Bringing home owners and house sitters together
Beautiful Farmhouse, smallholding with 2 dogs, 2 Horses, 3 cats, 30+ chickens, and pigeons
France, Mairé-Lévescault, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Pets
- Dog(s)
- Cat(s)
- Horse/Donkey(s)
- Chicken(s)
- Bird(s)
2 Horses, 2 Dogs, 4 Cats, 40 free range chickens, 15 pigeons...
Dates
- 21 Apr 2025 to 21 May 2025 (Only 1 sitter has applied for these dates)
About this assignment
I really need a genuine animal lover, to come and housesit for me. I have to have a knee operation, this involves staying in a rehab for 3-4 weeks. I will be leaving 2 dogs, 30+chickens, 4 cats (2 are barn cats), some pigeons and 2 horses at home. I need someone reliable and experienced with horse, and I mean proper experience please? For instance if you owned a horse and cared for it..
What responsibilities are required of the house sitter
Take care of the house, light fires. Minor maintenance maybe required while I am away (I have a maintenance person available in a nearby village, so its no biggie).... Take care of the animals properly, it takes approx 1 hour morning and evening. Although it will free up plenty of time to explore this beautiful countryside. Being a driver is essential, I'm afraid I cannot provide a vehicle. There are bicycles at the property that can be used, the local town is less than 10 mins away by bike..
What are the good features of the property and location
3 large bedrooms (guest room is ensuite) in an old Farmhouse, fenced in 7 acres (2.7 hectares) land, woodland and big garden, stone floors downstairs, rural but still only 5 minutes away from Sauze Vaussis which has excellent facilities, market, artisan bakers, supermarket, DIY shop etc..closest large City is Poitiers 40 minutes drive... Paris and Bordeaux are easily reached by train from Saint Saviol station.
What does the house sitter need to consider before applying for this assignment
all of the animals MUST be properly checked at least twice a day, common sense is needed, you must not be scared of any of my animals and horses (they are nice horses) that I have listed...the horses are old so don't need any riding or exercise, they come in to the barn if they want to and are in the paddocks if they want to, they just need feeding once a day and rugs/fly masks adjusting if need be....Fences checked daily, chickens locked safely away at night, (I have foxes , buzzards, and pine martins that live in the woods) and let out in the morning, (although at the moment the chickens are only out for an hour a day), or keep the chickens in, because of predators in the immediate vicinity, (common sense is the priority), cats fed, and their litter renewed, horses will need hooves picked , some mucking out, and their health and well being monitored ...You will need your own transport. there is a bus from the village, Sauze Vaussis is around 4 kms away..
I look forward to hearing from you.. Thank you for reading..
Can I bring my own pets?
Yes
Restrictions: Must be cat and livestock proof
Last updated:
25 February 2025
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Testimonials
Beautiful Countryside of France
We had the pleasure of house sitting five weeks this summer for Debbie. Her four large dogs are well mannered and trained. We took them for long walks each morning in the woods nearby so they spent the balance of the days snoozing without getting into mischief. We sometimes would be gone for a few hours doing errands or sightseeing and we were never concerned about either them or the house. The chickens were fairly self-sufficient; the most time spent on them was looking for their eggs. The horses are very calm and needed little maintenance. Ruby can be somewhat of a diva, but warms up soon enough. Debbie was quick to reply with any questions/concerns. There are always unplanned things that occur, hence the need for house sitters. La Bayette is a quiet and safe village. We could depend on the ex pats who live in the community if there was an issue. Ruffec is only a few kilometers away and we enjoyed going to their vibrant market twice/week. There are also three major grocery stores and several very good restaurants nearby. In summer there are many community events. We attended four and they were all enjoyable. There are also many “picture postcard” communities within bicycling distance.
JoDon, United States, 31 Aug 2018
Beautiful and tranquil
This place is very rural; perfect if you value tranquility and serenity. It's set in a gorgeous 16th century hamlet. Although there seem to be a lot of animals, it's really only 1-2 hours per day of work then the rest of your time is your own. The closest town is less than 5 miles away, 30 minutes by bicycle through the idyllic French countryside.
Jeffrey, 08 August, 2018