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Benjamin & Melanie

Ben and Mel

Picture of House Sitter, House Minder and Pet Sitter at Kiwi House Sitters, New Zealand. User Ben and Mel
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About us

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41, Professional Human Being

44, Professional Human Being

A professional married Kiwi couple in our 40s with 3 years housesitting experience. Passionate regenerative gardeners and animal carers, we offer reliable home & garden care across the North/South.

favoriteWhy we love house sitting

What we love about housesitting is caring for beautiful homes, gardens, farms and animals while exploring new communities and landscapes. It’s meaningful to give homeowners peace of mind while they're off on their own adventures.

We are Mel and Ben, a professional married Kiwi couple in our 40s with 3 years of international house, farm and animal sitting experience under our belts. Health and wellbeing practitioners and online teachers, we bring deep rural roots — Mel born and raised in Taranaki, Ben from a Waikato farm.
We are passionate about regenerative gardening practices, land stewardship, and giving pets and farm animals the loving care they deserve. We treat every home, garden, and animal as if it were our ... Read moreWe are Mel and Ben, a professional married Kiwi couple in our 40s with 3 years of international house, farm and animal sitting experience under our belts. Health and wellbeing practitioners and online teachers, we bring deep rural roots — Mel born and raised in Taranaki, Ben from a Waikato farm.
We are passionate about regenerative gardening practices, land stewardship, and giving pets and farm animals the loving care they deserve. We treat every home, garden, and animal as if it were our own.
Ultimately, we hope to fall in love with the area and community enough to
become long-term stewards of a piece of land somewhere with access to
clean water, good food-growing potential, and intergenerational
community. Housesitting allows us to get to know the region deeply while
providing you with trustworthy, caring support for your property.

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Pet care

We are both lifelong pet lovers and have cared for cats and dogs throughout our lives. We understand the importance of maintaining routines, providing affection, and ensuring pets feel safe and loved while their owners are away.
Over the 3 years of housesitting we have looked after an Elephant, ... Read moreWe are both lifelong pet lovers and have cared for cats and dogs throughout our lives. We understand the importance of maintaining routines, providing affection, and ensuring pets feel safe and loved while their owners are away.
Over the 3 years of housesitting we have looked after an Elephant, dogs (including large breeds) , chooks, cattle and cats with a variety of needs — from daily walks and playtime to medication administration and managing anxious pets. We are experienced with both indoor and outdoor animals and always treat them as part of the family.
Ben grew up on a Dairy farm working with cows, dogs and horses, while Mel has had many cherished cats and family with dogs. We are reliable, attentive, and communicative pet carers who enjoy giving animals the best possible care.

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petsWilling to care for these pets

DogsDogs
CatsCats
FishFish
BirdsBirds
Rabbits/Guinea PigsRabbits/Guinea Pigs
Chickens/Ducks/GeeseChickens/Ducks/Geese
Farm AnimalsFarm Animals
HorsesHorses
ReptilesReptiles

agricultureFarm experience

We both bring strong rural and farm backgrounds to our housesitting. Ben was raised on a working dairy farm in the Waikato, where he gained hands-on experience with milking cows, caring for horses, and general farm maintenance.
Mel’s grandparents were dairy farmers who also kept pigs, so she spent ... Read moreWe both bring strong rural and farm backgrounds to our housesitting. Ben was raised on a working dairy farm in the Waikato, where he gained hands-on experience with milking cows, caring for horses, and general farm maintenance.
Mel’s grandparents were dairy farmers who also kept pigs, so she spent much of her childhood helping on the farm with animals and land work. These early experiences, combined with our passion for regenerative gardening and land stewardship, mean we are very comfortable looking after properties with animals, orchards, or larger gardens.
We are confident handling basic farm tasks, animal care, and property maintenance and genuinely enjoy the rhythms of rural living.

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Trust

diagnosisReferences

diagnosisAbout our references

We have previous references available on your request. Thank you.

Availability

eventNext 12 months

Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
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Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul

eventCurrent bookings

2026: 13 Jun - 1 Oct | 17 Oct - 12 Nov | 16 Dec - 2 Jan 2027 | 2027: 1 Mar - 28 Apr

chairOn a house-sit right now

Preferences

scheduleHouse sit duration

2 - 4 weeks, 1 - 2 months, 2 months +

where_to_votePreferred locations

Anywhere in New Zealand

travelTravel plans

We are available from October 2026 onwards.
Flexible with dates and happy to discuss longer sits. We prefer a minimum of 3 weeks.

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Garden Maintenance

Green garden!

Make sure the garden and pot plants are thriving when you get back - get a house sitter.

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