Frequently Asked Questions

I currently offer a professional, high-value Home Stewardship Service strictly on a value exchange basis.

This means I provide meticulous live-in care for your home, pets, and green spaces in exchange for free accommodation, with no monetary fees.

I am highly flexible and available for Home Stewardship Residency (professional housesitting assignments) Australia-wide — happy to confirm long-term residencies across any state or territory.

While I consider all opportunities, I generally prefer sits longer than two weeks. This allows me to establish and maintain comprehensive routines for both your pets and your home.

All communications are tailored to your specific preferences. Whether you desire a daily update with photos of your home, garden, and pets, or a weekly high-level briefing, I ensure you are informed without being interrupted. Our goal is to provide enough data to ensure your peace of mind, allowing you to remain fully present in your travels.

My experience in home stewardship is as diverse as the pet companions who inhabit your sanctuary. I provide attentive, intuitive care for a wide variety of domestic pets, ensuring their routines remain undisturbed and their spirits content while you are away.

My practical expertise includes the daily care and companionship of cats and dogs, the delicate maintenance of freshwater and tropical aquaria, and the gentle handling of caged and house tamed birds. I am equally comfortable tending to the specific needs of rabbits, guinea pigs, and smaller wonders such as terrestrial hermit crabs and stick insects. This lifelong familiarity with animals — from the playful to the serene — allows me to offer a truly comprehensive care model that respects the unique personality and requirements of every member of your household.

I am a solo professional sitter, and consistent with security protocols, I must be the sole point of access and accountability for the property's security during the sit, unless otherwise agreed prior to commencement to allow for my sons to ocasionally visit.

As my small business allows me to Work From Home (WFH), I maintain a consistent presence. I may be away intermittently for a few hours at a time to run errands or attend in-person meetings, but otherwise will always be there during the night.

Yes, for maximum security and risk mitigation, a working alarm system, security bolts on all external doors, window security, and secure, off-street parking for my vehicle are non-negotiable requirements.

While I carry my own mobile broadband for work, reliable, high-speed internet and Wi-Fi is highly preferred for necessary streaming and daily connection/updates.

My approach to home stewardship is built upon a foundation of mutual respect for the sanctuary you have created. As a minimum standard, I expect the home environment to be presented in a clean, safe, and fully functional condition that allows for the seamless continuation of your established routines.

As I operate my small business remotely, a stable and reliable high-speed internet connection is a vital requirement for my 'work-from-home' hours. I view these baseline requirements — including clear access to utilities and well-maintained pet care equipment — as essential 'stewardship vitals'. They ensure that I can maintain my own professional obligations while devoting my full attention to the intentional tending and mindful preservation of your property’s spirit.

For specific health, safety, or environmental constraints that may fall outside these standards, please refer to my 'Check for Fit' guide for further clarity.

Based on local government guidelines, I can manage up to two dogs and three cats (or as otherwise permitted and limited by the logal government authority), plus other small domestic critters (birds, rabbits, hermit crabs, stick insects, etc.), on a case-by-case basis.

No sorry. Consistent with my high standards for hygiene and cleanliness, pets are strictly not permitted to sleep on human beds or bedding.

Yes. For the safety and hygiene of the assignment, all pets must be fully vaccinated and currently treated for fleas, ticks, and worms prior to the sit.

Pets with routine medication needs (e.g., pills mixed in food) are ok. However, I must respectfully decline sits involving sick/contagious pets or complex, high-risk health needs (e.g., injections), which are better served by a veterinary practices trained sitter (eg. vet nurse, veterinarian).

My experience is extensive across the most common pet species and breeds, including cats, dogs, caged and tamed birds, rabbits, Guinea pigs, and freshwater and tropical aquariums, plus speciality creatures such as hermit crabs and stick insects. Unfortunately, I must decline sits involving reptiles, rodents (as pets), and native Australian fauna (my experience with echidna/native fauna is located, safely cage, and organise expert deposit / collection only). 

I offer specialised stewardship for young and vulnerable animals, including hand-rearing litters of kittens and puppies, and caring for hatchlings and juvenile small pets. My experience extends to intensive rescue cases requiring strict hygiene and complex feeding schedules. [Read my article Nurturing Hand: A Home Stewardship Approach]

I manage all light, routine maintenance including watering pots & gardens, mail collection, light cleaning, and normal upkeep of pools & lawns (e.g., skimming/pool cleaner management), but no heavy lifting or major repairs.

Services should be areanged prior to the commencment of the sit for regular housekeeping (for example to do deep-cleaning on children's bedrooms), lawn mowing and edging, pruning and weeding, pool and spa cleaning, reticulation servicing, etc.

My motivation is driven by professional necessity and genuine passion. The value exchange enables me to maintain a secure, stable base for my WFH business, while fulfilling my passion for high-standard pet and home care.

Prior to accepting an offer, I require detailed information about the location, dates, the house, and pets.

Prior to final confirmation, I require clear proof of vaccinations and required treatments, home ownership or rental lease with authorisation from managing agent authorisation, and assurance that there are no deal breakers as per the comprehensive "Check for Fit" guidelines.

Upon arrival for the sit, I require detailed mandatory written instructions, including detailed pet routines, emergency contact information (vet/local contact), and instructions for utilities, necessary appliances, mail management, and any other instructions unique to your particular circumstances plus emergency procedures.

A comprehensive process to clarify all details will be commenced once the residency and sitting dates have been confirmed.

I will follow the agreed-upon emergency protocol to the letter. This would include, for example, immediate contact with the local emergency person/vet and informing the homeowner only after securing the pet's safety or containing the home situation if your pet's or my personal safety is in imminent danger.

A comprehensive process to clarify all details and emergency procedures will be commenced once the residency and sitting dates have been confirmed.

Yes, I provide character references as well as references related to my house sitting and pet care, as well as positive guest references from my previous AirBnB stays. I also have a National Police Check Certificate.

NB: there is actually no such thing as a "Police Clearance" unless you work in classified fields in which case the security clearance process is very different, and "Yes!" I am willing to usergo any and all required clearance processes or drug of abuse screening.

Where possible I prefer to do an on-site meet-and-greet prior to the sit, or a video walk-through for interstate sits to confirm expectations of the home environment.

The house sit residency always begins with a clean, safe & well-maintained home and healthy pets, and will conclude upon your return with the presentation back to you of a clean, safe & well-maintained home, and healthy pets. I must decline sites with active pest infestations, dangerous clutter, or pets showing signs of serious illness upon my arrival.

Barring unforseen emergencies, the assignment will end with a clean, safe & well-maintained home, healthy, haply pets and lush green spaceshanded back to you.