Kaye & David
Kaye & David
Dave & Kaye Murphy House/Pet Sitters (UK & Worldwide)
About Kaye & David
We are a professional couple who have decided to retire and travel more extensively within the UK and World. Dave worked full time as an Inspection Engineer in the Power and Petrochemical Industry and I worked full time as a Social Worker and Lecturer for the Local Authority.
We are an active couple (non-smokers) in our early 60's and now have ...
We are a professional couple who have decided to retire and travel more extensively within the UK and World. Dave worked full time as an Inspection Engineer in the Power and Petrochemical Industry and I worked full time as a Social Worker and Lecturer for the Local Authority.
We are an active couple (non-smokers) in our early 60's and now have an opportunity to provide a house and pet sitting service in exchange for clean, warm and comfortable accommodation, which we will look after for you with love and care, in the same way, we would look after our own home and pets, giving you peace of mind and security. We are very organised and practical when it comes to looking after both your pets and home; whether this is repairing faulty lawn mowers or giving your pet a wash and perm! Our plan is to travel extensively in the UK and the world, see new sites, meet new people and their pets and along the way make new friends. We continue to be excited about the prospect of house sitting through the site and through private requests. We know this is right for us and just want to experience a different 'lifestyle' rather than a holiday!
For 30 years we have cared for rescue animals from mice to horses, until late 2014/early 2015 when Alfie our cross Lurcher and Yellow, our short-haired black cat passed away; they both needed life-sustaining medication, lots of care and cuddles and special diets and its fair to say we miss them lots and what they brought to our lives; so we would love to care for your pets as part of our new lifestyle - pets and travel is a great combination!
Aside from pets and gardening, our hobbies include walking, biking, arts and crafts, reading, cinema and relaxing with family and friends, enjoying a nice meal and drink.
Why we want to house sit
I asked Dave "what do you want to do when we retire?", he responded by saying "I want to travel and see more of the UK and World" and here was me thinking we would garden, take Alfie to the beach and go out for coffee and cake!....but his remarks changed everything. We set a 5-year goal, reviewed our finances, downsized and at the end of July 2016 both left work.
We couldn't decide whether to buy a caravan, motorhome or an apartment and went round in circles for most of the 5 years...phew this was hard !! Dave is 6'2" and space became an issue. Then a friend suggested we house sit...it was a bit of a light switch moment. We could see the opportunities to share pets, share homes and share lifestyles and more importantly a bigger space!
We left work at the end of July 2016 and have not looked back...caring for any pet in their own home makes total sense ( I wish I had thought of it for Alfie and Yellow but they went to sitters) - staying means everything is familiar to them, their home, their smells, their routines - they are in their comfort zone. The house is lived in, secure and safe.
During our first house sit for a friend, we met Eric (age 88), an elderly neighbour who was struggling to clean his gutters on his property - Dave cleaned them, I footed the ladders and Eric gave the orders..!! Eric invited us for a drink later that night and we have been friends ever since. A good job all round.
Our experience
Dave and I have completed house sits in the UK and overseas, following our retirement and joining Trusted House Sitters. We have had the privilege of staying in some beautiful homes, in stunning locations with fantastic pets and met new people along our journey.
Our first house sit was for Betsy - a teeny weeny terrier, made of steel. Betsy is the apple of our eye and as well as house sitting for Judy and Adrian, we often foster Betsy to keep us company when we are at home. During our house sit, we took her for long walks down country lanes, on the beach and in the parks, she demolished the tennis ball ....so we bought tougher balls...she doesn't have teeth, she has a vice! We bought her a bright pink harness and now she gets lots of attention as she trots around... she's such a little flirt! Judy and Adrian returned from Canada and said 'but it looks exactly the same as when we left - have you stayed?' We received some great feedback and loved the experience of caring for someone else's home and pets.
Boris and Freddie were our next house sit, as well as Max the cat and five cheeky chickens. B & F were nuts, like two small horses - you could hear them coming through the woods; I think they took us for a walk rather than we took them. Dave became top dog and leader of the pack; chickens included - they were great entertainment and we fell in love with them all. We kept in touch with Anita during her holiday with updates and pictures and left the house spotless, Dave serviced the lawn mower when it conked out and we both spent hours sweeping up the leaves, only to find there was a leaf hoover! Anita was very complimentary and thanked us for caring - we loved everything about it.
'I cannot recommend Kaye and David too highly. They were meticulous in preparation before their stay getting to know all the numerous needs of my 2 spaniels, cat and 5 hens and how everything in the house worked. On return the house was spotless, the garden tidy with mowed lawns and all my animals were happy and healthy. My holiday was restful and carefree due entirely to my confidence in Kaye and David. I will always ask them to return.' Anita
Reviews (15)
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Brianna - Gerringong, New South Wales, Australia
14 December - 16 December 2018
Both Kaye and Dave were a pleasure to have stay! They were organised, clean and friendly. Our dogs were very happy and well looked after when we got home. The house was left near and clean. Definitely recommend and would have them back in a heart beat!
Both Kaye and Dave were a pleasure to have stay! They were organised, clean and friendly. Our dogs were very happy and well looked after when we got home. The house was left near and clean. Definitely recommend and would have them back in a heart beat!
- Organised
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- Reliable
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- Self-sufficient
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- Tidy
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- Pet care
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Angela - Ashbourne, United Kingdom
20 March - 25 March 2018
What a great find these two are. Izzy made such a fuss of them when they arrived that we immediately felt we had done the right thing getting someone to come and house/pet sit. They are a lovely friendly couple who enjoy what they do and show total respect for the house and pets they look after. ...
What a great find these two are. Izzy made such a fuss of them when they arrived that we immediately felt we had done the right thing getting someone to come and house/pet sit. They are a lovely friendly couple who enjoy what they do and show total respect for the house and pets they look after. The house was clean and tidy when we came back and they had taken bread out of the freezer and made sure milk was there. Izzy was a happy girl and although very glad to see us you could tell she had a good time while we were away. Thank you so much for looking after everything especially Izzy. Hope to see again some time in the future.
- Organised
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- Reliable
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- Self-sufficient
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- Tidy
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- Pet care
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Andrew - Chepstow, United Kingdom
01 February - 28 February 2018
Dave and Kaye are a very friendly, down to earth couple who felt like part of the family from the moment they arrived.
They took very good care of our home and pets and I’m sure that our Labrador, Barney would have quite happily jumped in their car with them when they left us.
We have no hesitat...Dave and Kaye are a very friendly, down to earth couple who felt like part of the family from the moment they arrived.
They took very good care of our home and pets and I’m sure that our Labrador, Barney would have quite happily jumped in their car with them when they left us.
We have no hesitation in thoroughly recommending them and we’d have them back without hesitation.- Organised
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- Reliable
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- Self-sufficient
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- Tidy
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- Pet care
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About Kaye & David
We are a professional couple who have decided to retire and travel more extensively within the UK and World. Dave worked full time as an Inspection Engineer in the Power and Petrochemical Industry and I worked full time as a Social Worker and Lecturer for the Local Authority.
We are an active couple (non-smokers) in our early 60's and now have an opportunity to provide a house and pet sitting service in exchange for clean, warm and comfortable accommodation, which we will look after for you with love and care, in the same way, we would look after our own home and pets, giving you peace of mind and security. We are very organised and practical when it comes to looking after both your pets and home; whether this is repairing faulty lawn mowers or giving your pet a wash and perm! Our plan is to travel extensively in the UK and the world, see new sites, meet new people and their pe......
We are a professional couple who have decided to retire and travel more extensively within the UK and World. Dave worked full time as an Inspection Engineer in the Power and Petrochemical Industry and I worked full time as a Social Worker and Lecturer for the Local Authority.
We are an active couple (non-smokers) in our early 60's and now have an opportunity to provide a house and pet sitting service in exchange for clean, warm and comfortable accommodation, which we will look after for you with love and care, in the same way, we would look after our own home and pets, giving you peace of mind and security. We are very organised and practical when it comes to looking after both your pets and home; whether this is repairing faulty lawn mowers or giving your pet a wash and perm! Our plan is to travel extensively in the UK and the world, see new sites, meet new people and their pets and along the way make new friends. We continue to be excited about the prospect of house sitting through the site and through private requests. We know this is right for us and just want to experience a different 'lifestyle' rather than a holiday!
For 30 years we have cared for rescue animals from mice to horses, until late 2014/early 2015 when Alfie our cross Lurcher and Yellow, our short-haired black cat passed away; they both needed life-sustaining medication, lots of care and cuddles and special diets and its fair to say we miss them lots and what they brought to our lives; so we would love to care for your pets as part of our new lifestyle - pets and travel is a great combination!
Aside from pets and gardening, our hobbies include walking, biking, arts and crafts, reading, cinema and relaxing with family and friends, enjoying a nice meal and drink.
Why we want to house sit
I asked Dave "what do you want to do when we retire?", he responded by saying "I want to travel and see more of the UK and World" and here was me thinking we would garden, take Alfie to the beach and go out for coffee and cake!....but his remarks changed everything. We set a 5-year goal, reviewed our finances, downsized and at the end of July 2016 both left work.
We couldn't decide whether to buy a caravan, motorhome or an apartment and went round in circles for most of the 5 years...phew this was hard !! Dave is 6'2" and space became an issue. Then a friend suggested we house sit...it was a bit of a light switch moment. We could see the opportunities to share pets, share homes and share lifestyles and more importantly a bigger space!
We left work at the end of July 2016 and have not looked back...caring for any pet in their own home makes total sense ( I wish I had thought of it for Alfie and Yellow but they went to sitters) - staying means everything is familiar to them, their home, their smells, their routines - they are in their comfort zone. The house is lived in, secure and safe.
During our first house sit for a friend, we met Eric (age 88), an elderly neighbour who was struggling to clean his gutters on his property - Dave cleaned them, I footed the ladders and Eric gave the orders..!! Eric invited us for a drink later that night and we have been friends ever since. A good job all round.
Our experience
Dave and I have completed house sits in the UK and overseas, following our retirement and joining Trusted House Sitters. We have had the privilege of staying in some beautiful homes, in stunning locations with fantastic pets and met new people along our journey.
Our first house sit was for Betsy - a teeny weeny terrier, made of steel. Betsy is the apple of our eye and as well as house sitting for Judy and Adrian, we often foster Betsy to keep us company when we are at home. During our house sit, we took her for long walks down country lanes, on the beach and in the parks, she demolished the tennis ball ....so we bought tougher balls...she doesn't have teeth, she has a vice! We bought her a bright pink harness and now she gets lots of attention as she trots around... she's such a little flirt! Judy and Adrian returned from Canada and said 'but it looks exactly the same as when we left - have you stayed?' We received some great feedback and loved the experience of caring for someone else's home and pets.
Boris and Freddie were our next house sit, as well as Max the cat and five cheeky chickens. B & F were nuts, like two small horses - you could hear them coming through the woods; I think they took us for a walk rather than we took them. Dave became top dog and leader of the pack; chickens included - they were great entertainment and we fell in love with them all. We kept in touch with Anita during her holiday with updates and pictures and left the house spotless, Dave serviced the lawn mower when it conked out and we both spent hours sweeping up the leaves, only to find there was a leaf hoover! Anita was very complimentary and thanked us for caring - we loved everything about it.
'I cannot recommend Kaye and David too highly. They were meticulous in preparation before their stay getting to know all the numerous needs of my 2 spaniels, cat and 5 hens and how everything in the house worked. On return the house was spotless, the garden tidy with mowed lawns and all my animals were happy and healthy. My holiday was restful and carefree due entirely to my confidence in Kaye and David. I will always ask them to return.' Anita
Verifications
Verification level
Standard level
Email Address, Phone Number, External references (4), Identity & Document Check
All Standard Verification checks are carried out by a specialist 3rd Party
Animal Care Experience
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Dogs
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Cats
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Horses
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Fish
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Poultry
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Bird
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Small pet
Availability
Preferred Countries
Profile Details
Age
Occupation
Travelling as a
Previous house sitting experience
Member benefits
Member since
House & pet sitting timeline
Kaye and David have done 16 house sits since 2015
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CromerAustraliaDec 2018 - Jan 2019 -
GerringongAustraliaDec 2018 -
AshbourneUnited KingdomMar 2018 -
ChepstowUnited KingdomFeb 2018 -
MuizenbergSouth AfricaNov 2017 -
LichfieldUnited KingdomOct 2017 -
Royal Tunbridge WellsUnited KingdomSep - Oct 2017 -
Almere StadNetherlandsAug - Sep 2017 -
South WraxallUnited KingdomJul 2017 -
SherborneUnited KingdomJun 2017 -
WokingUnited KingdomMay - Jun 2017 -
San DiegoUnited StatesApr - May 2017 -
LiverpoolUnited KingdomApr 2017 -
PocklingtonUnited KingdomMar 2017 -
WoodstockUnited KingdomFeb 2017 -
DissUnited KingdomDec 2016 - Jan 2017
