A former expat has launched an interesting new business offering the service of looking after the homes and pets of current expats when they leave their properties unattended.
Andy Peck is both a former expat and a pet owner. Having lived the expat life he was all too aware of the troubles that can arise when travelling frequently and being forced to leave homes and pets unattended.
Empty homes always invite the risk of burglary, and having pets looked after is a problem that casts up many issues as kennelling can be expensive. For some, idea of moving your beloved animal into unknown hands and surroundings can also be upsetting.
Andy first stumbled onto his idea when he was working as a scriptwriter, seeking a quiet place to find inspiration he scoured the net for house-sitting opportunities. Upon finding a woman who required someone to look after her house he also was asked to look after her pets, as she was against using a kennel.
After a series of correspondence, an agreement was made for Peck to look after the home for five weeks. The decision was almost instantly vindicated when a pet contracted an eye infection that needed to be checked over by a vet. Upon hearing of this the owner was thankful that Peck had been there to monitor the situation.
The success of the venture led to another house-sitting arrangement which gave Peck the idea of taking it further.
In an interview with The Telegraph, Peck said: “I spent the next year researching the market and home/pet-owner needs and soon afterwards launched my website, trustedhousesitters.com which allows homeowners to find ideal house-sitters willing to look after homes and pets free of charge in exchange for providing a comfortable place to retreat to.”
Since creating the website he has had a number of people join up, creating a global network of approved house sitters and pet carers.
He went on to say: “Since developing the site, I have been contacted by many more home-owners worried about leaving a home empty and genuinely grateful for our service. It means they can stop worrying about burst pipes or broken air-conditioning, about who will collect and forward mail in their absence, or the difficulties faced after realising that many insurance policies become void if a home is left empty for more than 30 days.”
Trustedhousesitters.com is now online for expats to utilise.