We are looking for HOUSESITTING/PETSITTING, not an exchange as currently we are living overseas and we are renting out our Australian home.
G'day! If you recognise that greeting -yes we are True Blue Aussies. However we are currently far from our birthland and living in St Andrews, Scotland whilst Neale works on a PhD (and hopefully improve his golf if he can find the time!). The last two years we lived & worked in New Zealand which has been good preparation for the change to yet another cooler and windy climate. We both are "50-something" and we've decided to embrace it, live life to the full and take advantage of what life offers! We have previously enjoyed travelling around the world either for research, work or pleasure. From the usual European & American stops to more obscure places (Zanzibar & Solta). Neale has a Masters in Commerce, he has lectured in marketing at uni, owned his own advertising business and has been CEO and managers for various organisations. His most recent interests however lie in the arts, studying at King's College in London to complete a Masters in Christianity & the Arts. Coralie has a teaching background (primary & ESL) and has completed studies in wellness coaching, but of recent years has done office work to allow for flexibility in caring for unwell family and on the side has been temporary carer for Guide Dogs and Labrador Rescue. In our free time Neale enjoys golf and art galleries and we both enjoy getting out into the 'great outdoors'. We are homeowners and have 18 years with Homelink and although our reviews show us as responsible and careful we also have big hearts for pets and love to chill out with them whether walking, on outings or just cuddles. We can fit in with whatever your preferences are for your pet - whether a relaxed approach to pets being in the home or a more structured approach. With the housekeeping side of things I have a more consistent approach with a need for cleanliness and keeping things tidy however I can relax and 'put my feet up' too (shoes off of course :) With the dates we've listed -there is usually flexibility so don't let that put you off if it's not an exact match.
For us there is no comparison to having the creature comforts of a home with the ability to be able to cook a meal in a kitchen, have room to relax in and wherever possible -a pet to bestow our affection on compared to a generic motel room. We are happy to clean up after ourselves, respect your property and endow love and affection on your pet/s in exchange for being in a comfy home and getting our 'pet fix' until we finally settle down again and can get a pet of our own again.
We would gladly share our love of animals with your treasured pet if you have one. However, if there is no pet, we would still welcome the opportunity to care for your home and make sure there is human presence around to avoid looking abandoned as well as taking care of any mail, deliveries, plants etc. My husbands PhD studies are self-funded and so opportunities to share our house & pet sitting skills and benefit in return is a win-win.
As you can see from our profile, we have 18 years of experience with Homelink. We've worked hard to become home owners ourselves and our house is being rented so we understand the concerns and trust aspect that is a consideration when entrusting someone with your home and/or pet. You'll notice our home is in Australia - however unlike most Aussies we don't drink alcohol, we are non smokers and vegetarian (don't worry - we've found there is still much to enjoy in life even without these). We are also previous pet owners -both of cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds. We have also done quite a lot of AirBnB rentals. Our reviews are consistently of a high standard which you will also see in the photos. We would be very open to a chat via WhatsApp, Skype or Facetime should that be desirable. Any questions, please feel free to ask.
In regards to references. We have been with Homelink since 2000 and done many short and long term exchanges & house-sits mostly in Europe, the UK & Australia. Unfortunately, when the Australian based website was changed over to the international site, all our early exchange reviews and records were lost and so you can only see the most recent ones., however, if you have any concerns you we can send you references from Airbnb, a real estate agent who currently property manages our home, our landlord, a character reference & reviews from a housesitting organisation we now belong to. Hope to hear from you!