Nicola & Ken
About Nicola & Ken
We are fit and active, 60+ year old non smokers who have been married for 30 years.
Originally from Yorkshire, England, we moved to New Zealand in September 2003. We have 4 grown up children - 1 of our sons resides in Wellington, like us but our other son, 2 daughters, 4 year old granddaughter and new grandson (born May 2018) live in London - ...
We are fit and active, 60+ year old non smokers who have been married for 30 years.
Originally from Yorkshire, England, we moved to New Zealand in September 2003. We have 4 grown up children - 1 of our sons resides in Wellington, like us but our other son, 2 daughters, 4 year old granddaughter and new grandson (born May 2018) live in London - hence our need to keep tripping around the world!
Ken used to work as a Building Inspector and I was a Donor Recruiter for the NZ Blood Service but we gave up our jobs to become self employed, so we could take time out to visit our family. There is a Maori proverb - He aha te mea nui o te ao? What is the most important thing in the world? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. It is the people, it is the people, it is the people. We love all our family and don't want to become strangers!
Why we want to house sit
Our initial reason for wanting to house sit was because space was tight at our family's home in London and we didn't want to impose! Hotels are expensive and, as we're used to being busy, we'd be bored out of our tree! We love animals and thought the idea of taking great care of someone's treasured home and pets, in exchange for a roof over our heads, was brilliant. What a great way to see the world and our own beautiful country too!
Our experience
Although relatively new to house and pet sitting, we are loving it and now have five fantastic sits (in four different countries) under our belt!
We are honest, trustworthy and reliable, have great communication skills, a love of gardening, plus lots of practical skills and commonsense.
We used to own a 5 star self catering holiday cottage in Haworth, West Yorkshire, so attention to detail was always paramount. Today, that attention to detail is shown in the properties that we do up and the place where we live.
We promise to give your pets all the love and attention they deserve and look after your home, as if it was our own.
Reviews (5)
-
Susan - Diamond Harbour, New Zealand
17 January - 23 January 2019
I feel so lucky to have had Nicola & Ken look after my house & critters. I came home to a spotless house (they had even cleaned the windows!!) and some dinner & baking . Wow. They kept me in touch with how everything was going while I was away with photos & even a txt from Spud. Thank you again ...
I feel so lucky to have had Nicola & Ken look after my house & critters. I came home to a spotless house (they had even cleaned the windows!!) and some dinner & baking . Wow. They kept me in touch with how everything was going while I was away with photos & even a txt from Spud. Thank you again sooo much . All the best.
Susan.- Organised
-
- Reliable
-
- Self-sufficient
-
- Tidy
-
- Pet care
-
-
Wendy - Thames, New Zealand
05 October - 11 October 2018
Wow .... Nicola and Ken were the best house sitters I've had. They took excellent care of Mr Hugo and my home. I came home to freshly mown lawns, a bottle of wine, my dinner and milk in the fridge, beautiful fresh flowers in a vase, a lovely thank you card and all the sheets and towels washed and...
Wow .... Nicola and Ken were the best house sitters I've had. They took excellent care of Mr Hugo and my home. I came home to freshly mown lawns, a bottle of wine, my dinner and milk in the fridge, beautiful fresh flowers in a vase, a lovely thank you card and all the sheets and towels washed and either folded or on the line. Nicola sent regular updates and funny photos of Mr Hugo being spoilt rotten while I was away. They communicated well and were an absolute delight to have in my home. I couldn't recommend them more highly.
- Organised
-
- Reliable
-
- Self-sufficient
-
- Tidy
-
- Pet care
-
-
Peter - Alençon, France
02 August - 12 August 2018
We couldn't have hoped for better sitters than Nicola and Ken. Both Tino and Minnie were in perfect form when we arrived home after 10 days away. Nicola even managed to groom them both which is much easier said than done to say the least! The garden had been perfectly looked after, and both Nico...
We couldn't have hoped for better sitters than Nicola and Ken. Both Tino and Minnie were in perfect form when we arrived home after 10 days away. Nicola even managed to groom them both which is much easier said than done to say the least! The garden had been perfectly looked after, and both Nicola and Ken went above and beyond what we expected from them, but in an extremely thoughtful and respectful way. We returned home after a long drive to a meal cooked by Nicola that was very much appreciated. We would be more than happy to have Nicola and Ken back again to house sit for us.
- Organised
-
- Reliable
-
- Self-sufficient
-
- Tidy
-
- Pet care
-
About Nicola & Ken
We are fit and active, 60+ year old non smokers who have been married for 30 years.
Originally from Yorkshire, England, we moved to New Zealand in September 2003. We have 4 grown up children - 1 of our sons resides in Wellington, like us but our other son, 2 daughters, 4 year old granddaughter and new grandson (born May 2018) live in London - hence our need to keep tripping around the world!
Ken used to work as a Building Inspector and I was a Donor Recruiter for the NZ Blood Service but we gave up our jobs to become self employed, so we could take time out to visit our family. There is a Maori proverb - He aha te mea nui o te ao? What is the most important thing in the world? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. It is the people, it is the people, it is the people. We love all our family and don't want to become strangers!
We are fit and active, 60+ year old non smokers who have been married for 30 years.
Originally from Yorkshire, England, we moved to New Zealand in September 2003. We have 4 grown up children - 1 of our sons resides in Wellington, like us but our other son, 2 daughters, 4 year old granddaughter and new grandson (born May 2018) live in London - hence our need to keep tripping around the world!
Ken used to work as a Building Inspector and I was a Donor Recruiter for the NZ Blood Service but we gave up our jobs to become self employed, so we could take time out to visit our family. There is a Maori proverb - He aha te mea nui o te ao? What is the most important thing in the world? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. It is the people, it is the people, it is the people. We love all our family and don't want to become strangers!
Why we want to house sit
Our initial reason for wanting to house sit was because space was tight at our family's home in London and we didn't want to impose! Hotels are expensive and, as we're used to being busy, we'd be bored out of our tree! We love animals and thought the idea of taking great care of someone's treasured home and pets, in exchange for a roof over our heads, was brilliant. What a great way to see the world and our own beautiful country too!
Our experience
Although relatively new to house and pet sitting, we are loving it and now have five fantastic sits (in four different countries) under our belt!
We are honest, trustworthy and reliable, have great communication skills, a love of gardening, plus lots of practical skills and commonsense.
We used to own a 5 star self catering holiday cottage in Haworth, West Yorkshire, so attention to detail was always paramount. Today, that attention to detail is shown in the properties that we do up and the place where we live.
We promise to give your pets all the love and attention they deserve and look after your home, as if it was our own.
Verifications
Verification level
Enhanced level
Email Address, Phone Number, External references (3), Identity, Criminal Background Check (issue date: 26 Mar 2018)
All Standard and Enhanced Verification checks are carried out by a specialist 3rd Party
Animal Care Experience
-
Dogs
-
Cats
-
Fish
-
Poultry
-
Farm animals
-
Bird
-
Small pet
Availability
Preferred Countries
Profile Details
Age
Occupation
Travelling as a
Previous house sitting experience
Member benefits
Member since
House & pet sitting timeline
Nicola and Ken have done 5 house sits since 2017
-
Diamond HarbourNew ZealandJan 2019 -
ThamesNew ZealandOct 2018 -
AlençonFranceAug 2018 -
SeatonUnited KingdomJul 2018 -
AntequeraSpainJun - Jul 2018
