Rural home on the Surrey/Sussex border
Introduction
Hi - We have been married for 32 years with two grown up children. My husband is a former Director of an Advertising agency and I retired last year as Chief Executive of a large animal charity. We have always had pets in our lives as children and adults. We love to travel but enjoy staying in a home environment and caring for an assortment of pets. Our own dogs, cats and chickens prefer to stay at home and be looked after by fellow animal lovers!
Show more...Home & location
Our home is half way between Guildford and Horsham (9 miles either way) and probably requires a car. There is a local shop to get basics and Cranleigh is just 3 miles away with M&S, Sainsburys , a weekly market and fantastic butcher and fishmonger. There are some lovely off-road walks and pubs direct from the house. Plenty to see in the area and good cinema and theatre in Guildford and Horsham . We are 3 miles from Cranleigh and only 45 minutes from Gatwick airport or the beach at West Wittering. There are 4 bedrooms but one is used as a study, two bathrooms and a downstairs cloakroom. Spacious well equipped kitchen leading with double doors to the garden, seperate utility room with washing machine & dryer, dining room for 8 and lovely sitting room with open fire and widescreen TV. Downstairs has underfloor heating. There is a seperate annexe in a courtyard environment - mainly used by the cats!
Show more...Responsibilities
Two flat coated retrievers aged 5 years and 18 months requiring feeding, playing and either one big ( hour / hour and half) walk or two shorter (45 mins). Wooster ( son of Lulu) is a good boy but never leave a shoe out - he loves a good chew!) We have 2 acres enclosed area with fenced area for chickens who require food and water and letting in and out of their house am and pm plus fresh eggs to eat! Three rescue cats; Mercy, Piper and Moët who all need feeding, play and cuddles. The house leads onto a bridle way with lovely safe walks including about 30 mins across fields to a lovely dog friendly pub with good food.
Show more...Meet the pets
Lulu
6 years
Wooster
2 years
Mercy
11 years
Piper
4 years
Moet
4 years
Sitter Reviews (10)
Homeowner Reviews (0)
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Lulu and Wooster are such affectionate characters who would greet us each day with a 'full-body' wag. They love being near humans but do play a lot with each other, theyre not noisy dogs but will ask to go outside, or come back in frequently if doors are closed against the weather. As Retrievers they have a keen nose for food left on counters with reach, so you learn quickly to stash edibles and have a seemingly insatiable appetite. Walks from the house are easy though Wooster needs a strong lead he will respond to 'heel', however both can spend time off lead, and the local forests were ablaze with blue bells toward the end of our 5 week stay. The chickens have great characters, and tasty eggs, we barely saw the 2 rescue cats however Mercy has a most affectionate nature and we really enjoyed her loud purr. Sally and Raoul welcomed us with a delicious evening meal and provided detailed information on walking routes and pet care, there was good communication throughout There was so much wood for the fireplace for which we were most grateful, although the house enjoys underfloor heating the endless winter of 2024 was eased by the large fireplace in the lounge. The location is quiet despite proximity to a main road. Local shops about 10 minutes by car.
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Sally and Raoul are wonderful hosts making us feel particularly welcome in their home with an easy transition on their departure and arrival. They were well organized with plenty of food for the dogs and cats during our 4 week stay. Their home is beautiful with modern appliances, smart TV and everything worked perfectly without a hitch. Sally left written instructions including what to do if the wifi or power goes off which were very helpful to follow and review during our stay. The animals are very easy to fall in love with. The three dogs Hinnie, Lulu and Wooster are all very well behaved and are big softies. They don’t compete for food, patiently waiting their turn and respond very well to commands. They also don’t bother the cats and in fact sometimes groom them which is so cute. Walking the dogs daily through the woodland (with entry directly from the house site) was the highlight of our day. Featuring mature oak woodlands, open grassland and crops we quickly grew confidence heading down the many pathways available. Out of the three cats we saw Mercy the most who after a week of getting used to us was happy to give us cuddles on the bed and keep us company on the couch in the evenings watching TV. The other two are definitely country cats happy to be outside and let you pet them when they come in for food as it suited them. The chickens are very easy to manage and are very cool characters themselves as they put themselves to bed in the evenings and all you need to do is shut the door. If you have not cared for chickens before don’t be afraid it is rather easy and can be rewarding with fresh eggs daily. The neighbors are also lovely all looking out for each other and the local community was also a delight to get involved with. Even the local book swap on Wednesdays at the Rudgwick Community Hall you are welcomed with a cup of tea and biscuit with time for a chat. Overall we felt very privileged to be selected for this house sit and we had a wonderful 4 weeks caring for fabulous fur babies on a spectacular lifestyle block. Thank you Sally & Raoul.
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What a wonderful house sit! We stayed for just over a month, and we were so very sad to leave. We had excellent communication with Sally well before our house sit began, so we felt very comfortable when the time came to 'move in'. The animals were wonderful. The dogs, Wooster, Lulu and Hinnie are beautiful, loving and attentive, and just so much fun to be around and look after. Since the property backs on to plenty of woodlands and nature, it was easy and enjoyable to walk them (mainly off lead). The cats were friendly and sweet too, especially Mercy who often follows you around until you sit down, so she can climb onto your lap. Looking after chickens was a first for us, but it was easy and enjoyable, and we were treated to yummy eggs almost every day. The house is a warm, spacious and calming space, and we really enjoyed our time in the house and in this location. The neighbours were friendly too, which made us feel safe and comfortable. We had a few interesting challenges (a burst pipe and some issues with the boiler), but Sally was quick to respond via whatsapp and guide us through what to do. We would come back in a heartbeat. Thank you again Sally and Raoul + the team!
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What a wonderful pack of animals! Our family had a great time at this housesit. Wooster, Lulu and Hinnie are very affectionate dogs. It was our first time caring for three dogs at once and it was a really easy and fun experience. While they are active and playful they have such calm personalities. When we were out on walks with all three dogs we kept them off lead, as there are nice paths starting right from the large garden fields, only Wooster was on lead at some paths. Hinnie’s hearing is bad from old age, but she always stayed close by and it was not trouble at all. Lulu likes to run and play and she has a great recall and Wooster was just the cutest well behaved Puppy, who loves his mommy and granny and will do anything for a treat. Regarding the cats, Mercy was the one who actually spent time with us. She was always curious, watching what we do and joining us for some cuddles. Piper and Moet mostly stayed outside and we only occasionally saw them. The chicken were fun to care for and we were grateful for the delicious eggs. We were so glad that Sally and Raoul chose us as their sitter, even though we could only arrive a day after their departure. Their son kindly welcomed us and gave us a thorough introduction to the animals and house. And wow what a great house it is, it is even more beautiful and spacious than the pictures show. We highly recommend this housesit, and would love to return in the future.
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I met Sally and her husband before the sit which was great to orientate, understand care responsibilities and of course to meet the pets themselves. Sally and Raoul are very friendly, open and warm people and It was lovely to meet them both. It was an absolute joy to spend time looking after the pets in their own environment and lovely home. All as described in the listing, but with so much more. Peaceful rural location close enough for short drive to shops, restaurants with two pubs (possibly more) within reasonable dog walking distance. There are miles of enjoyable walks in nature with glorious views without needing to get into your car. Detailed information and local recommendations are considerately provided, along with maps of local walks, spacious, clean, well equipped accommodation. My first chicken sit…. and very straightforward. The chickens came before the eggs! Of which you are rewarded with every morning. Additionally, I took away an appreciation that chickens have personality too. Lots of it. The smaller furry friends Moet, Piper and Mercy will seek you out for cuddles, particularly Mercy. Wow! Hinnie and Lulu. Intelligent, well trained, affectionate and beautiful dogs. Shadows when the sun doesn’t shine, they stay close on walks and love to be around you in the house. Walks were so enjoyable, they have differing energy levels (given their age difference) but easily manageable with considered gameplay. Lulu will run and fetch all day but when she can’t find, Hinnie the elder will wander in and generally come up with the lost ball. I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this pet/ house sit. I am returning again soon and look forward to seeing the pets with personality and having my breakfast made fresh daily. 5 star all round.....thank you for sharing your home and trusting the care of the troops . See you all soon.
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Sally & Raoul
