HOUSESITTING RESPONSIBILITIES
While you are away, I can help with various responsibilities, such as:
- Care for your pets in their own familiar environment
- Provide peace of mind
- Maintain your home
- Maintain your yard/garden and water your plants
- Tend to any minor house maintenance or repairs
- Perform administrative tasks, such as: sorting through your mail (opening/scanning/emailing documents you wish to view), monitoring your voicemail messages, and running minor errands
- Schedule and supervise cleaning and/or maintenance personnel
- Manage your AirBnB rentals
ABOUT ME
My name is Sarah. I am an emotionally intelligent and mature female in my 40s. I don't have any kids or any pets (though I love animals!). I am a vegetarian who doesn't smoke, drink, or partake in drugs. I am a neat, clean, and quiet person who values respect, planning, and communication.I began my career as a tax accountant. I worked for one of the Big 5 accounting firms and later ran my own accounting practice. I then migrated to a different career, working as a product manager at Amazon. I've dabbled in editing and instructing at the community college level as well. I now enjoy a semi-retired lifestyle, though I frequently serve as a bike guide for various bike tours across the United States. My passions include bike touring, yoga, running, sailing, reading and writing, volunteering at the local animal shelter, traveling, happiness maximization, and sucking the marrow out of life.
WHY I HOUSESIT
Over the years, I've come to embrace the "voluntary simplicity" philosophy. The philosophy encourages a reduction of possessions and an emphasis on self-sufficiency. I've chosen this lifestyle not only because I want to focus on the things in life that really matter (friends, personal growth, etc), but also for spiritual, health, and ecological reasons. Slowly but surely, I've been shedding the possessions and long-term commitments that bog down my life and that prevent me from living the life I want to live.
I have simplified my lifestyle, and by doing so, I have deemphasized the need to work a full-time job in order to sustain myself. This enables me to spend time doing what I love most -- traveling, both domestically and abroad. As much as I enjoy traveling, though, I also enjoy coming back to my "home base" in the Pacific Northwest to reconnect with my friends and the beautiful mountains.I do not have a permanent home. As such, I housesit when I am not on the move. Housesitting enables me to have a temporary place to live while I work on developing my entrepreneurial ideas and planning for my next adventure. Plus, housesitting allows me the opportunity to maintain my love for animals and plants.
I'm a huge fan of housesitting. It's a win-win situation -- you get someone to look after your home and pets, and I get to temporarily experience a sense of "home."
Click here for a link to my profile on Trusted Housesitters.
I was interviewed by "The Voluntary Life Podcast" about my early-retirement lifestyle as a housesitter. You can listen to My Interview with "The Voluntary Life" Podcast.
I do not charge to housesit.
As I spend a good deal of time working online, I require that your home offer a decent and reliable wifi connection.
Although my home base is in the Pacific Northwest, I am open to housesitting anywhere in the world. Obviously, the length of a housesit needs to justify any travel costs to get to and from the housesit.
I greatly value communication, and so it is important to me that I communicate with you as much as you'd prefer. Some homeowners appreciate an update every few days, including photos of their furry friends. Others prefer the out-of-sight/out-of-mind approach. I'm fine with either method.
If your dates fall outside of the above windows, I encourage you to contact me, as I may be able to adjust my schedule or recommend another housesitter.
Though I will housesit for any length of time, longer-term housesits take a priority in scheduling.
It is never too soon to arrange for a housesitter, particularly if you are looking for a housesitter for multiple months. If you are interested in having me housesit for you, please contact me and tell me about your housesitting needs, where you live, and the dates you need a housesitter. We can then set-up an interview in-person or over Skype.
I have a housesitting contract that I can send you. The contract includes a few pages of homeowner and housesitter responsibilities, as well as an addendum where you can fill in instructions (such as how to feed your animals, where the fuse box and water shut-off are located, contact information for your vet and neighbors, etc). Some homeowners appreciate the formality of the contract, while others prefer to use the contract merely as a framework.
I was interviewed by "The Voluntary Life Podcast" about my early-retirement lifestyle as a housesitter. You can listen to My Interview with "The Voluntary Life" Podcast.
MY RATES
I do not charge to housesit.
REQUIREMENTS
As I spend a good deal of time working online, I require that your home offer a decent and reliable wifi connection.
Although my home base is in the Pacific Northwest, I am open to housesitting anywhere in the world. Obviously, the length of a housesit needs to justify any travel costs to get to and from the housesit.
I greatly value communication, and so it is important to me that I communicate with you as much as you'd prefer. Some homeowners appreciate an update every few days, including photos of their furry friends. Others prefer the out-of-sight/out-of-mind approach. I'm fine with either method.
AVAILABILITY
Below is my availability:
- November 1 - 13, 2024
If your dates fall outside of the above windows, I encourage you to contact me, as I may be able to adjust my schedule or recommend another housesitter.
Though I will housesit for any length of time, longer-term housesits take a priority in scheduling.
SETTING UP AN INTERVIEW
It is never too soon to arrange for a housesitter, particularly if you are looking for a housesitter for multiple months. If you are interested in having me housesit for you, please contact me and tell me about your housesitting needs, where you live, and the dates you need a housesitter. We can then set-up an interview in-person or over Skype.
CONTRACT
I have a housesitting contract that I can send you. The contract includes a few pages of homeowner and housesitter responsibilities, as well as an addendum where you can fill in instructions (such as how to feed your animals, where the fuse box and water shut-off are located, contact information for your vet and neighbors, etc). Some homeowners appreciate the formality of the contract, while others prefer to use the contract merely as a framework.
REFERENCES & GRATITUDES
"Sarah is my all-time favorite house sitter! She is warm, communicative, and the place was spotless when I came home. Most importantly however, my two little monsters immediately took to her and she showered me with wonderful photos and videos of them looking so happy. It puts me at such peace knowing they are so well taken care of while I’m away! I also love Sarah’s recap emails, where she lets me know what happened while I was gone. She is just so wonderful, and I can’t thank her enough! I’ll definitely be booking her anytime she’s available. ☺️ Thank you, Sarah!!!" ~Kristina (Seattle, WA) |
| Bear sleeps on my lap, while Charlotte helps me in the kitchen. |
"I had the pleasure of having Sarah as my house sitter and I must say she was amazing! She took excellent care of my home and fur babies, giving me peace of mind while I was away. Sarah was very communicative, always keeping me up to date with photos and messages. She has a warm and friendly personality and has obviously been doing this for a long time. Upon returning home, I was delighted to find my house clean and tidy, and my pets happy and healthy. Sarah even sent me a thoughtful email summarizing her stay. I highly recommend her for all your house-sitting needs and look forward to having her back soon!" ~Sasha (Normandy Park, WA)
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| Yoda enjoys some feel goodies. (Not pictured: Zozo) |
"Sarah was a dream kitty and house sitter. My somewhat shy cats opened up almost immediately to her and I felt so comfortable leaving them for a week. I loved getting regular photos and her thoughtful communications about how everything was going. She even had the kitties write little notes to me for my niece who was getting married. I highly recommend Sarah and have already booked her again for another sit!" ~Suzanne (Seattle, WA)
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| Leela, Bodhi, and Leela and me enjoying couch time. |
"Oh my, Sarah was an absolute joy! She took incredible care of both kitties and made extra effort and bonded with our skittish older male cat. The house is perfectly clean and she took great care of our our plants, especially considering the extra hot weather spell. She is also an excellent communicator and a very fun person! If you are able to get Sarah for your sit, we are sure you will be extremely happy indeed! Thanks to Sarah for all her generous support and kindness!" ~ Lynne & Doug (Anacortes, WA)
"Sarah was a dream to have. The house was spotless when I arrived, and she even left a sweet card welcoming me back home after my trip. My two cats were very relaxed and happy when I walked through the door, so I knew they had received a lot of love and care while I was gone. I would have Sarah back in a heartbeat, she was a great communicator and sent daily updates and pics too." ~Rose (Bellingham, WA)
"Less than seven days away from a vacation/family wedding that had been planned for months, my housesitter fell ill and was hospitalized. Sarah was connected to me through a mutual acquaintance as a possible last-minute house and petsitter. Sarah is pure gold. She came to our rescue with a last-minute booking. I went from a stress level of 10 down to a 1 the moment we spoke on the phone. Putting your home and your animals into the care of someone you have never met, coupled with a vacation on our heels with our original sitter falling through, caused a load of anxiety - until Sarah came along.
Sarah's kind aura resonates all around her and is evident in the way she interacts with people and animals alike. Sarah arrived on our 45-acre fruit orchard/home property the evening before we were to leave on our seven day road trip. This was so appreciated because it gave us the chance to do a complete walk-thru of my three dogs and four cats' routines, personalities, and needs. The animals instantly loved her, and Sarah sent lovely updates via text messages and photos throughout the duration of our time away.
Sarah gave us the peace-of-mind we needed during our trip. She cared for our pets as if they were her own, took them for walks/runs multiple times per day, and tended to their individual attention needs - mainly snuggles/petting/some prescription drops, their food and water/litter box schedules. She was incredibly detail-oriented and attentive to them. For this, I cannot thank her enough.
Sarah went above the normal call of duty for a house/pet sitter. She cared for our home immaculately. She watered our rose garden, indoor & outdoor plants and watered our lawn. She took care of our mail and packages and left the house so incredibly clean. Sarah asked amazing questions and paid close attention to all of our asks. I am so impressed and thankful for Sarah, and I highly recommend her for any future house/pet sitting beyond measure!
Sarah is of the highest caliber people you could ask for. She is a true treasure and a diamond of a find. It was so nice to have a sitter whom was a communicative and sweet and caring and amazing with our furry creatures as she was. Our animals loved her to pieces and we just adore her!" ~Shara & Jabin (Wapato, WA)
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| Massey, Massey & Ruger, and (surprise) Massey again. |
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| Boots swimming, Pippin, and "Biscuit Chef" Mitzie. (Not pictured: Pedro and Mamacita.) |
"Sarah has taken care of Haida, our aging cat, twice in the last couple of years. She is a gem of a house sitter and we discovered that she's also a cat whisperer! Recently, she managed the impossible: She transformed Haida into a lap cat. Never once in her eighteen years had our kitty expressed any interest in sitting still on anyone's lap! While we were away, Sarah gave us regular updates about Haida and the house. She let us know when packages were delivered and was generally very communicative. Leaving our house and Haida in Sarah's care gave us complete peace of mind. We knew that Haida would be loved. Thank you, Sarah!" ~Pascale & David (Seattle, WA)
"We highly recommend Sarah! She took care of our cat (Keeko), plants and house for over three weeks and made our trip stressless. It was our first time having a house sitter and she took the time to answer all our questions, sent a template for the house manual, and met with us prior to our trip to get acquainted with our kitty. Communication was great during our trip as well: she sent us almost daily pictures (and videos) of our cat, and was super responsive when we had questions. A few days after we left, our home internet went down, and Sarah helped us coordinate with our provider to bring it back up, making it as less disruptive as possible for us. She was also super accommodating when our flight back home was delayed by one day. But best of all, our cat just loves her, and seems even more relaxed after spending time with her. We enjoyed our vacation and came back to a happy cat and a super clean house, all thanks to Sarah!" ~Katherine & Stefan (Seattle, WA)
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| What a treat to have Haida as a lap kitty! |
"We highly recommend Sarah! She took care of our cat (Keeko), plants and house for over three weeks and made our trip stressless. It was our first time having a house sitter and she took the time to answer all our questions, sent a template for the house manual, and met with us prior to our trip to get acquainted with our kitty. Communication was great during our trip as well: she sent us almost daily pictures (and videos) of our cat, and was super responsive when we had questions. A few days after we left, our home internet went down, and Sarah helped us coordinate with our provider to bring it back up, making it as less disruptive as possible for us. She was also super accommodating when our flight back home was delayed by one day. But best of all, our cat just loves her, and seems even more relaxed after spending time with her. We enjoyed our vacation and came back to a happy cat and a super clean house, all thanks to Sarah!" ~Katherine & Stefan (Seattle, WA)
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| Little Miss Keeko, always a fixture at my side. |
"We had a great experience having Sarah watch our house and pets (Alice and Ruth). Sarah was a great communicator and provided us with daily updates and photos of our cats. Upon leaving Sarah cleaned our house and left us a summary of her stay (how the pets were, where she left our mail etc) which was so helpful. She took great care of our pets, house plants and house in general and responded quickly whenever we reached out. We would highly recommend Sarah and will absolutely be asking her to sit for us again!" ~Meghan & Shaun (Bellingham, WA)
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| Outgoing Alice and shy Ruth. |
"Sarah stayed in our home to take care of our two cats-Dash and Macee. Sarah was terrific! Great communication, keeping us updated with pictures and texts. We came home to a clean home which is always so nice! We hope to use Sarah again in the future!" ~Carolyn (Blaine, WA)
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| Shy Dash and Mischievous Macee. |
"Sarah has my highest recommendation. She loves my kitties and gives them so much support and care. I could not have asked for a better sitter." ~Pam (Seattle, WA)
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| Emme getting a belly rub, Frida all snuggly in my sweater, and Frida helping me write my book. |
"I would recommend Sarah wholeheartedly! I had complete trust in her while she took care of our dog [Kokanee] and our house for two weeks. She clearly bonded with our dog, which was very important to us. It was enjoyable to receive the photos she sent while we traveled, as it reassured us that everything was going well. Sarah is very personable and it was with pleasure that we had her at our house and look forward to having it occur again!" ~Teri (Bainbridge Island, WA)
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| Kokanee plays at the beach and naps afterwards on my lap. |
"Sarah is a very responsible person. She has attention for detail and a very kind heart. I highly recommend her as a house and pet sitter. I trust her and feel she would make the best possible decision in the event of an emergency, pet health crisis or house problem. I really appreciated that she kept in touch which kept me from worrying while I was away." ~Carla (Seattle, WA)
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| Min (Carla's kitty) lives for belly rubs. |
"I had a feeling right when I met you that [you] would be a perfect fit - and I've been SO thankful having you there. It's made me so much more comfortable while I'm away knowing that you were there. You have been so communicative which has been a huge help. I love all the pictures of Ricki and [I am] happy to see that you guys definitely bonded over the last couple months. You are welcome over any time to visit both me and Ricki!...I really can't thank you enough for everything!!" ~Nikki (Seattle, WA)
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| Ricki loves playing in her teepee and snuggling. |
"Sarah took care of our house and five cats for two months in early 2017 while we were out of the country. It is never easy handing over your pets and house to someone else but Sarah quickly gave us the confidence that she was the right person. She did an exceptional job. She was great with communication and sent us photos and videos of the cats often, especially at first to ease any concerns we might have had. She watched over the mail and let us know right away, with photos, if an envelope looked important. One of our cats is especially afraid of new people and Sarah took extra care with that kitty to make him accept her. Sarah took good care of our house as well. We have a large, older home on a couple of acres. She did a great job mowing our lawns. We used Whatsapp to keep in touch which made it easy to text and send photos back and forth without cost. Rarely a day went by where we didn't touch base about something and often it was just a few photos she would send of the kitties sitting on her lap or being fed. It helped for her in that we put together a lengthy manual about our cats and house so she had a reference source.Our house was neat and tidy upon our return and the cats were all happy and healthy and well fed. We would heartily recommend Sarah to anyone who is looking for a housesitter. Your pets and home will be in good hands and you can enjoy your time away." ~Christopher & Noel (Bellingham, WA)
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| The Bellingham kitties -- Mo, Fran, Sammy, Quincy, and Kukla. |
"Sarah is everything and more that you could want in a house/pet sitter. Our kitties agree. We had her stay for a month and having her there, with her level of professionalism and kindness, allowed us to not worry once about being gone and how our kitties were doing." ~Miranda & Nick (Bellingham, WA)
"Thanks for taking care of my home while I was gone. It made traveling much easier. I didn’t get the feeling that I needed to go home and check on things like I have in the past while traveling – it relieved that homesick feeling that I occasionally gotten in the past. Oh, and thank you for leaving me a clean home to come back to." ~Jim (Seattle, WA)
"We couldn’t have been more pleased with our first experience with having Sarah sit for our home and two cats. She more than rose to the call of duty when our 13 year-old black cat developed some sort of intestional issue and for the first time ever was having diarrhea outside the litter box. She got him to the vet and went through 2 rounds of very unpleasant oral antibiotics without him showing any signs of holding a grudge. She kept us updated on his progress and gave him extra TLC by introducing him to the outdoors by walking him in his jet pack carrier!! Sarah did much to ease my worry about Judo’s illness. We also returned to our home in even better condition than we left, as she replaced non working door locks on our front door. (We always go in through garage) An added bonus for the furry J’s was a two day visit by Sarah’s Mom, who gave the cats an extra lap and lots of affection. It was very nice to come home to a clean house, only having to unpack and reconnect with the cats, who spent the first couple hours roaming around crying for Sarah!!!! We definitely plan to invite her back for future housesits." ~ Vera and Dan (Springfield IL)
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| Judo in a box, Jakki napping, and Judo going for a walk in his jetpack. |
"We had a wonderful experience with Sarah! She made us feel so confident and carefree on our vacation because of how she handled the sit from start to finish. She was very organized and generous, and checked in with us the perfect amount of times during our trip. Our two kittens had so much fun with Sarah and she left our home clean. If you get the chance to have Sarah housesit for you, do it! She's the best :)" ~Annie & Josh (Bellingham, WA)
"Thank you so much for your care. I can't tell you how thrilled I am to know that Tiva trusted you to take her out on a walk, snuggle under the covers and greet you with kisses. I really didn't know if she could do that, or do that so quickly. Clearly you have a wonderful way with her." ~Kat & Willie (Seattle, WA)
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| Gotcha Tiva! |
"I could not have found a better fit for my 5 cats and one dog. Sarah was great. I had a couple quirky instructions and Sarah handled them perfectly. She is a pet lover extraordinaire and spoiled my animals just like I do. Plus my house was spotless when I returned from my 3 week vacation. Thank you Sarah!" ~Lindsay (Maitland, FL)
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| Lindsay's crew: Christa, Hank, the five kitties at dinner, Snoopy/Snuggles, Tiger, and Butterscotch. |
"We just have to say how wonderful Sophie and Jasper look. We were quite surprised--in a very entertained way--to see they have both become downright fat! And both look superb and happy and content. We have never had anyone who did as wonderful a job with them as you, and we do thank you for it with all our hearts." ~Mary & Dennis (Seattle, WA)
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| Sophie plays string, while Jasper plays with the mouse in the box. |
"We deeply appreciate all you did to enjoy and care for our home, and to keep Eleanor happy and healthy. We would love to have you come back anytime, and wish you well with your next imminent adventure." ~Dave & Amy (Salt Spring Island, British Columbia)
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| Eleanor sleeps on my head. |
"Thank you so much for housesitting! I will definitely ask you next time I plan a trip, and feel free to give my name as a reference. My house was better cared for than when I'm here, and everyone has commented how much they like you!" ~Meg (Seattle, WA)
"It gave me great peace of mind to have an experienced house sitter like Sarah looking after my house while I was away. I appreciated her flexibility and efficiency. I also enjoyed visiting with her; she's a very interesting person. I hope to be able to use her services again, and would gladly recommend her to friends." ~Lynne (Bellingham, WA)
"I just had to write...to say how wonderful it has been to have you looking after our kitties [Sprocket, Mary Jane, and Persephone] and house. I can't imagine ever asking anyone else!!" ~Erin (Seattle, WA)
"The place looks GREAT! Thanks so much for taking such good care of things…including Magic, who seemed a tiny bit disappointed it was us coming thru the door and not you! ;) Truly, it's much appreciated." ~Michael (Seattle, WA)
"[Pablo and Scooter] are going to miss [you]...Thank you for all your kindness and care with the boys. Oh geez, and patience with the diarrhea and vomiting! We are so lucky to have had you in our space and would be super duper happy for you to come again. Thank you, Sarah." ~ Jamie & Serge (San Francisco, CA)
"We made it home! Thank you so very much for everything! You're a wonderful house-sitter and we and the zoo are all extremely appreciative!" ~Will & Joanna (Seattle, WA)
“It was a pleasure to return to our house and kitty [Mia] in such good shape.” ~Brian & Laurel (Seattle, WA)
"Thank you for taking such good care of the house and the animals [Kua and Cazzie] while we were away." ~ Gray & Peter (Seattle, WA)
"I do appreciate the pics of Sara. I know that she's adequately spoiled when you're there." ~Mike (Seattle, WA)
"It gave me great peace of mind to have an experienced house sitter like Sarah looking after my house while I was away. I appreciated her flexibility and efficiency. I also enjoyed visiting with her; she's a very interesting person. I hope to be able to use her services again, and would gladly recommend her to friends." ~Lynne (Bellingham, WA)
"I just had to write...to say how wonderful it has been to have you looking after our kitties [Sprocket, Mary Jane, and Persephone] and house. I can't imagine ever asking anyone else!!" ~Erin (Seattle, WA)
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| Sprocket, MaryJane, and Perspehone. |
"The place looks GREAT! Thanks so much for taking such good care of things…including Magic, who seemed a tiny bit disappointed it was us coming thru the door and not you! ;) Truly, it's much appreciated." ~Michael (Seattle, WA)
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| Magic is the ultimate diva. |
"[Pablo and Scooter] are going to miss [you]...Thank you for all your kindness and care with the boys. Oh geez, and patience with the diarrhea and vomiting! We are so lucky to have had you in our space and would be super duper happy for you to come again. Thank you, Sarah." ~ Jamie & Serge (San Francisco, CA)
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| Me, Pablo, and Scooter. |
"We made it home! Thank you so very much for everything! You're a wonderful house-sitter and we and the zoo are all extremely appreciative!" ~Will & Joanna (Seattle, WA)
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| "The Zoo" - Rover, Catfish, Zoka, and Fido. |
“It was a pleasure to return to our house and kitty [Mia] in such good shape.” ~Brian & Laurel (Seattle, WA)
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| Mia loves playing with her toys. |
"Thank you for taking such good care of the house and the animals [Kua and Cazzie] while we were away." ~ Gray & Peter (Seattle, WA)
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| Kua and Cazzie relax after some fun'n'games. |
"I do appreciate the pics of Sara. I know that she's adequately spoiled when you're there." ~Mike (Seattle, WA)
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| Sara's doggie face is irresistible. |
I am happy to provide more detailed references, upon request.