(Also see our house-sitter profile at MindMyHouse.com.)
While we’re traveling, we’d like to watch your house for you while you’re traveling.
Our sponsors know that our goal is not to snag a free ride on someone else’s coin; that’s not ethical and it’s not fun. Instead, we want to provide folks with benefits they’ll value but wouldn’t otherwise get, in exchange for something we value, but wouldn’t otherwise get.
That’s pretty simple, isn’t it?
We have the same philosophy about our house-sitting goals. We’d love to take care of your happy little home while you’re on vacation, doing some traveling of your own. Again, not looking for a free ride, but a way to give you something you want (the security of knowing your home is being cared for by responsible adults while you’re away) in exchange for a comfy bed and a kitchen to cook in.
This is not a paid service. No money changes hands.
We think it feels fair, and fair is important to us.
Why Would You Do This?
We’re the world’s finest house guests. Though our little one does leave piles of books laying around, she’s also fully capable of putting them away on the book shelf when she’s asked. Even puts her dishes in the dishwasher when she’s done eating (without being asked!)
Sue and I are marvelously fussy about cleanliness and order. We value the precious things we own, and recognise that things aren’t just things, they’re the memories and utility they represent. We have a puritanical ethic that causes us to care for others’ possessions even more carefully than our own. And if a drain gets stopped up or the lawn needs mowing, we know how to do that stuff. Unless you ask us not to, ’cause we know how to follow instructions, too.
Oh; you’d absolutely be listed as sponsors if that appeals to you, too.
Are We A Good Match?
If you’re taking a vacation and might like to be part of our story, here are a few things we’d like you to know up front to help determine if we’re a good match:
- We love the country. We love the city. It’s all beautiful.
- We value quiet time, so detached homes work much better than apartments.
- Since we’re likely to be traveling some distance to get to you, we’d like to be able to stick around for at least 2 weeks, but probably not more than 3 months. This part’s pretty flexible if everything else works out.
- I’m desperately sensitive to smoke of any kind, so if anyone in the household smokes (anything) we’re not the best choice to help you.
- We rarely eat out, so we’ll be spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
- We couldn’t care less if you have 473 cable channels. We love a good movie, but in the end, if you live at Walden Pond and don’t even have a television, that’s just great, too.
Wouldn’t It Be Nice If . . .
While we’re asking for the moon, we thought we’d ask for the stars, too, so here goes:
We dislike the heat, and aren’t wild about extreme weather of any kind. (I’m a weather sissy. After Wisconsin winters with temperatures of -42 degrees and Texas summers reaching 112 with 99% humidity, I’ve done my time.)
Our dream is to house-sit for folks who’ve miraculously decided to leave home during the most perfect part of the year. (Yeah, we dream big.) Vermont in the fall. Vancouver in the summer (oh, look; already doing that.) Phoenix in January, Austin in the spring, PEI in July, Michigan for that one week in September when the weather is nice.
If we can help you, and you can help us, we promise by all we hold sacred that you won’t regret it.
Call us at (530) 268-5635 or email Contact@CanfieldOfDreams.com and we’ll be delighted to chat with you about it and provide references or whatever it takes to make you comfortable with what we realise is a decision requiring boatloads of trust.
References
“We were their first “gig” and we absolutely fell in love with them…I’m pretty sure many things were cleaner than I left them…Our dog fell head-over-heels in love with Fiona who is a delightful little genius. She is well-behaved and clearly understands how to respect people and things.” ~ Caitlyn
“They are friendly, trustworthy and polite guests…I trust them to stay with me while my children and I are here, which I consider greater trust than having them stay in my house while I am gone.” ~ Sonja