We are Ian and Brigitte
British and French
House (and cat) sitters extraordinaire!
(Sorry, no dogs)
Our house-sits in the U.S.A.
A great pool.
You never know what you’ll see in the trees!
We don’t do crowded beaches.
Melbourne Beach, Florida
A lovely community on the Atlantic side of Florida. Quite unspoiled.
We were lucky enough to be asked back.
Booked through...
Word of mouth
Our first ★★★★★ review!
The home owner, Susan, said...
"All the laundry was done, and the house was spotless!"
Isis, a wonderful, intelligent American Shorthair...
With acres of lawn, the riding mower was very welcome - and a lot of fun!
Somewhere to relax after the gardening.
Brookfield, Vermont
A truly luxurious log-cabin on a wooded hillside.
Occasional visits by moose and bears… really!
We are lucky enough to have been invited back again several times.
Booked through...
Another ★★★★★ review!
The home owner, Linda, said...
"They were just wonderful!"
Indian Wells, California
2017 2018 2019 2020* 2021* 2022 2023 2024
*Booked but postponed due to COVID-19
🥲
A garden full of grapefruit trees - lucky I’m not on statins..!
The back garden and pool.
Q: What do you do when it’s 115 degrees?
A: Knit a wooly jumper of course...
Joshua Tree National Park is nearby… which U2 can visit, if you’ll excuse the pun...
Indian Wells, California
A fabulous ranch-style house with a pool, lemon and lime trees, and an inexhaustible supply of fresh grapefruit.
And sunshine. Lots and lots of sunshine.
Over 100ºF is common!
Booked through...
Another ★★★★★ review!
Homeowners Rick and Satomi said:
"Can't say enough how wonderful Ian and Brigitte were and the care they showed for both our home and our cats."
Our house-sits in France
Cours Mirabeau, Aix-en-Provence.
Chloe on her perch in the window.
Chloe says ‘Hi’!
Aix-en-Provence, France
A beautiful, high-ceilinged apartment in an 18th century building, right in the heart of Aix.
Oh, and one delighfully crazy cat called Chloe...
Booked through...
Another ★★★★★ review!
The apartment owner, Bill, said
"I will invite them to sit again with pleasure."
Hermes insisted on a formal portrait.
A rare object - a garden in Paris!
We bought the broom for sweeping, but Hermes decided it was for him.
Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, Paris, France
An upscale home in the rural Paris commuter belt, it was very handy for both Paris itself and the Palace of Versailles.
We cared for the cat Hermes, and trimmed about a mile of laurel hedges by hand!
Booked through...
Another ★★★★★ review!
The home owner, Sherry, said...
"We were very, very lucky to have Ian and Brigitte housesit for us this summer."
A very modern apartment.
Django. Stephane was elsewhere.
…and as a bonus, the Relais de Venise is easily walkable. Probably Brigitte’s favourite French restaurant. They only have one dish on the menu. Steak.
Issy les Moulineaux, Paris
Issy is a lovely suburb of Paris, an easy and pleasant walk to the centre of Paris.
It was a real pleasure to care for two lovely cats.
Another ★★★★★ review!
The home owner, Tracy, said...
"Very trustworthy and recommend him without hesitation."
The local market
Albert and William, felines-in-residence
A large lawn and a fun mower!
Sarraguzan, Hautes-Pyrénées, France
A stunning and unique home in a beautiful, quiet, rural setting.
Lovely villages nearby, and a very welcoming ex-pat community.
Another ★★★★★ review!
The home owner, Judith, said...
"Ian was a fantastic sitter.
We would love to have him back next year."
Our house-sits in Ireland
The view from the front of the house, with boats bobbing about on the estuary
The two cats, no trouble at all… they sleep all day and are out all night. A bit like students really...
There are lovely places to explore nearby… this is Cobh, last port of call of the Titanic.
Crosshaven, Ireland
A lovely home with great views over an estuary - quiet, restful, picturesque. Perfect!
Another ★★★★★ review!
The home owner, Anne, said...
"Ian more than justifies all of his 5-star reviews."
Our house-sits in Wales
The beautiful cottage.
The cats clearly decided the Aga was the warmest place to snooze...
A lovely view from the rear garden!
Llangollen, Wales
A beautiful cottage in the Welsh hills, with two cats and an Aga to care for.
Remote. And quiet. Apart from the sheep.
Another ★★★★★ review!
The homeowner, Karen, said...
"All three times he has taken great care of my home and I've returned to calm and relaxed felines."
Our house-sits in England
A roomy and characterful house.
Otto - now you see him...
…and now you don’t.
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
A lovely, spacious terraced house in a city that rocks.
Another ★★★★★ review!
The home owner, Jo, said...
"He was laid back about everything and seemed to just get on with it!"
A gorgeous Olde English country garden.
The most chilled cat ever,
appropriately named “Easy”.
Relaxed country living at its finest.
Diss, Norfolk, England
At the same time as the barn was being built, Cortés’s Spanish army was defeating the Aztecs in Mexico... and Catherine of Aragon gave birth to her first child..!
Another ★★★★★ review!
The home owner, Susie, said..
"It was lovely to arrive home and everything being neat and tidy."
Our house-sits in Scotland
One of several nearby Neolithic stone circles, around 5,000 years old. Really fascinating and atmospheric places.
Bobby, a commendably clean cat.
Gight Castle, from where the ‘notorious Gordons of Gight’ launched raids on other castles, and even towns. Including my ancestors’ castle, Balquholly (now Hatton Castle).
Inverurie, Scotland
A delightful home up a forestry track, with long-distance views across Aberdeenshire. Neatly situated between the Cairngorms National Park and the City of Aberdeen.
Another ★★★★★ review!
The home owner, Louise, said...
“Ian’s house / pet sit did not go according to plan."
Playful Maisie, between meals...
My 7th great grandfather… William Chalmers, twice Provost of Aberdeen
Relaxing Maisie, dreaming of her next meal...
Aberdeen, Scotland
The “Beast from the East” snowstorm didn’t stop me driving 370 miles to a fabulous granite house in a city where I have many ancestral links...
Another ★★★★★ review!
The home owner, Anne, said...
"Ian was the most wonderful sitter."
And finally...
Home Sweet Home
It’s great to be away…
and it’s great to come home!
Home Sweet Home
We don’t need to house-sit as we have a home of our own.
We choose to house-sit as we enjoy visiting new places and actually living there for a while - it’s so different from simply staying in an hotel or motel.
And, we’ve made some great new friends!
How we started sitting...
It all started in 2012 when friends told us how they managed to spend each winter in Australia...
It was simple. They looked after luxury houses for people who needed to be away.
It had never occurred to us as something we could do.
But we gave it a try... and haven’t looked back!
For your security...
We have had a Criminal Records Bureau check via the Trusted House Sitters website, and now have their highest Verification Level...
(The Criminal Record Check involves liaising with National Police Computers to verify and disclose all unspent convictions for the last five years.)
Websites we use...
We have been registered with
Trusted House Sitters since 2017...
We were previously registered with:
Luxury House Sitting
House Sitters America