House Sitting Magazine Issue 38: December 2022

7 Reasons to Sit Locally

SPOTLIGHT ON RIO DE JANEIRO

The Magic of S The Magic of Sits in Iceland its in Iceland

Brooke

6 FROM BAJA TO LAKE CHAPALA MAGICAL MEXICO

Traveler and house sitter Kate Evans uproots from Baja to Lake Chapala and gives her insights into house sitting by this large Mexican lake

2 HOW TO GET FIRST TIME HOUSESIT CRED

The first in a new series of Best Practices and help for newbies We take a look at how to raise your credibility when starting out!

8 PETS ALL THE WAY & NO PLAN TO STOP!

Lisette Levantard shares the story of her house sitting journey through life.

from the editors

WelcometotheWINTER2022issueof HouseSittingMagazine

An update from Ian Ourlifehaschangedsomewhatoverthe past2years We'vegonefromfullblown nomadictravellers,tolongtermhouse sittersinBurgundy,France,andwe've becomeownersofasmallrenovation projecttoo.

Iguessit'stimetoadmitweare,forthe moment,"settled",havingreinvested backintoproperty,obtainedFrench residencies,committedtoanongoingsit (nowintoour3rdyear),butmore alarminglywe'vebeguntheprocessof accumulatingnecessary"stuff"again!

Beforethepandemicwe'dalready investedinanolderVolvoestatecarasit wasconsiderablycheaperthanhiring whilewewerebackintheUK.Itwas diesel poweredandhadincrediblefuel economy.Butitwasalittleold,andhada fewissues,sowewonderedwhattodo longertermtoensurewehadareliable formofmobility Brexithadalsomade theprocessofimportingBritishcarsvery complexandexpensive.

AftermuchresearchinFrance,where secondhandcarssellatpremiumprices, wesettledonanewall electriccar,which wehavetakenonalonglease.

Whychooseallelectric?

Onereasonwastheveryattractivelease termsbeingofferedbytheFrench governmentwhowerepreparedtopitch inwithagrantof€7,000.

Secondly, we plan to install a larger solar system at the little property we bought last year, I think it will be quite feasable to charge the car on solar, with minimal use of cheaper overnight electricity from the grid if needed

Thirdly, I have never "owned" a new car, so this is quite possibly a real "once in a lifetime" opportunity for me.

How is an ALL electric car different?

The big difference is we never need to go to a fuel station! But of course we do need to consider recharging the batteries. When driving, one of the first things that struck us is the relative silence in the car.

There’s some noise from the electric motor, and a little road noise too, but it really is quiet inside the car. It’s also super smooth it is to drive. There’s no gearbox so it’s very much like driving an automatic car, but without even the slight pause many automatics have as gears change. The electric car simply accelerates without any hesitation or pause.

Performance is impressive too There are 3 settings: Eco, Normal and Sport. It goes without saying that "Sport" uses up the battery much quicker than the other two modes, but the acceleration and fun to be had is worth it if you aren't planning on going far enough to run the battery flat.

Charging our car

The car continually estimates distance left in the battery, and when fully charged claims 350km should be possible in Eco mode, 332km in Normal, or 316km in Sport. Based on experience to date, these estimates are all overly optimistic and we've had to be quite careful when planning distances and recharge options.

The longest distance we aim for between charges is 200km, but on longer journeys we aim to stop every 150km, erring on the side of caution.

The battery is a 50 kWh (kilowatt hours) battery, and knowing this can help with understanding charging times.

Our Peugeot offers 3 charging options.

We were given a home charger which plugs into any regular wall socket This will charge at a rate of 1.8 kW (kilowatts), so can add 18 kWh to the battery over a ten hour period.

This means if you come back home with 20% left in the battery, it will take more than 20 hours to recharge to 100% However, to do this you will probably have driven 180+ km the day before.

Alert Ian's nerdy technical bit some might want to skip over

The second charge option involves a different cable, which we had to buy. Our Peugeot dealer suggested the cable would cost around €300, but we found a second-hand one online for €90. With this cable we can use faster charging stations and they add power to the battery at 7kW.

The standard top up that most charging stations measure is how long it takes to charge from 20% to 80% for us this equates to adding 30kWh. A 7kW charger would take just over 4 hours to add this power back to our batteries. Our home charger needs almost 17 hours to achieve the same result.

Option 3 is a fast charger, which again needs a different cable connector. Fast chargers have a cable attached and will charge our car at about 50kW. To add 30 kWh, 20% to 80% takes about half an hour.

Running costs

The easiest way to calculate costs is to consider cost per kWh. Charging at home on overnight rates costs about 16 cents per kWH, so a 60% charge, from 20% back up to 80%, costs around €5.

Standard and rapid chargers vary widely We've found a few that are free to use, thanks to generous local councils and supermarket chains.

When paying at standard chargers, costs vary between 20c and 40c per kWh, so a 60% charge will cost between €6 and €12.

Fast chargers might be priced between 40c per kWh and €1, but again, we have found a few of these which are also free. At €1 per kWh the cost of a top up is €30.

This means your cost per km is way above petrol or diesel costs, so these particular charge points are to be avoided if at all possible.

Using a combination of home charging and cheaper (or free) charge points while we are out and about, we find out costs are generally very low. And of course there are minimal costs related to servicing.

Practicality

We've found the car fits our needs perfectly when at home, easily covering day trips up to 100km without any battery worries at all. On longer trips we use the relevant apps to find suitable fast charging points along the route, and stop off for a coffee break while the car charges.

Most of the time we only do short local trips... down to the shops for some groceries or to the hardware store for something for a DIY project. We can use the car for several days like this, then put it on charge overnight to top it back up to 100%

The car has an option to delay the charging start time, so we set that to 10:30pm to take advantage of our cheaper overnight electricity rates.

Recently, on a weekend house sit, we found a charging point in a little car park by the canal. Our 7kW cable worked well there and the local council offer their charging points for free, so while we wandered along the canal for a couple of hours the battery was topped up at no cost.

On a mini break to Paris we had to stop mid journey on the way to recharge.

Through the Freshmile charging app we'd found a little town by a river with a rapid 50kW charger, again free thanks to the local council.

As we were leaving Paris at the end of our holiday we had to add a little bit of charge at a petrol station, where we had to pay. It cost about €12 to top up from 20% to 80%.

Summary

We love the car for general day to day use around home, and for day trip shorter adventures, up to perhaps 80km away. It also works well for overnight trips especially if we can get there from home without having to recharge on the way.

Longer journeys are more challenging, as we have to factor in stops for recharging. There is always the possibility that the charger we plan to visit on route is out of order, or that someone else is using it when we arrive.

This means factoring in plenty of spare time for the journey, and a Plan B option if you encounter the dreaded "out of order" notice.

Ultimately, until there is a much more robust and dense fast charging network, if more of your travels are over longer distances, we'd advise avoiding an electric vehicle

But for a daily runabout they are fantastic, and super cheap to run especially if you have a solar option.

In light of current electricity grid challenges, and the availability of raw materials (including the way these are extracted), who knows just how ethical or sustainable this latest push away from diesel to electric really is!

Time will tell!

CO EDITORS

IAN USHER & VANESSA ANDERSON

BY BROOKE BAUM

FONDEST MEMORIES WERE JUST GETTING TO GENUINELY EXPERIENCE LIFE IN SUCH A STRANGELY WONDERFUL PLACE"

Getting back to Iceland had been top of our list ever since we visited on our first international trip years before. On that trip, we rented a van for two weeks to tour the entire island and were absolutely, unequivocally mesmerized. It was actually what sparked a deep lust for adventure and propelled us into our journey of nomadicism.

When I saw the listing for a long house sit over the holidays just outside of Reykjavik, I applied immediately. Buddy and I were elated when chosen. We knew getting to live in Iceland for an extended time during such a special season (and with three gorgeous cats!) would fill us with more joy than we could ever imagine. And it did.

It’s strange to think back to our winter visit and feel warm, but that’s the sensation that comes back to me immediately when my mind takes me there. We were filled to the brim with so much gratitude and wonder that it just warmed us from the inside out. Of course, it didn’t hurt to have many days filled with cozy cat cuddles on the couch as snow filled the porch.

When we accepted our six-week house sit in Iceland over the holidays (we arrived just before American Thanksgiving and left just after the New Year), we expected to be on non-stop adventures and out exploring daily.

"OUR

While we did have some pretty epic experiences like hiking to frozen waterfalls, chasing the northern lights late at night, and taking a snowmobile tour to a glacier our fondest memories were just getting to genuinely experience life in such a strangely wonderful place.

It helped that it was Christmastime, and there were quaint little markets to explore around Reykjavik nothing as grand as they offer on mainland Europe, but still lovely and a great opportunity to interact with locals. I teared up as I saw my favorite Christmas songs performed in Icelandic and laughed as the silly Yule Lads made surprise appearances through out town. Everyone seemed happy to brave the arctic chill to share some holiday cheer with their family and friends.

Being somewhere so different from what you are used to at such a special time of year makes even the most trivial things, like a grocery store trip, a memorable adventure.

I usually dread the task, but looked forward to shopping there and trying out Icelandic treats. There was even our go to bulk grocery chain right up the road a welcome surprise that still included some local flare!

However, our favorite food was found in the Friðheimar Greenhouse about an hour away. We had been there before during our September visit years prior but visiting in winter was even better. The glow could be seen from a mile away as we neared the warm vegetable oasis. We cheerfully held hands as we walked down the snowy path from the parking area, past the horse stable, and into the remarkably cozy restaurant within a greenhouse.

There was no sense of self control as we filled up big bowls of their famous tomato soup and ate an entire plate of fresh bread each. But the most delicious part of that meal was dessert a tomato jam topped cheesecake served in a tiny little flowerpot. It was divine.

We had spent hours searching out this unique place on our first visit because I had read about it on a blog and couldn’t resist the allure of a unique, yet still inexpensive, dining experience. There is just something about places that offer such a special, well curated offering that make me oh so happy It was even better than I had remembered.

Our initial visit to Iceland was only two weeks, and it seemed to go by in a flash even though we packed in two months of activities as we toured the entire Ring Road. However, this six week visit seemed to crawl by

We packed in a lot of our must see places early on and, although we had planned to explore much more, the blizzard conditions that rolled in every so often encouraged us to stay home.

It’s funny to call it home since it wasn’t ours, but it didn’t take long for it to feel that way. And that allowed us to adopt a slower, more relaxed pace for the first time in months.

The apartment we were staying in was very similar to something we would choose for ourselves, and it was owned by a young couple with a style we enjoyed

Their three cats were all very affectionate, and we had grown fond of all of them as we identified their unique character traits They loved to cuddle up next to us and would sleep with us in the bed every night one by each of our feet and another right smack in the middle of my chest

Meet our furry pals!

The oldest, Louis, was a very handsome Norwegian Forest Cat with a strong jawline, soulful eyes, and a long, luxurious brown coat. He had a surprisingly long torso and enormous paws.

One of our important tasks as pet sitters was to administer his medications daily. When our hosts showed us prior to leaving, it looked simple. Just fill up a syringe with the liquid meds, open his mouth, and shoot it in. That’s not quite how it went for us...

Read more in Brooke's new bookHome Flexible: Stories from Life as a Nomadic House Sitter

We ended our time in Iceland just after New Year’s Eve. It was an amazing experience to see the huge celebration in Reykjavik –complete with city-wide bonfires, the entire country out enjoying the holiday, and a huge firework send off to end the year!

Brooke's top tips for House sitting in Iceland

Yes, the food (and especially alcohol) can get expensive. However, shopping at Costco certainly helps limit costs, and stocking up on your favorite adult beverages in the dutyfree shop before entering the country can really help you save a lot!

This is an extreme country, especially in winter. In addition to the usual constant risk of volcano activity, winter brings intense blizzards that shut down the roads. People get stuck out in it all the time, so don’t drive if there are warnings in place.

Keep in mind the weather if needing to walk a dog or travel far to essential stores before committing to a pet sit. Also keep in mind that the daylight times can be very different here – only a few hours in winter and a midnight sun in summer!

There is so much to do and see in Iceland. Planning some time just to tour around may be in your best interest so you can really make the most of it.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EMERGENCY CONTACTS

by Kate Lancaster

As full time sitters for over three years, mainly in the South West of England, we adore the lifestyle house sitting offers us, and have had amazing experiences looking after lots of gorgeous animals. Inevitably there have been some challenges and we have discussed the possibility of a pet passing “on our watch”. But, we'd never anticipated the circumstances we found ourselves in over Christmas last year.

When we first made contact with our homeowner, we were delighted. Friendly and approachable, this was the first time Gill had used a house sitting service, so we took time to speak at length on Zoom. She was the proud owner of Pepper, a gorgeous long haired Chihuahua, who instantly won both our hearts. We all “clicked” on the call and the sit was confirmed.

Gill's family live abroad and she was very excited to be visiting them. On the day of her flight we had a quick chat, and after pausing to give Pepper an extra kiss and a stroke, she left for the airport.

unanswered messages

All was well until Christmas day when we sent through a “Happy Christmas” message on WhatsApp. We didn’t get a response which seemed a little odd, but we didn’t immediately worry until another message, sent 2 days later, again remained unread.

Just as we were pondering what to do the Just as we were pondering what to do the house phone rang – it was Gill's daughter house phone rang – it was Gill's daughter calling from abroad to tell us that very sadly calling from abroad to tell us that very sadly her mum had passed away suddenly on her mum had passed away suddenly on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve.

I don’t think either Mike or I realised quite I don’t think either Mike or I realised quite how emotional we would feel. While we how emotional we would feel. While we didn’t know Gill well, we had spent time with didn’t know Gill well, we had spent time with her and were of course staying in her house. her and were of course staying in her house.

When Mike took the call from Gill's daughter When Mike took the call from Gill's daughter she was naturally distressed on the phone she was naturally distressed on the phone and this, particularly coming out of the blue, and this, particularly coming out of the blue, was challenging. was challenging.

Breaking the news to Breaking the news to neighbours neighbours

We remained in the house for the last four We remained in the house for the last four days of the housesit but both Mike and I days of the housesit but both Mike and I really struggled – a prized possession or really struggled – a prized possession or photograph takes on much greater photograph takes on much greater significance in this kind of situation. significance in this kind of situation.

We also had to make the difficult call of We also had to make the difficult call of whether or not to tell people locally what whether or not to tell people locally what had happened if asked. Often we would see had happened if asked. Often we would see Gill's neighbours and friends while out Gill's neighbours and friends while out walking Pepper and we had no means to walking Pepper and we had no means to know if they knew what had happened, know if they knew what had happened, whether we should tell them and, of course, whether we should tell them and, of course, how close they had been to Gill. In the end how close they had been to Gill. In the end we decided if anybody explicitly asked after we decided if anybody explicitly asked after Gill we wouldn’t lie, but would try to break Gill we wouldn’t lie, but would try to break the news as sensitively as possible. the news as sensitively as possible.

Perhapsthemostdifficultmomentwas sayinggoodbyetoPepperonthelastdayof thehousesit. WesentheroffwithoneofGill'sfriendswho hadpreviouslylookedafterher,andmade sureshetravelledwithallherpossessions andtoys(aswellasanewteddybearwe hadboughther). However,bothofusandGill'sfriendwerein tearsassheandPepperdroveaway.Weall knewPepperwouldbejustfine,andwould findalovelynewforeverhomeintime,butit stillwasn’teasy.

Thecircumstanceswefoundourselvesin were,insomerespects,morestraightforwardthantheymighthavebeen.

Gill's family abroad already knew her friend who had previously looked after Pepper, and that she'd be able to take her as our sit ended. This friend was also able to take care of the practicalities with the house, such as keys and security until a member of the family could come to organise these things. Had there been no-one locally it would have been a very different situation.

Having been through this experience, we will now always make sure we do the following:

Ask for a local contact in case of an emergency. Ideally, this needs to be someone who would be able to take over pet care if necessary. Ask for the contact details of a close family member as a backup option.

" A s k f o r a l o c a l c o n t a c t i n c a s e o f a n e m e r g e n c y . I d e a l l y , t h i s n e e d s t o b e s o m e o n e w h o w o u l d b e a b l e t o t a k e o v e r p e t c a r e i f n e c e s s a r y

WHATOPTIONSdoYOURHOUSE

SITTINGPLATFORMPROVIDEFOR EMERGENCIES

TheplatformweuseisTrustedHousesitters andtheyhaveanoptionforownersand sitterstofilloutsafetyandemergency contactsinthesettingsonthedashboard. It’simportanttocompletethisand remembertoupdatewhenapplicable,just incasesomethinghappensduringasit

Iftheworstdoeshappen... Seeksupport

Whereyoursitwasbookedthrougha platform,askfortheirhelp Trusted Housesitterswerebrilliantwithus,both callingandemailingtoseeifwewereOK andtoofferanyhelpwemightneed.

Connectwithourwonderfulcommunity Thisisauniquelychallengingscenarioand manyothersitterswillbehappytooffer theirsupport.WereachedouttotheHouse SittingMagazinegrouponFacebookwhere lotsofmembersgaveussupportandadvice.

Rememberyoucanonlydoyourbest Lookafterthepetsasbestyoucan,offer supporttothefamilyifyouareinaspaceto doso,andveryimportantly,lookafter yourselvesaswell.

Whileemergencysituationslikethisare extremelyrare,asmallamountofpreplanningcanverymuchhelpremove someofthestressshouldthisever happentoyou.

IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF TRUSTEDHOUSESITTERS, KEEP SAFETY DETAILS UPDATED IN YOUR SETTINGS.

Kate & Mike Lancaster

We're Kate and Mike. Originally from Plymouth UK, we have been house sitting full time since January 2019. We love this lifestyle which allows us so much freedom and adventure, yet also gives us the joy of looking after some wonderful animals, staying in beautiful homes and meeting fascinating people. Find us at THS here.

For privacy the homeowner's name has been changed in this article.

IN IT BUT NOT OF IT!

by Nan Westcott Lewis

Dean and I have been fulltime, long-term house sitters for 9 years. Nomads! Our story is unusual as we have been living this way out of sheer necessity. Friends have called us the ‘lemons to lemonade’ story. If it weren’t for the weird and wonderful existence of house sitting, where would we be? Through it we learned the truth of what the good book says “Who of you, by being worried, can add a single hour to his life? Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself.”

Here are our tips for dealing with feelings of " new sit isolation".

AT 70+ KIWI NAN AND OREGONIAN DEAN WERE FRAUD FORCED INTO A 9 YEAR HOUSESITTING ADVENTURE, COVERING 28 LONG SITS AND 160,000 US MILES. A BEAUTIFUL LIFE!

YOU CAN READ ALL THEIR TIPS AT THIS LINK

Feeling foreign and alone

Feelings of isolation can crop up very easily in the early days of a long-term house sit. We are coming down from heightened expectations and dealing with where we’ve ended up; we have waved off the homeowners and now what? Where are we? Where are the wine glasses? Who’s out there? Where’s the....?

This is the stage where I have found it’s best to focus on the household fur baby(s), and anyway, that’s the biggest priority for most homeowners. The first real relationship and it’s comforting.

Working on it takes a day or two. Even if it’s just a few chickens in a coop! To get used to each other and soon have them rush towards me delightedly, (yes for their greens which they love), it just helps to allay that "foreign and alone" feeling. They need me! Animals speak to the soul as someone once profoundly said.

But now the 2, 4 or 6 months spread out ahead making me wonder what that time will bring in this unknown place. There’s two of us and I often ponder on single sitters. Some, out of choice I know, and it speaks to a very different approach to life from mine. But I wonder how they feel right at the beginning of the sit. I know motives for branching into this way of life are different for all of us, but basically the responsibilities are the same. To be good stewards of the home and property and to love and care for the pets.

It’s quite a transition moving from our own home and belongings to a stranger’s home with nothing of our own around us. So easy to feel right out on a limb. Sometimes we’re not particularly fond of the art work or home decor in general. It can have quite an effect on our disposition, don’t you think? It does on mine.

That said I need to find connection somewhere out there in the community, interaction with someone, finding out what makes this area tick. For us the answer is finding locals who can clue us in to the interesting locales. We need to find ways to insert ourselves into this new place, to participate in it for the time we’re here.

Our first "go to" is to find a local church that suits us. That can take a little "shopping" as we know what we’re looking for and not all churches are the same. What this provides is a body of folk, all as different as chalk from cheese, but it’s a base where we’re mutually connected and that’s a start.

So far this has proved our mainstay with many lasting friendships being formed over the years. I love to sing and on several sits have joined the church choir. I've even returned on a repeat sit 2 years later and received a wonderful heartfelt welcome back. Socially, this has led to events, gatherings, and new, wonderful folks who have become firm friends.

It’s surprising what you find. Exercise helps a It’s surprising what you find. Exercise helps a lot too. I also found a job on that sit with a lot too. I also found a job on that sit with a local Childrens’ Drama Company. They local Childrens’ Drama Company. They happened to be hiring teachers and I filled happened to be hiring teachers and I filled the bill. Never have I been so lucky since. But the bill. Never have I been so lucky since. But that was found in the local rag as well. that was found in the local rag as well.

There’s nothing like a library to get There’s nothing like a library to get realigned. If I’m feeling a bit out of place, realigned. If I’m feeling a bit out of place, unsettled, needing lifting out of time and unsettled, needing lifting out of time and into another it’s the library for me. into another it’s the library for me.

Sometimes we’ll arrive at a house and there Sometimes we’ll arrive at a house and there will be no books to peruse. Book collections will be no books to peruse. Book collections tell you so much about the people who have tell you so much about the people who have collected them, but sometimes that element collected them, but sometimes that element can be missing. Finding some good yarns on can be missing. Finding some good yarns on the shelves is satisfying when I’m the shelves is satisfying when I’m floundering in the world of the unknown. floundering in the world of the unknown.

All libraries have shelves and shelves of All libraries have shelves and shelves of books. There’s a sense of familiarity and books. There’s a sense of familiarity and comfort. It’s a quiet place, warm, mellow, comfort. It’s a quiet place, warm, mellow, and serene. and serene.

Twice I've auditioned and joined the local city choir for special concerts. Choral music is a passion of mine and this is one thing I have been able to successfully incorporate into our nomadic existence.

On one long sit Dean and I both joined the local YMCA on a senior deal, something we'd not normally entertain - too expensive! But it pays to get the local "rag" to see what’s going on round the corner and this was a really good deal.

A library is easy to join - I have 3 or 4 library cards in my possession and fond memories cards in my possession and fond memories of all of those libraries dotted about on this of all of those libraries dotted about on this great continent. great continent.

A library is easy to join - I have 3 or 4 library

If you happen to be sitting in a university town there's a lot of free entertainment at hand. Various departments hold lectures, presentations, concerts. Recently, we’d just arrived in such a town and the Drama school opened auditions to the local community. I was thrilled, but sadly too late to try out and so bitterly disappointed These opportunities are out there. And university campuses are usually beautiful, providing fabulous walking trails, lovely landscaping and buildings to admire and enjoy.

Of course, just getting out and exploring the area opens up plenty of new interests as we explore. Neighbors, the local travel bureau, supermarket notice boards, library notice boards, and the local papers are all full of information to help us

Occasionally it might seem that there isn’t too much excitement around, so we join any tour on offer There’s always something to learn.

We were once in a very small, tired, town in South Carolina for 6 months and a little lost, but we came away from that place with a new perspective on all sorts of things. Kale, okra, barbeque, classic car rallies, antebellum architecture, the beauty of cotton fields, southern charm, and extreme heat

Actually, it’s in South Carolina that I found my favorite clothing consignment store of all time I only buy second hand I’ve made some real finds. When I can’t fit any more in my one suitcase it’s time to choose what has to go. I donate and restock as I find what takes my fancy I like clothes and can honestly say I’ve never once felt drab.

All these things are additions to our life experiences

Our advice if feeling isolated Go explore!

Why you shouldn't overlook a LOCAL house sit

by Vanessa Anderson

For new sitters especially, here are some good reasons to select local housesits

You’ll get a good feel for what house sitting is like

Short sits tend to get fewer applications than longer ones

The home owner can be confident you’ll arrive without travel delays The environment, style of homes, outdoor spaces, safety all will be familiar to you

You’ll be able to do a few sits in a short period of time to build your reviews

Your travel costs will be minimal

You can offer to meet the home owner and pets in person before the sit

Short sits in your local area aren’t just for new starters. It is something Ian and I love doing, especially here in France, where we are beginning our third year on a super long term house sit with no pets.

Fortunately, our home owner doesn’t mind us being away for a while on other house sits as pet lovers themselves they know how important our pet fixes are!

Just last month we took on a sit only 20 minutes away, in a little village we pass regularly on our way to our nearest big town of Beaune.

For many experienced house sitters, this might seem like an odd thing to do... and even a home owner might wonder why you want to take on a house sit so close to home.

7 Reasons We Love Local Sits

1. Pet fun and cuddles We don’t have any pets at our long term “home”, although we do have a few stray cats who drop by. We’ve also got cows in the field at the end of the garden who have become very friendly since we started feeding them apples from our tree this autumn. But it's always nice to have a dog to take on walks, and a cat or two to curl up with on the sofa!

2. A change is as good as a rest I had some work to do while we were on our short sit, so I took my laptop and set up a “temporary office” on the dining room table Even though still “at work”, the change in routine has a feeling of novelty about it.

3. A mini-break - Going to a new place, even if just a short distance from home, means you get to live a different life for a few days. On our recent local sit we had a great boulangerie just steps from our door... something we don’t have at home. Fresh bread every morning felt like a real treat.

4. Explore a new area - Although just 20 kms from home, we’ve only ever passed through this village, never stopping to explore With a dog to walk we discovered lots of little trails and hidden valleys we had never seen before. But we are close enough to get back to our long term sit if needed.

5. Attend regular events - Ian recently joined a local archery club who meet every Saturday morning. Although the drive to the regular gathering was a little longer than usual, he was still able to go along and take part as usual.

6. Make new friends We’ve found that we often make great connections with home owners, but if they are a long way away we tend to lose touch, unless the house sit becomes a repeat. A short local sit offers the possibility of new friendships that are easy to maintain due to the close proximity.

7. Keeping our reviews current While on such a long term sit, it would be easy not to take other opportunities, and our most recent review would be from two years ago. This isn’t an ideal situation if you do plan to apply for more sits in the future Doing an occasional short sit is a fun way to keep our profile up to date and our house sitting history showing recent reviews.

HOUSESITTERS

IAN MACKENZIE ABOVEUSONLYSKIES.COM

Think of Rio de Janeiro and most people will conjure up images of iconic landmarks, such as Copacabana Beach, Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Christ the Redeemer statue. And sure, they’re right up there with some of the best things to see and do in Brazil’s most glamorous city. But in truth, they only scratch at the surface of what’s on offer.

Of course, as a house sitter you can experience the city as both a tourist and as a temporary “carioca” (as the residents of Rio like to call themselves). Something we were lucky enough to do for a full three months.

But what does that actually mean in practical terms? And what are the aspects of Rio that makes it so special?

If there’s a more photogenic city in the world than Rio, we’ve yet to see or hear about it. And with endless viewpoints of its world-famous natural skyline and impossibly beautiful bay, it’s a photographer’s dream come true.

The good news is there are plenty to choose from. Take, for example, the sensational view of Ipanema Beach and beyond from the summit of Morro Dois Irmãos (The Two Brothers), a duo of rugged peaks which can be reached on a 40-minute hike through the forest.

Or the views across Guanabara Bay from Parque das Ruinas in the trendy Santa Teresa neighbourhood. Better still, the full panorama of Rio’s incredible skyline from across the bay at Parque da Cidade, in Niterói.

TheWorld-famous Landmarks

Of course, there’s a recognised set of bucket list-worthy landmarks in Rio that simply cannot be missed.

The summit of Sugarloaf Mountain is reached via a system of two separate cable cars. It’s probably the most touristy thing you’ll do in Rio. And you’ll absolutely love it.

Savvy travellers visit before sunset and stay to watch day turn into night, when the lights of the city and its favelas transform the hillsides and the craggy mountains beyond are silhouetted against a burning orange sky.

Opposite is the summit of Mount Corcovado, home of Christ the Redeemer, a 30-metre tall art deco statue of Jesus Christ which looks out over the city with its 28 metre outstretched arms. To make the most of it - and avoid the crowds - you’ll need a sunny day and an early start to take the cog train to the viewing platform.

And then there are the famous twin beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. To be honest, there are prettier stretches of sand along the coastline surrounding the city. But, for a proper taste of Rio beach life, they’re unbeatable. Our preference would be Ipanema, if only for the majestic presence of the Two Brothers peaks that dominate the eastern tip.

TheCulturalHighlights

However, for us, the essence of Rio is experienced by simply immersing oneself in its culture. Do what any self-respecting carioca would do. Dress down. Buy yourself a pair of Havaiana flip-flops. Pull up a deckchair on your beach of choice and thank your lucky stars you’ve made it here. Maybe order a caipirinha from a beach vendor. Perhaps two. Then watch the locals dazzle you with their prowess at futevôleian energy-sapping combination of beach volleyball and football. Or the groups of teenage girls and boys playing barefoot “keepy-uppy” with a football in the sand.

Of course, football is a national obsession in Brazil, and none more so than Rio, home of perhaps the world’s most famous football stadium, the Maracana. Whether you’re a football fan or not, the experience of watching local teams Flamengo or Fluminense at a live game along with 80,000 cariocas is a thrilling one. Buy yourself a replica shirt (just make sure it’s for the right team!), buy your match ticket and drink in the atmosphere.

Perhaps most famous of all, Rio is associated with the infectious drumbeat of samba and its jazzier cousin, bossanova.

You can experience impromptu outdoor samba parties at Pedra do Sal, in the city’s “Little Africa” neighbourhood. But, if you’re lucky enough to be in the city during lateFebruary or early March, the annual Carnaval is a riotous explosion of colour, music and dance that’s unrivalled anywhere else in the world.

If you’d prefer to take things a little slower, Rio is also blessed with plenty of museums and colonial-era buildings. Especially in the historic centre of the city.

The standout is the Museo do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow), a futuristic-looking building with a roof that resembles the skeleton of a giant insect. Inside there are permanent interactive exhibitions focusing on the future of the planet, together with temporary exhibitions on the ground floor.

We were quite blown away by the variety and quality of the food in Rio. Both in terms of eating out and the availability of fresh ingredients for cooking at home. Indeed, for us, one of the joys of housesitting in Rio was to have access to some incredible food markets, such as the weekly Feira Livre de Gloria every Sunday (for fruit, vegetables, meats and street food) and the fabulous Mercado de Peixe San Pedro (fish market) across the bay in Niterói.

Eating out is relatively inexpensive but might be something of a challenge for vegetarians and vegans. Meat and seafood are definitely king in these parts. And most portions are big enough for two people.

Perhaps less well known is the street food scene. Especially the dishes that originate from the state of Bahia - such as acaraje, an artery-clogging deep-fried black bean patty, split in half and stuffed with fried shrimps, onions and salsa.

But, it would be remiss of us not to mention cachaça, Brazil’s ubiquitous spirit of choice and the base for its national cocktail, the caipirinha. Similar to rum, it matches perfectly with lots of squeezed lime and crushed ice. Or even better, when mixed with freshly-prepared maracuya (passion fruit).

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A world travel blog for travellers, would-be travellers and anybody else with a curious interest in ditching the routine and exploring our planet.

GettingAroundSafely

Rio has a reputation for violent crime that understandably puts off many people. And, while we accept that it does have its problems - especially around some of the more notorious favelas - we can honestly say that we didn’t feel unsafe at any point during our stay. Needless to say, there are certain common sense rules to abide byfor instance, try to blend in by dressing as a local; don’t show off valuables such as cameras or jewellery; be aware of who is around you as you walk the streets; order an Uber to transport you around at night.

Indeed, Uber is an incredibly inexpensive and convenient way of getting from A to B safely. Alternatively, there’s an excellent and safe metro system that runs between the main tourist spots. Buses are frequent and extremely inexpensive, too - although they are safest to use during daylight hours. And, don’t forget the ferry service that runs all day and evening across the bay to and from Niterói.

WHO KNOWS WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER WHEN YOU TRAVEL TO THE PAST

Our home base is in Baja Sur, but there's so much of the huge country of Mexico that we haven't seen. So when an opportunity came up to do a six-week housesit near Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico which is surrounded by mountains, we jumped on it.

The Chapala community is primarily made up of three towns on the north shore of the lake: Ajijic, San Antonio Tlyacapan (where we were), and Chapala - each with a town center and a malecon or esplanade along the lakeside.

Ajijic is a charming pueblo, heavy with expats, covered in murals and dotted with boutiques, galleries, open-air cafes and specialty restaurants. San Antonio Tylacapan is much smaller, with a pastoral malecon and a downtown so tiny it's easy to miss. Chapala is where Mexican families tend to come from Guadalajara a weekend or longer holiday. Its malecon is lively in the afternoons and evenings, with vendors and big, touristy seafood restaurants playing live music.

A two-lane road winds through, connecting these communities. One main road means traffic, especially since the area has experienced a growth boom. Fortunately, there's also a bike path.

The growth is due mainly to retired expats, primarily from the U.S. and Canada, coming to a place where prices for real estate and health care are much more affordable.

The good weather (it's usually in the 70s) is a draw as well. Food, however, seemed to us to not be as low cost, unless you bought street tacos and shopped at fruterias. That may be because a lot of the restaurants and grocery stores are geared to the expats and Mexican tourists. This means, too, there are many places to eat delicious meals.

We flew into Guadalajara, and the hosts picked us up and drove us an hour south to their home, a lovely place with a pool and a view. We didn't make much use of the pool, however, because it never got hot enough to be appealing--and eventually because of all of the rain, the gardener was having a hard time keeping it clean.

We were there during rainy season, a time of year many said is their favorite because there are fewer people around and less dust. Several times storms woke us in the middle of the night. Once, for at least an hour, the rain dumped like someone had overturned the lake in the sky, during which time there was no space between thunder and lightning. The booming exploded and flashes lit up the bedroom in a continuous, epic melee.

All this rain meant we got to see waterfalls in action when we went hiking in the mountains. Nice trails are easily accessible from Ajijic. We also walked with Chloe, the sweet dog in our care, every day.

The walks weren't easy, though, since we had to get acclimated to the 5,000-foot elevation and also because the streets out the door were sharply hilly and unevenly cobbled. Those charming but challenging cobbles are a feature everywhere in the area.

Before they left, the homeowners introduced us to their neighbors who were heading out in a few weeks and who, in turn, introduced us to their housesitters, Cathie and Brian, a couple from the U.S. who were traveling throughout Mexico with their dog.

I received a message from a friend in Baja who told me that her housesitters scheduled to arrive in a couple of months, Dodo and Sven from Germany, were currently in Ajijic. So we six housesitters met up a couple of times and shared stories about our wanderlust.

We'd heard that about an hour away furniture is manufactured in the town of Ocotlon. The beachy budget furniture in our casita, which we bought more than eight years ago and has endured dozens of renters, was in sad shape. Baja, being nearly an island, can be a hard place to find such things at decent prices. So one day we headed out to do something we rarely do: shop for non-edible things.

Octotlon was a dreary, gray grid of dilapidated buildings. We spent hours walking through furniture stores that varied from warehouses to elaborate displays. Fortunately we didn't want traditional "rustico" style Mexican furniture, because we didn't see a single piece. Everything was modern, and a lot of it looked alike. Dizzy, hot and hungry, we straggled into the tenth store and struck gold. In one fell swoop we bought a couch, love seat, coffee table and dining room set. We think it's going to be delivered in November when we get back to Baja, but I'm hoping something wasn't lost in translation

Another day we took the bus to Guadalajara to meet up with our friend Leah, who now lives there. There was no bus schedule (get used to it, it's Mexico) so we stood in the drizzle at the place we thought it was supposed to arrive, and eventually it did. It was great to see Leah, and in our short time together she toured us around the city she loves. We started in Centro, gaping at the grand colonial buildings and murals. And then we took the bus to the outskirts, through neighborhoods lined with towering trees. We had lunch on the sidewalk of a seafood place that looked unremarkable but the food was incredible

Back at Chapala, we geared up to leave, doing a big house cleaning and getting our last massage. Did I mention the masseuse came every week at about $20 USD per person? She was a true healer and also a single mom who told me she used to work for a company who took half her earnings. She took a risk and went out on her own-and is now doing very well. I share this because I love hearing people's stories and, better yet, we spoke mostly in Spanish.

I'd gotten pretty attached to Chloe, so it wasn't easy to leave her. I was also verklempt when we said goodbye to Cathie and Brian, but with nomads you never know when you'll collide again in another place. With Dodo and Sven it was "hasta luego" because we will see them when we get to Baja!

What Won't You Compromise on?

Is there anything you won't give up when it comes to money well spent, a small travel luxury perhaps ? We asked members of our Facebook Group and here's what they said!

I'm from a family of 8 so have been thrifty all my life it’s what I was taught I'm still frugal in most things but splurge for grandkids and family vacations

These times and memories are priceless

I couldn't really come up with anything so asked my partner and he said, "Bjorn Borg underwear" So there's that !

One of my must have travel items is my pillow! Nothing worse than arriving at a sit without it!

A mega torch. One that shines super bright for dark doggy walks or when the eve suddenly gets dark at twilight on a hike I’ve just bought one that does SOS too!!

Definitely quality hiking gear (clothing & footwear), connectivity. Food we adapt to where we are and enjoy. We’ve always been frugal and spend wisely to make our pensions go further.

For anything new I buy, I have to throw away something else It's always a replacement So I have to be sure I need it. Walking boots are priority along with skin care

Coffee - I must have good coffee Also a great raincoat (I’ve been cat sitting in Norway) and great running shoes.

My sense of money well spent might vary depending on the item and the moment I've just invested in a bikini (my first ever), and a paddleboard When I assess value for money they were both no-brainers The joy my SUP brings me is endless.

Decent wellington boots! Lesson learned after years of damp toes after outings in cheap wellies! My luxury is Molton Brown shower gel. Just love all the fragrances and it's very long-lasting if you're frugal

BEST PRACTICES & TIPS

HOW TO GET HOUSE SIT CRED AS A NEWBIE

Why are house sit reviews so important?

So, you want to become a credible, sought after house sitter and you're all geared up and ready to get started. But... all you keep hearing about is how you need references and practical house sitting experience.

With a little bit of effort, you can raise your house sitting credibility to a level that will help you become a house sitter and secure more house sits, more often. The suggestions in this article will help you become highly recommended time and time again.

It's like most "jobs" - you need to show that you can do what's being asked of you. For house sitting, it can be more difficult as there's an exchange of trust that doesn't usually involve any remuneration.

As a house sitter, you'll be looking after someone's most precious possessionstheir homes and their pets. So it's no surprise that home and pet owners will want some reassurance that you are trustworthy, reliable, honest, love animals, and won't trash their house or leave them in the lurch at the last minute.

That's why house sitting references are so important.

Our experience has shown that genuine reviews detailing how well you slip into your role of looking after pets and homes, are the number one requirement of home owners. It doesn't matter how much you big yourself up personally, this will never have the same level of credibility as seeing lots of glowing references from happy clients.

In fact, we recently saw in this helpful blog by the TrustedHousesitters team that having just 3 references or reviews increases your chances of finding a housesit by 20%.

So how do you raise the bar as far as credibility is concerned?

home

One of the most important things to know is what will make you a great house sitter and pet companion, and take this on board from the moment you begin house sitting.

Remember, we all started out the same!

When we began house sitting almost a decade ago, we didn't have any house sit cred either!

But we knew our strengths and we identified our relevant skillsets.

We were reliable, competent homeowners, well traveled, financially independent, and experienced with caring for a variety of pets and breeds.

But it was clear we had to find a way to convince owners and pet parents we could be trusted - that we had credibility. It was important to be able to demonstrate that we were up there with the best of the other more experienced applicants.

& pet owners will want some reassurance that you are trustworthy...

understand what will make you a standout house sitter

We looked at our profile in the same way we did when marketing products in our prior businesses. The main difference being that WE were now the product!

How could we showcase ourselves, our relevant skill-sets, and our personas, and how could we show these as benefits and of service to the home owners and their pets?

Our life experiences had shown that to be genuine and honest was far better than the bullshit approach! We figured if we focused on this with full transparency, while expelling all the doubts a home and pet owner might have, someone would give us a try. After all, we knew others that had been in the same boat and succeeded.

hOW TO GET GENUINE FIRST HOUSE SIT REVIEWS

Knowing a strong profile and good house sitting refs would help us get started as sitters, we took a few proactive measures before registering on any platforms:

Offer to sit for friends and family - We suggested to friends with pets that they might like a weekend away. We were happy to sit in return for a house sit review. Two friends took us up on this immediately and we enjoyed a couple of long weekends cuddling up with pets. We loved it and found we were very comfortable with settling into someone else's home and routines.

Getting started as a house sitter requires research, input and effort.

Simply sitting back with the hope that eventually our ideal house sit would fall in our laps wasn't the way forward to achieve any measurable success. We treated the whole process like a change of career (which it was), and acted accordingly.

It was a lovely discovery to find home owners warmed to our openness. It wasn't long before we were on our way with our first sits booked and a set of great house and pet sitting references to reassure anyone we were applying to.

Use Airbnb, Workaway, Couchsurfing or other reviews - We use Airbnb a lot, so we set about creating a word document with all our great reviews from hosts. Ian had done a lot of couch surfing too and we added these reviews too. This all helped show we were clean, tidy, and respectful of other people's spaces.

Get character references - We asked 3 long standing friends with pets to give us character references. We also made sure that they would happily talk on the phone or by email if more validity or information was required. Friends were happy to be part of getting us started on our new travel and house sitting adventures.

We treated the whole process like a change of career (which it was) and acted accordingly.

Create a Facebook or Instagram page -

This will depend on how transparent you like to be. Facebook and Insta pages are popular now for sharing with your Meta friendly homeowners. We set up both so that we could share our lifestyle and be totally transparent online.

Make a house sit video - We created a video so home owners could get a better "feel" for us as people. Nowadays we just make sure that the offer of a video or phone chat is made prior to accepting a sit.

WHO to ask for references?

Family and friends who you've unofficially house sat for in the past what better place to start than here for relevant petcare references!

Family, friends, neighbours - maybe you've baby sat, watered plants, checked the property during vacations, helped with neigbourhood watch schemes, volunteered in the community, walked a friend's dog…

Landlords, Holiday Rental Agencies, Airbnb or Couchsurfing Hosts - If you've rented a property in any of these situations, you could ask for a reference.

Make sure the landlord or host talks about your reliability, how well you cared for the property, and whether you were able to deal with any simple emergency issues yourself.

Employersandcolleagues Usefulfor characterreferencestodemonstrate trustworthiness.Professionalcareerssuchas doctor,lawyer,teacher,vetorworkaspolice, nurses,etc.areallgoodmentions.

Teachersandprofessors Foryounger housesitters,tutorsareagoodsourceof characterreferences.Theycantalkabout yourabilitytolearnnewskills,orverifyany outstandingaccomplishments.

Vets,AnimalRescueCentres,PetTrainers Ifyou'veownedapetyoumayhavebuilta relationshipwithyourlocalvet askforapet relatedreference.Andifyou’veusedadog trainerorwalkeryoucangetthemtovouch foryourloveofpets!

UNDERSTAND THE PLATFORMS

How many pictures can be uploaded? Load wisely with pet related images where possible.

Can you upload an external PDF or word document containing your reviews?

Can you link to an external website, Instagram or Facebook?

Is it possible to request refs from pet owners you've sat for on alternative platforms?

What happens to references if you let a subscription lapse?

Link to your Airbnb references or your LinkedIn account to show professional business credibility, skillsets. THS allow both of those links on your profile.

Understanding Understanding the appeal of the appeal of house sitting house sitting

LISETTE LEVANTARD EXPLAINS HOW HER LIFE WITH PETS JUST WORKS!

As children, before I came to the UK, we were always surrounded by animals and pets. First we had two cats and two dogs.

Then slowly my dad, an animal and gardening lover, started adding others... chickens, ducks, and birds kept in a beautiful large wrought iron aviary that he made himself. Then came a “he” and a “she” goat and even a hare!

I felt empty without them.

When I got married and had kids, working opposite shifts, it would have been unfair to have pets and children. Too much for us. Thankfully we had two cats on the ward.

I wanted to introduce a dog for my elderly ladies but was refused by management. So I encouraged the nurses to bring their dogs at the weekends. The ladies loved it and were much calmer for these visits.

Tme went by, I got divorced and the kids flew from the nest. I started travelling solo, which I did enjoy. Three holidays a year would have sufficed. Eventually I met a guy... a friend of my son's mother-in-law. We started going on holidays together to share the costs, avoiding single supplements.

We back packed across Europe, Sicily, South America and beyond. Eventually we decided together to start house sitting, firstly in the UK, then abroad.

It was my time... time to enjoy pets again, and I haven’t stopped since 2016. We would tour nearby, then backpack or drive further for more intense sightseeing. This gave time to relax before taking on the next sit.

I'm hardly in my home now. Maybe three to four months a year.

We do enjoy it, the pets, the area and the nomadic lifestyle. We are at the moment in Scotland, finishing tomorrow, will tour for a week and then be off to Ireland for another sit.

I remain in contact with my folks, via Whatsapp and they sometimes visit with approval of the homeowner. The grandchildren love the sheep, the geese, horses, dogs and cats.

At times I will do Christmas for them in November.. or a tree and all the trimmings if I have a sit in December! It works well as they can enjoy the holidays with their other set of grandparents, rather than us each rotating every other year.

However, I have countered two disappointing and misleading sits in Italy and the UK.

But for every negative, there is a positive. The first lady who was unresponsive and having to use Google translation, but she turned out to be French which is my mother language. We hit it off and had a whale of a time, gardening!

The other lady was quite disabled and needed time away with her epileptic daughter. We could not let her down. So we enjoyed her lovely courtyard garden and organised her home for her.

I find Housesitting to be a rewarding, active, keeping me young in spirit, able to absorb the different cultures of the world.

So what can I say, I shall carry on till my legs drop!

Sunrise over Italy