Usually when we move onto the boat for the summer, we simply let our home empty, but this summer, when we move on, we will be living aboard for over a year! Starting in JUNE, we plan to live aboard Island Spirit for 12-15 months as we sail up to Maine then down to the Bahamas and maybe back up to Maine! We will be living the CRUISING DREAM that we have planned for many years.We learned about house sitting from one of our best friends who has a brother that provides this service. His current house sitting position was ending and it fit into our timing, so we decided to offer the opportunity of house sitting our home for the next 12 months. House sitters do not pay rent, they simply move in with minimal items and they "pay their own expenses" and in return they look out for your home and property. Honestly, it would have been far easier to shut down the house than to move someone in, but this does seem like a win/win situation. We are excited to see how this works out.
So in prep for this, you tend to look at your home in a new light, and you work on projects that need completed, for example...
Maintain the landscaping, deck finish, and mulch beds...done!
Empty a bedroom, closet, paint and re-paint.....DONE
Re-build a utility staircase and railings in the garage....DONE
Paint staircase in the garage down into the basement woodshop...DONE
I do know how to make staircases....here is the OAK one I built with a walnut inlay in the house...!
So....as you can see, the prep for a house sitter is progressing, and we have a few more projects on the list. Overall, this is really exciting to think about moving out of your home for 12-15 months and to go off cruising....WHAT A DREAM, and sometimes it does not seem real.
