We, couple in our 50s, live with two cats (and a few strays outside) in a renovated townhouse in Lefkada, main town of Lefkas. Lefkas has beautiful beaches, many small villages, is mountainous and perfect for hiking. It's also a very busy tourist spot in summer and very quiet in winter; most restaurants and shops are closed, villages deserted.
Our house is in the middle of the old town center, surrounded by bars and restaurants: air condition, guests, music, smells, especially July- September. People drive scooters, talk, laugh and sing until way after midnight (they simply do what people do when they are happy and have holidays). We also have an open air theatre in front of the house with plays and movies during the summer months (you'll have free balcony VIP seats). They mostly finish before midnight, but there may be many people, loud music or voices and rubbish/cigarette buds to collect in front of our door. However, all windows have shutters/double glazing (doesn't help with rubbish, but with noise!). We don't have a garden, but to keep the road space in front of the house clean (narrow ally, no cars, but lots of potplants) will be your responsibility as well. We also have a lovely elderly neighbor and look after her 'roadspace' from time to time.
- We are looking preferably for a couple (we don't care about sexual orientation or skin colours) who is reliable, open minded, has a good sense of humour, smells nice, likes clean spaces, is able to accept different life styles and likes to stay in our slightly unfinished, quirky, but very loved house for one year, loves cats, feeds, cuddles and meets them with kindness and interest and will not leave them on their own for more than a night. And is able to clean the cat toilets daily!
- The cats: Ida, 1.5 years & Labrini, 4.5 years. Both neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, super cute and love each other. They roam freely through a microchip-cat flap. The cats need occasional vet visits. There are many scooters, stray cats and other 'dangers' and you need to be able to take them to the vet and look after them if they have an accident. We are well aware of these issues and will not feel that you are to blame if one of them has broken bone (something the current housesitters had to deal with) or gets hurt in other ways, but you need to be aware of this.
- The house has 2 bathrooms and 2 1/2 balconies, livingroom/kitchen area, 'your' room, our bedroom (not available), 'workshop'. There is a lot we don't have: no TV, no garage, no car access (road too narrow), no dish washer, only a two-plate electrical hob (but a stove), no car, but 2 bicycles for you to use, the stairs are still a little...ehm ... different, but there are small arty things all over the place (which you might like or not).
- We live vegan/vegetarian. Please do not use our kitchen/fridge for meat or fish storage or preparation.
- Because we were intially planning to be away for only 3 months (and not years), our personal bedroom isn't available for accomodating guests. We would like you to respect it as our private space and arrange other accomodation if you are expecting visitors. There is an right behind the house and many close by.
- The ground floor is a workshop/work in process. Feel free to use it for your own art or craft projects. However, it is also our storage room and we'd like you to be respectful with our personal belongings.
- Any experiences with worm farms are welcomed!
- Whilst you are staying in our house, we will be in New Zealand for work. We have left Greece in for 3 months and were not able to return to Greece (Covid and NZ's quarantine rules made it impossible). We are very homesick by now! There are wonderful house sitters in the house (the bar is high!), but they need to move on after being there for then almost 15 months. You'd take over from them (they know the house and cats by now better than we do) and we'd kindly ask you to rent a separate accomodation for the first 1-2 days of your stay in Lefkada, so that there is enough time to give you a good introduction to everything around house, cats and surroundings.
- The house comes with a cleaner. We support her with this micro job and are happy to pay for her work. She comes every 2nd week, is also owner of an additional key and would look for a max of 2 nights/3 days after the cats if you want to go away for short trips. The payment for this would have to be arranged by you.
- It would help our decision making process if you could let us know what matters to you, ask us a few questions and tell us how you will spend a boring winter on a wet Greek island!
- Please note that I will only send a short message if we do not invite you as a house sitter and would kindly ask you not to reply with an angry answer.