Right from the start, communication with Kate and Jean was positive and assuring, and they were easy to get along with. We arranged that they would arrive a few days in advance of our departure for a handover, which is especially important for the animals, our cat and 3 horses, to see us all together and be introduced to their carers. Indy the cat took to them immediately and moved in with them in the gîte so no worries there! Kate kept in touch throughout our 4 week absence with photos of the horses and Indy, we chatted almost daily via Whatsapp and it was a very friendly relationship which meant a worry free holiday for me. The horses too, were relaxed around Kate and she was happy to handle them. A friendly, interesting, well organised couple who all our animals took to, allowing us to confidently leave them to be cared for and loved. It was nice that they enjoyed discovering our corner of rural France too!
The Gard. April 2024 (From Trusted Housesitters)
Kate and Jean have just completed a three week house and pet sitting assignment for us, looking after our indoor outdoor independently minded and somewhat elusive pussycat. We are very pleased with how it all went.
They are highly experienced professional house sitters, focused entirely on looking after your house and pet and going out only to do food shopping and similar chores.
For many years they owned a farm in southern Africa where they also kept livestock, so they have a depth of experience not only with household pets but also large animals, such as horses and any other barnyard creatures you might have.
Our pussycat immediately took to them, especially to Kate, who clearly has a special rapport with our furry friends. He had a lovely time with them being a house cat during the day before disappearing into his nocturnal vineyard world which is a mystery to us, and reappearing for his breakfast as always, with the first rays of the sun. A seamless transition from us to Kate and Jean.
They also left a light footprint on our house, taking great care with the furniture and use of our household equipment and utilities, carefully following our instructions in our house sitter manual.
They are also very communicative, keeping in touch exactly as you wish, which, in our case, is a brief daily e-mail update.
All in all an excellent experience, which we are looking forward to repeating.
G & A and HN Gard France(Trusted Housesitters) (Been sitting for them for six years)
A delightful couple and if you need your feline friend to be cared for they’ll do an excellent job
________________~________________
We had the fortunate opportunity to bag Kate and Jean as our house sitters, what luck was that!!
Kate and John were true gifts from heaven. I had only just moved to France, so my house was a labyrinth of boxes which required more than a little imagination to negotiate.
They were not at all fazed by the chaos with which I left them and they could not have been kinder to Masa, who is now devoted to them.
Not only are they the kindest people, they have become good friends to us in the process and I could not be more grateful for their appearance in our lives.
Rafa fell in love with them both & is still mourning their departure. We loved receiving daily photos & updates & really enjoyed Kate & Jean’s sense of humour & their enthusiasm for everything.
They even took on the task of completing the last 3 week’s of Rafa’s local puppy training classes, including lots of practice at home - he passed with flying colours! Organised, resourceful, experienced, sensitive to our wishes & very caring - you couldn’t ask any more from house sitters & we are all looking forward to their next visit.
(If Rafa could have written a glowing review himself, he would have!).
S. J. and Rafa - West Sussex (UK) November 2018
Kate and Jean have been highly recommended by friends of us and we soon understood why.
We first invited them home to know each other more and introduce the pets of course.
Kate and Jean are the kind of people that one straight away wishes to have as friends and godfather/mother to the pets! First of all they are a super couple, both friendly and cheerful.
They are also a combination of down to earth approach, very handy, considerate and caring persons. And our 3 cats were soon very comfortable with their presence.
Once we left we were absolutely reassured that both the house and the pets would be very well looked after and so it was.
We stayed in very regular contact and Kate and Jean were sending us news and pictures of the cats.
We were very pleased with this experience and would highly recommend them to anyone who wishes the best care for its furry friends.
Thank you so much Kate and Jean and see you soon!
M. and B. - Gard, France October 2018
We were absolutely delighted to have Kate and Jean housesit for us. They were looking after our 2 cats and a dog and it was clear that they had all had wonderful time while we were away, and were very happy and relaxed Kate and Jean were incredibly nice and helpful and left everything just as they found it. We would heartily recommend them and are hope that they may be able to help again in future.
Pippa - Aylesbury UK August 2018
(Repeat sit in 2019)
03 September - 13 September 2017
Kate & Jean were wonderful sitters & absolutely self-sufficient so I was able to leave my house & dogs in the safe knowledge that all would be well on my return. Ryanair messed up my flight back, so we were unable to meet up before they had to leave, but I found everything absolutely impeccable & very much hope that they will be back again.
Anna - Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, France
Kate and Jean are among the most professional pet and house sitters we have ever had. They are a delightful English/French couple who have lived all over the world from Vietnam to various places in Africa to the United States and Europe, and have been more or less full time house sitters for several years now. This has provided them with a rich experience base enabling them to handle just about anything that could come up with your furry favorites and your house. They are passionate about all creatures great and small and place the care and well being of your pet above everything else. They have seen so much of the world that sightseeing is not a great priority for them, and they will go out and about during the day only when they are fully assured that everything will be fine with your pet and your house while they are gone.
Our indoor-outdoor cat is quite aloof and keeps her own not always predictable schedule, so it requires a lot of attention to make sure she has everything she needs at the right time. In the first few days of their sit Jean befriended her with bit of string on a stick for her to chase which was such a big hit that most unusually she now makes an appearance whenever they come to visit (we met on Trusted Housesitters and as it turns out they live nearby when not house sitting).
All in all we highly recommend them if you are lucky enough to get on their schedule. Kate has also written a series of enchanting books about their life in Africa and the US and will be happy to tell you all about them when you get in touch.
Anne - Uzès, France
May 2017 - Hérault - France (returned several times already and booked ahead)
Christmas 2016 and Spring 2017 - Gard (France)
(Several repeat sits and booked into 2019)
Kate and Jean came to look after our house and cats over Christmas and New Year. Both we and the “girls” were very pleased to have found such an excellent couple to look after the house, and them. Totally trustworthy, very practical and the cats love them; what more could one want. They are returning in the Spring to look after house and girls again; that's our best reference. We were delighted by their regular reports on their developing relationship with the cats.
G. and J. P.
P. Hérault (France) October 26th 2016
Dear Kate and Jean,
I arrived home at about 6h30 yesterday. A**** was very welcoming. He looks happy. He's given me several "hugs" since I've been back (a hug being his lying on his back and wrapping two paws around my arm). He was obviously well cared-for with you.
The house looked great. The hot water was on. The plants look happy. Thank you so much for the food in the fridge and the bread. That was perfect for dinner. I think I can manage for another day or so before shopping...
Thanks so much for the house and dog-sitting. I will consult your list to find someone for the Christmas holidays.
All the best to you both,
P.
P. and C. Draguignan (France) - Summer 2016
John and Kate have just completed an extended winter house sit for us and we could not be more happy with their thoroughly professional attitude. The one who will miss them the most is our rescue dog, Saffie. They took her for walks - or maybe Saffie took them! And being an exuberant young lab / greyhound mix, they somehow managed to train her not to jump up. Very grateful for that as it was a bad habit which could cause problems.
Another big plus was that, being French, John was able to deal with any problems that arose that needed sorting out.
They are good fun, very conscientious, totally honest, with a great can do attitude. We are so delighted, we have asked them to come back next year. Happily they have agreed! If you manage to 'bag' them for a house sit, you will not be disappointed. I wish I could score them higher marks than 5 out of 5 all round.
Jacky Laurie (France)
Kate and Jean Fagalde have been house and dog sitting for us for the last week while we were in UK. They are a lovely couple with masses of home and pet sitting experience. We knew they were alright when from the first meeting all three of our dogs just fell in love with them. They loved the house and our area of France and took time to explore while they were here. The dogs, the house and garden were all in very good condition when we returned and Kate had kept in email contact with us all the time we were away. We are using them again in November and would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone.
We were delighted to have Kate and Jean as our house sitters for the first time this month. They did a splendid job in looking after our "menagerie" of two goats, one dog, four chickens, four guinea fowl, four pigeons and one tortoise - not to mention the house. Kate and Jean are coming back to us in June and we would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for extremely capable house sitters.
Françoise Loryd - Saint-Siffret (France) (several repeat sits)
We have had Kate and Jean staying over in our house many times now, and we have been very pleased with their services, both regarding the keeping of the house itself, the pool and all its technical maintenance as well as the garden over a whole summer and other shorter periods of time. Most important of all, they have taken such good care of our precious old black Labrador and complied with all her little habits and her masters doting requirements - like celebrating her birthday - that she now regards Kate and Jean as family! I would recommend Kate and Jean as home sitters to anyone but at the same time, selfishly, would hope they do not get booked up too much...
Marion and Luc - Lourmarin, Provence - France (several repeat sits)
We would definitely recommend Kate and Jean. Blessed to be able to leave, knowing that everything is in good hands. Many times.
Wyn and Rupert (Tasmania) Manners June and July 2015
Kate and Jean Fagalde house sat for us in rural Tasmania for a period of 6 weeks during June and July 2015. Their main responsibility was to look after our 2 dogs, a Jack Russell and a Fox Terrier pup. Possibly quite a demanding task as they are adventurous, energetic breeds. They did this beautifully and we returned to cheerful, healthy pets who had enjoyed walking, playing and hanging out with Kate and Jean. If necessary they were also to mow our extensive lawns, but during their time here the grass was too wet to mow. The house was as we had left it, in very good order and our possessions well looked after. We found them to be an honest and responsible couple.
A huge thank you to Kate and Jean who spent a month in the Auvergne looking after my precious collie dog and two cats. I went away without any concerns and came back to find the extensive lawns all mown, the vegetable garden weeded and harvested and the animals happy and well cared for. The house had been left spotless and they kindly dropped me off and collected me from the distant airport for a fraction of what I would have paid a local taxi. I can definitely recommend them as first rate house sitters.
PS.
Thank you so much for looking after us so well, we loved having you to stay and hope we behaved more or less okay. (My sisters are a bit messy I'm afraid, though don't tell them I said so). With love from all of us and cuddles from me,
xx G K and M
J and J, and the Labrathugs! Gers. France. July 2014
We have had Kate and Jean staying over in our house many times now, and we have been very pleased with their services, both regarding the keeping of the house itself, the pool and all its technical maintenance as well as the garden over a whole summer and other shorter periods of time. Most important of all, they have taken such good care of our precious old black Labrador and complied with all her little habits and her masters doting requirements - like celebrating her birthday - that she now regards Kate and Jean as family! I would recommend Kate and Jean as home sitters to anyone but at the same time, selfishly, would hope they do not get booked up too much...
FB and L - Gard. France
September - October 2013 (repeat house sits)
Wonderful to be able to spend five weeks away in Europe knowing that the house and the dogs were in such capable hands. So glad you enjoyed discovering the Adelaide Hills and the lovely country around us. Let us know if you are coming back this way.
P and J. Adelaide. Southern Australia.
August 2013 (repeat house sits)
It was wonderful to be able to leave for five weeks knowing that the house was in good hands and that our furry boy was being loved and cared for. You did a wonderful job back in January. Try and get back to Australia before too long.
B and J - WW. Victoria Australia
Thank you so much Kate and John for coming to my rescue at such short notice. It was a relief to know that my home, cats and chickens were being well cared for in my absence. VH. Yarra Glen Victoria - 07/2013
A selection of entries from the visitors' book at a Guest House we managed in Victoria:
01.03.13 - Dear Kate and John,
Thank you for some wonderful days in this beautiful place. What a surprising present to meet you here, talking, eating and drinking some wine. We loved sitting on the bench watching the sunset, the cattle and the kangaroos. Thank you so much for everything and hopefully see you soon. R and Z (Germany) -
24.2.13 - Dear Kate and Jean,
Thank you so much for an amazing time away in the most beautiful and tranquil place. We had the best time, the house and garden are lovely and all your helpful advice ensured we had the best holiday possible. We hope to come back soon. Love N, E C C and E (Melbourne, Vic)
17.2.13 - Thank you ever so much Kate and Jean for everything you have done over this wedding weekend. You have forced us (ever so gently) to unwind and smell the roses. You have been hospitable, generous and an inspiration to us all who were lucky enough to stay at The Guesthouse. Thank you for your stories Kate! G an D (Ballarat, VIC)
17.02.13 - Thanks Kate and Jean for your company. It feels just like being at home - really relaxing and enjoyable company. It was wonderful seeing the two families able to come together and enjoy each others company. Thank you. D. (Dandenong, VIC)
17.02.13 April's Wedding - Thank you Kate and Jean (and Sarah) - A wonderful place to stay and a very relaxing weekend. G and R (Dandenong, VIC)
24.02.13 - Impressed by the wonderful bird life in the beautiful garden. Thanks Kate and Jean for looking after us so well. A wonderful place to spend a weekend ... wish it were longer. E and E (Melbourne, VIC)
16.02.13 - Dear Kate and Jean,
Thank you for a wonderful couple of days. Great company, beautiful oasis to calm the mind and relax. Thank you and see you again. C and M (Sydney, NSW)
We cannot thank Kate and Jean enough for taking such wonderful care of our home and our very special dog.
We came back from holiday to an immaculate house, a pool which we have never seen so clear and blue and a beautifully kept garden.
We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending them as perfect house sitters. You can rest assured that they will take the greatest care of your home and pets and your return home will be the perfect ending to a stress free time away.
Please can you house sit for us again during our next trip away, wouldn’t want anyone else. Thanks again for everything.
C and S, Victoria, Australia
Kate and Jean Fagalde lived at my house in the Languedoc-Roussillon for eight weeks in September and October 2010 whilst I was away overseas.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, my three week trip was extended, but Jean and Kate altered their plans and stayed on which was a great help. They not only house-sat but they also looked after my two cats and indeed took the initiative of taking one to the vet when he appeared slightly limping after a fight.
I was extremely grateful to them and very happy with their services and would not hesitate to recommend them. I very much appreciated knowing that my house, animals and plants were in safe hands and were being looked after so well.
JJR - Gard - France (several repeat sits)
Hi Jean and Kate
Many thanks for the conscientious care you took of our home during the 10 weeks we were away. You obviously enjoyed exploring the region surrounding our isolated house and have possibly found some new places for us to explore.
We are finding more and more areas on the property where you have thoughtfully made improvements, stacked logs in abundance, cleaned the storage tank and cleaned all the drainage furrows for the water storage system, and these are just some of the jobs that come to mind and I know there are many more.
Without doubt we will be asking for your welcome presence in our home the next time we go away.
KJ - Gard - France (several repeat sits)
PS Hopefully not too many people will read this; we don't want to find you are unavailable next time we need you!
Kate and Jean Fagalde have often looked after our home in the Languedoc Roussillon.
In our absence, they have cared for our pool and most importantly our little dog. We have called on them at short notice and they have always done whatever they can to help us. We would have no hesitation in recommending them to someone who wants a couple who are careful, honest and accommodating.
TT - Hérault - France
I have known Kate and Jean Fagalde for ten years and during that time, they have cared for my home and my two dogs while I have been away on various trips. I have always returned to a gleaming house, two happy healthy dogs and a neat and tidy garden.
Anyone who asks them to look after their property can be assured that they are putting their home and possessions into the hands of people who really care about the service that they provide.
MF - West Sussex - England
Our grateful thanks to John and Kate who came to our rescue at short notice and looked after our country house in West Sussex. They had no hesitation taking on our five Bedlington terriers and a lively Labrador and we returned three weeks later to find the house and garden in immaculate condition and the dogs healthy and happy.
S and E - West Sussex - UK
Kate and Jean looked after our home on Guernsey for three weeks, and also cared for our two dogs. We were very happy with all their efforts to keep our garden watered during a very hot summer and the dogs enjoyed outings to various beaches and even a boat ride and a picnic on a neighbouring island.
We came home to find the house sparklingly clean and tidy and probably in far better condition than we left it!
D and S - Guernsey - Channel Islands
We are so grateful to Kate and Jean Fagalde who have twice stayed at our house, giving us peace of mind to enjoy our holidays.
Having 7 live-in cats plus visitors I could not be comfortable unless I knew they were in reliable hands, and Kate and Jean have looked after them with care and affection.
The fact that we have returned to a tidy, well-kept house is almost incidential, and I would not hesitate to recommend their services to anyone.
CCF - Gard France (several repeat sits)