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2024: 15 Sep - 15 Jan 2025
Experienced, Reliable Couple
68, Retired Technology Geek
66, Retired Hair Stylist
Hi,
We are an experienced housesitting couple. We have cared for everything from a 700-acre sheep farm and a quail hatchery, to suburban homes with pets. We have experience with dogs, cats, horses, sheep, partridge, quail, chickens, and ducks in these assignments, and we have experience with many other animal types. We are in demand and are often scheduled a year in advance in Australia, England, Scotland and France.
Here is a recent reference:
Kate - House / Pet sitting Reference 15 April 2018
"I knew as soon as I met Jim and Shelly that I had struck pure gold in terms of the perfect house sitters - and boy did I!! They took on my home and precious animals wholeheartedly and 100%. They spent time with me before I left to make sure everything was clear, sent update messages while I was away about how everything was, contacted me immediately if they were unsure of anything, and gave SO MUCH love to my animals I knew my animals were on a holiday too!
"Jim even trained my gorgeous dog, who had a lunging/ nipping issue with bikes and men (she's a rescue dog), not to lunge and nip! I returned to this happy, perfectly behaved dog I couldn't believe it!! And the cat was in heaven with Shelly's extra special love. The house felt loved, cared for, and enjoyed when I got home. It was spotlessly clean, and everything was just as I had left it.
"Leaving your home and valuables in the care of strangers is one thing, but leaving your precious animals is a whole other story.
"Jim and Shelly treated my home and animals with such love and care I almost felt like I should be paying them for the privilege! It left me worry-free to fully enjoy my travels, knowing everything was perfectly safe and happy at home. Cannot rate these guys highly enough!!!!!! I was so lucky to find them.
Kate"
And another:
Riberac, France - Jan/Feb 2019
"Jim and Shelly were the perfect house sitters and I would recommend them to anyone. We arrived home to happy and healthy dogs and a lovely clean and tidy house. While away they were in daily contact with us letting us know how the dogs were. It was a big ask with 3 dogs but they took everything in their stride. Jim even left me with a website of all the dog walks he had been on, very useful indeed. I would welcome them back at anytime and very much hope that they can house-sit for us again. *****
Suze, France, 04 March, 2019"
We are really proud of doing a great job for the people we sit for. We love animals and truly honour the trust our hosts put in us to take care of things. We hope you will consider us as your first choice.
More about us:
We are recently retired, Jim after 30 years with IBM in USA and AU, and Shelly after 20 years as a beauty consultant. We are recently re-married and are now spending a few years exploring the different areas of Australia and the world.
We are professional, quiet, neat, caring, and honest. We have both had pets - dogs and cats - all our lives. Dogs seem to love us and cats seem to thrive in the peaceful environment we bring. Shelly was a volunteer at pet rescue centres in Denver, Colorado USA for years and is completely comfortable with animals that need special care. She is a registered cat foster parent in Western Australia and is an RSPCA-trained dog-handler. Jim has owned and cared for dogs of all ages and will, upon request, do loving and gentle training of young dogs or dogs with undesired behaviours. Examples are available upon request.
Jim owned a farm in NSW for five years and Shelly was brought up on a farm in Michigan, USA. We are both comfortable with life and chores on a farm or taking care of domestic farm animals. At the other end of the scale, we both have lived in large cities, Shelly in Denver for 20 years and Jim in Melbourne and Sydney for more than a decade. We are thus very comfortable with the responsibilities that city or suburban life requires.
We will care for your house as if it were our own, leaving it better than we found it. Jim is a talented if not enthusiastic handyman, while Shelly has a gift for gardens. We both have completely clean police records (certificates available) and can provide references from other housesitting sites on request. You can also visit our website for more information - please ask for details.
Thank you for considering us and we hope to be of service to you.
Jim and Shelly
Reviews (19)
Jim and Shelly have been an absolute dream come true for us first timers to house/pet sitting, they will be our first port of call when we plan to go away again.
They had plenty to keep them busy and accepted it gladly and even with glee.
We had very extensive gardens that, due to the time of year, needed regular watering during a very dry time, we came home to everything flourishing and going well.
Neither of our cats have been looked after by strangers before and the 2 of them are ... MOREJim and Shelly have been an absolute dream come true for us first timers to house/pet sitting, they will be our first port of call when we plan to go away again.
They had plenty to keep them busy and accepted it gladly and even with glee.
We had very extensive gardens that, due to the time of year, needed regular watering during a very dry time, we came home to everything flourishing and going well.
Neither of our cats have been looked after by strangers before and the 2 of them are like chalk and cheese so it was a challenge that, after speaking with Shelly on skype before they came, we felt she was perfect for.
Our very old lady cat who has a bit of dementia, needs almost 4hrly feeding and needed daily medications delivered seemed genuinely disappointed the day she woke up and we were back! She roamed the halls searching for Shelly before resigning herself to me! Shelly even devised a better way to give her her medication which I now adopt. Both Jim and Shelly met all our requests for recording rainfall, egg counts and filling up the dozen or so water bowls in the garden for our bees and lavished attention on our fussy cats until they had them both returning genuine affection in their own ways. We were amazed at how our man-hating boy cat had taken to Jim. To hear they had taken to having daily "blokes time" on the deck together in our absence was a genuine shock but testimony to Jim's gentle and amicable nature. Our chooks were very happy and healthy on return and they never skipped a beat laying so we know they had the company they love as well as attention to their needs.
We loved the updates and interaction we had while away and knew they really 'got' our fur kids and treated our home with the same care and attention as we do, if not more.
We appreciated that they were honest and asked questions when they needed clarification but not bothering us unnecessarily so we could truely relax knowing it all was in their safe, experienced hands.
You could not find a better couple to care for your place than these two, We are so grateful they agreed to take on our assignment.
RUTH AND CAZ (Woodford QLD, Oct 2019 - 4 weeks)
Jim and Shelly looked after my elderly cat Honey very well over 5 months including taking her to the Vet after she had a few strokes. They were very attentive with trimming her claws, giving her regular brushes and making sure she was warm. Unfortunately her fur was quite matted upon return; if they had worked together, as I had suggested, the mats would have been easy to snip out. Upon return, the garden was full of weeds and the lawn needed mowing; the bird baths were full of black sludge and ... MOREJim and Shelly looked after my elderly cat Honey very well over 5 months including taking her to the Vet after she had a few strokes. They were very attentive with trimming her claws, giving her regular brushes and making sure she was warm. Unfortunately her fur was quite matted upon return; if they had worked together, as I had suggested, the mats would have been easy to snip out. Upon return, the garden was full of weeds and the lawn needed mowing; the bird baths were full of black sludge and plants had been tipped over. I would recommend that in future, Jim and Shelly only apply for pet sits or for homes without garden care and concentrate the most on the jobs that the host has asked them to perform.
HELEN (Quarry Hill VIC, Mar 2024 - 5 months)
Thank you for your comments and for recognizing our care for Honey. Success is a partnership that needs you to identify expectations and potential problems. The challenges with Honey’s grooming and the extent of the weed problem weren’t mentioned until long after you left. Shelly attended daily to ... MOREThank you for your comments and for recognizing our care for Honey. Success is a partnership that needs you to identify expectations and potential problems. The challenges with Honey’s grooming and the extent of the weed problem weren’t mentioned until long after you left. Shelly attended daily to Honey’s fur, even after she was bit, and we worked regularly in the garden, but unclear expectations made it tough to meet your standards. We suggest adding grooming, house, and garden care details to written and oral instructions to help future sitters prepare better.
We always strive to provide the highest level of care for both pets and homes. Your feedback is invaluable, and we will use it to enhance our communication with future hosts to ensure all needs are clearly understood and met.
Jim And Shelly are truly amazing. They are simply lovely people. The care and love for our animals was above and beyond what we were expecting, they have a gift. Upon our arrival home our house was clean and tidy and our pets were like different fur babies (trained even). They kept great communication with us, honest and reliable. We highly recommend them.
MANDI (Shailer Park QLD, Mar 2024 - 2 weeks)
Jim and Shelly were confident housesitters and good communicators. They regularly sent pictures of my dogs to me so I see them playing and happy which reassured me that I was missing the dogs more than they were missing me. I have a large property which they managed well given the high humidity and temps of Qld summer. I was very happy to know my house was in good hands with them.
LISA (Hervey Bay QLD, Jan 2023 - 7 weeks)
We felt fortunate to secure Jim & Shelley for our 3.5 months house sit. They were professional from the moment they contacted us. They helped us by providing useful information on what to look for with good house sitters, as it was our first time. They were extremely communicative during the sit which was great for us. Our cats were very well looked after & Shelley spent a lot of time getting to know & understand them. The house was immaculate when we returned & our plants were in much better ... MOREWe felt fortunate to secure Jim & Shelley for our 3.5 months house sit. They were professional from the moment they contacted us. They helped us by providing useful information on what to look for with good house sitters, as it was our first time. They were extremely communicative during the sit which was great for us. Our cats were very well looked after & Shelley spent a lot of time getting to know & understand them. The house was immaculate when we returned & our plants were in much better condition than when we left. Highly recommend.
It was a pure delight to meet and trust our home and pets to Jim and Shelley. They are first and foremost just lovely people.
Our dog SIA - an old dog- learned new tricks from Jim. Audrey our cat found a soulmate in Shelley. Our pets were much loved in our absence. Jim and Shelley are great communicators and our iCloud photo album has many new pet shot additions thanks to them both.
What must be said is that Jim and Shelley sat our house in the midst of rare rain and flood events. This ... MOREIt was a pure delight to meet and trust our home and pets to Jim and Shelley. They are first and foremost just lovely people.
Our dog SIA - an old dog- learned new tricks from Jim. Audrey our cat found a soulmate in Shelley. Our pets were much loved in our absence. Jim and Shelley are great communicators and our iCloud photo album has many new pet shot additions thanks to them both.
What must be said is that Jim and Shelley sat our house in the midst of rare rain and flood events. This cannot have been easy as our entire district gave ground to rising waters. In this tight spot - they were just amazing. Responsive, responsible and reliable in all aspects of care.
Our home and pets were in trusted hands. We have no hesitation in recommending them as sitters.
COLIN (Maleny QLD, Apr 2022 - 3 weeks)
From the very beginning we knew Jim and Shelly were the right people to look after our house and animals. Their communication prior to the house sit arrival and during the house sit was great and nothing was a fuss for them. We loved the updates and photos of our animals while we were travelling. The house was spotless when we returned and looked cleaner than what we left it. The animals were loved and well looked after. We would 110% recommended Jim and Shelly to housesit and would happily ... MOREFrom the very beginning we knew Jim and Shelly were the right people to look after our house and animals. Their communication prior to the house sit arrival and during the house sit was great and nothing was a fuss for them. We loved the updates and photos of our animals while we were travelling. The house was spotless when we returned and looked cleaner than what we left it. The animals were loved and well looked after. We would 110% recommended Jim and Shelly to housesit and would happily have them back in our house for any future house sits. Thanks again Jim and Shelly :)
HALEY (HELENSVALE QLD, Aug 2021 - 1 month 1 week)
Jim and Shelly came to housesit our acreage property for us for 4 months.
Our two old cats were very spoiled and loved by them.
The chooks kept laying for them.
Our house was left clean and tidy.
The pool was well maintained and is very sparkly.
It was a pleasure to have them run our Airbnb in our absence, all the guests loved them.
I would highly recommend them to care for small homes/units with not much gardening required.
Outside general maintenance and use of machinery required on ... MOREJim and Shelly came to housesit our acreage property for us for 4 months.
Our two old cats were very spoiled and loved by them.
The chooks kept laying for them.
Our house was left clean and tidy.
The pool was well maintained and is very sparkly.
It was a pleasure to have them run our Airbnb in our absence, all the guests loved them.
I would highly recommend them to care for small homes/units with not much gardening required.
Outside general maintenance and use of machinery required on an acreage property was disappointing.
JEANNIE (Pinjarra Hills QLD, Mar 2021 - 4 months)
Our animals were not only looked after but adored by Jim and Shelley and spoilt rotten. The house was immaculate and lawns mowed when we returned. There was great communication before , during and after the house sit. Would highly recommend.
LEAH (Moree NSW, Dec 2020 - 1 month 1 week)
Thank you for the trust you put in us and the generosity of your home and time.
Jim and Shelly were awesome from the get-go! The communication was great from the first message, and we immediately felt comfortable leaving our fur babies with them.
They had a great understanding of animals and how they work. My pets can get pretty stressed when we leave, but we knew they could handle it.
They were friendly and were great to chat to. We loved having them in our house, and would highly recommend them to anyone.
It made our holiday much better knowing everything was ... MOREJim and Shelly were awesome from the get-go! The communication was great from the first message, and we immediately felt comfortable leaving our fur babies with them.
They had a great understanding of animals and how they work. My pets can get pretty stressed when we leave, but we knew they could handle it.
They were friendly and were great to chat to. We loved having them in our house, and would highly recommend them to anyone.
It made our holiday much better knowing everything was ok at home thanks to Jim and Shelly
AMBER (Curra QLD, Mar 2020 - 4 days)
Our experience with Jim & Shelly has been our 1st experience with house sitting. From our 1st interview I knew they were perfect for us. We were overseas for 5wks & received updates & photos of our beloved pets etc. We could see that our animals were relaxed & had accepted them just like a member of the family. This was extremely settling to know all was well when we were so far away. On our return I had previously spoken to Jim & Shelly about our appreciation for what they had done for us, & ... MOREOur experience with Jim & Shelly has been our 1st experience with house sitting. From our 1st interview I knew they were perfect for us. We were overseas for 5wks & received updates & photos of our beloved pets etc. We could see that our animals were relaxed & had accepted them just like a member of the family. This was extremely settling to know all was well when we were so far away. On our return I had previously spoken to Jim & Shelly about our appreciation for what they had done for us, & so they were more than welcome to stay until their next house sit. This was fantastic as we all really got to know each other & now we have amazing friends for life!
Thankyou so much Jim & Shelly!!
I STRONGLY recommend them 4 any house sit!
CAROLYN (Bundaberg QLD, Jan 2020 - 1 month 1 week)
Shelly and Jim are a remarkable couple and we are forever grateful for the love and attention they gave to our two greyhounds. Both dogs had specific needs and Shelly and Jim ensured they had a comprehensive knowledge of them before we left and clearly devoted time and energy into their care whilst we were away.
Our property was well looked after, though not without challenges for Shelly and Jim. They had to deal with fly plagues, continuous heat wave and the threat of bush fires. All done ... MOREShelly and Jim are a remarkable couple and we are forever grateful for the love and attention they gave to our two greyhounds. Both dogs had specific needs and Shelly and Jim ensured they had a comprehensive knowledge of them before we left and clearly devoted time and energy into their care whilst we were away.
Our property was well looked after, though not without challenges for Shelly and Jim. They had to deal with fly plagues, continuous heat wave and the threat of bush fires. All done professionally and thoughtfully.
Prior to and throughout our holiday their communication was on point and detailed.
We cannot rate nor praise them highly enough.
KERRITH (Peachester QLD, Nov 2019 - 2 weeks 5 days)
Jim and Shelley are a delight. Easygoing, fun and responsible. From our first meeting prior to the sit I knew I was not going to worry. Will definitely be calling again.
JULIE (Lawson NSW, Nov 2019 - 2 months)
Jim & Shelly were very good pet/house sitters. Unfortunately our dog became quite sick & spent a couple of days at the vet however Jim & Shelly kept up communication with us regularly during that time. When we came home our dog was happy and looked wonderful so we were relieved as we were on the other side of the world! The apartment was tidy and everything was in working order. We were happy with Jim & Shelly
CAROLYN (Queenscliff NSW, Aug 2019 - 2 months)
Jim & Shelly looked after our house, animals and extensive garden for 7 weeks while we travelled. Everyone survived beautifully and in fact the poultry pens where the cleanest our house-sitters have left them for many years, so thank you. They arrive promptly the day before so that they could learn the run of the house and yard and despite having no car for the duration of their stay they managed to get our dog to the vet when needed, mail collected regularly and made friends with people ... MOREJim & Shelly looked after our house, animals and extensive garden for 7 weeks while we travelled. Everyone survived beautifully and in fact the poultry pens where the cleanest our house-sitters have left them for many years, so thank you. They arrive promptly the day before so that they could learn the run of the house and yard and despite having no car for the duration of their stay they managed to get our dog to the vet when needed, mail collected regularly and made friends with people downtown, so melded into the community nicely we have here.
We came home to happy and healthy dogs, fruit & veggies to pick and a lovely tidy house.
BARBARA (Boonah QLD, Jun 2019 - 1 month 3 weeks)
Jim and Shelly have just cared for our home and pets for 4 weeks and we would highly recommend them as very responsible and caring house sitters. They are obviously animal lovers - our cats are missing their cuddles. Our house and our animals were in perfect condition on our return. They cared for cats, birds and 2 pet wallabies. We received frequent updates so could really enjoy our holiday with no concerns at all. We are very thankful for all their care and kindness
RAE AND JAN (Encounter Bay SA, May 2019 - 4 weeks)
Great couple,
During my absence, Vincent and Shelly did well looking after my asset.
They had everything I had to run my home, but additionally they created their own methods to live their own way, Not Texas style, but Aussie one.
Neighbours were satisfied with their friendliness.
Hope they are available once again, for the next assignment in few months time. However if not, I wish them the best House Sitting the future can bring,
I know though that the next homeowner will be ... MOREGreat couple,
During my absence, Vincent and Shelly did well looking after my asset.
They had everything I had to run my home, but additionally they created their own methods to live their own way, Not Texas style, but Aussie one.
Neighbours were satisfied with their friendliness.
Hope they are available once again, for the next assignment in few months time. However if not, I wish them the best House Sitting the future can bring,
I know though that the next homeowner will be satisfied with the end results as I did
ARIEL (Beaconsfield WA, Apr 2018 - 6 months)
Jim and Shelly are both very friendly, tidy and competent house sitters. It was lovely to come home to a neat house and content animals. Contact me at any time for referral on (08) 9927 1282
DAVINA HANCOCK (Dongara WA, Feb 2018 - 3 weeks)
Jim and Shelly are great house sitters. We arrived home to a clean and tidy home, and two very happy and healthy dogs.
Communication was great and we received the occasional pet photo so we knew they were doing well. I'd have no problem recommending Jim and Shelly to House sit.
ANDY AND SARAH (Golden Bay WA, Dec 2017 - 1 month 3 weeks)
Safe house!
There is nothing more secure than having people at home while you're away. Get a house sitter.
Couple
Jim and Shelly have been an absolute dream come true for us first timers to house/pet sitting, they will be our first port of call when we plan to go away again.
They had plenty to keep them busy and accepted it gladly and even with glee.
We had very extensive gardens that, due to the time of year, needed regular watering during a very dry time, we came home to everything flourishing and going well.
Neither of our cats have been looked after by strangers before and the 2 of them are ... MORE
Our animals were not only looked after but adored by Jim and Shelley and spoilt rotten. The house was immaculate and lawns mowed when we returned. There was great communication before , during and after the house sit. Would highly recommend.
