House sitting in the UK

House-sitting in the UK is very different. Different from Ireland.

Different from Brazil. Different from Fiji. And the list goes on. In fact, each house-sit is unique, has its strengths and its challenges.

This house-sit saw us in Newcastle in a small upstairs – downstairs miners home from last century.

It bordered right between the outer city, and the country.

So as we walked down to the Vegetable allotment, the history of the area was prevalent with the old Coke Ovens that used to line the area.

This was once a thriving coal mining area.

An area one of my grandparents came from. An area I felt connected to.

So there were visits to the vegetable allotment to ensure it was watered, and to pick fresh vegetables, and to carry them home to prepare for dinner. Fresh asparagus, purple broccoli, wild garlic, and chives to name a few.

Not without a few nettle stings on my hands, I had to soothe with dock leaves. Some days we would walk home with the dog along what felt like a magical fairy path of wild garlic.

It was nice to be in the lush green countryside as the path took us alongside a bubbling brook.

I had some problems with this house-sit.  It was with the Rape Seed (a pretty yellow flowering field right on the roadside) I was highly allergic.

Had it not been for my friend, who came to join us traveling,

I would have had to vacate the house-sit after a few days.

She has a police clearance and house-sits references, and the owner already knew we were waiting for her to join us, so we knew that was all fine.  But as for me, I went to the doctor, used a puffer, and my friend came along and gave me the help I needed.

So the owner got to enjoy her holiday, and I soldiered through.

Albeit, not without some health issues as a result.

This was great. I never suffer from allergies. I’m a healthy and fit person, so this was quite a surprise to me.

I did later learn that the field had been sprayed just prior to our arrival, and it might have been the chemical I was allergic to!

We all adored the dog. He was a smart old boy and used to shake hands or lie down for his doggy treats.

There was a cat to also care for, but he seemed to come and go in the night.

Food and milk left out, he was like a thief in the night, and in the day he would sleep behind a shelf, and then pounce out.

So he was always unexpected when he appeared and not at all like other cats we cared for.

We did have the joy of lovely neighbors.

One night we were invited in for a drink with the neighbors. That was great.

We were able to talk about our travel plans and get some really great advice about places to visit.

I love the fact we make friends as we go.

I was also able to water their plants when they went away on the bank holiday weekend.

I always take before and after photographs which is good evidence should something go wrong.

We pride ourselves on leaving a place clean and tidy than when we arrive.

Fire cleaned out. Bathrooms sanitized.

This eclectic artists home looked amazingly tidier.

We hope when the owner walks through the door she has a lovely surprise, some clear spaces to put down her luggage after her trip.

So as we close the gate, drive off and say goodbye to yet another house-sit, we know we have done a really good job for the owner.

If you would like us to house-sit for you, please contact us at exploramum@gmail.com, or through comments on this page, leaving your email.  We are looking for Europe house-sits for the coming months.

Interested in housesitting?

HouseSitWorld

TrustedHousesitters

Housem8

**  HouseCarers   join this site and help fund our travels too

MindMyHouse

Normador

Questions and Comments

• Are you a family that travels permanently?
• Have you tried housesitting before?
• What experiences do you have?
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