Author Topic: Smallholding holiday swap (Read 4336 times)

mwncigirl · « **on:** August 02, 2012, 09:29:39 pm »

Hi! Does anyone know if there is any websites/services out there that do holiday swaps for smallholders? We'd love to go away on holiday but can't find anyone to stay at ours and look after our animals. Anyone have any solutions?

MAK · « **Reply #1 on:** August 03, 2012, 02:47:02 am »

I am sure that there must be people who will house sit. We are in France and know of one couple who will house sit for the price of their petrol to get here. One chap says he takes his tent but would like internet access and use of the bathroom.There are others who do it for a living and charge modest daily rates.
I guess that it is important to check out their references by telephone and spend a day or two with them before you leave.
We investigated house sitters before opting to take our dog but will leave the chicken,ducks,pigs and rabbits in the hands with a girl down the road. I was not keen on someone living in our house whilst we make a trip back to the UK.
I hope you find someone and that you get a holiday. You may have to explain what a holiday is to some of us !

goosepimple · « **Reply #2 on:** August 03, 2012, 06:03:21 pm »

Hi

we've had two not too pleasant experiences over the past couple of years, one from good friends who were more intent on showing off our place to their relatives and partying and not keeping an eye on their kids, and the other being a mum friend who I thought would be a safe bet and to put it mildly, wasn't.

From now on I think I'd only consider other smallholders - it might be worth doing a swap at some point if you like except our place is undergoing major reconstruction at the moment and no-one would want to stay here just now (building site), but in a year or so its always a possibility - we're in the Scottish Borders 30mins south of Edinburgh and its a really easy road there and to the fab Edinburgh Festival in August. We have a mill and cottage we will be letting out in 2014, so we're getting there (eventually).

mwncigirl · « **Reply #3 on:** August 03, 2012, 10:24:14 pm »

Thanks goosepimple, although I hope we're managed to get away by then!!

Ina · « **Reply #4 on:** August 05, 2012, 09:09:27 pm »

I do house sitting, cat sitting, smallholding sitting, farm sitting for all my friends... And I'm so busy with it at the moment (holiday time!) that I rarely find a minute for myself! The problem is, I can only do it quite locally, because I have a garden and cat that I need to look after at the same time, as well as a part time job that is my main income, so I have to be able to do that as well!

I think your best bet would be to find friends locally who could look after your livestock/pets etc while you are away. They would have the advantage of knowing the locality, too.

Liz M · « **Reply #5 on:** August 06, 2012, 01:31:40 pm »

Can I foresee another heading on this forum. Holiday Swaps. I live in Ireland, some live in France or the UK, there's a start!!!!

goosepimple · « **Reply #6 on:** August 06, 2012, 08:48:33 pm »

I think if you have a holiday home signed up with an agency (eg cottages4u) you can swap with other holiday homers (am I making sense) so it's not a bad idea really.