You'll find extra news, reviews and snippets throughout the magazine!
Planning for our next challenge! Ian Usher
Living the van life in Australia Tina Satchwell
Mix it up - van life and house sitting Collaborative article
Video Submissions for House & Pet Sitting Conference Ian Usher
How to stop your dog pulling at the leash Dan "Doggy Dan" Abdelnoor
Free dog training videos Dan "Doggy Dan" Abdelnoor
Living on a narrowboat Ange Presland
Destination - House Sitting in St Vincent Vanessa Anderson
Hiking La Soufriere Volcano, St Vincent Ian Usher
Pros & cons of house sitting with a camper in the UK Ali Keeler
5 ways to get your travel fix at home Shandos Cleaver
The question we are asked most often is... Ian Usher
6 Steps to find the best house sits Ian Gledhill
Oh, the places you'll go Gail & Don Fairlamb
In-depth review of AussieHouseSitters HouseSittingMagazine
In the next issue...
Planning for our next challenge! by Ian Usher
Our #52sits challenge is beginning to draw to a close... less than three months to go. Can we achieve our goal of squeezing 52 house sits into 52 weeks? Follow our progress here: https://52sits.com
As I write we're about half way through sit #44, a lovely repeat sit in Essex. We normally look after two friendly, easy-going black labs, but they are away on holiday with their owners in Cornwall. So this week our only real responsibility is to keep the fantastic heated swimming pool clean. We're hoping for some sunny weather, so we can make the most of it
Through spring, and now into summer we've tried to get out and about as much as possible on our bikes, but we kept running into the frustration of having to unpack almost everything from the van to get the bikes out. Last month this prompted me to take a look at our vehicle, and the packing system we employ.
When we arrived in the UK last year we bought a Citroen Berlingo, a small car-derived van which is great on fuel (diesel), can carry lots of clothes to cover all UK seasons, and can also cope with a couple of bikes for use during the better weather. Our original packing system involved putting the bikes in first - it's a bit of a squeeze - then fitting everything else in around them. So getting the bikes out involves unpacking everything. Once the bikes are out, everything else has to go back in. After our ride everything would have to come back out again, the bikes would get put back in, then everything packed carefully around them again.
Surely there's a better way? My new plan was to design some way of fitting the bikes down the centre, with our other stuff in boxes down the sides. Ideally, we would still be able to access all the boxes without getting the bikes out, but would also be able to get the bikes out without having to completely empty the van first! Vanessa added an extra request if I planned some van re-modelling... could we have a little outdoor kitchen to make tea and coffee while out and about on our adventures? So, keen to tackle my new task, on one of our longer sits I pulled everything out of the van and got to work with the measuring tape, and researched my purchase requirements on amazon.co.uk. With a generous offer of two sheets of plywood from a friend of Vanessa's mum, construction began. Our original carpet was removed, and a new wooden base put in place, I was ready to add in a small cabinet with a sliding drawer for a small cooker and water container.
Here's Vanessa enjoying her van-made coffee, overlooking London from Greenwich Park, right by Greenwich Observatory.
Wooden guides now hold all our boxes in place, and also provide support for the bikes between the "kitchen" and the "storage area". I was still having trouble with the two bikes catching together, as the pedals of one would get caught in the chain of the other, or handlebars would catch on seat posts or brake cables.
I had some further thinking to do. I bought a pair of folding pedals on Amazon, which I added to my bike. This now mean there is much less chance of the pedals catching. My final modification was to add a higher guide rail for the second bike, which means the handlebars clear the first bike completely, and the pedals fit in neatly.
It all works very well. We can get both bikes out quickly and easily whenever we fancy a ride. But we can also leave them in place and get out all the stuff we need for each house sit. I've really enjoyed the simple project. It's been quite a while since I tackled any real hands-on DIY... maybe you can tell from the pictures?
My success has inspired bigger dreams For a while we have been considering adding a camper van into our lifestyle mix, but the prices of secondhand campers here in the UK is prohibitively expensive on our budget. Maybe a better solution would be to create our own camper from a larger trade van, kitted out exactly as we would like, to make it suit our lifestyle? Once again, I've thrown myself into research, watching many YouTube videos made by people who have done exactly this. We've narrowed down our vehicle requirements to a few options. Sticking with Citroen, as we've been happy with our Berlingo, we could base our project on the Citroen Relay (called a Jumpy in Europe). This is the same vehicle as a Peugeot Boxer and a Fiat Ducato, so there are lots of second-hand options available. There are also similar sized vehicles from Ford and Vauxhall. VW and Mercedes are also possibilities, although usually at a higher price. All of these offer high roof versions, tall enough to stand up in without having to hunch over.
So now it's back to the drawing board...
How would we fit two bikes in? Would we have a permanent bed, or one that converts to a table? Do we create a "stealth" van that can be parked anywhere? What about a solar system? Where do the water tanks go? How do we create a work area for our laptops?
It's a big project, but one that we both feel very positive and excited about. And with so much info available in videos and blogs (and in this issue of House Sitting Magazine!) from people who have already done this, we're confident that we can build a mobile home that is ideally suited to our travel and lifestyle requirements. At the moment we try to make house sits fit together without large gaps in-between, so that we don't have to spend too much on pricey hotels. With a fitted-out van we could schedule gaps between sits without worrying about where we'd stay. This would enable us to fit in more "between sits" travel and adventures. We've been studying our current house sit commitments, and have a full summer of short sits. Then, of course, we have to factor in putting on the House & Pet Sitting Conference in September. After that we have a three week repeat sit in Wiltshire, followed by a month repeat in the south of Spain. So realistically we wouldn't be able to begin this project until October or November. The idea of another winter in England doesn't fill me with enthusiasm, particularly if it involves a lot of work outside on a van. However, it is probably the best option, as we'd be ready to travel by early spring, and this would really open the whole of Europe to us for 2020. So, it's an outline plan at the moment, and as is often the case, plans have to be flexible enough to incorporate unexpected opportunities, or simple changes of mind. Maybe we'll be joining the #vanlife crowd later this year. At the moment we certainly hope so. Best wishes, Ian and Vanessa (currently house sitting in Finchingfield, Essex, England)
VAN LIFE AUSTRALIA by Tina Satchwell
People think I’m crazy... After I decided to leave the UK at the age of 24 with no mortgage, no kids and no degree to fall back on, my family thought I was crazy! But, New Zealand looked like the place to be, so I booked a flight, bought a van and never looked back. New Zealand was my dream country. Everywhere I went, the landscape constantly changed from stunning beaches and waterfalls to magnificent lakes and snow covered mountains. Oh, and the locals... New Zealanders are very friendly and you can't help but fall in love with their relaxed lifestyle, Maori culture, traditions and history. I spent 4 wonderful years in New Zealand before taking the plunge and travelling to Australia. My plan was to book a flight, buy another van and travel the coast. Four years later it’s finally happened. I’m living the "van life" in Australia with my partner John, running our own eco-travel business - Tree Hugger Travel.
Living a sustainable lifestyle Waking up to the soothing sounds of waves crashing on the shore is my ideal start to the day. Our morning routine starts with a refreshing swim in the ocean before taking a quick 2 minute beach shower. For us, life on the road is simple and we don’t need much to be happy. Breakfast is usually muesli and soy milk with a cup of green tea. Our diet is mostly plant based and we manage to cook healthy, well balanced meals in our mini kitchen. John and I try our best to avoid plastic packaging as much as possible and visit local farmers for fresh fruit and veggies! We generate our own electricity from a solar panel on our roof. Any excess energy goes to the leisure battery we installed inside the van. Accommodation varies from free campsites to rest stops and when there’s neither, we pay for a basic campsite or arrange house sitting for longer stays. Wikicamps is our "go to" app for finding free campsites, day areas and showers all over Australia.
Giving back to the places we visit Beach clean ups are really important to me and I make it my mission to clean every beach we visit. We all know the impact of plastic pollution in our oceans, our environment and the wildlife within it.
We all love a beautiful beach. So when John and I take a stroll down the beach, we always check for marine debris, cigarette butts and especially fishing lines. Even tiny pieces of plastic. It does make a difference. Before leaving Cairns, I volunteered at Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre every week for 2 years helping sick and injured sea turtles. It was here the impact of plastic’s in the ocean became a reality and inspired me to make a difference.
Van life and house sitting – The perfect marriage In February 2019, we were introduced to House Sitting and within a week we had already arranged two house sits. Our first house sit was in the small lakeside town of Budgeiwoi on the Central Coast, looking after a 13 year old dog named Ringo. We couldn't have asked for a better start! Both Ringo and her owner were lovely. You never know what to expect. I always prefer to meet and greet before the owner goes on holiday. John and I love to meet new people and it’s great for owners to know their much loved animals will be well cared for! Three months since joining Aussie House Sitters we have completed 6 house sits of various lifestyles. During a visit to Sydney we were offered a house sitting job in the nearby town of Thirroul. The most expensive place to live in Australia! Our job was to care for a 15 year old Poodle in a beautiful house overlooking the beach. A wonderful experience.
From here we took a 2 week road trip exploring the famous Grand Pacific Drive and Blue Mountains before landing a house sit on a 120 acre countryside farm near the Gold Coast. Our most challenging and favourite house sit so far. The home owners recently built a farm house, powered by solar and totally off-grid. Our stay involved collecting eggs from 100 free range chickens and caring for a variety of animals including; 6 geese, 4 ducks, 2 horses, 3 rescued goats and 3 energetic dogs. House Sitting has taken us to places we wouldn’t necessarily visit. We love animals and new experiences, so it’s the perfect way to explore a new destination whilst living like a local.
Tina Satchwell and John Whelan are co-founders of the ethical travel agency Tree Hugger Travel that inspired them to live the nomadic lifestyle in a sustainable way. After 6 months converting a 1989 Toyota Hiace they launched EcoVanLife.com to write about their own experiences of eco-tourism and living on the road "down under". You can also follow their travels on Facebook and Instagram John and Tina donate 30% of their income to buying endangered rainforest through the World Land Trust.
MIX IT UP: Van Life and House Sitting Collaborative piece
Creating your perfect travel lifestyle can take on so many different guises these days, but you really don't have to limit yourself to one option. This month we look at how you can mix it up a little. House sitting doesn't have to be either your only choice, or a forever choice. Take inspiration from these four very different full-time travelers who have used house and pet sitting alongside living and roaming about in a camper van or motorhome.
Karen & Myles - The Motoroamers Neil & Di - Couple living life on the road in Australia Jodie & John, Tia and Lara - Family of four Kelly Manis - SoloTraveller & her dog, Booboo
KAREN & MYLES, The Motoroamers House sitting - balancing movement with stillness When the corporate matrix beat us into a pulp we knew something had to change - and that something was us. From that moment a subtle yet poignant shift began that would see us transition to a new life of fresh challenges and a huge dose of happiness. Inspired by six weeks travel around New Zealand in a motorhome, my hubby had a moment of brilliance. "Let's go travelling for a year around Europe in our own van," he said. This was met with a mixture of horror and excitement. Temporarily horror won, although after working through my fears within 9 months we had conceived and given birth to a fantastic gapyear plan. We gave notice to our landlord and our jobs, packed everything into storage and headed into the European sunset. Within 6 weeks we knew that going back was futile and, in a heart-beat, our year became forever. Our first 18 months were a mixture of learning, exorcising our stress demons and easing into our nomadic lifestyle. Then unexpectedly our well-planned rental income dropped overnight after a midnight flit from a tenant. This was a painful blow to our "forever" plans.
Sat over a beer we thrashed out our options. We could return to the UK to earn the deficit or save money instead. Now it was my turn for brilliance. "Let's do house sitting," I said. Being the pragmatic sort, I took immediate action. Within 24hrs I had signed up to TrustedHousesitters, designed our profile, applied for my Police Check and produced a "Getting to know us" video. Within 48 hours we had our first interview, and within 7 days had secured four jobs that would take us through the following 6 months. Whilst house sitting was initially about saving money, it soon morphed into something more significant. We loved being able to park up our wheels and stand still for a while. Secretly a bath was a bonus and having animals in our lives again was a joy. Yet I was curious about whether house sitting would have me craving four walls. Happily, whilst house sitting is great, our 7.5m chariot is home now. House sitting saw us through a difficult period and we are so grateful for it. Now, with our balance and finances restored, we are less active house-sitters, although such is the relationship between two of our first hosts, that they now plan their holidays around when we are in town. This feels so humbling. The symbiosis between house sitting and travelling are like bread and jam. Whilst we may choose an alternative lifestyle away from the rat-race, having a place to stop is great. We get a pet and bath fix and touch four walls for a while; in return we can make a difference to our hosts' lives as they take leave of their flock. It's the perfect exchange and is something we continue to build into our full-time travel plans.
NEIL & DI BOUCHER, Van Dwellers & Sitters Profile: AussieHouseSitters Who could have imagined what lay ahead when we left our home and headed off on an adventure of a lifetime? Having spent two years fitting out an old four wheel drive outback tour bus as our future home, we'd dreamed of travelling our great country of Australia with a plan to travel the country, picking up work as we went. Friends of ours, who were house sitting in a country town, had invited us to stay the night, with the homeowner's permission. The home was lovely, but we agreed that house sitting was probably not for us. In hindsight that was simply because we thought it seemed too good to be true. A few months later our friends were house sitting another home. We visited again and this time fell in love with the beautiful little dog that they were caring for. I think that's when the seed was planted - what a wonderful thing to do! While travelling in Tasmania, on the first leg of our adventure, we learned that Di was about to have her first grandchild. Of course this changed our plans somewhat – we didn't have a home to go back to and caravan parks were not part of our budget. The obvious solution at this time was to look for a house sit in the neighborhood where we could be close the grandchild.
The first place we applied for became our very first housesit, and the beautiful Chocolate Labrador won our hearts. We've since been back to care for her twice more and have become lifelong friends with these first ever homeowners. Excited by the way this first sit had worked out, we decided to see if we could find further house sits as we made our way around Australia. Our plan was to secure house sits during school holidays to avoid crowded campsites, and to try and get house sits when visiting major cities, because of the lack of free, or low cost camps in those areas. This proved to be extremely successful and we often spent much longer than anticipated in an area. Was this a good thing or bad? Well we certainly got to spend time with some beautiful animals in some amazing homes, far beyond our expectations, and we got to see much more of each area than we would have if we hadn't been house sitting. The downside was that we weren't pursuing our original dream of wandering the highways and byways of Australia. But hang on - is that really a downside? I guess the beauty of our setup is that it doesn't matter. We are thoroughly enjoying our time house sitting, and when we want a break, need to attend to medical issues, or want to head off exploring, we can do that. What are the challenges of traveling as nomads in a bus? Well, we're still trying to de-clutter after four years, so are pretty squeezed into the bus between house sits - another reason why it's so nice to spread out a little when we ARE at a sit. The beauty of travelling in our home is that we have our worldly possessions with us all the time. On the odd occasion there isn't room for our bus at the house, we get around that issue fairly easily as we are often allowed use of the owner's car, and we find somewhere secure close by to store the bus until the house sit is completed. Fishing is something we enjoy and we tow a small boat behind our motorhome, which doubles as a storage trailer while on the road. So far we haven't had too many problems finding somewhere to store the boat. We treat house sitting as a professional business, even though no money changes hand, believing that we're getting fair rewards in return for looking after homes and pets with love. One reward is the people we meet and the friends we make, another is the free accommodation and services we get in return, but by far the greatest reward is the joy we get from the animals trusted to our care. Four years and fifty house sits since leaving home behind us, our beloved bus was written off due to storm damage. We're in the process of replacing it, so I guess you could say we are homeless. But homeless doesn't mean we don't have a roof over our heads. With house sits booked pretty well through to the end of October in beautiful Far North Queensland, we're certain we will be cozy and safe while we look for our replacement bus home. Until we can continue our house sitting adventures around Australia, we will have a lovely home to stay in and beautiful animals to look after. What a life!
JODIE DAVIS - Follow on Instagram In 2014 our family of four decided to take a year off and do a BIG LAP trip around Australia in a 4WD towing a caravan. Our home was owned outright, so renting it out while we were away was the ideal way to fund our BIG LAP. Our property manager had travelled around Australia with her family, and she suggested, “travelling full time in a caravan may get a little crowded at times, so consider joining Aussie House Sitters. It's a great way to care for pets, explore new areas and stay in someone's home”. We'd never heard of "house sitting" and I was curious about the idea. Fast forward 2 months and we arrived in Western Australia. We were loving van life and the freedom to go where and when we liked, but we were really missing our dogs, who were now with friends back on the east coast. It seemed a logical step to revisit house and pet sitting, and we joined AussieHouseSitters, a little dubious that anyone would want a family of four to house sit for them. However, we found a sit that sounded like a good fit - two dogs on acres of land. We applied, had a meeting and clicked immediately with the owners and their gorgeous dogs. It transpired that the reason they chose us was because their dogs loved kids, especially girls, and when they saw how our girls, Tia (14) and Lara (10) interacted with their dogs, they knew we'd be perfect.
The girls adored having dogs to hang out with and John and I enjoyed a break from the caravan. One dog couldn't walk far and was pushed along on a stroller. Our girls thought this was the "best thing ever" and loved their daily walks with both the dogs. My passion is taking photos and making videos and so I'd send the owners regular updates, which they really appreciated. John fixed a few broken things in the house and we left the house cleaner than we had found it. We left a thank you card gift. After the sit we received a brilliant review and this led to another sit in Perth, and then 4 months later, another sit in Cairns. The beauty of having a fully self-contained van meant if we liked a spot we'd stay longer, if we didn't like a place we'd quickly move on. To keep our costs down 70% of the time we "freedom camped" - on the side of a river, in parks, or in free camp locations. We also cooked all our own meals, which meant we could spend more money on special splurges, like swimming with whale sharks. For our family the combination of van life and house sitting was perfect. We loved the freedom that our van gave us. But equally, we relished the idea of caring for people's pets and having some time in a house - with WiFi, actual bedrooms and a bit more space. It truly was the best of both worlds – van life and house sitting - on our big lap adventure. Would we recommend doing a BIG LAP of Australia? Absolutely, it was the most EPIC thing we've undertaken as a family. It gave our family the travel bug and introduced us to wonderful world of house sitting. We are now part-time sitters who have enjoyed over 14 house sits in Australia and New Zealand. <ADVERTISEMENT>
Kelly Manis - Airbnbeast After recently closing my dog walking business of 14 years, my dog Booboo and I cashed in our Toronto life, purchased a class B camper van and hit the road bound for Vancouver Island. Our plan (pretty much to have no plan), was to travel round Canada camping and house sitting by transitioning my business to Airbnbeast Nomadic Pet & House Sitting. This would allow us to roam around but with options for accommodation between house sits. Our preference is for paying gigs but sometimes we accept free exchange sits through TrustedHousesitters and other placement sites. I figure not spending money is just as good as making it, so this system works out just fine. Since I am travelling with my dog and a van, we look for more rural gigs that can accommodate us. So far it's been pretty easy. Booboo has worked her whole life so she's used to being around other dogs and cats, and as it turns out she's curious about, but respects farm animals, so there were no issues with her chasing and stressing them out. She also has medical issues and we needed to plan ahead and set up vet visits for when we moved along. Fortunately we found a great vet in Sidney on Vancouver Island and we another one in Grand Forks, about an hour away from our 4 month winter sit on mainland British Columbia.
I was a little concerned about making the whole vet thing work and almost postponed our 5 year plan to do this, but I thought, no, this is our retirement and what better way to retire a dog then to travel around and expose her to different environments and smells. I'm convinced this lifestyle is what's keeping her around. So, we will continue on as we are. Aside from not using the van loo in 4 provinces (worried about the process of dumping the waste tanks), and avoiding the propane cook top (worried about it blowing up) until the need for coffee outweighed my need to live, van life is pretty easy. Sure you can't spontaneously bust out a dance move while in the vehicle without cracking your head but that's nothing you can't fix by wearing a helmet! This summer we're headed to the Maritimes for July and August. We have put the word out via local Facebook groups, hoping to secure some house sits. But either way we've got the van, summer weather and amazing sights to explore. Not to mention the wonderful hospitality on the east coast. We've had so many offers to "look us up when you get here", so we should be just fine. We'll be back in Toronto for fall and winter this year. I've let my former clients know we are available and so far we have 4 sits lined up with others in the works. We'll see what presents itself over the winter months and head out again in the spring. It's a fearless, faith based, self imposed nomadic lifestyle. My only regret is I didn't start sooner.
We're hoping you can come along to the world's first House & Pet Sitting Conference in Swindon, UK 21st - 22nd September 2019 but we appreciate that many of you have other commitments So, if you can't attend in person, why not submit a video?
VIDEO SUBMISSIONS NEEDED If you have something you think would be inspiring, informative, helpful, or interesting for our audience, we'd love you to send us a short video. We're looking for great inspirational content to fill the gaps between talks.
See our VIDEO SUBMISSION GUIDELINES here: https://houseandpetsittingconference.com/video-submission/ We look forward to seeing what you come up with...
As house sitters we often have to deal with dogs with which we have had no previous relationship. Have you ever had to walk a dog that constantly pulls on its leash? It can be very tiring, and extremely frustrating, especially with larger dogs. Why do some dogs pull manically, while others are happy to trot along nicely at heel? Obviously a lot has to do with how much training time the owners have invested into their dog. But there are other factors at work here too. Professional dog trainer Dan "Doggy Dan" Abdelnoor explains what is going through the dog's mind while he is trying to haul you down the street to the local park.
HOW TO STOP YOUR DOG PULLING AT THE LEASH by Dan Abdelnoor Understanding how to stop your dog from pulling at the leash is something that every dog owner needs to overcome in order to be able to walk their dog in an enjoyable manner.
Many other dog behavioral problems also stem from the fact that the dog is dragging you along the street. To put it simply, your dog thinks it is in charge of the walk, or in dog terms it sees itself as the pack leader!
There are so many gadgets, leads and collars out there but none of them can solve the problem if your dog thinks it is in charge. All these devices will do is attempt to divert your dogs energy elsewhere or cause pain in an attempt to stop your from pulling.
If you find yourself having to correct your dog every 30 seconds then there is something fundamentally wrong. The funny thing is this... your dog knows how to walk nicely on the lead. However, there is more to this dynamic than simple training. You have to at first convince your dog that you are the pack leader. Think of it like this. Your dog understands that on the walk, somebody has to be the leader, and your dog is simply taking the lead! It is more of a psychological battle than a physical one, or at least it should be. This first stage of the walk is actually ensuring that you are the pack leader inside the house before you look to venture out. Because, as far as your dog is concerned, if you are not in control inside the house, then he won't let you simply take control over the walk outside the house. (In the dog's mind, being outside is more a dangerous place, compared to being in the den, so if you don't take the leadership role, he feels the need to be even more in control!)
Here are some key tips to try before you venture out: After bringing out your dog's lead wait until your dog calms down, even if this takes a while. Only attach the lead when your dog is calm. Never rush this stage. You need to first learn how to stop your dog from pulling inside your house or property before going outside – there is a great video below that shows all of this. Walk first around the house going around the tables and furniture in your house with your dog following you. If your dog pulls out in front of you then simply change direction, leaving your dog behind you. If your dog drags backwards then gently hold the lead firm for 10 seconds then call your dog to follow. They have no other options and so will follow you if you are patient.
Control the doorways – you should always walk through the doorways first when your dog is on the lead. Practice walking in and out of the front doorway with you going first – keep doing this until your dog relaxes and gives up waiting for you to make the next move. Check your posture – make sure that you are relaxed and calm and that your shoulder is down and arm is straight at the elbow. Of course there is a big difference between reading about this, and actually seeing it in action! Whilst I can give you all the advice in written form there is nothing quite like actually being shown it on a video. Take a look here:
This video is actually Part 1 of a FREE 5-part video series Doggy Dan has kindly provided for readers of House Sitting Magazine. You can view the whole course here: https://housesittingcourses.com/courses/doggy-dans-free-dog-training-video-course/
Daniel "Doggy Dan" Abdelnoor is from Auckland, New Zealand. He is a well-known dog behaviorist who has spent many years studying canine behavior and psychology. He is the creator of the highly acclaimed Doggy Dan’s “The Online Dog Trainer” video course, which aims to help dog owners overcome any negative aspects of owning a dog. Dan is also a highly regarded author, celebrity dog trainer and is a staunch animal rights activist. Find out more about Dan at his website here: https://HouseSittingMagazine.com/DoggyDan
Free 5 part video course from Dan "Doggy Dan" Abdelnoor
Click here to access this free online video course: https://housesittingcourses.com/courses/doggy-dans-free-dog-training-video-course/
LIVING ON A NARROW BOAT by Angie Presland "I've always wanted to live on a narrowboat." "Say what, NOW?" And that's how it all began. My fiancé, Dave and I were strolling along the towpath of the Grand Union Canal in the UK. It was midway through May 2003 and the cute little boats were all lined up along the banks, still wreathed in early morning mist, some with flowers, some trickling smoke from their chimneys. I grew up in Kent where there are no canals. I'd never even seen a narrowboat and I certainly didn't know you could live on one. But, maybe seduced by the idyllic scene, or maybe just in a moment of madness, I said "We could live on a narrowboat. Why not?" A narrowboat is a boat of a distinctive design, made to fit the narrow canals of the United Kingdom. A narrowboat must be under 7 feet (2.13 m) wide with a maximum length of 72 feet (21.95 m). Anything wider or longer would be unable to navigate most of the British canal network. To access the entire network the maximum is 57 feet (17.37 m). We went straight home, put our house on the market, and eight months later Dave and a friend went up to Tamworth to pick up "Angels' Payment" and cruise her down to Berkhamsted,
where I was working out my notice in my job as an HR Manager with a fashion retailer. We planned to take the rest of the year off and see how many of the UK waterways we could cover before having to return to work.
Fast forward 7 years We are now married and have cruised pretty much every UK canal and river, working for 18 months, then taking six months off to colour in a little more of the map. Dave had learnt some really handy boat-fitting skills and spent six of those years building boats in between our cruises. I was doing HR contract work and life was great. I loved our little floating home. I could clean it end to end in less than an hour. It was at that point, in the middle of 2010 that we hatched the plan to upgrade to a bigger boat and go see some of the European canal network. After a ton of research we found our Dutch Barge. A 16 metre "Luxemotor" barge, on the River Thames at Gravesend. She was called "Andreas". On first inspection she was a mess. Badly fitted and with dreadful paintwork. But, she was sound, built by a good boat builder, and Dave reckoned he could fix everything else, so we put in an offer. For two years we stayed living on the narrowboat while Dave stripped out and completely refitted our new home. We finally moved on board in 2012 and "Andreas" became "Solstice". A few years of work followed whilst we rebuilt our savings fund and then finally, in June 2017 we sailed Solstice across the channel to Dunkirk to begin our French adventure.
What a summer! We like to think of ourselves as experienced boaters, but the European canal systems are something else entirely. We'd both taken our International Certificate of Competence test which confirmed our barge handling skills and that we knew the rules of the road. The difference, though, is that there are BIG commercial ships on the French canals. The water is wider, deeper, and much busier than anything we'd experienced before. A baptism of fire! Despite the shaky start, we're in our third year now and cruising the waterways continues to engage and excite us. We'd originally planned to spend all year round on the boat, as it is our home, and that's what we did in England. The trouble is, our funds are limited and there's no cruising to be done in winter because many waterways are closed for maintenance.
Thanks to a chance meeting with some fellow boaters in our first summer in France we learnt about house and pet sitting. What a revelation! We both love animals, particularly dogs, but our lifestyle just doesn't lend itself to having a pet of our own. Although there are an awful lot of boat dogs, cats, rabbits, birds and even chickens out there. House sitting would mean I could work all winter while Dave took on the pet care responsibilities. I joined TrustedHousesitters straight away. Paid the annual fee and found a three-month sit over the winter of 2017/18 almost immediately. What a boon for us. We got to love a pet, live (often) in luxury, use somebody else's facilities, and they pay to keep us warm all winter.
Our side of the bargain is straightforward: care for the pets, look after the property, follow their rules, leave it clean and try not to break anything. Simple!
That's how we balance two lifestyles We've just completed our ninth house-sit (one of which was on a barge) and we have enjoyed every one of them. So much so that I can't even pick a favourite pet. We've cared for all shapes and sizes of dogs (and cats), from pure breeds to mixers, fluffy to bald, young and old, well trained and bonkers, and we've loved them all. We already have our main sits booked for this winter - I like to plan ahead! In November we have four sits of 3+ weeks, with short gaps in between that I'll fill nearer the time. In the meantime, we're heading off on our summer 2019 cruise, in the direction of Strasbourg. But who knows where we'll end up?
Ange & Dave Presland blog about their travels on Wordpress at AquaholicsAbroad. This is an in-the-moment account of their travels through France, Belgium and the Netherlands on their Dutch barge – Solstice. Their journey began in June 2017 when they sailed her across the channel to Dunkirk and set off from there to cruise the French canals. Stop by and say hello to them!
HOUSE SITTING DESTINATION St Vincent (& The Grenadines) by Vanessa Anderson
I remember being a little bit beside myself when friends Nat & Jodie first suggested we might like a referral sit in the Caribbean! Three months in Barbados with a lovely black and white cat called Heidi, a swimming pool and use of a car - who wouldn’t be just a little excited. Since then, we've been not only to Barbados, but also to the US Virgin Islands, and more recently to St Vincent and the Grenadines. We also booked our first ever yacht charter last year and a repeat sit for 2020 - the Caribbean is fast becoming our "go to" for house sitting each summer! As Brits, it's easy to find airline sale prices each year with either Virgin or British Airways, who follow each other across the skies to Barbados every day. From there you can transfer to local airlines, LIAT and Caribbean Airlines for inter-island hopping.
Of all the islands in the Caribbean we've visited so far, St Vincent has become our firm favourite. There's much less mass tourism than on some of the other islands we've visited resulting in more locals than expats or tourists - it's so much more authentically Caribbean!
The fullness of life! This is "our" kind of island, we love the "Vincy vibe" and the concept of "liming" - finding peace and contentment in life, gratifying the human need for recreation. For St Vincentians, "liming" is about liberating the human spirit from all things that can make life a strain - it's a sublime self-indulgence characterized by a carefree detachment, without a sense of time or duty! Some would find this infuriating … not a lot happens at speed (except driving), but if you've the time and patience to drop into this laid-back way of living, it sure makes for a relaxing, stressfree lifestyle!
A little bit of history This is a multi-island nation - 32 isles and cays, of which only 8 are populated, and four of these have small airports - Bequia, Mustique, Canouan and Union. On mainland St Vincent, The Argyle International Airport was officially opened in 2017. St Vincent was not colonized until long after most of the other Caribbean islands. The island people (The Caribs), defended their homeland valiantly against any attempts at foreign occupation. The French eventually became St Vincent's first European settlers in the early 1700s.
But in 1873 France was compelled to cede St Vincent to the British, along with Grenada and the Grenadine Islands. There was a long ongoing dispute between the Brits, the French and the Caribs, but a truce (of sorts) was finally reached on June 10th 1796.
Driving around and exploring the island, you'll come across little pockets of history - look out for the brown information signs - they aren't all dangerously positioned for reading like the one on the previous page! If you get to spend anything more than a few weeks here, immerse yourself, don't be afraid to frequent the local bars and eateries, buy from the small stalls dotted about outside the supermarkets, connect with the spirit of the St Vincent people. If you take the time to talk to the locals, ask them about their island, their history, their culture... you'll have some wonderful experiences.
Downtown Kingstown We arrived at the new airport from Barbados, after a long 48 hours of travel. Rather than arrive at our house sit tired and weary, we booked an Airbnb apartment in the island's capital for a night, giving us time to explore a little on our own and clear our heads after the flight. It was Sunday and there was very little open at all, the streets were all pretty deserted, and our lunch options looked less than promising. Having only visited more affluent islands, I was convinced there would be a more up-market area for tourists, where we could find a meal to satiate our hunger pangs. We wandered up and down the two parallel streets that stretch the length of Kingstown, but there was nothing. Eventually we came across the rather dark, dimly lit restaurant downstairs at The Cobblestone Inn on Bay Street.
Unfortunately the upstairs open air restaurant was closed - a great place, we found later, to
enjoy a good breakfast with bacon and eggs. We met there with fellow house sitters, Doug & Johanne later in the month. So, our first meal in St Vincent was a sombre affair, sat among quiet customers, whispering so as not to sound too loud, among the St Vincent middle class. The food was very tasty though and the staff served us like royalty! We were the only "visitors" to be seen, and for that reason alone, we were starting to see how much we'd like this island! Sunday may be a quiet day, but in the week Kingstown is bustling with activity and people, all going about their daily business in this small port town. If you want to find good market produce, this is the place. And do try out the fish market - it became a regular weekly trip for us! We really did come to love St Vincent. The less appealing black volcanic sand beaches keep the 5 star resort lovers on other nearby islands. And with fewer cruise ships currently docking at Kingstown, there's not enough tourist dollars to fund the expensive bars, restaurants and shops found elsewhere in the Caribbean. St Vincent is a stunningly verdant, beautiful island and a perfect hub for getting around the Grenadine islands. You will find ferries to most of the outlying islands and it's just a quick hop over to neighboring Bequia. Here you can get your fix of beach-side bars and restaurants, mingle with the yachties, and bask on golden sand beaches - but you’ll pay the price!
HOUSE SITTING - BUCCAMENT BAY We experienced two very different house sits, at opposite ends of the islands over our 3 months, which gave us the opportunity to really explore our temporary island home. Our first sit was in the verdant valley that sits behind Buccament Bay close to Pembroke. There's a new development of properties, mainly locals but with a few expats too. A 5 star resort here fell into neglect following a lengthy dispute and some "fraudulent" activity, and sadly the local economy fell by the wayside too. But it seems that new investors have been found, and there is talk of the resort reopening in December 2019. White sand was transported here for the pleasure of the 5 star visitors but it's now being washed away at an increasing rate, but it was still a nice beach to stroll down to, along a dusty path around the back of the resort. A smaller bay at the left end of the beach has good swimming and snorkeling and provides a lovely setting to watch the sunset. We really loved the peace and tranquility here. It rained most days for short bursts, but most of the cloud settled on the rain forest high behind the valley, leaving clear skies across the views out to sea. I didn't ever get tired of sitting on the balcony, with the dogs on the sofa, watching the sun setting across the bay. The local supermarket was only a short walk down the hill, and we think this was the best available on the island. It seemed to have a lot of fresh, local produce, and was reasonably priced. It was new and clean and had everything we needed, including the best pork loin I think we've ever tasted! Unfortunately it's a bit too far to come to if you are house sitting south of Kingstown.
Some of our favorite days out included:
The Vermont Nature Trail Straight up the valley, behind the property, was the Vermont Nature Trail. This was one of our most enjoyable hikes on the island. Happy smiling staff welcomed us at the visitor hut - we were the first people to visit for three days! The trail is about 2 miles (3.5 km) long, winding through lush primary and secondary rainforest and plantations. It's slippery and steep in places, so we were glad of the advice to wear a good pair or walking shoes - trainers would suffice. The scenery is stunning, as are some of the panoramic views. If you're lucky you may even see the famous St Vincent Parrot, which lives here in its natural habitat. The trail ascends to a lookout and provides great hiking for all ages and abilities. There are benches for resting along the trail. This was one of the highlights of our stay, and we lengthened our day by exploring some of the spots along the river as we drove back down the valley.
The Cumberland Trail This is a two hour trek through some of St Vincent's most scenic terrain in an area where rich farmland meets dense forest. Unfortunately it was closed when we were there, but the staff at Vermont Nature Trail said if we contacted the Eco-Tourism Organisation on (784) 495-0791 they may be able to organize a guide to take us around. As it turned out we didn't have time to do this, but it's something we'll explore further on our next visit.
Wallilabou (Falls and the Bay) The falls were somewhat of a disappointment. In fact, everything here is a bit tired, scruffy and I suspect, not often visited. It's a long drive from Kingstown, over an hour, and so had we not been staying close by, we might have found this a waste of a day. We weren't tempted to pay for the entry to see the falls, which by all accounts is more of a plunge pool with a small waterfall overflowing into it. But we did make our way down to the anchorage to look at the tired film set of the Pirates of the Caribbean. It's free to look around, but everything is a bit dusty and old, but we love movie memorabilia so found it quite interesting to check out the photos and left behind props. This is a pretty bay and a lovely anchorage. There's a bar and restaurant, both of which were OK, but again we couldn't be tempted to eat or drink here… definitely in need of a face-lift and a refurb!
Our highlight of the day, was to explore a small track down to the beach at Mount Wynne Bay, (you'll have to search for this with Maps.me, along the main road, as it's not sign-posted), where we found a lovely wide beach frequented by the locals and had a refreshing swim in the bay! It was fun to explore the coastline up to Richmond, but take your own food and refreshments. There really is very little in the way of shops, eateries or bars. It's very much an insight into the local way of living along the coastline.
La Soufriere Volcano Rising majestically to over 4000 feet, this is the main draw in the north of the island. In fact, you'll find that the road pretty much ends at Richmond Beach on the west of the island, and at Waterloo on the east. There's a smaller track, which is passable, but it eventually it peters out on both sides and a four wheel drive is probably needed to go any further. The fairly steep ascent to the crater is around 3.5 miles after which the energetic can continue a further 10 to 12 miles to Chateaubelair on the leeward (west) side. We had many conversations about advice to take a guide on the volcano hike. But with Ian's training as an outdoor instructor, his extensive experience of climbing, potholing, and other adventurous activities, made him keen to find his own way after a thorough safety assessment. That done, and with some thorough research he decided to take the hike under his own steam. You can read more about that here.
Local walks around Pembroke We used Maps.me to pioneer a number of walks through the valleys, around the properties in Pembroke and Questelles Bay. They often involved walking on the main highway for some of the trip, which is far more dangerous than any trip to the volcano! You need to keep your wits about you and make sure the traffic can see you at all times. Vincy drivers are fast and furious! We did find a great walk up to a communication's tower with stunning views all around.
HOUSE SITTING - ARNOS VALE Our second house sit was nestled high above the island's fairly up-market marina (recently smartened up by all accounts), with unbelievable views across to the neighboring island of Bequia. This part of the island isn't as isolated as Buccament, and the road into Kingstown is busy throughout the day as it winds through several residential areas, dotted with supermarkets, restaurants, and hotels. This is definitely the more "up-market" area of the island where you'll find a few classier hotels and the "famous" Young Island Resort - you have to take a boat across the small anchorage to visit.
The reports we heard back for day visitors weren't that good, considering how expensive it is to eat there, so we'll reconsider this on our next visit!
Again we enjoyed exploring by foot, in the hills and fields, and by car on this the more weatherexposed side of the island. We missed the peace, quiet and laid-back living at Buccament Bay, but loved the views and the breeze here, which kept the mosquitoes at bay. There was more to do, and more places to eat, so a mix of these two locations felt like we'd had the best of both worlds. Our favourite days out here, included:
The Belmont Lookout The lookout is set above the Mesopotamia Valley with stunning panoramic views across the valleys beyond. This is the lush remnants of an extinct volcano which is now a major agricultural zone producing much of the island's fruit and vegetables, and home to wildlife including agouti, manicou, snakes and countless species of birds. It's a steep winding drive up from the coastal road at Arnos Vale, and we were happy to have use of the four wheel drive vehicle. To help with navigation we again used Maps.me which has far more detail than Google.maps - the maps can also be downloaded for use without an internet connection. It's certainly a spectacular view from the viewing platform at 900ft, and there's a useful photo map to help with orientation. We turned this into a circular route, getting stuck briefly in carnival practice at Charlotte St George, before taking a fairly precarious route back down the airport road on the Mesa Peruvian Vale Road. You probably need to be a confident (or British) driver to take this route! If you can drive winding UK countryside lanes you'll be just fine here!
The Botanic Gardens, Kingstown Set in around 20 acres of land on the outskirts of Kingstown, the gardens are supposedly the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, established in 1765. This is a quiet shady place to stroll in relative peace as you enjoy a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubs, and several breadfruit trees from the original plants brought by Captain Bligh in 1793. There's also a captive breeding program for the endangered St Vincent Parrot (the only place we saw one on the island) - the national bird. There's also a gift shop and a pleasant café. It may not sound like the most interesting of places, but it was actually a lovely way to while away a couple of hours in the morning sunshine away from the cars and noise of the roads.
Fort Charlotte, Kingstown Completed in 1806, Fort Charlotte sits on a ridge 600 feet above the sea with magnificent views (see next page) across Kingstown and down the Grenadine island chain. It's quite a challenge finding your way up through the houses on this hill but you'll see a continual stream of signs if you keep a look out. You need to find Edinboro Road and follow it to the top. The views up here on a clear day are really special, and we spent an hour or so wandering around the grounds. A lovely family of stray cats kept us entertained for a while too!
Brighton Salt Pond
We found Brighton Salt Pond after exploring the road that leads behind the airport. This is a local recreational area popular for weddings and family events. There's access to a sea water swimming pond if you pay the small admission fee. We asked if we could just go and check the view, and the staff were happy to accommodate.
Coastal Drive to Owia Salt Pond & Fancy With the luxury of looking after two cats, we were able to take most of a day to explore the coast up to Owia, stopping off at the small fairly run down town of Georgetown, and other spots along the scenic drive to the end of the tarmac road at Fancy. It's an interesting drive on a paved road (albeit more and more narrow) all the way, and we took our time venturing into small villages beside the sea, following the smell of freshly baked bread to a tiny back street bakery, and enjoying the simple charm of this part of the island that few seem to visit. We also got to see the extent of the seriously bad influx of Sargassum seaweed which had rendered most of the small bays inaccessible in terms of swimming.
Although we had a car to use at the house we were looking after, it was a little temperamental, so we chose to hire a car for a couple of days so we didn't have to worry about a break-down far from a garage!
We saw only two other "tourists" on our day out and loved the simple remote charm of this part of the island. At the tip where the road ended (or became a track we didn't wanted to risk taking the car onto), we were able to look across the sea and make out the outline of volcanic St Lucia in the distance.
If you take this route, don't have high expectations, take your own snacks and refreshments, make sure the fuel tank is full, and just enjoy the adventure. But don't worry... the image on the previous page is not the road... it's the dry river bed leading to the sea!
Fast Facts Language: English is the official language Climate: Average daytime temperatures range from 24C to 30C. The dry season is January to April. Rainy July to October. Clothing: Light informal clothes. Don't wear bathing suits or skimpy clothes in the streets or stores. It's illegal to wear or import camouflage clothing. For hiking you may want long trousers to protect against mosquitoes. Credit Cards: Hotels, restaurants, shops and car rental companies all accept major credit cards. It's advisable to have some cash on you if you plan to travel to more remote villages or inland. Currency: The Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) which is pegged to the US Dollar, currently around 2.70 EC$ for 1 US$ (June 2019). Taxes: 10% Government Tax at hotels and VAT at 15% Time: Atlantic Standard Time Zone, one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Tim and four hours behind GMT. Water: The water is safe to drink but bottled water is also available. Electricity: Voltage 220 volts. US 110 volt appliances work OK with a transformer. Government: In 1979 St Vincent & the Grenadines gained independence from Great Britain. It has a democratically elected government and Prime Minister. The official website is: www.gov.vc Driver's Licence: A local driver's licence must be obtained if you do not hold an international license. It can be obtained on production of your current driver's license at the Police Station on Bay Street, or the Licensing Authority on Halifax Street. It is valid for 6 months. Enquire online for latest fees. Visas: As Brits, we were given a one month entry stamp. We had to extend this with the help of a sponsor. It seems that in 2019 it is now possible to get a 6 month visa on entry as standard. As with any visa, check with the country's government website for up-to-date information as this can change without notice. Dangers: Manchineel Trees - These pretty trees grow abundantly on some beaches and provide welcome shade. Their fruit which looks like small crab apples, the leaves and the wood, are toxic. Do not stand under the trees in the rain, eat the apples, or touch the leaves! Carnival: Is in July each year. Taxis: Taxi and minibus prices are fixed by the government. Always check the fare with the driver before starting your journey. Public minibuses are available on all major routes, however, the music is often ear deafeningly loud. We aren't cautious drivers on the whole and were confident on the St Vincent roads, which are not unlike some roads in rural coastal towns in the UK, but we didn't take a chance with these guys. We saw too many accidents.
HIKING LA SOUFRIERE VOLCANO St. Vincent by Ian Usher When you look at a map of St. Vincent, the most prominent feature is the huge volcano that occupies most of the northern part of the island. A quick online study of a couple of maps, and a Google search, reveal that there are only two practical options for getting to the top of La Soufriere Volcano: 1) From the east coast you can drive to the volcano National Parks visitor centre, and hike to the rim from there. There is no fee to do this, but the rules are as follows: "All foreign visitors not in the company of Vincentian nationals must be accompanied onto the trail by a certified tour guide. Guides can be organised through the NPA." My research suggested a guide might cost around EC$75 (US$37.50), maybe more. They will escort you as part of a group to the summit, and as an optional extra, down into the crater itself. For foreigners there is no option to hike the volcano un-escorted. http://nationalparks.gov.vc/nationalparks/index.php/visitor-sites/la-soufriere-trail
2) The trail that climbs up from the National Park on the east side of the island continues around the rim of the volcano, and then down through the jungle to the west coast. On the west coast there is a small activity centre (Richmond Vale Diving & Hiking Center) that offers overnight accommodation (approx. US$25 to $50), and can also organise a guide for you (US$85 for one person, US$75 each for two or more people). http://www.richmondvalehiking.com/la-soufriere-volcano-hike Being a bit of an adventurer, a frugal traveller, and a long-time outdoor enthusiast, but also a qualified outdoor instructor, I much prefer to find my own way in the mountains, and wondered if it would be possible to simply climb the volcano from the west coast without a guide. Our home owner suggested a guide would be prudent, as the west coast is a little bit wild, quite remote, and is rumoured to be home to many illegal marijuana farms. Back to the internet. I found a couple of reports from a few other people who had simply hiked the trail unguided, which was encouraging. In terms of navigation Google Maps was utterly useless, as the trail isn't even marked, but I found a very detailed topographical map of the mountain and trail on Mapbox, which shows fantastic contour line detail. I could see that the trail climbs from sea level to the Leeward Trail Summit on the rim of the volcano at an altitude of 895 metres (just less than 3,000 feet), over a distance of about 8 kilometres.
I downloaded screenshots of the whole route to my phone, and also marked the track on my Maps.me app. NOTE: Maps.me is a great navigation app. You can download maps for offline use, so they will work even if you don't have an internet connection. This is great for your arrival in a new country, or when hiking in remote areas where there is no cell signal. It works with your phone's built-in GPS, so you can accurately pin-point your location at any time. And it features many more trails and paths than Google Maps.
So with navigation covered, my only real concern was that I might run into St. Vincent's druggrowing underworld, although with plenty of others having walked the well-trodden trail, guided or unguided, I reckoned the chances of trouble were slim. Besides, other than my mobile phone for navigation, I'd only be carrying a small bag containing food and water, so would offer little in the way of mugging opportunity! My mind was made up. Vanessa definitely wanted no part of this adventure, so on the day of my hike I got up alone at 3am and drove north up the west side of the island. Even though our house sit was on the west coast, it took well over an hour to get to the end of the road, and I arrived in darkness, ready to hit the trail at around 5am. The first obstacle was the Wallibou River, shallow and pebbled, which I crossed just as dawn was breaking, carrying my boots and socks. On the beach at the far side, where I waved hello to some early-morning fishermen, it was simply a matter of finding the dry stream bed that the trail follows up into the hills. Once on the trail, navigation was easy, and I only used my phone occasionally to check my progress. The trail rose steadily at first, through thick lush jungle, then more steeply.
Higher up I passed through more open-cut areas where across the valley I could see areas of crops growing, and small shacks where people obviously lived while tending these rough fields. None of these are official, registered farms, but the government seems to turn a bit of a blind eye to the common Caribbean growing industry. On my route to the summit I didn't see another single person. Just short of the rim of the volcano I climbed out of the forest into an area of much thinner vegetation, and the views down to the coat were spectacular.
The final slope to the summit seemed endless, and I wasn't sure if I'd get to even see into the crater, as I was right at the base of the clouds, and visibility was closing in.
Just before 8am I finally arrived at the rim, and at the same moment a gap appeared in the clouds, and I could see the whole of the inside of the crater. I grabbed my phone and rattled off some quick pictures, worried that the view might be hidden again at any moment. The appearance of bottom of the crater came as a bit of a surprise. On all the maps I had seen it appears as a large lake, but it was actually almost completely dry, well vegetated, with a huge mound pushed up in the centre. Parts of it were steaming or smoking - it is still classified as potentially active, although the last eruption was in 1979.
I followed the rim for a while, and discovered the top of a long series of ropes leading down into the crater, which are used by guides to take their customers on the optional extra part of the adventure. It looked steep and gravelly, but I was reasonably confident I could manage. And if anything did happen, I reasoned, there would be a guided group here at some point during the morning! I reckoned I had at least an hour, maybe more, before anyone else would get to the rim from the east side visitor centre, as their guided tours don't set off until 7am. I could get down into the crater and back out before any guide came along to denounce my irresponsible solo behaviour! It was actually easier than I thought it would be, but taking extra care meant it took quite some time to descend the (I guessed) 100 metres (about 300 feet) down to the crater floor. A small trail led to a dry area that was more than close enough to the steaming piles of pushed up earth for a couple of quick photos.
Goal achieved, I hauled myself back up to the rim on the ropes, and was amazed to find I had one bar of cell phone signal. I sent a quick "all OK" message to Vanessa with the obligatory "me at the top" photo, and set off on the journey back.
I met three young locals with a dog, heading upwards as I was halfway back down. We exchanged greetings and they asked if I had been to the top. They each had a large plasticwrapped pack on their shoulders. I didn't ask them what their business here was! I didn't take a picture of them either!
Other than fishermen on the beach, these were the only people I saw on the whole hike, and the interaction had no feeling of threat or danger. I made it back to the car by 11.30am, where in daylight I spotted a huge sign I had missed in darkness earlier. It seemed to suggest heading up to the rim without a guide wouldn't be a problem at all. The only words of warning offered were, "Please stay on the trail and be responsible for your litter." Followed by a cheerfully inviting, "The views are worth the hike. Enjoy!"
I was home in time for a late lunch, my taste for adventure more than fulfilled. I wouldn't necessarily suggest others follow in my steps, and might feel more comfortable with one of the guided options. But for those with a confidence in their abilities outdoors, a willingness to accept of a small degree of risk, and an ability to take responsibility for their decisions, the unguided La Soufriere Volcano hike is an incredibly rewarding experience.
Resources: http://nationalparks.gov.vc/nationalparks/index.php/visitor-sites/la-soufriere-trail http://www.richmondvalehiking.com/la-soufriere-volcano-hike https://www.discoversvg.com/index.php/en/whattodo/discover-svg-in-a-day/177-lasoufriere
PROS & CONS OF HOUSE SITTING WITH A CAMPER IN THE UK by Ali Keeler
Lots of pros…. but beware of a few cons With no real clue about house sitting, we arrived in the UK in March 2016 and immediately bought a very small car - "Claude the Clio"! We'd house sat a few times in various places in Australia over the years, but not internationally, and our plan was to start looking for a camper that we could live in through the summer in and around our sits. It wasn't long before we'd found a suitable LWB (long wheel base) Ford Transit Explorer which we christened "Dora the Explorer".
Learning about MOT tests The first piece of advice for those contemplating buying a camper (or a car) in the UK particularly, is to check this site for MOT (Ministry of Transport) Vehicle Tests: https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/
The MOT test checks that your vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards. You must get an MOT for your vehicle by either:
the third anniversary of its registration the annual anniversary of its last MOT, if it’s over 3 years old
You can check online the status of every MOT including the mileage and whether it passed or failed. If you type in our van rego (registration number) YP04 UAB, you can see a good example of what can happen. We were blissfully unaware that our van's odometer had been turned back about 100,000 miles sometime in 2011!! This was not a problem until we were trying to sell it, and it was made clear by people more experienced at such things than us, that the mileage was actually far more than we were advertising. A drop in price and a loss of £2,500 was the result - lesson learned! Even more astounding when I last checked, is that the owner after us turned it back even more! It's unbelievable that these things are not checked when the figures are entered by whoever does the MOT test.
Pro - No Between Sit Headaches! The major benefit of having "Dora" was the "between sit" convenience. There were no issues with finding alternative accommodation for those odd days (or weeks) where no suitable sit is available. All of our belongings were in the van, so we didn't have to take absolutely everything we owned into the home where we are sitting. Denis usually works while we are house sitting. This means we have to live within a reasonable commuting distance of the hospital he's employed by, and that lack of flexibility means we can't always find back-to-back sits. This is the main reason we needed a small car as well as the camper - Denis could drive to work and leave me in our "home". We stayed in several camp grounds before house sitting fell in our laps and we joined TrustedHousesitters. Then it was all systems go with house sits and just the odd stay in a camp ground in-between. Something else to consider in the UK, is that campgrounds charge anything from £20 - £30 (or more) per night, and be aware that a lot of campgrounds close for the winter, both in the UK and Europe. Airbnb has many reasonable places for not much more than that.
Con - Do you have space for a van? It was then that the second issue became apparent. Some places just do not have parking for a van (and having a car as well did not help). I turned down a few excellent sits due to parking issues, so it's worth thinking over the size of the van you are planning to buy. Other places had ample room for us and others figured it out with a little squeezing up of vehicles. One family even had to leave before we got there with their own car and caravan and then we could park in their driveway. We also left before they got back. All in all, it is great to have a van for between sits and holidays.
Selling Up However, for those who are not from the UK, you must think about a deadline for selling it before you leave, and realize this will often be at a loss. Consider where you would leave it if you want to fly off somewhere for a break, or indeed if you haven’t sold it before your visa expires! Another tip – if you want to sell quickly to a dealer, you MUST have a "branded" conversion, they will not buy, from our experience, anything that isn't. Dora WAS a professional conversion, but as she had no brand, we were stuck with selling her privately. Last summer, and this year, we decided to try a different way. We hired a car and took the risk of having to pay for B&B accommodation between sits. We weighed up the cost of buying and selling, paying for insurance, servicing, breakdowns, etc. and feel we are better off with a brand-new rental which we can just drop off at the airport when we leave!!! So far so good!
Ali Keeler and husband Denis were both born in the UK and traveled to Australia as small children in the 50s as "Ten Pound Poms". They identify as Australian, but embrace the fact that they can have dual citizenship with two passports. They have enjoyed house sitting in the UK as that is where they can work as well. The rest of the world is on the bucket list and they look forward to resuming their house sitting journey soon when they have sold their B&B on the Sunshine Coast in Oz.
5 WAYS TO GET YOUR TRAVEL FIX AT HOME By Shandos Cleaver No matter how often you get away on a vacation, there are some times that you want to travel, but you simply can't. Whether it's because you're currently working and can't take a proper vacation, or you're busy saving up, or maybe you're on a long-term house sit and are anchored to one place at the moment. Or maybe you actually have travel plans, but your trip is still a long way off in the future. At times like these try to get your travel fix through one of the following ways.
1. Watch a documentary or two Get up close to wildlife without going on safari by watching a documentary There's no shortage of excellent travel documentary series that have been produced. And not just travel documentaries, there're also plenty of interesting documentaries that explore the vibrant cultures and countries of the world, or focus on exotic wildlife, fascinating periods of history, or local cuisines.
Perhaps find a documentary about a place that you want to one day visit, and find out more about it now before you travel there. Alternatively, watching documentaries is the easiest way to vicariously visit places that you are unlikely to visit - maybe the country is currently in turmoil, or is extremely remote and an expensive destination to visit. One of my favourite documentaries, about a region that I'm yet to visit, is Bruce Parry's Amazon. The documentary traces his journey down the 6000km-long length of the Amazon River over six episodes. Despite being made in 2008, it's still fresh and interesting, as he interacts with cocoa growers, tribes, loggers and illegal miners in this remote region. Alternatively, I'm currently watching the "Chernobyl " TV mini-series. While not actually a documentary, but rather a dramatization, the series has already greatly increased the number of people wanting to take tours to present-day Chernobyl.
2. Try out new exotic cuisines There's no need to go to Singapore to try Singapore Chilli Crab! In many cities of the world, thanks to rich migrant communities, there are diverse cuisines that you can try. This is certainly true of my home city of Sydney, Australia, but also of many of the big cities in the USA, Canada and UK. You don't need to travel far to try new food; you just need to find a new restaurant by perhaps travelling to new pockets of your city where different immigrant communities have taken hold.
Rather than head to the same regular restaurants, find something new to try. A great way to get an introduction to a particular cuisine or community is to take a food tour, and you'll find many local options on offer in different cities. Don't forget also that many countries have significant regional diversity in their cuisines. While we often think collectively of "Chinese" restaurants or "Indian" restaurants, there's a lot of culinary variation from region to region. What's on offer in one "Chinese" restaurant may be very different to the menu in another, at least once you navigate past the Westernised dishes.
3. Read a good travel book Find out more about India's many religions through a good travel book Reading is always a great way to experience another world, as a fantasy or just to mentally explore another region of our fascinating planet. There are many different types of travel books that describe just about every corner of the world: from traditional travelogues, to stories of people who have settled in a new country, to those exploring a facet of the culture, such as religion or food. Find some books about a country you plan to visit one day, then read them on the train, in the park, before going to bed at night. Your future travels will be richer for the greater understanding you have of the culture, before stepping off the plane.
Some of my favourite travel books include:
Peter Mayle's "A Year in Provence ', the best-selling tale of an English couple who move to an old farmhouse in Provence and their adventures while adjusting to the unexpected cultural differences Sarah McDonald's "Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure", that explores the multitudes of religions in Indian, from the perspective of an outsider looking for the meaning of life and death Sarah Turnbull's "Almost French", about the life of a woman who moves to Paris for love, and her attempts to fit into French life Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country" (or "Down Under"), with his humorous anecdotes about Australia gleaned from multiple visits
4. Have a staycation Exploring a local temple near my home town If it's not currently an option to travel overseas or to a far-flung part of your own country, take enjoyment instead in staying at home and seeing the local sights, whether for a long weekend or during a short break from work.
A staycation is a great opportunity to visit local museums, galleries and attractions that you've been wanting to visit, but haven't yet found the time for. Or maybe it's the perfect time to enjoy the local beaches, especially if you can avoid weekend crowds. Alternatively, there may be an endless stream of TV shows and movies that you just want to catch up on! If you're wanting a change of scenery, and want to keep your expenses to a minimum, consider finding a house sit in your own town or close by. House sitting really does give you the chance to explore a local area extensively.
5. Plan your dream vacation Take the time to plan a dream sailing trip! Finally, those long evenings and weekends spent at home are the perfect time to research your dream vacation. Which countries do you want to one day visit? What items do you want to tick off your bucket list? Maybe a trip of many months through a new part of the world, a luxury stay in an overwater bungalow, an adventure such as sailing through the Mediterranean or climbing a mountain peak? Or travelling around the world with your own dog? Read up about your dream destination, whether online or in books, or talk to people you know who have visited the destination. And you never know, you might soon be putting together your itinerary and making bookings for your trip.
Shandos Cleaver is the founder and blogger-in-chief of Travelnuity, a travel blog focused on dog-friendly travel around the world. Shandos recently returned to Australia after spending nearly two years travelling around Europe and the USA with her Miniature Dachshund, Schnitzel, and is once again dreaming of her future travel plans. She's so far done house sits in Spain, England and Australia.If you're dreaming of travelling with a dog, read her tips at Travelnuity.
THE QUESTION WE ARE ASKED MOST OFTEN IS... by Ian Usher
As you probably know, Vanessa and I have been house sitting full-time for around four years now, and began on a part-time basis a couple of years before that. In that time we have often been asked, "How would I get started as a house sitter?", and our "Become a House Sitting Pro" video course was created in part to answer that question in as much detail as possible. However, as you can imagine, over our years of house sitting, particularly the past nine months, in which we've tackled over 40 short sits, we've learned a lot of new tips and tricks. And of course, house sitting has changed a bit too as the industry grows. So we've decided it's time to re-vamp our course. In order to do that we really needed to update our HouseSittingCourses.com website, and that's what I've been at work on over the past few weeks.
The new design of the website has just gone live this month, and to celebrate we've added a FREE short video course on Dog Training from Dan "Doggy Dan" Abdelnoor, who has also contributed to this month's issue of the magazine. You can read Dan's article on how to stop your dog pulling on the leash here And you can access the full five-part free video course here:
https://housesittingcourses.com/courses/doggy-dans-free-dog-training-video-course/ Our goal is to have the all new version of our "become a house sitter" course available some time in August, and we anticipate that the price will be have to be quite a bit higher than our current course price, as there is a lot of work going in, to make it as valuable as possible for those wanting to learn more about the house sitting lifestyle. The good news is that anyone who has bought our current course: Become a House Sitting Pro
https://housesittingcourses.com/courses/become-a-house-sitting-pro/ will automatically be granted access to the new course at no extra cost.
So, if you're on the fence, now might be a good time to jump in and buy our current course, so you get "grandfathered" in when we launch the new one. This is a sure-fire way of ensuring that you are one of the first people to get your hands on our new course, and to get it at less than half price! Another advantage of enrolling now is that you will be one of the first to be offered the opportunity to act as an affiliate for the new course too. Yes! We'll finally be getting around to launching our affiliate program, allowing you to sell our course and earn a generous commission too.
So, to recap: Buy our current course now for just $47, and gain instant access to our new course on the day we launch it, or... you could wait until we launch, and pay $97 !! The choice is yours...! https://HouseSittingCourses.com
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6 STEPS TO FINDING THE BEST HOUSE SITS by Ian Gledhill
It can take time and effort to find house sits that appeal, but we simplify the process using the following steps: 1. Create a great profile 2. Search platform listings and setup alerts 3. Research listings that appeal 4. Applying for house sits 5. Meeting home owners 6. Staying in touch
1. Create a great profile The first step is to write a profile that resonates with the home owners. We listed our personal details, our experience and why we want to house sit. We also included photos of ourselves and some of the pets that we have looked after. It's important to keep profiles up-to-date, adding any new experience and photos and, where possible, copying the reviews from one site to another. For example, we copy our AussieHouseSitter reviews over to our TrustedHousesitter profile page.
2. Search platform listings and setup alerts When we first started house sitting, in early 2018, we were only using the AussieHouseSitters website. We set up our first house sit alert on their website for house sits from late September 2018. These alerts delivered emails to our inbox giving details of the latest house sits that matched our sit alert definitions. The emails are issued as soon as the home owner advertises their house sit on a website, which then enables us to get our application in as soon as possible. It's important to keep these alerts up-to-date and to block out the dates of any confirmed sits on the website calendar. This can mean that several alerts have to be set up to cover the different date ranges and for different locations. Several home owners we've chatted with, have told us they were inundated with applications and so shut down their listings within a matter of hours. It can pay off in these situations to be one of the first applications that the home owner receives.
We only ever consider house sit adverts where the home owners have included photos and details of their home and pets, and their requirements. Without this information we really do not know what we are letting ourselves in for! Numerous home owners have written to us directly, off the back of our profile, and we always ask for photos and more details about the home and pets before we agree any sit. Not all platforms offer real-time sit alerts in the way that AussieHouseSitters do, but most have some form of email notification for the most recent sit listings.
3. Research listings that appeal If a house sit is advertised in an area we are unfamiliar with, we start by looking at the map associated with the listing (a useful feature on both AussieHouseSitters and TrustedHousesitters), to find out where the house is situated, and what is nearby.
Google Maps is great for working out travel distances to and from the sit and for simple things like finding out how far the nearest supermarket is. If we are interested in the house sit we do some further research, such as reading a travel guide book or doing an internet search to find out more about the town or region. Travel websites can be really good too, for our recent sit we received weekly "what's on" emails from the local tourism board.
4. Applying for house sits To apply for a house sit we write a personal message to the owners, we NEVER cut and paste from previous applications. We also attach our last three reviews to the bottom of the application to save the owners time. If we are turned down for an application we always write back thanking the owners for letting us know, because it keeps us in touch with them. In a recent case we were initially turned down but then contacted two weeks later when the chosen house sitter was unable to confirm the sit.
This led to us getting a sit in the Champagne region of France.
5. Meeting home owners Wherever possible we meet up with the home owners in their home before we start the house sit. Only last weekend we drove to meet a family who we have agreed to house sit for eight weeks on Sydney's northern beaches over Christmas and New Year 2019. Where it's not possible to meet the home owners in person we offer to phone or video call them. We have Skyped now on several occasions and find it a good way to become more familiar and connected with the home owners and sometimes even the pets!
6. Staying in touch Once we have confirmed a house sit we stay in touch with the home owners right up to the commencement of the house sit. We let them know of our travel plans and details and agree our arrival and departure times. After some house sits we have stayed in touch with home owners, meeting up with them when we are in their area. This has led to us being asked back to repeat house sits. By following these simple rules you are carrying out the necessary due diligence that ensures your house sitting experience is the best it can be. We have had some excellent house sit experiences in Australia and now in England, with some future sits we are really looking forward to doing.
Ian Gledhill is a qualified accountant and worked in the TV and music industries for 30 years in the UK and Australia. His partner Lloyd was a retail sales director in the UK and a general manager in Australia. They now travel between the northern and southern hemispheres enjoying summer in both. You can follow them at their blog: NomadicSummer.com
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Ian and Lloyd use these two house sitting websites: Use code HSMAG15 at checkout for 15% off at AussieHouseSitters
25% discount will automatically be added at Trusted Housesitters if you click the image below:
Oh, the places you'll go... by Gail Fairlamb & Don Bramwell (With thanks to Dr Seuss) Watching the sunset over the wild Camargue, with a flock of pink flamingos for company, we pinched ourselves... and not for the first time. How did we end up in a place as amazing as this? Finding yourself in new places that you might not have thought to visit, is one of the many joys of house sitting. In fact, the stunningly beautiful Camargue wetland is just a couple of hours away from our house sit near Beziers in the South of France, where we had just finished a month of looking after two relaxed cats and a Labrador who loved to help us explore the vineyards, rivers, towns and byways of the Languedoc.
Rewind six months to Adelaide, Australia I had an executive role in government and Don worked as an academic. We lived a happy, if not ordinary suburban life. But with our children (almost) independent, we were starting to wonder about what to do and whether we should take a "senior gap year".
We had always loved travelling, but busy lives bringing up kids meant trips away were timelimited. When a dear (and not so old) friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer, it was a huge shock. It was time for a rethink about how we were spending our time. It was time for travel and adventure. It was time for us. Could we walk away from our jobs? How would we meet our expensive living costs? Shouldn't we try to earn as much as we could before retirement? And what if we...
So many questions The answer came through some work I had done as part of my job in government. I had explored the rise of the sharing economy and discovered how platforms like AirBNB, Trip Advisor, BlaBlaCar, and a multitude of other internet sites were helping everyday people help each other. Only a few years ago most people would probably have rejected the idea of inviting a complete stranger to stay in their home, hop into their car or drive off in their caravan. But, like many other changes brought by the internet, it is now possible to build trust with perfect strangers through reviews, transparency and the ability to connect directly through reputable platforms. House sitting is all about helping pet lovers to travel and it seemed like a perfect way to combine our love of animals and our love of travel. So we started looking around at house sitting sites and discovered the very excellent House Sitting Magazine. It was great to find a supportive online community with many people, far more experienced than us, generous enough to share their advice.
Surfing toward our dream! We spent many happy evenings surfing the internet, dreaming of places to be, animals to care for and houses to stay in. We realised that most of the people looking for house sitters were just like us - wanting to travel, but having the usual responsibilities of pets, gardens and homes to be cared for. Being animals lovers we had looked after friends' animals but these were informal arrangements. We needed a platform. So we joined TrustedHousesitters, set up our profile and asked people whose pets we had looked after informally, to write us references. We started applying for local sits. No luck.
We needed reviews Then, we had a lucky break. I saw a Facebook post from a former colleague asking for urgent help looking after her cat. This first formal sit through TrustedHousesitters got us started. We enjoyed it so much that decided we would ease into semi retirement by taking leave and trying house sitting in Australia. Then, some day in the future, when we had built up our profile, we would start applying for our dream sit internationally.
One night, browsing the listings (something which had become a bit of an obsession) we came across a fabulous sit near Barcelona. “No real chance of getting that, but hey, why not give it a whirl?” To our utter amazement we were accepted. Two weeks in Barcelona! Fabulous! We then set about applying for other international sits, and received an offer for a month in the south of France. How glorious. We couldn't believe our luck.
Workaway to the rescue! The only problem was an awkward gap of two weeks between the sits which would seriously blow our budget. I asked for advice about what other sitters do in this situation in the House Sitting Magazine Facebook group, and we were delighted when Lynda and Dermot generously offered us a "work away" on their farm to fill the gap. How lucky. Even more fortunate to have a former chef and a yoga teacher as your workaway hosts! And so our international house sitting life started. We quit our jobs, left our home in the care of my mum and daughter and hopped on a plane. Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're off and away! You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
We started our trip in late March 2019 with two energetic young pups near Barcelona. Ninja and Chewie were the perfect host pets and showed us the pathway to walks on the beach, introduced us to the other dogs in our fishing village and waited patiently while we brought groceries at the local shop. All of which involved a stair climb of 80 steps to get back to the house! Our exercise regime went into overdrive as we ended our first two week sit with a bout of house-work Olympics! Next, we headed for France to a sit in a village near Cahors. And promptly fell in love with a couple of the sweetest older rescue dogs. Both Casper and Zippy were renowned escape artists and we made sure they were securely leashed as we explored our medieval village. Our host was so welcoming that we popped back for a visit on our way down to southern France. It's opener there in the wide open air. Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you. Our workaway on Petite Ferme was a wonderful experience, with a variety of farm and household tasks. We learnt about bees and honey production, growing organic vegetables and, most useful of all, how to cut a goat's toenails. Our hosts welcomed us into their community and we spent our "free time" making friends with them, their dogs and their mates at a range of events including, garden club, yoga class and sampling the craft beer at the local pub. You'll be on your way up! You'll be seeing great sites! You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
Between the mountains and the Mediterranean, lies the Languedoc. It's Cathar country and dotted with ancient villages watered by the Orbe River. Here, near Beziers, Bailey the yellow Lab gave us an exuberant welcome at our next sit which involved caring for him and two cool cats, Tim Tam and Cootha. Like most Labs, Bailey loves water, and we spent many happy days picnicking by the river and throwing sticks for him. We spent our evenings strolling through banks of purple iris, kicking up the scent of wild thyme, along old stone-walled paths that line the vineyards. At nearly a month, this was our longest sit and it gave us time to immerse ourselves in the region, to travel slowly and appreciate the simpler things. There are so many wonderful things about house sitting, but for us the best part is when you bond with the animal you are caring for. The worst part is saying goodbye. And so it was with Bailey, who for four blissful weeks had been the champion of companions. Saying goodbye to him in the arms of his wonderful family, involved fighting back a few tears! In the last three months we have spent time with seven dogs and three cats, goats and chickens. We have learnt how to operate a range of home appliances and how to manage different pools.
A cost effective lifestyle Our fears about blowing the budget seem to be unfounded. Our biggest expense are flights and hiring a car (plus petrol and tolls). We also spend a little on making the house welcoming for the homeowners return - perking up the house with flowers and cooking a welcome meal. Apart from that it's about the same as living at home. If we didn't have a home back in Adelaide to maintain it would be a very low cost lifestyle indeed. We are certainly much healthier, mentally and physically. We try to watch the sunset every night. And take time to notice the beauty in nature and the architecture around us. Away from hotel precincts we avoid the tourist traps and we cook fresh produce and eat at home. Long walks with dogs have given us a different experience. Rivers, forests, beaches and parks have replaced restaurants and museums as our favourite haunts. House sitting has taught us a thing or two about what's important. How little stuff you actually need, and lots of stuff takes time and money to maintain. Having stepped off the beaten path and into a new adventure, it is not easy to return to suburban life. So, after a few weeks in Adelaide to see our family, we head back to Europe, this time for three months in Italy and the UK. So... be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, You're off the Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So... get on your way!
Gail & Don are an Aussie couple who have a perfect way to combine a love of animals with the adventure of exploring new places. After quitting their jobs in academia and government in 2019, they have discovered the particular joy that comes from being in another part of the world, stopping to let the dog sniff a lamppost, watching the sunset, and even cleaning out the cat box! You can find their profile here on TrustedHousesitters
IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF AussieHouseSitters.com This is the first in a series of reviews that cover the user experience on the most popular house sitting websites. AussieHouseSitters.com is part of a group of country-based house sit platforms:
AussieHouseSitters KiwiHouseSitters HouseSittersUK HouseSittersCanada HouseSittersAmerica
To get your 15% discount on any of these sites just click the link above and use code HSMAG15 at checkout.
The Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and UK sites all work on the same platform layout which makes it nice and easy for transitioning between the websites as you travel the world.* Reviews can be linked from one site to another - a useful feature for members of multiple sites. * The American site is due for an upgrade later in 2019
The Company & Team AussieHouseSitters are a family business operating out of offices in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, run by Nick Faud and his wife Kylie, along with the team - meet them here. This business began way back in 2004, and they've won numerous awards over the past few years.
This year (2019) AussieHouseSitters were awarded the "APAC Excellence Awards - Most Trusted Pet & House Sitting platform, Australia".
The Pros, The Cons & What We Think Pros - Super easy, quick and modern website that has taken all the key features required to offer a really slick and effective user experience. Now the largest platform in Australia with plenty of house sit opportunities. Aussie owned and run, family business, with leadership by people who understand house sitting from the ground up. Cons - A more expensive site for house sitters (FREE for homeowners) considering this is a payby-country based groups of platforms. But... on the plus side, with the use of annual rewards and Refer-a-Friend incentives, it is possible to reduce your ongoing annual payments quite considerably over time. Each country charges in it's own currency so don't assume dollars means US!
Some feedback has surfaced around slow or non-existent response rates from both homeowners and sitters to messages. But the platform has introduced a RESPONSE RATING to try and encourage timely feedback. The user controlled house sitter calendar is also something that people need to remember to update regularly to avoid time wasting enquiries.
What we think We are hard pressed to give anything other than praise for this website, which we've watched evolve since we first got involved with house sitting in 2013. Our personal experience has only ever been good - we always use AussieHouseSitters when back house sitting in Australia and have met some wonderful homeowners and pets. It's top of our recommendations. We were aware of a more laid-back approach from home owners when messaging, finding before sit meetups a popular request. But every sit we secured was a 5 star experience. The search filters, sit alerts and ease of use make this an easy choice for us and think this site represents excellent value for money. Our only small concern is the recent marketing messaging which is very pro "FREE RENT" - we just hope this doesn't attract the wrong people to house sitting. At the end of the day there are responsibilities, the most important of which is the care and love of the pets!
SUMMARY OF FEATURES & PRICE Established - 2004 (based in Australia) Price for sitters - $89.00 Aussie Dollars Price for homeowners - FREE Homeowner Messages - Can contact sitters directly to request for a sit House Sitter Alerts - Real-time email alerts based on search filters Profile - Plenty of space for text Number of profile images - 12 Video Upload - Yes, from YouTube share Document Uploads - 10 documents for sharing with homeowners Review System - 2-way peer reviews with optional star ratings. Can reviews be edited? - Yes, within a 3 week window. Independent Reviews - Yes, on FEEFO ID Verification - Optional - extra cost of $5 AUD Coverage - Australia Only (separate platforms for other countries) Community - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter App Version - No, not yet.
The Home Page One of the simplest, nicest laid out, and easy to follow home pages of any of the house sit platforms. There are several places (the most obvious in the top right corner), where you can become a house sitter, or place an ad for free. Scroll a little further down and you can find out the main features of the site, and start browsing free before you commit to any payment. You don't need to provide an email to browse. You can check independent feedback on FEEFO where you'll find over 1200 reviews about AussieHouseSitters as a service company. This is verified, independent feedback and they currently rate 4.9 out of 5 - not a single rating below 4 stars. That's a pretty good indication of their popularity in Australia!
High % of homeowners contact sitters direct - Scroll down the home page a little and you'll find a summary of the previous 3 months house sit listings, and more interestingly the number of homeowners who have contacted sitters directly. This is a unique feature we've not seen elsewhere and shows another side of the process - the homeowners are pretty pro-active on this site at finding their sitters from listings. In March and April 2019, over 8500 enquiries were made direct to house sitters!
GETTING STARTED FOR HOUSE SITTERS Before joining - Browsing functionality Before handing over any money, take a look at what's available in Australia simply by scrolling down the home page to click the blue box "FIND A HOUSE SITTING JOB". Almost immediately you'll see a list of the available jobs - this is a quick site, we find loading times really good compared to some others. It's obvious it's been well built and designed with the user experience in mind! Now you can start to FILTER out those sits outside your field of interest. You can search by location and within 5 to 250 miles of the selected place and obviously by date range. There are also simple select boxes for displaying by date (SOON) or by most recently added (NEW). You can also opt to view as either a LIST or a fully interactive MAP.
More on filters: "Refine Filters" This is where the Aussie group of websites excels in our mind. The filters are extensive and relevant to the house sitting lifestyle. They've been really well devised to help sitters find exactly what they're looking for.
Start by narrowing down your search to the Last 7 Days to be sure you are finding the most recent adverts. Then you can really go deep, filtering by: Region - search by state and drill down to city or even a suburb. Sit Length - less than a week through to 2 months+ Sit Features - family friendly, caravan space, own pets welcome, etc. Pet Care - Tick boxes for the types of animals (inc. none) House Type - like apartment, mobile home, duplex etc. Dwelling - This covers the facilities, appliances, pool, etc. Nearby - Location based info: supermarkets, cinema, beach, parks, etc. Locale - City, bush etc. and … even islands (17 listed today).
Viewing house sit adverts Once you've set your filters you can view all available house sit jobs as a LIST or MAP. Either way the opportunity is there to click through to the full listing with all the relevant information shown, including any reviews that have been left about the house sit and home owner experience. If this sit isn't for you… a handy "RETURN TO SEARCH" arrow (top left) will take you back to the master list. Another useful feature is that under the photos you'll find a RESPONSE RATING between 1 and 5. Good to know if your application is likely to get a timely response! For some information, secure details like phone numbers, you will need to either login (if already a member) or make a commitment now to join. It costs $89 Aussie dollars to join as a house sitter but as a House Sitting Magazine subscriber you get a 15% discount - click here for more information and use code HSMAG15
Additional Member Options - House Sitters Paid members have access to some very important features found at the bottom of the REFINE SEARCH section:
save searches with your chosen filters, and get email sit alerts when a house sit listing matches your search
This is such a useful and much neglected facility on house sitting platforms! We would strongly recommend you take the time to set these up to help you be one of the first sitters to apply for a new listing!
House sit adverts The adverts are nicely presented and so easy it doesn't actually require any explanation here. We would only add that if you want to apply, simply look to the left of the listing where you'll find a contact box to type your application message (a link is automatically added to your profile), and also add external documents. Upload Document Option - You might wander what these external documents could contain. Well, if you've used other websites you might have references you want to include. You could include these in a word or PDF document - and then add here as attachments. These documents can be set up for selection - it's not necessary to add every time you apply. We have 5 documents uploaded and we can select by tick box which to add to the application.
My account information As a registered and paid up house sitter you'll have access to your account information. This includes an overview of your messages, reviews, response rate (yes you get rated on this too), and any admin notices. You can also add, amend or view your profile.
Key features of your profile You can upload 12 images and select which you want to be the main photo. Additionally you can add an optional video. This needs to be created in YouTube where you use the SHARE code to upload it onto AussieHouseSitters. ID Verification: Again optional, but if you pay the $5 AUS you will get an ID VERIFIED BADGE added to your profile. For Aussies you'll need your Driving Licence, Passport or Medicare Card. There are options for international verifications too. Trulioo is the Independent verification service that's used. Availability Calendar: This needs to be updated manually - you can indicate a selection of UNAVAILABLE DATES. It's a good habit to do this regularly so as not to waste anyone's time with unnecessary enquiries. Remember this is a site where a lot of homeowners will approach you directly, so having up-to-date availability information is key. You can also check your CURRENT BOOKINGS here. My Reviews: You can post and see 2-way reviews and the option is available to LINK to your other accounts within this group of websites (see beginning of article for more info on this). Members can also "feature" a review which will appear at the top of their reviews on their sitter profile or home owner ad. This "featured" review also appears on the preview of a house sitter’s profile. You can amend your review within a 3 week window. Hide My Profile: Another handy feature is to HIDE your profile if you plan to go off-line or take a break from house sitting while still maintaining your subscription.
Messaging system AussieHouseSitters has a secure messaging system - you will need to be a logged in member to view details. Within the messaging system you have the ability to SHORTLIST, CONFIRM SIT, ARCHIVE & DELETE messages. Within this section of your account details you also have the ability to upload up to 10 attachments. Before the review system was introduced this was a good way to showcase your references. But you could use this to upload any information you feel is relevant to your application. Once uploaded, you can select (tick box) which items you want to attach when corresponding with homeowners.
Other tools My alerts: A great tool for hearing about sits first, is the ability to set up email alerts that match your saved filters. In this section you can also see your CONFIRMED SITS and FAVOURITE sits. You can also download a HOUSE SITTING AGREEMENT from this area of your account.
GETTING STARTED - HOMEOWNERS Before joining - Browsing functionality Joining AussieHouseSitters as a homeowner is FREE, but you won't be able to make contact with sitters until you have signed up with your account details. To find available sitters in Australia, it's simply a matter of clicking "FIND A HOUSE SITTER" on the home page.
This takes you to an immediate listing of current house sitters, where you can enter your home location and the dates you'll be away. Now you can start to FILTER those sitters who don't fit with your criteria, using either a summary view or matches with more information. Both can be opened to show the full profile.
More on Filters "Refine Filters" Region - search sitters by region and then drill down to a city or suburb Sit Length - less than a week through to 2 months+ Sit Features - specify if your sit is family friendly, has space for caravan, wheelchair access, needs no garden care and if you allow sitter's own pets. Pet Care - Tick boxes for the types of animals you need care for. Own Caravan - Particularly pertinent to Australia, this shows if sitters have their own van currently there are almost 1500 sitters with a van of some description. Hide Sitters with Pets - Does as it says… if you want to exclude sitters with their own pets, tick this box. (Search by) Sitter Name - A nice option to be able to search for a sitter by name - especially useful if you want to contact someone directly that you've been told about, or used before maybe.
Frequently Asked Questions Is a House Sitting Agreement available for download: YES Are Paid Sitters Permitted on the Site: There are some professional sitters who choose to advertise on Aussie House Sitters and they usually ask for payment in return for their professional service. The vast majority of house sitters are pet lovers who believe receiving free accommodation in exchange for basic house and pet keeping responsibilities is a fair and positive exchange of services. Can a home owner charge rent? Aussie House Sitters does not accept homeowners charging house sitters rent. Are reminders sent before renewal date? Yes, email reminders are sent 2 weeks before your renewal date and then again 2 days before your membership expires. How do I contact customer service: There is a CONTACT US option on the footer of the website. You'll also find very thorough FAQs that will probably answer most of the questions you have. Are all the sits shown on this site active? It is the homeowners' responsibility to remove their advert - this doesn't happen automatically when the house sit is filled which they can do 24/7. Is there a Refer-a-friend incentive? Yes - $10 for each successful referral What happens to my information if I lapse my membership? It is kept until you next renew.
The next issue of House Sitting Magazine will be available from 15th August 2019
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