We loved house sitting in British Columbia for Caitlyn. It’s been fun and we appreciate the trust she and Ian put in us in taking care of their home and dog. When they came home for one day before the next leg of their trip and then took Brodie their dog with them he seemed to miss us. So I think we did a pretty good job.
It was very important to us that they felt we cared for their home the way they would care for their home. We were there for three weeks so I made sure that in addition to neatening up daily I took one day each week to clean. That included:
- sweeping the hardwood floors upstairs and downstairs
- washing the bedding and towels
- vacuuming rugs
- cleaning bathrooms – tub, shower stall, sinks, toilets
- cleaning the kitchen – sink, counter tops, stove top
- taking the trash out each week
Daily we made sure to:
- run the dishwasher as needed
- wipe down the kitchen table and counters
- neaten up
- bring in the mail
- feed and walk the dog
Caitlyn had given us very specific information regarding the pantry and what we could use and what were ‘hands off’ items. Though we could use what was in the fridge, when the salad dressing ran out, we made sure to replace it with a new bottle.
It was our goal that when Ian and Caitlyn came home they would find their house in as good of condition as when they left it. There should be no reason for them to come home and have to clean house or do a load of towels or run the dishwasher. We hope we fulfilled that goal and that they will be happy to recommend us as house sitters and welcome us back again.
A note from Joel: my favorite house guests are those who know how to be invisible. Our goal is for Caitlyn and Ian to come home and, at first, wonder whether anyone was even here, and then, as the days pass, discover that the tiny hints of previous denizens are simply pleasant reminders.
So Ian and Caitlyn – here’s your chance. Let us know how we did and what we could have done better. And thank you again for allowing us to care for your home and precious Brodie!
Well, you sneaky folks, not only were we only able to tell you were here because the dog was happy and definitely not starved, but we only just found our welcome home card & photo! And, we’ve yet to discover the salad dressing!
We need you back, though. Somehow the kitchen is a big exploded mess and there are no waffles to be found anywhere! ;-)
We unreservedly recommend the Canfield family as house-sitters. Our only regret is that both times we touched down, we were so tired from our visiting to all hours on our holiday that we didn’t really have the energy to properly enjoy getting to know them or listen to music in our own living room.
If someone in the area could invite them for some house-sitting, we could invite them for dinner and the evening.
Glad you found your card and the official Canfield of Dreams Family Photo! We thought we’d just leave it somewhere you’d eventually find it. Oh, the new bottle of salad dressing – we did dip into it a bit. So it’s in the fridge – slightly used. I should have left some waffles in the freezer for you; maybe next time.
Thanks for the recommendation. We would have loved to visit with you and get to know you both more personally as well. So if someone else has us to a house sitting job in the area, maybe that can happen.