We've both worked as rangers for Natural England and the National Trust, and have experience of working with cattle, sheep, pigs and horses, as well as poultry.
In NZ we've worked on "lifestyle blocks", looking after smallholdings with small herds of animals.
Mark has a tractor driving certificate, and both he and Nate are competent, certified ATV/Mule drivers.
Preferred Locations
England: East Midlands, North East, North West, South West, Yorkshire and the Humber Scotland: Eastern Scotland, Highlands and Islands (Orkney Islands), North Eastern Scotland, South Western Scotland Wales: ALL
Availability
NEXT 6 MONTHS Available Unavailable
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
2024: 26Mar-27Sep
On a house-sit right now
Happy nomads
44, Countryside Ranger/Teacher
39, Countryside Ranger/Teacher
We're a British couple who've been pet-sitting for over eight years and have received a wealth of positive feedback and testimonials from the people we've sat for. We've also made a lovely network of friends all over New Zealand, the UK and Australia through our pet-sitting.
We're trustworthy, reliable and adaptable and seem to fit in wherever we are. In short, you won't find a happier, more considerate and laid-back couple :-)
We also have a profiles on Aussie and Kiwi Housesitters where you can see all of our testimonials, as well as references from previous sits, available upon request.
Reviews (19)
Mark and Nate were brilliant with Buster who took to them immediately !
Their communication was always excellent and their care of Buster was loving, thoughtful, practical and compassionate even though he tested them by having gastroenteritis.
They took good care of my house and left it very clean and tidy.
I would recommend them in a heartbeat and I really hope they'll be able to do a repeat sit for us.
MELANIE (Bakewell England, Mar 2024 - 2 weeks 3 nights)
Mark and Nate have been great house and pet sitters and are lovely people. They were brilliant to deal with from the get go and were so reassuring we had no worries while we were away. They also provided us with much appreciated regular updates. They left the house beautifully clean and tidy and even made sure we had something lovely to eat after long flights. We would throughly recommend them to anyone and wish them all the best.
LYN (Dorchester England, Jan 2024 - 1 month 1 week)
Mark and Nate were brilliant house and cat sitters! We had a great first meeting, and they very communicative throughout the sit. We came home to a spotless home and a very happy cat.
CATHERINE (Epsom North Island, Jan 2024 - 2 nights)
From Kiwi House Sitters
Mark and Nate were great. We would not only have them again to sit for us we would have them to stay as friends. Mark and Nate were easy to communicate with, made sure they understood what was required and they would go above and beyond to make sure everything was done. Our dog Pip loved them and you could see that they loved looking after animals. We could not have asked for better. If you need a Petsitter and these guys are availble then you are in luck.
GUY (Kiripaka North Island, Jan 2024 - 1 week)
From Kiwi House Sitters
We couldn't have wanted for better house sitters. I'd created a document containing all the ins and outs of our house, its quirks having lived in it for a number of years. They followed it very well, and improvised w/ common sense when required. They bonded wonderfully w/ our two cats and sent pictures regularly as requested. Everything was returned to how it was when we left it. They'd bought us some lovely flowers for our return. I knew from the video call I had w/ them they would be great, ... MOREWe couldn't have wanted for better house sitters. I'd created a document containing all the ins and outs of our house, its quirks having lived in it for a number of years. They followed it very well, and improvised w/ common sense when required. They bonded wonderfully w/ our two cats and sent pictures regularly as requested. Everything was returned to how it was when we left it. They'd bought us some lovely flowers for our return. I knew from the video call I had w/ them they would be great, and they didn't disappoint. We spent time just before we left and upon return and they are genuinely delightful. We highly recommend them to anyone considering a house sit.
SUSAN (Mornington North Island, Dec 2023 - 2 weeks 6 nights)
From Kiwi House Sitters
Mark and Nate came to sit for Juno and Gloria our two terriers. They kindly stepped in pretty much at the last minute when planned Housesitters were unable to come. They are busy people, working from home, so we greatly appreciated that they were prepared to make time for us and the terriers. From the first we got on well with Mark who met us via video link. Sadly, only a few days into our holiday of a lifetime Juno became unwell with an acute illness. Mark and Nate were brilliant at looking ... MOREMark and Nate came to sit for Juno and Gloria our two terriers. They kindly stepped in pretty much at the last minute when planned Housesitters were unable to come. They are busy people, working from home, so we greatly appreciated that they were prepared to make time for us and the terriers. From the first we got on well with Mark who met us via video link. Sadly, only a few days into our holiday of a lifetime Juno became unwell with an acute illness. Mark and Nate were brilliant at looking after him, communicating with us and taking him to the vet. We of course came home straight away. They are personable, empathetic, confident and competent pet and house sitters. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. Juno is completely recovered and in better health than ever!
Thank you, Mark and Nate, for your lovely review.!
This was only our second housesitters, and once again a wonderful experience. mark and Nate helped us to have a really good communication prior to the sit .... From the zoom to the concerned updating on the 'Covid ping' issue! The cats adored them and we spent a hilarious couple of hours with them before they left..... the ping prevented us having dinner together the night before.... but look forward to next time...
Mark and Nate are ... MOREThank you, Mark and Nate, for your lovely review.!
This was only our second housesitters, and once again a wonderful experience. mark and Nate helped us to have a really good communication prior to the sit .... From the zoom to the concerned updating on the 'Covid ping' issue! The cats adored them and we spent a hilarious couple of hours with them before they left..... the ping prevented us having dinner together the night before.... but look forward to next time...
Mark and Nate are incredibly lovely, caring, responsible people and I wish them so much luck with all their plans..
See you soon..... xxx
CAROLINE (Taunton England, Jun 2021 - 1 week 2 days)
Mark and Nate were fantastic sitters and looked after hens, dogs and elderly (lame and housebound) cat with lots love and care. They were very friendly and confidence inspiring before their stay - before meeting them we felt the animals would be in good hands.
Their stay wasn't without incident but they were calm and intelligent in their communcation with us - the boiler and the Aga broke down leaving them without cooking, hot water or any heating! With YouTube guidance Mark was able to ... MOREMark and Nate were fantastic sitters and looked after hens, dogs and elderly (lame and housebound) cat with lots love and care. They were very friendly and confidence inspiring before their stay - before meeting them we felt the animals would be in good hands.
Their stay wasn't without incident but they were calm and intelligent in their communcation with us - the boiler and the Aga broke down leaving them without cooking, hot water or any heating! With YouTube guidance Mark was able to fix the Aga. They left the house as clean and tidy as they found it. We would be delighted if they're able to look after the house and animals again in the future and recommend them unreservedly.
ANGELA (Holne , Mar 2020 - 5 days)
A couple of premadonas..... I would definitely not have back at my house... I agreed they would pay electric and they refused using the cleanliness of my house as an excuse!! Then they got really nasty when I asked for half the electricity bill and I would pay the other half but then more message abuse.... really no need for this by a couple of dog sitters who stayed one month at my house for free caring for one easy dog. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND
AMELIA (Croyde England, Feb 2020 - 4 weeks)
Amelia barely contacted us while she was away, leaving us to guess about important house hold questions like, where is the spare front door key? (because you snapped the only one on your way out!)
We did agree to pay the electric we used beforehand, but, after:
Cleaning the filthy state of ... MOREAmelia barely contacted us while she was away, leaving us to guess about important house hold questions like, where is the spare front door key? (because you snapped the only one on your way out!)
We did agree to pay the electric we used beforehand, but, after:
Cleaning the filthy state of the house (which took 2 days),
Cleaning the house further for viewings as she handed in her notice to leave whilst away.
Lying to her landlords about us being there and the fact she even had a dog (resulting in very awkward conversations with her lovely landlords)
And much more!
She phoned us and told us we didn't need to pay the bill because of what she put us through. Only to then change her mind 2 days ago because she's skint
We feel that we do not owe anything because of all we did for her
Mark and Nate were super house sitters and looked after hens,cats and dog with great care and love. They paid attention to detail and took careful note of any instructions. They were very friendly and communicative keeping in touch by WhatsApp. We felt totally confident in leaving our house and animals in their care. We would be very happy to have them return again and would recommend them unreservedly.
MARTIN (Launceston England, Feb 2019 - 3 weeks)
Mark and Nate were our first housesitters and they guided us through a lot of the questions we had before confirming the sit. It was great to talk on Skype with them beforehand and made us feel very comfortable with the process.
We continued to exchange messages on WhatsApp several times a week during the 2.5 months - some to do with the house, but often just social conversation. Their ideas for taking pictures of the mail and recordings of answer machine messages worked brilliantly.
... MOREMark and Nate were our first housesitters and they guided us through a lot of the questions we had before confirming the sit. It was great to talk on Skype with them beforehand and made us feel very comfortable with the process.
We continued to exchange messages on WhatsApp several times a week during the 2.5 months - some to do with the house, but often just social conversation. Their ideas for taking pictures of the mail and recordings of answer machine messages worked brilliantly.
They looked after the house throughout the winter months and were upfront about breakages and problems with the plumbing. This meant we could reassure them on the things that worried them and if necessary they could have sorted any major problems.
We agree with a previous house owner - Mark and Nate started out as housesitters and ended as friends. They will be our first port of call next time we have a winter away.
Their outstanding communication meant we were constantly reassured that everything was OK and we would recommend them to anyone thinking of using them as sitters.
CATHY AND GRAHAM (Witherslack England, Nov 2018 - 2 months 3 weeks)
Mark and Nate were absolutely fabulous sitters. We kept in contact before the stay. When we face timed I instantly liked them both. Both are very polite, professional, I made it clear that they would be working from home and be around the pets quite a bit. It was lovely to meet them on the day of arrival, and again I instantly felt at ease. Whilst away they regularly kept in contact and sent photos. I was able to enjoy my holiday and not worry one bit. It was clearly adored my little dogs. I ... MOREMark and Nate were absolutely fabulous sitters. We kept in contact before the stay. When we face timed I instantly liked them both. Both are very polite, professional, I made it clear that they would be working from home and be around the pets quite a bit. It was lovely to meet them on the day of arrival, and again I instantly felt at ease. Whilst away they regularly kept in contact and sent photos. I was able to enjoy my holiday and not worry one bit. It was clearly adored my little dogs. I would not hesitate to use them again. I was really really please with the experience and my pets were pampered and missed them when they left.
DEBORAH (Cromford England, Oct 2018 - 7 days)
Mark and Nate - so easy to communicate with, they relaxed into keeping our two characterful cats company with ease.
They dealt with the heating system breakdown in the middle of the coldest part of the winter with calm understanding and accepted the alternatives of the log fire and electric radiators without any noticeable frustration although we are sure they must have been quite cold and just as annoyed as we were with the relatively new heating system!
Everything was left clean and tidy ... MOREMark and Nate - so easy to communicate with, they relaxed into keeping our two characterful cats company with ease.
They dealt with the heating system breakdown in the middle of the coldest part of the winter with calm understanding and accepted the alternatives of the log fire and electric radiators without any noticeable frustration although we are sure they must have been quite cold and just as annoyed as we were with the relatively new heating system!
Everything was left clean and tidy and the cats were well looked after and they put up our decorations for us which was lovely to come home to a couple of days before Christmas!
They are a couple of very pleasant and well-mannered gentlemen! We would have no hesitation in recommending them and they are very welcome to return either as friends for a visit or as housesitters in the future. We wish them luck and safe travels in whatever they choose to do next.
SUSAN AND GRAEME (Much Wenlock England, Nov 2017 - 4.5 weeks)
Mark and Nate looked after our menagerie of alpacas, goats, chickens and ducks for two weeks and all I can do is to recommend them wholeheartedly!
They are such lovely people, we warmed to them instantly and felt utterly at ease leaving them in charge of our animals and home.
It was lovely coming back to a super tidy house with dinner on the table.
We do hope they'll housesit for us again as we couldn't imagine anyone better looking after our place and pets.
Thank you both, you're ... MOREMark and Nate looked after our menagerie of alpacas, goats, chickens and ducks for two weeks and all I can do is to recommend them wholeheartedly!
They are such lovely people, we warmed to them instantly and felt utterly at ease leaving them in charge of our animals and home.
It was lovely coming back to a super tidy house with dinner on the table.
We do hope they'll housesit for us again as we couldn't imagine anyone better looking after our place and pets.
Thank you both, you're absolutely amazing!
TUULI (Woodbridge , Oct 2017)
Mark and Nate were a breath of fresh air with whom we immediately felt at ease. Our 3 kitties received 5 * treatment and we were sent regular updates with videos and photos.
Both Mark and Nate have led very interesting, if not rather bohemian, lifestyles, yet showed the greatest respect for our home, carried out our instructions to the letter and had Lily fall in love for the first time....still she mopes! They went beyond the call of duty! They arrived as catsitters and left as friends.
... MOREMark and Nate were a breath of fresh air with whom we immediately felt at ease. Our 3 kitties received 5 * treatment and we were sent regular updates with videos and photos.
Both Mark and Nate have led very interesting, if not rather bohemian, lifestyles, yet showed the greatest respect for our home, carried out our instructions to the letter and had Lily fall in love for the first time....still she mopes! They went beyond the call of duty! They arrived as catsitters and left as friends.
Haste ye back lads.
BRENDA AND CAROLINE (Elderslie Scotland, Sep 2017 - 2 weeks 2 days)
We have just had an amazing experience with our first house sit! Thanks to Mark and Nate...who were kind and experienced in house sitting, the whole communication before, during and after was brilliant and made us feel very at ease! We got on straight away after meeting online on Skype. Our home was well looked after and clean and tidy when we got home today. Our doggies were calm and happy and our chickens had even hatched four chicks! The guniea pigs were clean and happy too! The guys had a ... MOREWe have just had an amazing experience with our first house sit! Thanks to Mark and Nate...who were kind and experienced in house sitting, the whole communication before, during and after was brilliant and made us feel very at ease! We got on straight away after meeting online on Skype. Our home was well looked after and clean and tidy when we got home today. Our doggies were calm and happy and our chickens had even hatched four chicks! The guniea pigs were clean and happy too! The guys had a pond to take care of with fish and one of our dogs had been poorly before we went away and they kept in touch with updates which was brilliant. We will def use this service again...and can recommend Mark and Nate to house sit for anyone..they are charming and real... sensible and fun...kind and trustworthy.
LIZI (Sittingbourne England, Aug 2017 - 2 weeks)
We can't recommend Mark and Nate enough! They were fantastic house and pet sitters. The guys are friendly, warm and respectful. They took fantastic care of our dog Humphrey and our house was immaculate when we returned home. They kept us updated while we were away and sent us photos of Humphrey while we were away.
If you are looking for friendly, responsible, respectful house sitters then you've found them :)
JODI (Golden Bay WA, Dec 2016 - 3 weeks)
From Aussie House Sitters
Mark and Nate were brilliant house sitters and great fun to get to know. We met the day before we left and briefed them on the house, dogs and our town before heading off for three weeks. They managed brilliantly with our three dogs and kept us informed of their progress during our time away. The house was left in great condition and everything was well looked after, no problems at all :) They even cooked us a very nice, if slightly hot curry for dinner when they first came to our house. I ... MOREMark and Nate were brilliant house sitters and great fun to get to know. We met the day before we left and briefed them on the house, dogs and our town before heading off for three weeks. They managed brilliantly with our three dogs and kept us informed of their progress during our time away. The house was left in great condition and everything was well looked after, no problems at all :) They even cooked us a very nice, if slightly hot curry for dinner when they first came to our house. I would recommend Mark and Nate for house sits anywhere.
LUKE (Wairoa North Island, Nov 2016 - 1 week 2 days)
From Kiwi House Sitters
We are new to recruiting house/pet sitters, so it was with some anxiety and trepidation that we embarked on finding suitable candidates. We were lucky enough to find the best!
From the moment we met Mark and Nate via Skype we warmed to their kind, friendly and caring personalities. We immediately felt comfortable and confident with the idea that we could entrust them with our Harvey, precious 10yr old Labradoodle, and worldly possessions, for 6 weeks.
They offered to arrive a couple of ... MOREWe are new to recruiting house/pet sitters, so it was with some anxiety and trepidation that we embarked on finding suitable candidates. We were lucky enough to find the best!
From the moment we met Mark and Nate via Skype we warmed to their kind, friendly and caring personalities. We immediately felt comfortable and confident with the idea that we could entrust them with our Harvey, precious 10yr old Labradoodle, and worldly possessions, for 6 weeks.
They offered to arrive a couple of days prior to our leaving which enabled us to get to know them, and provide a thorough handover. Not only of Harvey's routines, but to our home and amenities and introduce them to the local area. They showered Harvey with their genuine affection the moment they arrived and he lapped it up.
They were professional in their approach to their assignment, reassuringly asking all the right questions of Harvey's needs/likes/dislikes etc. It was quite obvious that they are experienced in and genuinely love caring for pets.
Mark and Nate kept in regular contact with us while we were overseas, and sent photos of a very happy and contented Harvey. We were able to thoroughly enjoy our holiday knowing Harvey was in very capable and caring hands. We convinced ourselves that he probably hadn't noticed that we weren't there!
They dealt with a case of sneaky Chocolate thievery and consumption, as we would have, by seeking immediate Veterinary advice and assistance. And they advised us of the incident and outcome.
Mark and Nate immersed themselves into the local community and befriended some of our friends and family.
We arrived home to a very happy, relaxed and obviously spoilt dog, an immaculately clean house, fresh supplies in the pantry/fridge and a huge pot of vegetable curry. (This meant we didn't have to cook for the following 2 nights. As we were suffering from jetlag, this was hugely appreciated!)
We can proudly say that Mark and Nate arrived at our house as house-sitters, and left our home as lifelong friends. We are already looking forward to their returning to stay with us - while we are here.
We would unreservedly recommend Mark and Nate for any house/pet sitting assignments. They are the nicest people you could meet, have a genuine love of animals and are totally reliable and completely trustworthy.
We are more than happy to provide phone references.
Denise and Nic Fenner
Taranaki, New Zealand
06 7524313
027 3308653
NIC & DENISE (Okato, Taranaki , Jun 2016)
From Kiwi House Sitters
Safe house!
There is nothing more secure than having people at home while you're away. Get a house sitter.
Couple
Mark and Nate were brilliant with Buster who took to them immediately !
Their communication was always excellent and their care of Buster was loving, thoughtful, practical and compassionate even though he tested them by having gastroenteritis.
They took good care of my house and left it very clean and tidy.
I would recommend them in a heartbeat and I really hope they'll be able to do a repeat sit for us.
Thank you, Mark and Nate, for your lovely review.!
This was only our second housesitters, and once again a wonderful experience. mark and Nate helped us to have a really good communication prior to the sit .... From the zoom to the concerned updating on the 'Covid ping' issue! The cats adored them and we spent a hilarious couple of hours with them before they left..... the ping prevented us having dinner together the night before.... but look forward to next time...
Mark and Nate are ... MORE
A couple of premadonas..... I would definitely not have back at my house... I agreed they would pay electric and they refused using the cleanliness of my house as an excuse!! Then they got really nasty when I asked for half the electricity bill and I would pay the other half but then more message abuse.... really no need for this by a couple of dog sitters who stayed one month at my house for free caring for one easy dog. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND
