Tim and Rosey Mackervoy, both 60 years old, were introduced to the world of home and pet sitting two years ago, and they couldn’t be happier with their decision to embrace this flexible job in their retirement.
The pair decided to step back from work after 40 years as they were excited by the prospect of starting a new chapter homesitting to keep busy in retirement.
Tim said: “Our friends, who are also homesitters, spoke highly of it, and we were sold right away. It just ticked so many boxes for us.”
They contacted Homesitters, a national home and pet-sitting company, and following an interview and references, they were ready for their first assignment.
Both avid animal lovers who have owned two border collies and two cats in the past, the Mackervoys felt that the timing wasn’t right to commit to owning more pets.
Rosey said: “We now have the opportunity to stay in new places we would never have thought to visit. We miss having our own pets, but doing this job we still can enjoy taking care of animals, which we love.
“It’s a really great way to get the best of both worlds.”
Tim continued: “We have stayed in some beautiful places, from Grade II listed properties to new and modern homes, and looked after some incredible pets and had lots of fun doing it.
“We are employed by Homesitters and they check in with us when we are on assignment and always arranged preliminary meetings with clients that we find really useful too so we know exactly how the house works and the pets’ routines before we start.”
Discussing the perks of homesitting, Tim explained they “make absolute savings” working as homesitters and have seen lower bills due to their time away on assignments.
He affectionately calls their homesitting earnings their ‘pocket money,’ emphasising that all the money they make goes towards paying for their annual holiday.
For Tim and Rosey, homesitting isn’t just a way to fill their time; it’s a lifestyle that combines adventure, animal companionship, and financial benefits, making their retirement truly extraordinary.
Homesitters who carry out a week’s homesit with no pets can get £87 per week. However, the pay rises with each pet.
The average working time per day does not exceed 1.75 hours per day.
