An article by our House Sitter, Melissa

My daughter, Lauretta and I recently house sat in Bishop’s Stortford for a night and two days. We looked after 2 dogs, a Lhasa Apso and Havanese named Boo and Isabelle, and we also cared for a Chinchilla named Sophia. The couple who we sat for greeted us with a warm welcome and were very nice. Their home was beautiful, clean and modern in design. The lady homeowner had printed a little booklet with instructions to follow during our stay. It was easy to follow these and know the routine of the pets. It was surprising to read that whilst she was out of her cage, Sophia the Chinchilla loved to watch a film in the evening.
Bishop’s Stortford is a beautiful area set in wonderful greenery and countryside. There were many walks for the dogs to go on and they enjoyed the fresh air whilst we explored the countryside. We enjoyed bonding with the dogs and Lauretta fell in love with Sophia, the Chinchilla. It is one of the wonderful bonuses of being a house sitter, looking after other people’s pets. My daughter and I both love animals so we were in our element.

Whilst it is a big responsibility looking after another person’s home and beloved pets, the positives far outweigh any negatives. It can be nerve-wracking, trying to keep everything as pristine as it was when you arrived or worrying if the pets are okay, but on the whole, it is worth it for the wonderful experience that pet and home sitting is. In my time house sitting in different homes, I honestly cannot say I have had any bad experience; it has all been very positive.

When we arrived at Bishops Stortford train station we jumped into a taxi, but the taxi driver found it difficult to locate the house and when he spoke to the homeowner on my phone, he was very rude and impolite. One might expect the taxi driver to know where he was going. Fortunately, the homeowner sent her husband to rescue us. Next time around, I will definitely check the area where we are going first so that I know the exact directions.

The fantastic thing with house sitting is that you see places that, as a tourist, you would not normally see. You are like one of the residents in the area and it can sometimes be off the beaten track, but even that is an experience in itself. The house was situated on the main road, but still in the countryside, and clearly steeped in history. The nearest shops were a 10-minute walk away, which wasn’t bad, but our local shops at our own home are only next door so it took a little getting used to. Carrying heavy bags of shopping for 10 minutes proved not too easy and the bigger supermarkets were even further away, so not having our own transport proved rather a challenge, although we managed fine in the end.
Before we went on the house sitting assignment, we had a lot of communication with the homeowner and it helped put her and our minds at rest that we would be a suitable fit. Being a pet and house sitter enables my daughter and me to travel around the country seeing different areas. We had a wonderful, relaxing time and everything went perfectly.

When it comes to house sitting – or pet sitting – House and Home Sitters is an exceptional service which is simple to use. It is one of the best house sitting websites as sitters are checked and verified before they take on an assignment. Too many house sitting websites do not check their sitter’s credentials and this can lead to problems. Nobody wants to let just any stranger take care of their home or pets. The management of the website keeps excellent communication between sitters and their clients. Overall, I am happy to say this was a wonderful experience and one of many, hopefully.