Brian and Barbara Kennedy have been home-sitters since June 2004. They have done almost 300 home-sits and spent close to 3,000 days on assignments in the past 16 years.
The couple decided to become home-sitters after taking early retirement.
Brian said: “I decided to retire early as I wanted a more relaxed way of life, free from the daily grind of commuting. We’d been mortgage free for almost 10 years so the potential was there to think about doing something more interesting and my pension could be taken, albeit at a reduced rate due to my age.
“We reviewed our finances and realised we would be OK. We didn’t need to contemplate downsizing to a smaller house or making any other lifestyle changes. At that stage, we had no firm plans for what we might do to fill our time.”
The couple knew nothing about home-sitting until they attended a pre-retirement course arranged by Brian’s employer and decided it looked like the ideal part-time flexible role for them post-retirement.
They researched several different companies and were most impressed by Home-sitters’ thorough approach to selection, which included a head office interview, and the fact they would be employed directly by the company. The couple were taken on soon after their interview.
Brian said: “We left the interview thinking it might be nice if we were accepted and offered four or five weeks of home-sitting each year. However, the demand for home-sitters is much greater than we’d thought and we carried out 14 assignments in the first six months!”
The couple take on approximately 200 days of home-sitting each year on around 20 assignments. The length of assignments varies from as little as two days upwards to their longest single assignment of seven weeks.
He said: “There is no pressure on us to accept assignments. We do the home sits because we enjoy them and in our breaks at home we catch up on jobs in the house and garden or helping our adult children, so we are never at a loss for things to do.”
They also make considerable savings on their gas and water bills as they are away from their own home.
However, they stress that they do it for variety and to enjoy their retirement. They love going to new places.
Whilst home-sitting, the pair tend to meet the needs of the pets, making sure they are well cared for, fed the correct food at appropriate times and, in the case of dogs, that they have their walks.
The couple have stayed in more than 80 different homes, some very modest like their own and others veering towards stately.
Brian explained they earn about £300 a month or £4,000 a year which is based on the payments. However, the food allowance they get and the travel to and from assignments means they also spend less whilst they are away – making the whole experience very worth while.
Brian explained one house was surrounded by a moat. Many have had beautifully kept and extensive gardens. They say strolling on the grounds with the dogs can feel like being in their own private park.
They have cared for more than 140 different dogs of many breeds from Rottweilers to Chihuahuas, Labradors to working Cocker Spaniels. Assignments have covered many areas including Northamptonshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and areas of London including Hampstead, Kensington and Chelsea, Barnes, Putney and Wimbledon.
Brian said: “Home-sitting has been for us like having lots of small holidays; up to 20 times each year we pack our bags, load the car and set off on a new adventure.
“For us, the payment we receive isn’t a strong motivation, but it is nice to have. It means we
can enjoy occasional pub lunches during our stays in different areas while not putting a strain on the budget.
“An unexpected bonus has been the significant reduction in our home heating bill too.”
