Margaret

I am a single woman of 71 yrs, (I don't know where all that time has gone!) a non smoker, non drinker, no drugs, no partying (yes regarded as boring by some!). I have previously been housesitting for well over 5 years now but not so much since Covid. I used to do housesitting fulltime with sits back to back. Because I mainly live in my Hiace campervan these days (didn't have it in my days of previously housesitting) I am happy to move about the countryside (mainly Queensland and NSW) free camping/overnighting but these days I am really only looking for a very short sit now and again no longer back to back sits. (in exchange for a hot shower and use of your washing machine!)

I need to say here I am looking for sits where the lawn does not need mowing or the garden weeded. (with short sits this should not be a problem) Happy to keep gardens and pot plants watered.

Preferably not two storey houses with lots of stairs. Can easily handle a few stairs but getting too old now for carrying things up and down full flights of stairs.

I have a collection of contactable references which I can make available if they don't happen to come with my application.

I am a home body type of person. I will be at home most of the time keeping your animals company.

I am a very independent type of person, I try to be as self-sufficient as I can be and carry my own pantry supplies as well as my fridge requirements . A campervan comes in handy for this and can sleep in my campervan if necessary on a very short sit but will need access to a bathroom and toilet and possibly electricity if it is going to be overcast/raining for a while. Under normal circumstances I don't need electricity.

I am happy to look after any animals, birds, fish. Even donkeys and horses if they only need to be fed and watered and maybe an apple now and again over the fence. With dogs I am probably better at looking after the smaller/medium kind because I may not be able to handle larger dogs if they need to go for walks and they would prefer to walk me instead of the other way around. Happy to look after larger dogs (and I am not frightened of them) if they don't require to be walked. I am quite capable and happy to throw a ball etc (if they fetch ball) to give them plenty of exercise if you don't mind them not actually going for a set 'walk'.

I am also a cat lover and can usually get on with most shy reluctant ones. It is really just a matter of patience and love. If you are worried about how your cat may be with me I can highlight which references to contact where I looked after shy and timid cats successfully.

Don't mind if I have to look after chooks or aviaries of birds. Would really like your place if you have wild birds and animals coming near. I do not mind regional areas at all. In fact I prefer to go to rural or even isolated or 'out of the way places' or to go 'bush' but remember I do not have a 4WD vehicle. Even going outback would be great, Not terribly keen on being in suburbia!

Don't mind looking after a swimming pool and keeping it leaf free as much as possible but I will not likely make use of it myself! I also hope you have a working style of mechanical creepy crawly to help keep the bottom clean.

I always endeavour to leave your home as clean and neat as you left it and look after it as if it were my own. I have many references which will attest to home owners coming home to a clean house.

I do like to have internet. Very happy to pay for my own mobile internet if necessary but if so I need you to be in an area where I can get decent reception. If not all the better if I can use your wifi but don't mind if wifi is not available but as I said I really need to be able to use my mobile (Optus).

As you can see I may not be suitable to some house sits and I have tried to be entirely truthful here so if you think I will actually suit your needs and are interested in having me as a house sitter please email me with as many details as you can. I would very much like to have photos of your property (both inside and out) and animals. I would prefer an email telling me about your place before a phone call. It gives me time to take it all in before we speak in person.

Where possible I go out of my way to travel to you for an initial meet before the actual house sit so I can see first hand if your house sit will be suitable for me and you can make up your mind if I would suit your needs. Sometimes this is not possible because of the distances (and the high fuel prices of today) and maybe because of time factor if your previously arranged sitter has cancelled without much notice but if I can I will always try to visit before a housesit.

I know this has been a long read and If you have actually read down this far I thank you very much and hopefully I will hear from you soon

Kind Regards
Margaret