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cottageHouse sitting job

North Royalton

Ohio - Northeast

SMALL ORGANIC FARM SIT SEEKING LONG-TERM SITTERS

Picture of House requiring a House and Pet Sitter at House Sitters America, United States
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Dates & location

date_range 2 Dec 2025* - 5 Mar 2026* (*Approx) (3 months 1 week)

location_on North Royalton - View map

my_location Ohio - Northeast - Cuyahoga

Our home

NOTE: Dates can be somewhat flexible if necessary. Additional dates are possible. Let us know what works for you. If you need to fill in dates, contact us! We are often able to be flexible with our travel plans!

OPPORTUNITY FOR THE IDEAL SITTER: If you are a person/couple that are either retired and able-bodied or remote workers with flexible schedules, desiring a confirmed place to be 6 months out of every year, in 3 month increments, who enjoy a quiet life, and the life-style of small ... Read moreNOTE: Dates can be somewhat flexible if necessary. Additional dates are possible. Let us know what works for you. If you need to fill in dates, contact us! We are often able to be flexible with our travel plans!

OPPORTUNITY FOR THE IDEAL SITTER: If you are a person/couple that are either retired and able-bodied or remote workers with flexible schedules, desiring a confirmed place to be 6 months out of every year, in 3 month increments, who enjoy a quiet life, and the life-style of small scale farming, including poultry care and gardening, this might be a perfect situation for you. Please get in touch to talk! We are looking for the ideal sitter/couple for a long-term win/win arrangement!

For sitters who are new to us, for the first sit we start with a shorter duration test sit before long term when we go overseas. This is to ensure the sit is a good fit for us AND you. So if you are interested in long-term sits with us, please let us know when you might be available for a 7-10 day first-time sit. We can usually be flexible, so if you have dates you need to fill in we can often find SOMEWHERE to go!

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We are Lisa and Gary. Gary is a retired third-generation brick and stone mason. Lisa is an attorney with specialized training in international environmental/ marine law and governance who is also pursuing her PhD. We also run a small organic self-serve farm market on our property, specializing in eggs from our flock of free-range, organic-fed chickens, seasonal organic produce, and raw honey.

We both share an interest in being good stewards for our planet and its critters--wild and domestic! We travel frequently for pleasure and work related. Some trips are long weekends, some a week or two, and once or twice per year we are overseas for three months each.

This sit may be better suited to a couple to share chores; however we have had single sitters who managed fine.

If you are traveling with pets, please contact us to discuss.

In exchange for sharing our special home and property, a tiny weekly stipend, and a super in-kind bonus for our regular sitters, our ideal sitter couple would be:

*Reliable, stable, responsible, dependable, trustworthy,, no drama, and good communicators with a deep love and respect for animals, wildlife and nature.
*No potentially conflicting variables or unsettled situations (work or personal) that could disrupt your care commitment. When we are away (especially overseas), we cannot easily and quickly come home if you need to leave.
*You should enjoy quiet living, being alone on property, being content to spend a lot of time on property with opportunities to explore, etc. for shorter durations during daytime and anytime after dusk when chores done for day. We also can try to make arrangements for local coverage to put chickens away in the evening for special occasions if you want an evening out.

The ideal candidate is also a person/couple who are experienced in and enjoy light livestock working farm sits. Experienced with chickens and cats, not afraid to get a little dirty, fit enough to keep chicken house clean, ability to (learn) hot tub care, live cleanly and gently in our home, able and willing to adapt schedule to farm chore needs (am and pre-dusk, avg 2-4 hours/day), willingness to be at property bulk of time, desires long-term (2-3 month) sits when needed (Unless you prefer to be one of our shorter-term sitters), and is interested in repeat stays.

We are focused on developing an ongoing relationship with a few different ideal sitters/couples. If you desire to come and stay in the Northeast Ohio area on a regular basis for family, work or fun reasons, even better! We would like an ongoing relationship to be developed--both between the humans and the non-human animals! We are even open to scheduling our ongoing travel around these special sitters' plans/needs with advance notice and in the instances we are able to do so.

You are welcome to share in the bounty of our organic garden for personal consumption if in season and you help tend to it for sales at our on site, self-serve market.

Although you will stay in our home when we are gone, we do have space to park a RV on our wooded property if needed/desired..

*Guests/visitors not allowed without prior discussion, virtually meeting them and our consent.
*No smoking or illegal substances allowed on the property.

OUR HOME
We have the best of both worlds being located on 11 wooded acres in a lovely home with a stream and wildlife,

We are on the edge of both suburban and semi-rural areas, 8 miles away from Cuyahoga Valley National Park (7th most visited National Park in the U.S.) and its activities/features, 25 miles away from Cleveland culture and Lake Erie beauty and activities: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Flats, Severance Hall (home of the world famous Cleveland Orchestra), University Circle, Cleveland Art Museum, Playhouse Square and SO much more!

Our home is very comfortable, with covered front porch, back deck with hot tub spa, back patio with fire pit, rec room with wood burning stove and second kitchen, basement pool table and workout area with stationary bike, treadmill, inversion table, etc.

High speed internet for home based work.

Weekly housekeeper provided.
Grass cutting and snow plowing services provided.
Utilities provided.
*Transportation needed. Can be discussed.

Exciting perk offered to ideal sitters with whom we develop an ongoing sitting relationship! Ask us about it!

SIT DESCRIPTION
*This is a small-scale farm sit. In addition to our two cats and one fish aquarium inside, we have 60+ chickens who free-range outside during the day. Minimum farm duties include daily morning (8-9 am) and early evening (pre-dusk) chores in sun, rain, or snow, so your schedule must be able to accommodate specific chore times. You need outside work clothes, boots, be okay with cleaning chicken poop from roosting areas and using pitchfork to turn/change bedding for longer stays. and don't mind getting a little sweaty or dirty.

*Light repair of farm stuff (fencing, feeders, etc) if needed.

*Our one cat gets homeopathic oral drops with a dropper in the morning 6 days per week (they are used to getting this and will allow you to do once they get used to you).

*We run a small-scale self-serve organic market from our property year round. Customers can come from 9am until dusk daily. They serve themselves and put money in a kiosk by the garage. You just need to keep the frig stocked with clean eggs (and produce if in season and agreed upon), get the money at the end of each day and keep a simple tally sheet of sales. A bell will ring inside the house when customers pull in (Usually from 0-4 times daily). There is complete privacy for you inside the house and in the back yard and back property.

Responsibilities include:

CHICKEN CARE
* am and pre-dusk chicken care, out in morning/in at dusk
* Rooster care--this involves picking up and holding/petting our two roosters each day to keep them friendly to humans.
* Keeping chicken feeders and waterers full
* Cleaning roosts and laying boxes (this involves scraping chicken poop into bag with tool, work clothes, we provide gloves)
*Replace chicken house straw monthly (this involves shovel, wheelbarrow, work clothes--only on multi-month stays)
* Egg collection--this sometimes involves reaching under chickens (they don't hurt!) and bending/kneeling to reach lower nests
* Washing eggs and keeping self serve market fridge stocked with eggs (year round)
*Additional market stocking open for discussion

CAT CARE
* am/pm cat feeding, playing, snuggling
*am homeopathic oral drops for one cat
* scoop cat litter box daily--change, add litter as needed
* monthly nail trim (we will teach you if you are not experienced)

FISH CARE
*lights on/off, feeding, adding water to tank and tank cleaning for longer stays,

PLANT CARE
* plant watering
*Organic garden care and stocking/take down of self-serve market on property open for discussion in season--Share in organic produce for personal consumption if helping to care for garden. Sitters interested in organic gardening and care are preferred.

HOME CARE
* collect mail, take out trash
*empty dehumidifiers as needed
* twice weekly hot tub spa maintenance (training/instructions provided)

We will stay together 3-5 days prior to our departure (for first sits--shorter advance time for subsequent sits) to remind of routine after test sit, teach anythings that may have changed since test sit, and answer questions.
Detailed reference manual provided with emergency contacts..

We are listed on other house sitting sites and have testimonials there from prior sitters. We can share these with you as we move along in discussion.

We think you will come to love our home, property and animal friends (almost) as much as we do!

If interested and you think this is a fit, please get in touch. Please tell us why you are interested in our sit and how you would be a good fit with all of the details outlined in our posting. If it looks like a good fit, we will schedule a video conversation to more properly 'meet' and talk details about setting up an initial test sit (for new sitters).

With appreciation,
Lisa and Gary

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sell Wanted
Free House Sitter

We offer a fabulous in-kind perk and tiny weekly stipend for sitters who are part of our sitter ... Read moreWe offer a fabulous in-kind perk and tiny weekly stipend for sitters who are part of our sitter team. Ask us for details.

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favoriteWhat we love about our area

Rural with suburban amenity accessibility.

View house featureskeyboard_arrow_up

cabinHouse type:House

local_laundry_serviceFeatures

Wifi, Streaming services, BBQ, Air conditioner, Heater, Dishwasher, Smoke alarms, Chemical-free home

accessibleHome accessibility

Internal stairs, External stairs / steps

landscapeLocale

Suburban, Country, Bush/Forest, River/Lake

near_meNearby

Supermarket, Shopping Centre, Golf, Gym/Yoga, Restaurants/Cafes, Pubs/Bars, Cinema, Parks, Beach, Art/Theatre, Live Music, Fishing/Boating

Our pets

CatsCats (2)
FishFish (1)
Chickens/Ducks/GeeseChickens/Ducks/Geese (10+)
See description

Our garden

local_floristGarden or plant care

Minimal - This can be discussed as applicable in season. Ideally, weeding and watering and harvesting, packaging vegetable beds inside hoop house and water outside plants around house (if necessary). Approximately an hour or two a few times a week.

About us

person Lisa

See sit description

Trust

account_circleMember since Apr 2022

Important info

We strongly prefer first-time sitters do a short sit in advance of the long-term sit to make sure it is a good match for everyone. You are welcome to stay with us in between the trial sit and long-term sit if we all agree it's a good match and you don't have other area sits.

videocamSecurity/Pet Cameras:

Login to view

rv_hookupSpace for RV/Motorhome:Yes

agricultureFarm / Ranch Sit:Yes

petsPets welcome:Yes

smoking_roomsSmoking permitted:No

Reviews (3)

1 of 2 reviews from this sitter
What an exceptional experience this house and pet sit was for me. Lisa and Gary were available by either email or text in a very timely manner for any issues that were presented. Their home is truly comfy and accommodating. Getting to know the chickens and roosters was such fun. They all have delightful personalities. Their doggy and kitties were so loving and well mannered. It was a pleasure to share time with them. One of the beauties of this homestead is the beautiful forested acreage. You ... MoreWhat an exceptional experience this house and pet sit was for me. Lisa and Gary were available by either email or text in a very timely manner for any issues that were presented. Their home is truly comfy and accommodating. Getting to know the chickens and roosters was such fun. They all have delightful personalities. Their doggy and kitties were so loving and well mannered. It was a pleasure to share time with them. One of the beauties of this homestead is the beautiful forested acreage. You can certainly get lost in the magnificence of nature here. If you are looking for a full farm environment this is the sit for that. The property is secluded and pristine and a real joy to explore. I certainly give them a 10 out of 10 rating.

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2 of 2 reviews from this sitter
This was my first house/pet sit. Lisa and Gary explained in thorough detail how to manage their chickens and house pets with written and hands on details. They advised that they were available 24/7 for ANY concern. Their home and property are just beautiful. There are several acres of mature trees, a meandering stream and trails to explore if interested. I felt safe and comfortable knowing they were only a phone call away if there were any issues. They also have local friends and handy people ... MoreThis was my first house/pet sit. Lisa and Gary explained in thorough detail how to manage their chickens and house pets with written and hands on details. They advised that they were available 24/7 for ANY concern. Their home and property are just beautiful. There are several acres of mature trees, a meandering stream and trails to explore if interested. I felt safe and comfortable knowing they were only a phone call away if there were any issues. They also have local friends and handy people that would assist if necessary. For my first house sit experience I give Lisa and Gary a 10/10.

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Lisa and Gary have a beautiful home and property that has come to be through hard work done by them and their family. Its legacy is felt. Learning how to run the chicken farm is a rewarding experience with new take-aways each day. As you discover the personalities of the chickens outdoors, the cats capture your heart indoors. Lisa and Gary did a great job teaching us how to manage the farm. Training is thorough and well-thought out, making it very easy to step into the daily rhythm. Once ... MoreLisa and Gary have a beautiful home and property that has come to be through hard work done by them and their family. Its legacy is felt. Learning how to run the chicken farm is a rewarding experience with new take-aways each day. As you discover the personalities of the chickens outdoors, the cats capture your heart indoors. Lisa and Gary did a great job teaching us how to manage the farm. Training is thorough and well-thought out, making it very easy to step into the daily rhythm. Once the house and coup duties become routine, the experience of being on the property is calm and contemplative. This is a comfortable and relaxing place surrounded by nature. Joining the ecosystem of this farm inspired playfulness and creativity within us. We are very grateful for the experience.

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