Caring for your home and pets as if you were there
Travel with confidence, knowing your home and pets are in the care of a professional, reliable couple who treat every property with respect and every animal with genuine affection.
We provide discreet, attentive house sitting that keeps your home secure, lived-in, and beautifully maintained while you're away.
For pet owners, we offer thoughtful, personalised care so your animals remain relaxed, loved, and settled in their familiar environment.
Sits throughout New Zealand and Australia considered, our service includes:
We prefer a light-touch, so naturally we bring our own linens, towels, personal supplies, food & even favourite kitchenware.
Whether you're away for a short break or an extended stay, you can truly relax knowing everything is well taken care of and in safe, capable hands.
We're Gaye and Phil, reliable house sitters also offering trusted, in-home pet care for homeowners who want genuine peace of mind while they're away.
With a lifetime of experience with animals, decades in professional careers, and firsthand understanding of how hard it is to leave beloved pets behind, we provide calm, reliable house sitting that keeps your home secure and your pets happy in their own environment.
Married for over 30 years, trusted by friends, colleagues and clients alike.
We understand that your house and pets aren't just possessions – they're family, and together they make it home.
Having cared for our own beloved Bernese Mountain Dog and Golden Retriever for nearly 14 years, we know the trust it takes to leave your pets and home in someone else's care. That understanding sits at the heart of everything we do.
We both grew up surrounded by animals – from dachshunds and St Bernards to cats, fish, birds and even tadpoles - as well a flock of heritage-breed chickens in recent years. That lifelong exposure has given us a calm, intuitive approach to animals of all sizes, breeds, and temperaments.
Our own dogs, Bailey and Keisha, developed high needs in their later years. Kennels were no longer suitable, so we learned firsthand the importance of patience, consistency, gentle care, medications, and maintaining familiar routines. These are the same standards we bring into every home we care for.
After losing our "fur-kids", friends and family began regularly asking us to look after their homes and animals. Their encouragement – and consistent feedback – led to the creation of Abode & Beyond.
We remember the stress of leaving our own pets behind – the guilt, the worry, the search for someone we could truly trust. We've lived that experience.
That's why we now offer what we once looked for ourselves: dependable, caring house sitters who treat your home with respect, and your pets with genuine affection.
There's nothing more rewarding than sending you photos of relaxed, happy pets and knowing you can truly enjoy your time away.
Your home and pets deserve exceptional care – and that's exactly what we provide.
* May need allowance for location change between Sits
We appreciate the inherent responsibilities involved so our professional house-sitting services are provided on a daily rate basis (or part thereof) and reflective of property size and requirements.
Yard & garden maintenance can also be added with a fee naturally subject to the scope and scale of requirements.
Pet-sitting is an additional $10/day per cat or dog.
Chickens/birds (1-12 per batch), fish (per tank/pond), rabbits (per hutch) or guinea pigs (per cage) @ 10/day.
We're also happy to consider other types of household pets.
Additional fees may apply for pets requiring medication beyond tablets and ointments, or other forms of special care/attention.
Longer-term sits also earn discounts:
Invoicing provided as required (e.g. for business travel).
We offer more than someone simply staying in your home — we provide dependable care, thoughtful attention, and genuine peace of mind.
Once a sit is confirmed, your travel dates become our priority. As a couple, we offer reliability that ensures seamless continuity of service; in the unlikely event one of us is called away for a family emergency, the other remains on-site to maintain the care and routine your home deserves.
Your home is your private space, and we treat it that way. We maintain a quiet, respectful presence and follow your household preferences to ensure your home stays exactly as you love it.
Trust is earned through transparency. As a registered NZ business, we provide current Criminal Record Checks and references. You’re not just inviting a guest; you’re engaging dedicated professionals.