey, I should watch out for these guys".

For an added SEO boost, consider choosing just three articles on your site to link to. If you're writing 15 posts for 15 other blogs, have 5 link to one of your articles, 5 to a second and 5 to a third.

Make sure that these are solid articles that you're linking to and maybe even make sure they're articles that have affiliate links in them so that you can earn money.

When you link to the articles, don't just link with a random anchor text.

Don't know what anchor text is?

This is pretty important for beginning SEOers. The anchor text is the highlighted text that leads to the link.

For example: My Blog. The words "My Blog" are considered the anchor text because they link to www.GoatsOnTheRoad.com.

To rank for specific terms in Google, you'll need to have numerous links pointing to your articles using anchor texts that you want to rank for.

For example, if I wanted to build up SEO for this post, I'd write guest posts on other sites and link back to this post using anchor texts like: "Build a Successful Blog", "Tips to Build a Blog", "Steps Towards a Good Blog" etc.

It's important that you don't build lots of links with the exact same anchor text. Google is smart and it will see that you're trying to game the system. Simply create a variety of similar anchor texts like the ones shown above.

STEP 4 - Hire a VA This is something that you don't necessarily have to do today, but as soon as you start earning money from your blog, you should hire a VA (Virtual Assistant).

It's said that when starting a business, you should put as much money back into the company as possible, and a VA is one of the best investments you can make.

Hire VAs that are specialists in their field. A general VA can do a lot of mundane tasks that take you too much time, but a social media VA can rock out your Facebook account, while a PR VA might be able to pitch companies for you and get you sponsors.

We have a great VA named Amanda and she creates all of our Pinterest images and runs much of our social media. We don't have her talking as our voice because we believe that it's important that we are the ones communicating with our readers, but she helps us to share content and get our content seen.

Even if you're only making a few hundred dollars a month, you should consider hiring an assistant to help you to free up your time so that you can do things that are more important, which in turn can earn you more money.

VAs cost anywhere from $3 - $15 USD per hour, but when you're starting out you should be fine hiring someone from India or the Philippines for the lower end of this wage scale.

And don't think that you're taking advantage of them either.

This is a great wage for some countries and they get to work from home and become location independent just like you!

One of the major mistakes we made when building our blog was not hiring a VA sooner. You can find good virtual assistants on sites like Upwork.com (formerly Elance.com)

STEP 5 - Get seen This is a big one. To build a brand, you're going to need to be seen by lots of people. I mean lots of people. Sure, doing guest post bombs will get you in front of thousands of eyes, maybe tens of thousands, but to blow up online you should try to be seen on big media outlets.

Having one article published on Business Insider or Forbes will probably give you more traffic than 100 guest posts combined. Hitting one home run can sky-rocket your traffic and help you grow your audience quickly.

What's the trick to getting seen on big media sites? Pitch. Sure, once you have built your brand and have lots of traffic, it's likely that big sites will contact you, but at first, you'll need to reach out to them yourself.

Our friend Jazza from Nomadasaurus is the reach-out master. He's been seen on huge publications and him and his fiancé's site has been growing at an alarming rate over the past 2 years.

Alesha and Jarryd from NOMADasaurus take to the skies

One of his articles went viral and the dinosaurs soon saw themselves on News.com.au, CNN.com, Business Insider and even on Australian breakfast television!

Check out a recent video of ours that Business Insider Travel put together. We like to think that over 1.6 million views is somewhat viral! https://www.facebook.com/thisisinsidertravel/videos/1563958860597944/ When you're starting out, you should pitch like crazy. Pitch big websites, magazines and newspapers. Pitch just about everywhere you can. If nobody ever sees your awesome site, then how can it grow?

Stick With It! Travel blogging takes time and commitment. You'll need to treat it like your baby. Nurture it and do everything you can to help it grow up strong and healthy.

One day it's going to support you, so treat it right and don't give up.

We're Nick and Dariece, a Canadian couple who have found many ways to turn our travels into a lifestyle! We're location independent and work from our computers in many exotic locations worldwide - we're living the "laptop lifestyle".

We've chosen this unconventional way of life and are completely stress-free, happy and alive.

No nine-to-fives, no boss, no planning for retirement, no white picket fence, no mortgage and no debt.

Join us to learn how you too can live a life of freedom, travel and adventure by visiting our website at: www.GoatsOnTheRoad.com

Al has just completed a new four part series written exclusively for House Sitting - The ultimate lifestyle magazine.

So settle down for a good, entertaining read as Al describes how you can get started on your own journey to owning less possessions, ultimately freeing yourself of all your stuff!

Here is part one.

Come out of the closet (with your stuff)!

by Al McCullough

Let's try something, shall we?

I want you to go to your closet and pick out something you haven't worn in many, many months. Go ahead. I'll wait. Or if you're reading this on your phone or tablet, take me with you.

Got something? Cool. Now put it on your bed. Done!

Now, I want you to look in your closet and pick out something you haven't worn in many, many months.

Go ahead. I'll wait.

Got something? Cool. Now put it on your bed. Done!

Did that sound repetitive? Hmm, weird. But it did sound pretty simple, didn't it?

I hope so, because letting go of things is really that simple. And repetitive too. No, honest, it is.

Some people struggle with letting go of stuff and if you fall into that group, there are some ways you can minimize the pain and ease your way onto the minimalist highway.

We get asked a lot about stuff:   

Was there stuff you had a hard time letting go of?

Is there an item you wish you'd kept?

Do you wear boxers or briefs?

OK, that last question doesn't get asked too much, but the other two for sure.

And it's funny, the more we answer, the less emotion we have with said stuff we got rid of.

Maybe because it is a repetitive thing? Maybe it's like therapy? Or maybe, having lived a life with less, we realize it's not stuff that's really important to us.

That's where you need to get to if you're downsizing, moving abroad, retiring to travel, or if you're like us and becoming traveling house sitters.

"But I'm a hoarding pack-rat!"

OK, I'm not qualified to deal with someone with hoarding tendencies.

"Well, I'm not really a hoarder, I just like my stuff."

Yep. And hey, who doesn't? You put a lot of time, money, and effort into that stuff. There are so many memories with that stuff too. Remember that time you and your TV went white-water rafting? Or that time your "slap-chop" (see video below) and you got super drunk and TP'd your neighbour's house?

Exactly.

"Hey, I thought you were going to offer some advice?"

Oh, right. I digressed a bit there about the absurdity of hanging on to stuff, didn't I? Whoops.

OK, so like I said, getting rid of stuff is a repetitive thing. Go back into your closet and grab something else you haven't worn in a while and put it on your bed.

When you have a nice pile of clothes, put them in a bag to donate to charity. So many charities take used clothes and you're not using them, clearly, so let someone else use them.

You'll feel better. Your closet will be tidier. And you'll have begun your path to living with less stuff. Told you it was that simple.

How do I know? I did this every year for, like, 10 years.

Every spring my wife and I would go through our clothes, and if we hadn't worn it the summer before (or only wore it once or twice), it was time to donate it.

We did the same thing in the fall with our autumn/winter clothes. Each and every time we did it I always felt good afterwards. And by good I mean lighter too. Like phyllo (filo) pastry lighter.

All jokes aside; closets, cabinets, and drawers are the best place to start to help declutter, organize, and downsize... totally didn't mean for that to rhyme. OK, yes I did.

Closet too daunting?

Start with a cabinet you keep stuff like knick-knacks in. Or maybe a kitchen drawer.

My mom once had six carving sets. SIX! Here's something rather funny, that's only twice as many as others in my family had. Why do people have multiple carving sets?

Anyway, one of the keys to downsizing and living with less is to get rid of stuff you don't need.

Starting with clothes is easy because you probably have stuff that's out of style, or too big/small, or it's past its best before date.

Knowing someone will benefit from those clothes can help get you started on your journey.

And you'll feel so good you'll want to do it again, and again, and again.

This is also probably the easiest method to start with when it comes to decluttering, downsizing, or living a minimalist lifestyle. If you have less stuff to begin with it makes the next step much less daunting.

That next step?

Next month - Part 2 - Organizing your stuff to sell

We are Shelly and Al McCullough and back in 2014 we made a huge change in our life. We sold all our stuff, quit the cubicle, and moved from Canada to Panama.

We were never the type to accumulate a lot of stuff, and we often had yard sales just to purge stuff we no longer used and/or wanted. Every spring and fall we would go through our closets and figure out what stuff we didn’t wear so we could donate it and get rid of stuff.

Prior to our move, we sold EVERYTHING. And after a year of living abroad an opportunity presented itself for us to travel. So we sold everything ... AGAIN! And all that stuff brought us here. SellAllYourStuff.com was created to help others that want to lead a minimalist lifestyle.

You can also read more in Al's books - available on Amazon here:

Stove-top Eggplant Parmesan

by Jen Evans

When we decided to take a trip to Bologna in Italy, the first thing we did was seek out a food tour. It’s a great way to get an introduction to a new place by a foodie expert (so you will already know where to find all of those off the beaten track best places to eat recommendations).

Most food tours are also given by locals who also know a lot about the area and are passionate about it. So you get a little history, fantastic food and the best insider tips for your visit.

You can continue reading about our food tour at this link.

While traveling through Italy, Eggplant Parmesan became one of my favorite dishes.

Whether in Northern or Southern Italy, a version of this dish is on most menus. Interestingly though, Eggplant Parmesan (or Melanzane Parmigiana), is typically served as an appetizer dish.

It is most often baked in the oven like a lasagna, but I've adapted the recipe so that it can be cooked on a stove-top.

As a fellow traveler, I know that many places don't have an oven, but most everyone will have at least one burner. And that's all you need to make this dish.

For best results – make it with fresh homemade tomato sauce. I've included our recipe below, for all the super motivated chefs out there.

Your efforts will be rewarded. Enjoy!

Eggplant (Solanum melongena) or aubergine is a species of nightshade grown for its edible fruit. "Eggplant" is the common name in North American and Australian English but British English uses "aubergine". It is known in South Asia, Southeast Asia and South Africa as "brinjal".

Ingredients (serves 4)          

1 Large Eggplant (or Aubergine) 1000 ml or 4 Cups Tomato Sauce (see extra recipe below) 125 grams or 5 oz Provolone or Mozzarella Cheese 75 grams or 3 oz Parmigiana Reggiano Cheese 3 eggs 125 grams or 1 cup Breadcrumbs 125 grams or 1 cup Flour Olive Oil for frying Fresh Basil (for garnish) Salt and Pepper to taste

Method 



   



    



Remove the top of the eggplant with the leaves. Cut into rounds of about ½ inch deep (1.25 cm) so that there are 8 pieces after discarding the rounded end.

(Optional Step but recommended) Sprinkle salt on both sides and allow to drain on a paper towel for an hour. This will remove some moisture and any potential bitterness. Rinse and dry.

Beat the eggs in a shallow dish.

Arrange the breadcrumbs and flour on flat dishes.

Add enough olive oil into a skillet so that there is about ¼ inch (0.6 cm) covering the bottom and add it to the stove over a medium heat.

After the oil is heated begin preparing the eggplant to be fried. Dredge both sides of an eggplant round in the flour, then dip into the egg mixture and coat with the breadcrumbs.

Add as many rounds of eggplant as will comfortably fit into the skillet, allowing the oil to cook all sides so that you can easily turn them over.

Add additional olive oil as needed.

Cook until golden brown on both sides (about 2 minutes each). Set them aside to drain on a paper towel.

Once all of the eggplant rounds are cooked, add ½ of the tomato sauce to the bottom of a clean skillet.

Place 4 larger rounds in the pan and sprinkle with ½ of the cheese.

Stack the smaller rounds on top and cover with the rest of the tomato sauce. Top with the rest of the cheese.

Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes. The eggplant should be soft and the cheese melted. Remove from heat and allow to sit uncovered for 5 minutes.

Plate and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Homemade Tomato Sauce This is our favorite tomato sauce recipe. Using the bullion/stock cubes is optional, but they are a great way to add a lot of flavor when you don't have a lot of time or don't want to shop for lots of ingredients.         

2 cans (14 oz or 400 gram) crushed or whole tomatoes (alternatively you could use fresh tomatoes) 4 cloves garlic 1 large onion 2 medium carrots ¼ cup or 75 ml olive oil ½ cup or 125 ml red wine 2 beef or vegetable bullion cubes (optional) pinch red pepper flakes salt and pepper to taste

Method        

Finely chop onion, garlic, and carrots Heat olive oil in large pot to medium heat Add onions, cook for 2 minutes, stirring Add carrots and garlic, stirring until onions are translucent Add red wine and bullion and bring to a simmer Add tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and then drop the heat to barely bubbling (if using fresh tomatoes you may need to add a little water) Cook, stirring occasionally for up to 2-3 hours Optional: Add a ½ teaspoon of balsamic vinegar to add sweetness. You can also use a blender if you like a smoother sauce.

by Vanessa Anderson

There are have been some new and exciting changes over the last month in the house sitting community.

We take a look at what's been going on at House Sitting World, and what is about to happen on the TrustedHousesitters house sitting platform.

TrustedHouseSitters has given us the "heads up" on a couple of platform changes that will be released during August (2016).

Extra security Extra security will be available in the form of free ID and document checks, which includes passport, identity card or driving license, as part of this new feature. They will also be introducing a NEW verified criminal background check option, for those wishing to implement a further level of secure checks.

Free ID checks are something we believe all members should take advantage of, as it provides an easy level of reassurance for all parties involved. This is something we've personally used on Nomador's website, and so we are pleased to see similar options being implemented on other sites.

Feedback on home owners This is something that has often been discussed in the house sitting groups on Facebook and will, we are sure, be welcomed by many house sitters.

Up until now, almost all platforms have only provided the option for home owners to review and give feedback on house sitters at the end of the assignment. This new functionality on TrustedHousesitters will allow two-way feedback to become the new standard.

Now sitters too will have the opportunity to review and feedback on a house sit which other house sitting members will also be able to read. This will help sitters assess the suitability of the assignment for them, and consider how well matched their own skills and abilities are with regard to the home owners needs.

Rachel Martin told me there are lots of other exciting developments in the pipeline, linked to "agreements", which include further development around the homeowner and pet profile packs currently offered. These packs help to ensure home owners give full details of what they and their pets need, as well as a helpful guide for sitters in terms of expectations.

All of this helps to ensure happy sits for all involved!

"Start your journey" with the all-new House Sitting World House Sitting World, both the popular Facebook group, and the associated website, is under new management as Nat and Jodie move aside to concentrate on their House Sitting Academy.

We will be chatting with the new owners, Tim and Lou in next month's Issue 3 to find out more about what these changes involve, but here we look at some of what's new.

The Facebook group has had a makeover with a new logo, but the website is where you will see the biggest changes, with a number of unique options introduced to provide support to the international house sitting community.

Some of their newest resources include: 

  

The Sit Alert - a partnered program that lists emergency, last minute and recently posted international house sits. As a member, you will receive notification when these sits enter our system.

The Graffiti Wall - text or V-Log depository of your unique house sitting experiences.

Visa Mapper - an easy to use and informative guide for your travel planning and visa requirements worldwide, based on your nationality.

The Marketplace - The web's only location dedicated to house sitters and their products or services.

House Sitting World's long term mission is to help the house sitting community - platforms, sitters and home owners - develop and maintain professional standards that will ensure mutually beneficial experiences for everyone involved in the house sitting lifestyle.

We look forward to learning more next month!

We've gone for a cat-lovers theme this month, as we've been house sitting for six lovely cats in San Miguel de Allende (Mexico) over the past four weeks.

If you would like to submit pictures for possible inclusion in coming months - any type of animal, or anything related to house sitting - please email them to us at: gallery@HouseSittingMagazine.com Many thanks to all contributors to this month's gallery: Jeremy & Diana (http://wantingtowander.com) Ruth (http://exploramum.com) Maria & Mark (http://catmadsitters.com) Nat & Jodie (http://tryhousesitting.com) Diane & John (20yrsfromnow.com) Yvonne & Michael (http://yourescapeblueprint.com) and Vanessa & Ian (http://longtermhousesitters.com)

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Each month, in this section, we'll introduce you to a handy resource. Some you may already know, others will be useful additions to help you on your journey.

In this second issue of the magazine we'd like to introduce you to another active, informative and supportive Facebook group aimed at both home owners and house sitters.

House Sitting Cafe is another "closed" group, now consisting of more than 2,200 members.

Joining the group involves submitting a request, and as in any Facebook group, there are a few simple posting guidelines to follow.

There are occasional house sit opportunities posted here, along with an inspiring mix of chat, information, and of course, pet pix too.

If you're at all serious about house sitting, this is one group you need to be in. Check back regularly for regular updates and new topics.

Click here to visit House Sitting Cafe: https://www.facebook.com/groups/833276966711703/ We'll tell you about another great resource next month.

In the meantime, for links to house sitting platforms, comparison articles, books, websites, downloadable forms, and lots of other useful house sitting resources, take a look at our "Resources" page on the House Sitting Magazine website.

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We've come to the end of the main magazine, but WAIT - there is still more to come.

Carry on reading our house sitting platform special SUPPLEMENT. Find out more about HouseSitMatch and take advantage of their 50% discount on annual membership.

What you can expect in Issue 3 It's packed full of valuable information for house sitters, travellers, expats and digital nomads.

Issue 3 features another House Sitting platform supplement. We take an in-depth look at Nomador, and this time get to know more about owner, Mariannig Ferrari.

Kelly Hayes-Raitt, an inspired writer and columnist at The Argonaut, explains how for her "House sitting has opened more than just doors".

Donna Mulvenna talks more about the niche house sitting market of Farm Sitting, which provided her with an alternative lifestyle for a number of years.

Tracey Tullis of Expat Experiment joins us again to explain how she and her husband successfully home school their son. She also provides lots of amazing resources to help get you started.

We also discover more about "Weird cat behaviours", and discuss a number of different ways to fund your travel and house sitting lifestyle.

As we've been house sitting in a city of amazing churches, including the Gaudi-inspired Parroquia, we have decided our gallery next month will include amazing churches, cathedrals and spires from around the world.

Please send your pix to gallery@HouseSittingMagazine.com - we will put a link to your profile or website too!

If you missed out on Issue 1 then you can download your copy here.

If you've a story to tell, please get in touch, but until next month when we will be publishing Issue 3 from Panama, we wish you happy travels wherever you are in the world!

Vanessa and Ian

(currently completing a house sit in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, then moving on this week to Panama to house sit in the beautiful Caribbean archipelago of Bocas del Toro - get in touch if you are close by!)

The small print Reproduction - Reproduction in whole or part without written permission of the publishers is prohibited.

Disclaimer - Information provided in this publication is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only.

It should not be used as travel, lifestyle, financial or legal advice. You should always consult with your qualified and licensed professional practitioner. The publisher accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any of the opinions, advice, representations or information contained within this publication. The publisher expressly disclaims responsibility for any adverse effect that may result from the use and application of the information contained in this magazine. Readers should rely on their own advice and enquiries when making decisions affecting their interests.

Publishers - The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers. House Sitting The ultimate lifestyle magazine is published by Ian Usher and Vanessa Anderson.

Email: contact@HouseSittingMagazine.com.

The publishers assume no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Copyright 2016 by Ian Usher. All rights reserved.

Affiliate disclaimer - Our website and apps do contain links to affiliates via advertisements and these are financial relationships. If you choose to apply for any service or product through an affiliate link we may be compensated by way of a small commission. This should never negatively affect the price that you pay for the product or service.

House Sitting Magazine offers a FREE subscription service, and we use affiliate sales to ensure that our subscriptions remains free. They help us to fund the production of this magazine to the house sitting community.

We will always try to link only to information we have tried or used ourselves, and that we think you will find beneficial and good value. It is your choice, as with any advertisement, whether to obtain further information or make a purchase..

Getting to know Lamia Walker and HouseSitMatch Vanessa interviews Lamia

House sitting is such a personal experience for both sitters and owners, and platform owners play a big role in that process, helping match the perfect people together. So it is wonderful to have an opportunity to get to know them more personally.

When we were back in the UK this year we spent some time getting to know Lamia over lunch, and then by exploring the wonderful world of house sitting with her and colleague Karen, while being interviewed for a local radio station in Marlow.

You can listen to the interview by TAPPING HERE

Lamia is so passionate about house sitting and about helping people connect through her platform HouseSitMatch.

Here's our interview - we hope you enjoy getting to know Lamia too.

Interview Tell us how HouseSitMatch came about?

I guess I was house sitting before anyone ever called it house sitting. I had lots of practice early on. Friends would ask me to come and look after the cat while they were away, or when I was a student I would look after the local expat's dog when they went on vacation.

Then I found that, as a student, this was a great way to earn some extra money and I started "house sitting" fairly regularly. I ended up building a bit of a reputation for myself as being a responsible carer of homes and pets.

An early start - Lamia, age 2, looking after birds in Syria

Much later on in my career, I actually found that there was a real need to organize some of these opportunities. Some of my network were asking me to help but I couldn't necessarily assist, so I decided to organize a network online.

It came about as a result of a conversation with a good friend who had recently returned from the UK to Australia. She found that even though she owned property they were rented out on long term leases so she had nowhere to live!

It had become very expensive to live in Perth since she had moved to Europe 17 years previously. She decided to rent out her house and house sit herself, saving around $35,000 AUD a year in rent. I was staggered when she mentioned this to me.

This led her to think that she should start an agency, but I suggested instead that we build something together online. And out of this HouseSitMatch was born. However, she soon became busy with other projects and I took over the business. I have to say it’s now become a passion.

Do you still house sit now?

Yes, I do still house sit. I was in Paris just last Easter with my daughter which was fantastic fun.

We were in an apartment in the north of Paris looking after a cat - it was fabulous.

Lamia and daughter Chloe enjoying Paris together

I've also house sat in cities like London and Florence, as well as many other places around the world.

And I am back to France this September house sitting dogs and hens in the countryside. I really enjoy it, and I really enjoy exploring new places. It's a great way to travel.

Do your family share your passion for house sitting?

My husband and I have plans to house sit together in the very near future. With dual career couples it can be a challenge aligning holiday weeks, let alone the children’s holiday activities.

Our children have a big age gap so we are constantly managing demands that reflect their different life stages, and not always in the same country.

Next year we are already planning to house sit a vineyard with dogs near Melbourne Australia.

It’s going to happen!

If you have a pet or pets, can you introduce us?

Sadly, we don't currently have any of our own pets, however, we do look after pets in our home for some of our local clients. Especially when they have last minute requirements, and they need help with pet sitting.

Meet Daisy, she is a regular at Walker Towers!

We've heard great things from house sitting families using your platform because of the personal service you can provide. Why do you think this helps and is so important for home owners who are open to offering assignments to families?

As a home owner juggling two professions in one household, as well as the children’s needs, and domestic routines, I have some insight into the challenges many professional home owners face on a daily basis.

The calendar can be a battleground and scheduling becomes more science than art form, especially if you add family pets into the mix. The idea of having a reliable house sitting source you can tap into to find good dependable sitters at a moderate fee, is a huge bonus for supporting a complicated lifestyle.

As a former pet owner I also know how great and instant an affinity most pets have with children. Aside from the occasional pet (e.g. perhaps a rescue dog, or highly independent cat), children and pets generally bond easily through a direct and uncompromising mutual affection, a tactile presence and genuine feeling.

Pets can sense when an adult is trying too hard or doesn’t try at all. Kids instinctively just want to play and most pets don’t need to be invited.

Best friends - Lamia's daughter Chloe with Daisy

While some homeowners cannot and will not have children in their home for practical reasons perhaps they don’t have an additional bedroom available or they have breakable items on display around their home, other homeowners recognize the huge asset children can be to bring life to the home, to entertain and divert the pets while they are away.

Preventing pets from pining and succumbing to separation anxiety can have terrible consequences. Children are very attentive and entertaining for the pets and they are great company for each other.

It is not for everyone to host an unknown family in their home. However, increasingly homeowners see the advantages not only for the happiness and well-being of their fur family, but also for the security of their home.

Note: You'll find some great advice from Lamia for applying for family house sits later in the supplement.

Does being based close to London give you the opportunity to take advantage of wonderful mini-breaks in Europe?

Yes, and you can get some very affordable flights now, or you can travel by train or coach - it really is very easy and makes travel instantly accessible. And that's the beauty of house sitting it doesn't have to be for a week, two weeks or longer.

Lamia and Chloe on Eurostar for a quick trip to Europe

People in Europe, and the UK particularly, love their weekend breaks, and as a house sitter you can take advantage of these short breaks to experience your own short vacation. Cities can be expensive places to stay in decent hotels, and house sitting offers a different way of experiencing a city break.

HouseSitMatch is a very professional website, offering great ease of use and packed full of features. How has your career path helped you to develop the HouseSitMatch platform?

My background in marketing has really helped me appreciate what's needed by the customer, especially in an online environment. One of the things that I thought was really important, having used many websites myself, was that our platform should be easy to use.

I wanted it to be as user friendly and as intuitive as possible. However, if someone wants or needs more sophisticated levels of support then I wanted that to be available too. So the service on the website is scalable. If you need help with legal documents, or templates for house sitting agreements, then they are there for you to download.

There is LiveChat available via the homepage for members and non members. Once you are registered we have LiveChat with admin on the inside in case you have more questions or want to address another member publicly.

We also have a Private Message function that allows you to direct any question to any other member or Admin should you want to. It's not obligatory that you use them, but they are there if you want access to them.

Security is another very important aspect of a house sitting platform. The protection and security is also built in to the site. Security for the home owner is key and we have to make sure they are comfortable and know that neither home address nor contact details for example, will be revealed online.

So yes, I did bring a lot of my background experience to the platform and pour some of my previous and relevant experience into this user system. We hope to continue adding useful features as we grow.

It seems that house sitting platforms are continually evolving to meet the changing needs of this growing industry. Does HouseSitMatch also strive to meet the ongoing needs of its members?

I'm continually listening to our members to find out what is most important to them. We update the site on a regular basis and we respond to feedback. We add features from time to time that members have suggested.

For example last January we launched a whole series of new features based on member feedback, including the internal LiveChat function and a more refined dashboard to help homeowners manage their house sit applications.

The LiveChat feature can be found at the bottom right of the home screen

We also included a map to track house sitter locations (using the GPS location coordinates of when they last logged on). Because this proved unpopular due to the slow map function, we removed it and are now working to improve this technology. So we always try to listen to what our members are telling us.

We do have other new features coming soon, so watch this space!

Some feedback on house sitting forums has suggested that house sitters often feel that they give a lot of personal information about themselves, while many home owners hold back on information. We noticed on HouseSitMatch that home owners are actually profiled just as much as the sitters. Can you tell us more about that?

This is so important, because as a sitter I am just as interested in the home owner as they are in me. Social media and online networks today make our backgrounds so transparent and I generally think that's a good thing, although we must be aware of security at all times.

I know some people want to sit outside of that world, which is perfectly fine, but I think in an arrangement like a house sitting agreement, it's very important to be open and honest from both parties. And we encourage this in the use of real photos of the home and pets, and actual descriptions of the home with all its idiosyncrasies.

We've tried to build HouseSitMatch in a way that makes it easy to connect with people, and easy to share information. As well as having our own member "chat" facility, we are also very active on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LInkedin. This allows people to connect with us at all times. I think it's important for everyone to be open and to demonstrate the integrity that we all believe in.

I am directly involved in all the social media dialogues as often as I can be. We are a managed network, we oversee what is going on if we can, and we are there to advise should the matched partners need assistance. Rarely do any misunderstandings happen, and we work to ensure that remains the case.

HouseSitMatch has a fairly new facility whereby a home owner or house sitter can leave a rating or a review about their experiences. Can you explain how this works?

Both parties can review their experience of each other during and after the house sit. It is important in any arrangement that there is fair and balanced feedback. We believe the only way to offer this is to give both the home owner and house sitter the opportunity to review each other with a simple questionnaire and a 1 to 5 star rating system.

Our reviews can only be written by the matched pair - this ensures they are genuine. No other party can write or edit a member review on the HouseSitMatch site. Anyone reading the review then knows it is genuine feedback specific to the assignment - this keeps it true to the experience of the parties involved.

We believe the reviews shown on the site should be authenticated as real experiences by the matched individuals. We also believe in the importance of building an online reputation within the platform where your experience is based. Anything else just wouldn't be fair!

How does this compare to the "Trust Pilot" reviews that can also be placed on HouseSitMatch?

The Trustpilot reviews are given about the member’s experience of the HouseSitMatch platform and company.

Again, these reviews can only be written by genuine members and their status as clients is authenticated by the Trustpilot organization.

Our Trust score reflects the number and quality of reviews. We only recently started using Trustpilot and we also display the reviews on our homepage.

CLICK HERE to find out more about HouseSitMatch and Trustpilot There are a number of ways to contact home owners through messaging and receiving notifications. We noticed a new "Friends" option - how does this benefit your members? Can you friend other house sitters as well as home owners?

"Friending" another member is a relatively new feature, which was in fact recommended by a house sitting member. It is a really useful way to keep note of a good contact whether that member is a home owner or a house sitter.

You can befriend anyone else in the listings. As our house sitting platform grows it may become harder to remember all the people you have messaged or talked to. "Friending" them will help keep a meaningful list that you can access, and it gives you instant Speed Dial to their inbox. It’s a handy messaging opportunity.

Another great suggestion from a house sitter was that we should introduce a ‘buddy space’ or area for communication with any other ‘logged-on’ member. We looked at a number of options including a forum.

In the end we decided to introduce an internal LiveChat for logged-on members, where you can approach anyone else who is online. This has proved a practical tool for members looking for last minute house sitting support when dates change for example.

An early home owner suggested a feature whereby they could Private Message house sitters to approach them for future assignments - and we know this frequently happens.

House sitters suggested we introduce an opt-in Immediate Email Alert of any new house sits being advertised in a country. So we now have that option, as well as a daily alert and a weekly round-up.

Can you share the details of the two different membership levels that you offer?

Yes, the first is our "Value Match" option priced at £35.00 (currently around $46 USD) for the year. This is our entry level model. You can place an advert as a house sitter or a home owner with 150 words. Sitters can post one photo, and home owners two images, as they show both their home and their pets.

Our second option is "Premium Match" and costs £75.00 for home owners and sitters alike, you can post up to 7 photos and a video. This package allows for 800 words, and you can share testimonials and links to your work online - a lot of sitters like to do this and I encourage it.

We also have a very active blog where members can share their stories. More and more people are subscribing to this level of membership, as they find the video very effective.

Why do you think a video is so effective?

A video offers an instant introduction to a new member. It can be very engaging and allows the viewer to virtually meet the sitters immediately at the click of a button.

The first time we meet anyone we always take the first minute or two to simply register how we see them, how they sound and only then what they are saying. Watching a video allows you to register and digest these early details, then become familiar with the individuals, to understand how they are speaking, how they express themselves. It is also a good preparation for a live interview.

And if a house sitter video is well done it can be a very good presentation not only of the individuals but of their experience, like a dynamic resume. Videos are very easy to watch and the information offered is usually easy to absorb.

These two levels are great for catering to people at different stages of their house sitting discovery, but is it easy to upgrade?

Yes it's very easy, but if anyone has any problems just contact me. All my contact details are on the website. That is something I always encourage people to do.

We are still a young site and I'm always happy to receive feedback, and if I can help a new home owner or house sitter with a problem, I'm always pleased to do so.

I enjoy this interaction and am delighted to meet new people online.

Where are most of your assignments and is there anything special you have to consider when allowing assignments to be posted in a new country?

When we started most of our assignments were in Australia and the UK. Our thinking was that these are two countries with great relationships, a fantastic history and strong bonds. Where else would we possibly want to go?

So this was our original focus. We thought we would get our feet wet with those two countries and then maybe branch out into France and Spain, and other destinations where Anglophone expats live and holiday. But what we actually found was that people started asking us from as far and wide as places like the Ukraine and Costa Rica!

We had lots of different requests, and we didn't want to turn anyone down, so whenever someone asked us from a new country, we would open that location on the website. It grew organically in this way.

Of course, we'd think about this very carefully, we'd reflect on the logistics and legal requirements. We would research the law in regard to house sitting agreements, the conditions you would need to adhere to as a sitter, and an owners. Now we are preparing to open up in the US and Canada as well. Part of my marketing background is in professional services, so I like to do a thorough check. I can't be an expert in every country but a general understanding is appropriate.

When a house sit is fulfilled, does it remain on the website?

The house sitting listing does remain on the site at present but it is no longer accessible and shows the words ‘NO LONGER AVAILABLE’. The homeowners tend to stay with us and it can be useful to see the history, if you are thinking of a particular area and house sit for the future.

Do you find that some places get booked up much more quickly than others, and also attract a higher response rate?

There are many requests for the popular cities like London, Paris, and Spain, and so these assignments can be overrun with enquiries. I tell people to think outside the box. If you want to go to London for instance, look for house sits that are maybe 30 minutes outside the capital.

Public transport systems are good and you'll probably find it easier to get into the centre and possibly cheaper it will be cheaper to live.

We've got good odds on HouseSitMatch right now. The ratio of home owner to house sitter is 1 to 2. So the odds are pretty good. On other larger sites it could be as high as 1:20, so you've actually got a better chance of being selected or of fulfilling your assignment.

So I encourage people to join! And if you need that personal touch to get you started please chat with me online.

Time to own up - are you a cat person or a dog person?

I really hate this question. Having owned both dog (Doc, the Cocker Spaniel) and cat (Prince, the Siamese blue point) I am always hard pressed to choose. However, if I could only ever have one more pet, ever, then I would probably choose a dog. I think…but then again…

How, if at all, do you see house sitting evolving over the next few years?

My belief is that in the near future your ‘online reputation in house sitting’ will become your defining opportunity and your challenge.

As we become more sophisticated in our appreciation of ‘reputation’ and background checks (which we offer by the way for only £5 for members), then online buyers will begin to assess rating systems with greater scrutiny. And the value of the rating system will become an important factor in home owners choosing where to post and which house sitters to choose.

As a member of any network you will want to understand what that 5 star review is saying about you and the site you are on, and whether or not the review sites and comparison sites rate your review system.

There are new reputation management systems that amalgamate an individual’s digital footprint and their reputation in all manner of ways. They grade each review they have for its’ merit and value outside of that platform.

So even though you have a 5 star rating on one platform does that mean anything? Do we believe a site that has 100% 5 star ratings across the board?

Is there anything new we can expect on the website in the next few months?

We will be adding more features in the next few months, and we’ll be improving certain functions on our site in order to make the site even easier to use, and to add value for our members.

We have a history of listening to active and inactive members and to their suggestions. Without giving too much away we are going to introduce new easier to use dashboards, and an

advanced search for home owners so they can find house sitters with specific skills. We already have this in reverse so that house sitters can find assignments with certain features.

We understand you have a great offer at the moment for House Sitting Magazine readers, from 15th August until 30th November 2016.

Yes - 50% off all subscriptions. If you use the link below and the coupon code "SPECIAL50" you'll get 50% off the regular subscription rate.

TAP HERE - HouseSitMatch special offer - 50% off Don't forget - use the code "SPECIAL50" to pay just half the regular registration fee.

Introductory video Find out a little more about HouseSitMatch from Lamia in her introductory video:

Introduction by Lamia Walker, founder of HouseSitMatch I try to meet as many of our members from the HouseSitMatch network as possible, either on Skype or face to face, if our paths cross in the UK or elsewhere in the world. And on a regular basis I am charmed and fascinated by one and all.

I’d like to introduce you to one particular couple who have house sat through our network, and whose experience struck a chord with me. I caught up with them at the Trout Inn near Oxford, and a few weeks later they agreed to write their house sitting story for us.

Home owners turned house sitters exploring the world!

by Alba and Mike Gross

When the last of our three kids got his University degree and announced his “move out” day, we realized we were going to be "empty-nesters" for the first time in 27 years. Even our beloved 120lb dog, a lab-shepherd, had “moved on” passing away just shy of turning fourteen.

Not quite ready to retire completely, we saw this as a unique time in our lives. Major commitments to our were children over for now, but we realized that weddings, new homes, and grandchildren would start tugging on our time and finances before long.

So, we decided to do “retirement on an installment plan.” Rather than wait to be fully retired in our late 60s, with all the possible limitations that might entail, why not do some of it now?

Step one: to request a one year leave of absence from our jobs, with the explicit understanding that we might not return. Don’t adventures demand uncertain endings?

Step two: the decision to rent out our house. But, even with this valuable income, we knew our past travel experiences had not been cheap, and the idea of doing a six month to a year odyssey still seemed more than a little mad.

Alba diving in the Red Sea in Egypt

On a couple of occasions we had used house sitters to look after our home and pets, so the thought occurred to us, why not try it ourselves? We took a “baby step” into the community by crafting a profile for ourselves. It told our story and emphasized the characteristics of a sitter that we ourselves would have wanted for our own home.

Then we answered a request for a house sitter just 25 minutes from our own home. The home owner was at first confused, until we explained why we were doing it. In fact, it turned out to be great for everyone. We got a few days at the beach, caring for a shy kitty and a pretty garden, and we made a new friend!

A couple of weeks later we got a call from the homeowner. An emergency had popped up and she wanted to know if we could house sit again. That was a sign for us - clearly we’d done a decent job of being house sitters!

We had put our jobs on hold, rented out the house, stored away all precious possessions, and got a good house sit under our belts - it was time to buy "round the world" tickets that would land us in Paris and return us from Barcelona six months later.

Next we began answering some house sit advertisements across Europe. Using Skype, we landed another assignment, this time at a gorgeous stone farmhouse in France! It was a leap of faith to board a flight to Paris with so little planned, but it turned out that our professional lives had actually prepared us well for house sitting.

We understood the importance of building trust and good communications with the home owners, reconfirming arrival dates/times, homeowner/pet expectations, and keeping our hosts informed during the house sit - exactly what we ourselves had wanted for our home.

Hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, Turkey

In the end our wild trajectory took us from Paris to Istanbul, with three magical weeks hot air ballooning in Turkey. Sailing around the 12 Islands was followed by a month along the east coast of Spain, with a great assignment in Vera for a lovely Irish lady with a town house and two sweet dogs.

It was around day 40 of our trip that we arrived into Vera, on the Costa Almeria. We spent eight lazy days sunning ourselves on our home owner's roof top terrace, dining at the seashore when not making meals at home, walking the doggies along the beach, and exploring nearby villages.

It was the perfect break. We enjoyed it so much we decided to let our subsequent house sit dictate where we would go next.

Again, our profile story and Skype conversations turned out to be key. A house sit popped up in Ireland at a beautiful cottage on a hill just outside Cork, and a cheap flight with Iberia was found and secured. One day we were swimming in the Mediterranean in Malaga, the next we were driving on the “wrong” side of the road through the lush Irish countryside.

Our week in Ireland was a wonderful experience. Two wood-burning stoves, a big kitchen with great views, a shy but sweet dog that loved leading us over hill and dale, and another new friendship.

For us the freedom and convenience of a car is essential to our explorations, especially at this time with so little planned. But it had a special benefit for house sitting. Most home owners in the UK don’t offer a vehicle and many sits are not in cities.

Morning bougainvillea in Vera, Spain

So having a vehicle meant we were free to answer any kind of house sitting advert in any location. In the end the sits we did accounted for about 25% of our total nights in Europe, and we could easily have taken twice as many assignments!

Our journey was dictated by the impulse of the moment and the house sits we secured. It took us from France-Turkey-Spain-Gibraltar-Ireland-Wales-England-Scotland-Germany-EgyptGermany-Switzerland-France-Greece-France.

Thanks to house sitting we enjoyed a well-paced tour

The money we saved by house sitting meant that we had more available for great adventures, like hot air ballooning in Turkey, and a canal barge to attend Champagne tastings in Reims.

Finally, duty called us back home, however we are already planning our next adventure with the confidence that house sitting is not only a financially smart way to travel, it can really provide a sense of what life is like in other parts of the world – and it leads to new friendships as well!

Tap the image below to visit the HouseSitMatch.com website:

Alba and Mike, Canadian homeowners, spent 27 years working and raising a family in Vancouver.

They took the opportunity to travel the world once the youngest of their kids had completed his degree.

They had used house sitters themselves and so it was an easy choice to take on the new role of house sitters in order to make their own travels affordable.

Alba and Mike at the Trevi Fountain in Rome

Homeowner's TOP TIPS for new house sitters Introduction by Lamia Walker

As often as we can we call our home owners personally as part of their "on-boarding" with HouseSitMatch. After this first call, we can stay in touch if they want us to, checking to see that all is in order for the house sitters while the homeowner is away (this service is available for Premium home owners on request).

This can help house sitters too. One home owner who is happy to keep in touch is Philippa from our "Country Bliss" house sit in Spain.

I recently spoke with Philippa after the departure of her latest sitter, and we chatted about how HouseSitMatch had fared in providing a service to care for her three dogs, three cats and five donkeys in rural Andalucia.

All was OK, but she did reflect on some of her own ideas about house sitting best practice and she agreed to share some of her fabulous tips for house sitters when caring for pets in a rural location.

Here are her top 10 tips.

Thank you Philippa!

Top 10 tips for house sitters

by Philippa (HouseSitMatch home owner "Country Bliss")

1. Try to get to know the home owner Start the relationship with good communications at the outset. Use Skype or telephone to get to know each other, especially if you can't meet personally before the house sit starts.

2. Share photos and a video before the house sit It helps the home owner get to know you better if you can share photos of yourself along with a video explaining who you are, and your motivations for house sitting.

As a homeowner I believe it is our mutual responsibility to become familiar with each other whenever we can. I always provide photos and call you first so we can discuss the assignment.

This gives us the opportunity to ask questions of each other.

3. Read the owner's check lists and home and pet guides Some home owners go to a great deal of trouble to prepare detailed information about their home and their pets. They include all the routines necessary to care for both their property and their 'fur families'.

Before the owner leaves, take time out to read this information. Make sure you know the location of the nearest neighbour and how to get to them; find out how to contact or get to the vets, and get the contact details of a very good close-by friend, in case you need emergency or other help of some kind.

4. Don't be nervous about using a house sitting agreement A house sitting agreement can help prepare both the owner and sitter for the actual house sitting assignment. It may seem like a lot of trouble before the event, however, it can help to ensure that there is a clear understanding about all the responsibilities between both parties.

5. Arrive at least one day in advance of the house sit It’s a good idea to aim to arrive AT LEAST one day before the owner leaves so they can orientate you with the area, and familiarize you with the property and pets as much as possible.

This is particularly important in a foreign country and in rural areas, where the nearest shops, hospital, or vet might be a 20 minute drive away.

6. Manage animal feeding times carefully One advantage of using house sitters from a similar culture to care for your animals, rather than locals, is that they have similar values regarding household pets.

In Spain local pet carers don't feel it is necessary to feed cats, and instead leave them to scavenge for food.

You must make sure you feed them all sufficiently, regularly and according to their normal routines. This is really important, so careful management is required.

7. Stay in touch while the owner is away However well you know the owner and pets, it can reinforce the owner’s peace of mind about having you in their home if you can stay in touch. Send the occasional photo and message to tell us how the house sit is going.

8. Keep the home tidy, or at least as tidy as you found it After a holiday and the return journey, it is a great relief to get back home and find that the pets are happy, and that everything in the house is organised, clean and tidy.

Tidy up as you go during the house sit – sometimes the pets like to help.

9. Ask questions - even after the owner has left If you have any questions, for example, about pet medication, or a procedure you've forgotten, don't be afraid to call the owner, even if it takes two or three attempts to get through.

The owner will not only appreciate your care of the pets, but also that you are trying your best to get things right.

10. Let's collaborate By the very nature of what they do and how they think, most house sitters are incredibly collaborative. This is what makes house sitting such a marvelous solution, especially for owners of multiple pets.

As a home owner I too like to collaborate and help out if I can, although I do like to agree how we can collaborate. So please ask, and let’s discuss timings and extra days to accommodate both our diaries.

Philippa is a home owner who lives in idyllic surroundings in rural Andalucia with her dogs, cats and donkeys.

Occasionally she leaves her little piece of paradise to visit friends and family, and it's then that she needs someone to look after her animals and property.

Her ideal house-sitter is someone sensible and mature, and who is happy in their own company. Someone who enjoys country walks, peace and quiet in beautiful scenery, but above all, someone who will take care of her animals as though they were their own.

You can find Philippa's profile here on HouseSitMatch

Student Diary: "My first house sit"

by Nick Caley

Nick Caley is a first time house sitter, who followed the advice given by HouseSitMatch to secure a countryside assignment at a house in Marlow, UK - a charming historic town on the River Thames.

The week house sitting was a well earned holiday following Nick's finals at University, as well as an opportunity to discover a new part of the country.

We follow his diary in which he talks about caring for Labrador Willow, their walks together around Marlow, and his thoughts about his introduction to house sitting.

Monday - Taking up residence I arrived in the town of Marlow, 34 miles west of London and away from the capital’s throb of sirens, traffic and noisy sprawl. Only the frequent hum of airplanes from Heathrow Airport give its nearness away.

At the train station I was met by Mary the home owner, who drove me through the patchwork fields of the countryside towards the apartment where I would spend my week. It was here in the car that I first met canine Willow, spread across the back seats of the car.

Willow is a black Labrador who has the beginnings of wispy white hairs on her chin, paws and belly. Without a care for the winding motion of the car, she could have been dozing, though as I reached backwards to offer her a first stroke, her seal-like eyes widened and stirred with uncomplicated affection. Just a quick and simple gesture, but one which seemed to reveal something of the core of her personality.

It was midday when we reached the apartment. Within half an hour, Mary had explained all my upcoming responsibilities for Willow (her feeding and defecation habits, walking routine and sleeping arrangements), and we all set off together as a trio into the small town.

I was grateful that as part of my orientation, Mary detailed all the best cafés and pubs (of which there were plenty), and a series of walks out into the county which was a nice surprise.

Earlier I'd had a tiny, tagging doubt that the week might drag, but by the time Mary departed I was sure there would be plenty to occupy my time.

As soon as Mary left the house and before doing anything else, I clipped a lead on docile Willow and set out again, this time to explore the old southern bridge town for myself.

We were both spent by nightfall, and I welcomed the newfound luxury of a double bed that had been kindly made up for me.

Tuesday - Keen for a day of discovery Many of those who live in Marlow commute to work in the city of London during the week. So for this reason I had expected it to be somewhat of a ghost-town, but on the contrary, the casual bustle of its streets proved to be a game of dodging the throng of passers-by, weaving through pedestrians and taking care not to snare them in the leash that was suspended between Willow and I. We followed a path to Higginson Park by the River Thames, where there was space to play fetch and for me to lounge on the warm grass. Feeling particularly idle, I spent many hours reading while Willow pawed and nudged for attention. The day passed rapidly in this was.

Not so bad this life, even as a new house sitter!

Later on I bought supplies and made an enormous dish of spinach, lentils, and coconut milk.

Willow eyed my meal jealously through mouthfuls of dog-food, so I made up for this inequality with plenty of cuddles!

Wednesday - Doused by English rain Rain.

It caught us on the early afternoon walk as we ambled east further along the river. The downpour became heavier and I gambled and lost on a shortcut which made us, in the other sense, equally lost.

Maybe I deserved the second drenching as Willow shook herself dry over me later, like dogs always tend to do. However, eternal optimist that I am, we did discover an especially cozy (and dog friendly) pub on the unexpected, wet diversion; well worth it then.

When we finally arrived home I toweled Willow dry and we curled up together to watch a film. I needed a cup of tea but Willow was quite content with a moist, aromatic kiss that she planted warmly all over my face.

Thursday - Coffee time with Lamia After taking Willow for her morning walk, I met with Lamia Walker at a nearby café in town, where I was treated to two mugs of fine coffee and some great conversation.

Lamia explained how she had conceived of her house sitting platform, HouseSitMatch. She also told me tales of her childhood in Marlow, and about all the house sitters from around the globe that she has met over the years of running the website.

With caffeine piping in my veins, I felt like a longer walk today and decided to take Willow along the River Thames again, this time to the neighbouring village of Bourne End. Over the river and across an iron railway bridge we rested for an hour at the Bounty pub, where I sipped a cold pint while watching the canal boats and decadent yachts skim leisurely by.

Later, I filled my belly with the remains of the meal I had cooked on Tuesday.

Friday - Midway point On waking, I realised with some surprise that my house sit was half complete already - time was flying by!

In the peace of the apartment, skilfully organised by Mary according to the ancient principles of Feng Shui, I used this day to do some of my own work - my writing. I also managed to mow the lawn.

Willow simply slumbered in between our two shorter walks, or stuck out her long flat tongue whenever I stopped writing, beckoning me to pat her. She liked to curl almost cat-like on the rug.

The rest of the day passed quickly.

Saturday - Summer time lunch Whenever she can Lamia enjoys meeting up with sitters if they are in the vicinity, and following our coffee together earlier in the week, she had invited me to lunch at her home.

Lamia lives in and runs her HouseSitMatch business from nearby High Wycombe, a town just north of Marlow, and she generously offered to pick me up from my house sit apartment.

Lunch was delicious!

Curry and cous-cous (infinitely better than my own cooking), followed by fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and ice-cream for dessert – a very English summer desert!

Back in Marlow the town was starting to beat with weekend life and the celebratory clink of wine glasses. I scouted for a bench that overlooked the rushing weir by All Saints Church, and was unable to resist the greatest cliché of all - watching the sun fall behind the tall trees.

Sunday - Summer love sensation!

A day of rest and more walks with Willow in the park.

Finally it felt like true summer. It was what we would call “mafting” in my hometown of Hull. It means "very warm".

Under the shade of a tree I finished two books, and watched a traveling fair set up their stalls and rides. Then all too soon it was time to collect more supplies to dine "al fresco" in the garden of the apartment with Willow, my furry date!

Monday -The end draws nigh My final day in Marlow and the last chance to take in the gentle and sedentary atmosphere of the town. No longer a new house sitter, I now felt very comfortable looking after my canine charge and Mary’s home.

Willow and I set off into the sunshine to take some photographs. It was also the end of our time together and I made sure to spoil her with even more attention. She is a dog with many distinctive qualities. I will always remember fondly the way she beat her tail carelessly against the walls and door-frames whenever she was excited.

Often, as I was returning to the apartment, I could hear that eager "whack-whack-whack" sound as she heard (or smelled) me approaching, long before I had even turned the key in the lock. I will also remember her happy scamper and the grin she wears so easily.

As I boarded the train back to crowded and impatient London, I reflected how it was a shame to have left Willow behind. But the thought of a second house sit and another story to tell, provided a silver lining to the storm clouds that emptied as I approached the city again.

In any case, I have been incredibly lucky to spend this time with such a lovely dog! I would happily recommend a similar experience to any other new house sitter out there.

Here’s to the next one!

Nick Caley is a recent anthropology graduate of the University of Manchester in the UK. As an observer of his own generation he writes about trends and ideas, as a keen traveler and new house sitter he shares his thoughts on the world of house sitting from an anthropological perspective.

Trustpilot explained Building an online reputation

by Lamia Walker Many house sitters are very particular about what they post on the internet. This is to protect their online stature and their good standing in the community, in case home owners or house sitting platforms carry out background checks. In short they manage their reputation.

This applies to businesses too and house sitting platforms are no different. An online reputation is increasingly important for individuals regardless of their line of work, and also for companies operating over the internet.

As a small and relatively new network, HouseSitMatch is beginning to build its own online reputation, and we do this by asking members to review the service they have received on Trustpilot.

Sharing good messages Like any other business a house sitting platform will look to find ways of sharing the good messages they receive from members, to help build their online reputations.

By maintaining a good Trust score, prospective new members will review any personal messages added by existing members and hear through authentic voices, the opinions of genuine clients.

Trustpilot authenticates the reviews posted for online businesses to subscribed business members. It does this by matching the email addresses.

A high Trust score is worth having and maintaining as it showcases our reputation. It also reveals the type and quality of care that is actually experienced by our clients.

We really value our Trustpilot reviews and appreciate any feedback a customer places on our HouseSitMatch Trustpilot page.

We also display those reviews on our own home page for newcomers to read.

Trustpilot's Commitment Trustpilot is committed to ensuring better online shopping experiences for everyone, which means we work hard to fight fabricated reviews. No company can delete or otherwise censor reviews. (taken from the website)

Family house sitting is no big deal

by Lamia Walker

At HouseSitMatch we offer a level of personal service that can help match families with house sitting assignments, by helping to reassure home owners who may not have considered allowing families into their homes before.

Of course there are also many home owners who have families themselves, and for them it is not a big issue. Their houses are "family friendly" and they are used to having children around the home.

Possible objections A home owner’s resistance to assigning house sits to families can come from a number of sources, even perhaps because of their own experience of having children!

Their concerns come from worries over damage to property, or even accidental harm to the children, especially if their homes and gardens are no longer child friendly because their kids have long since left home.

Here are some tips to help you prepare for and handle any objections that might arise.

TIP 1 - Address concerns over accidental damage and breakages upfront An owner might worry that families with one or more children will more likely have accidents in their home, or that there will be a greater likelihood of returning home to breakages.

You can preempt these concerns by:  

Offering a damage deposit that will be refunded on the owner’s return. £200 GBP or 275 Euros will show you are serious.

Preparing a house sitting agreement to register the owner’s priorities, daily routines, items to be kept out of harm’s way, and rooms that are out-of-bounds. At HouseSitMatch we have prepared legal templates to help members through this process.



Once you are in the home you can:   

Take photos of the furniture layout so you can return all the items to their original positions.

Carefully move any delicate items left by the owner, and place them out of reach. This is a good practice insurance policy for any house sitter!

Count the remote controls for each electronic item, learn where they live, and take note which batteries they need. Keep track of where they are everyday so you can return them in-situ, clean, and in good working condition.

These simple steps show a respect for your environment and the owner’s possessions. They are easy routines to adopt and can save you difficult conversations and heartache when the owners return.

TIP 2 - Overcome the fear that your kids will upset the pets Occasionally we have home owners specify that children are not suitable for their house sit because their single cat, single dog, or more mature pets would be disrupted by the commotion a child, or worse still, multiple children might cause.

This may be true and of course they know their pet better than anyone, but then again, there are some pets who thrive on the extra attention children simply love to give to pets.

Both kids and pets are often drawn together by a mutual affection, the promise of unconditional love, and a playfulness that we adults can tire of.

We had a house sit listed where a reluctant home owner was desperate for sitters over Christmas, and they finally accepted a family with multiple children, because there were no other options available.

They were converted.

The reason for this change of heart was that they saw how the animals (two dogs and a cat) came alive when around the children. The pets adored the affection and gravitated towards the kids for cuddles and play time.

The owners were thrilled to see the animals so happy.

TIP 3 - Build your reputation as a family of pet-sitters Create a portfolio of pet sitting photos naming the pets, their ages and breeds, and specify where you house sat.

Work through established house sitting networks with authenticated reviews to build a safe and valid reputation as a family of reliable pet sitters.

When applying for your next house sitting assignment, direct home owners to your pet-sitting profile and references online. showing photos of your kids with the pets, and real home owner references.

TIP 4 – Show respect for and manage the pets’ routines Some home owners worry that because you have children you may need to maintain their home schooling routines etc., and subsequently the pets’ routines will fall by the wayside.

It is a smart family that can integrate the two to best effect and demonstrate this to home owners through planning, good communication and ongoing management.

Demonstrate your ability to manage both children and pets by: 

 

 

At the initial conversation, ask questions about the pets, their routines, and what is considered the most important things in the pet’s lives. Make notes of each item and ensure you understand the details.

During the house sit maintain these routines because they are important to the pet’s sense of security and well-being.

Ensure you take photos on a regular basis and share them with the owner through whichever media is appropriate and preferred. And if your children are involved in the pet care routines, help the owner see this is working well for all concerned.

After the house sit give the owner a description or commentary on the pets’ behaviour, and any unusual actions you have noticed.

Describe how you clean and care for the pets and their equipment.

For travelling families, there are some great advantages to house sitting in a private home.

For one, you are in a "safe" environment where you can settle and establish your normal homely routines. In a well matched family house sit, any children will have their own room, providing them (and you) with the privacy normally experienced at home. This is something you might often lack on a travel adventure involving hotels or rental accommodations.

Most larger family homes will provide space for your children to play safely in the home or garden. Kids generally adapt quickly to house sitting, especially if they are given daily responsibilities involving the pets, or simple chores around the house, as this makes them feel part of your house sitting and travel lifestyle.

Long term travel can be de-stabilising for some children, and house sitting by contrast provides the stability of a home environment that helps them adjust to their new lifestyle!

Don't be afraid to give it a go!

Next month in Issue 3 of "House Sitting - The ultimate lifestyle magazine", Tracey Tullis talks about home schooling options for house sitting and travelling families. A great resource for any families considering this as a way of life.

House sitting with a toddler HouseSitMatch interview with Elena Carboni

Interview

Where do you come from originally and what is your professional background?

I was born in Reggio Emilia, close to Bologna in Italy, world famous for the Reggio Approach to pre-school and primary education for children I was a freelance computer consultant for training centers and later a desktop publisher through the web.

Then eight years ago I decided to move to the Canary Islands and I am now a resident of Las Palmas de Grand Canaria, the main town, close to the Las Canteras beach.

When did you start house sitting, and what do you love about this lifestyle?

Some years ago while I was living in Darwin, Australia, I started house sitting almost by accident. A member of the local swimming team was going on tour and asked me to take care his home and garden while he was traveling. After that I had other requests.

In answer to your second question, I like to live in a warm climate. I also really enjoy a lively neighborhood - a real living space. I don’t like staying in an anonymous apartment or hotel room - I find it to be a cold, sterile experience.

People who are part of the house sitting community open their homes and this is a big gift.

From the house sitter’s perspective, taking care of their animals is a responsibility and a privilege. The pets are a part of the owner’s family - it is important the home owners feel they can trust you.

Where has been your favourite place to house sit or to live in?

Well, I do love being in Spain, but I still have great memories of Australia and the Australian people who are so friendly and accommodating. I would like to go back for a long term house sit one day. Another dream is to visit South Africa, but I don’t know when that might happen.

You travel with a young child and need to be resourceful. What are the pros and cons of traveling with a toddler?

Mainly I focus on finding a good environment - my son and I need a quiet and safe place. A young child needs nurturing and a regular daily routine in order to grow up - at his age that is the most important consideration. I always respect his feeding and sleeping times. This is necessary for both of us actually, to recover our mental and physical energies.

So my daily routine is dependent on my son’s routine and the weather. I go out early in the morning and late in the afternoon (to avoid the strong midday sun).

We do the home and pet care routines together, as well as anything else concerning the animals. So he can learn as I work – e.g., feeding, cleaning, grooming and exercising the pets.

Children learn by imitation, so a correct approach to animals gives the first and best impression.

The pets always capture his attention, so it is possible to spend all the time I need to on the pets. If we need more time later in the day, then we return to the pet tasks until we have finished. He loves the animals and they love him too. It makes me very proud to see the natural empathy between them.

Of course when travelling with a young child on my own there are things I steer clear of. I avoid long hours on airplanes; I'm mindful of big changes in temperature; I don't go on very long walks; I try not to wait in lengthy queues, etc. But as my son grows older, each new step becomes easier, and we have a good understanding.

What is the reaction from home owners when you explain that you have a 2 year old?

I always tell the home owners that I travel alone with my son. You must be honest and open.

They need all the details of your situation in order to make a fair decision. Some home owners don't hesitate, whereas others need more information.

Only a few have chosen not to take us because they don’t want young children in their home.

It's important not to force the situation. A homeowner must feel comfortable with their choice of a house sitter - being open is the best way to build trust.

Animals are an important part of the family and the owner should feel relaxed in their choice of house sitter, they must be worry free while they are away on holiday.

From the home owner’s perspective, the people who accept us are usually open-minded and have often had children of their own. The fact that they already have children, grandchildren or nephews and nieces means they are more likely to understand that a young child is not an earthquake, just an accommodation.

Why do some homeowners like the fact that you house sit with a very young child?

Many animals feel abandoned when the owner needs to go away. Some of them stop eating, they pine, or start to exhibit different behavior. Company for the pets can be very important, but the attention they get must be genuine. Animals understand if you really like them or not.

Travelling with a child, means we stay at home for many hours each day, as well as the evenings. We can give the pets all the attention they need. I think that’s why they choose us.

How do you manage your day with both your child and pet care responsibilities?

I do the weekly shopping (or monthly depending on the length of the sit), on the internet. This way I avoid long trips to the shopping centre, and long absences away from the home and pets.

However, I prefer to buy dairy produce, fruits and vegetables close to home and will make regular short trips to local neighborhood markets. To help, the owner has usually prepared and bought all the food and necessities for the animals.

At the moment we do have a practical restriction because of my son’s age, I can’t walk big or medium-sized dogs, or take care of a big house or farm. But for now I simply don’t apply for these types of assignments.

Of all the bucket list locations, where in the world would you dearly love to travel next?

I am open to most ideas but would prefer countries where English is spoken. That is my priority so my son can learn the language. After language, living in a different culture would allow my son to grow up with flexibility and an open mind. He would adapt to, and learn from, each new culture and environment.

International schools here in Europe are good, but living in direct contact with each new experience is something else, and hard to match. I can't imagine a better education for him.

Thanks Elena!