A retired couple is earning hundreds of pounds extra a year by home and petsitting and they are now able to make “some real savings”.
Martin and Kristine Bell from Collingham, Nottinghamshire, said their venture not only helps fill the void left by the death of their dog in 2016 but helps “boost” their state pension and save on utility bills.
Mr Bell told Express.co.uk: “We started homesitting in 2017 after we lost our 14-year-old West Highland Terrier. We love dogs but we were coming up to retirement and didn’t want the commitment of having another dog, so homesitting seemed like the ideal way for us to get our animal fix without the long-term commitment.”
They tend to do around 10 sits a year – ranging from weekends to fortnights.
Mr Bell added: “The main reason we home-sit is because of our love of animals but it can be a very good way to boost a state pension and make savings on utility bills too – particularly during the winter months.”
During a typical assignment when the pair are looking after a couple of dogs, Mr Bell said when factoring in the daily food allowance and travel to and from an assignment at 45p per mile, people can earn around £30 a day, which can work out roughly £210 a week in total.
Mr Bell added: “Obviously there is the opportunity to earn more depending on the number of assignments you do, so it is a good way to boost income from a pension.
“We find that we save money doing winter assignments in particular as we turn the thermostat down at home and then go away for a few weeks. Given the cost of energy now, we can make some real savings.”
Mr and Mrs Bell source their petsitting opportunities through Homesitters, which is a nationwide live-in home and petsitting company that now has an extensive network of employees throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
Mrs Bell said: “We like the fact that we’re employed by Homesitters – rather than being contracted out by an agency. We know that we can contact Homesitters at any time as they have a 24/7 support service.
“We find it reassuring that if there was an emergency, Homesitters could find someone else to take over the assignment and there’s insurance cover should anything go wrong.”
The Bells said they are thoroughly enjoying their new homesitting lifestyle, and spend their evenings reading or doing crosswords and sudoku puzzles. In one home there was a large dining room table so the pair completed a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle over the course of their stay.
Mr Bell said: “The best way of spending the evening is having a dog on your knee or by your feet to stroke while you’re reading, it gives us a great feeling of contentment – and the dog too!
“We’re just ordinary people doing ordinary things and getting the maximum benefit from our retirement. You’d be surprised how many people aren’t aware that home and pet sitting is a job and we’d recommend it to anyone who’s retired.
“Where else would you get the opportunity to stay in different homes in new places and experience other people’s pets and lifestyles and not have to pay lots of money to do it?”
