23 April, 2024
50 Connect - Inject some romance into your retirement through home and pet sitting
Posted on 2 July, 2019
Romance isn’t just for Valentine’s Day - or for younger people. At Homesitters Ltd we've found that many older couples are choosing to become homesitters to spend more quality time together throughout the year.
Research we carried out last year found that over three-quarters of homesitters who carry out assignments with a partner say home and pet sitting brings them closer together as they spend more time together. Other perks of the role include spending time with animals, taking time out from the usual routine, staying in different places across the UK.
Our homesitters are retired people in their 50s, 60s and 70s and we have many couples that really love the role as they spend a lot of time together discovering new places. They are keeping their romance alive through a shared experience and doing something a little bit different and fun.
Home and pet sitting involves staying in people’s homes when they go away taking care of the home and any pets. It’s increasingly popular with older people looking to continue working flexibly during their retirement and for those keen to keep busy and active.
The role is very sociable as you are meeting new clients and people in different areas. Couples also get plenty of time to spend on hobbies such as walking, drawing or cooking, especially if they are on a long assignment together. I highly recommend it as a great way to inject some romance into your retirement.
One couple that are doing just that, are former City professionals Karen and Neil Oddy from South East London, who are retired and both in their 50s. They have been home and pet sitting for around two years.
Neil says, "The initial attraction for us was the chance to spend time with pets, however, when we started taking on assignments, we quickly found other benefits. When we both worked full time we’d take our holidays abroad, now through home sitting we get to explore the UK and visit areas we’ve never been to before."
Having always lived in a city the couple are really enjoying the opportunity to spend time in the countryside. They say it feels like a holiday.
Karen adds, "We are really enjoying spending quality time together. It’s such a contrast to when we had young children and worked full time and had to schedule a date night to spend time together!"
"We explore a lot, walk around local villages and enjoy pub lunches - and sitting with a dog on my lap in the evening is heaven!"
Another retired couple in their 60s, Sheila and Graham Jackson from Banbury in Oxfordshire, have been home and pet sitting for just over a year.
The main reason they decided to become homesitters was to spend time with animals, but they also wanted to do something together, to explore new places together and have joint responsibility for the animals and properties they look after.
Sheila says, "We often join the local library wherever we’re staying, it’s a good way of finding out what’s going on in the local area such as walks and museums, and we borrow audio books which we enjoy listening to together in the evenings."
Graham describes home and pet sitting as like a holiday with responsibilities, adding, "We love going to new places and exploring interesting areas."
For more information on becoming a homesitter please visit: www.homesitters.co.uk
To read the original post on 50 Connect, please click here: https://www.50connect.co.uk/blogs/inject-some-romance-into-your-retirement-through-h
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