Manu V.
Deinze, Flanders, Belgium
About Manu V.
45 years old
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IT System Engineer
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As a couple/duo
Hi there!
Both of us are in the beginning of our 40’s and we have been working as IT Systems Engineers for about 20+ of those years in Flanders, the Dutch part of Belgium. As Belgians we speak Dutch, English, French, a little bit of German and are in the process of learning Spanish. Our interest in house-sitting comes mainly from our desire to emigrate out of Belgium and scouting for a new place to call home. House-sitting seems like an ideal opportunity to get to know a country and get in touch with locals, so we can really experience living somewhere beyond a regular vacation.
We are a well-oiled couple without kids that love to be immersed in all the beauty nature has to offer. For many years we have enjoyed raising our own chickens, growing our own vegetables and doing some beekeeping so we are not afraid to get our hands dirty. We used to have cats, but due to our migration plans we are currently pet-less. Walking, hiking and running are some of our favourite ways to explore the outdoors, at least when we are not working behind the scenes/screens.
In the past we have tended to the house and pets of relatives on holiday numerous times. In 2020 we did an almost 5-month housesit for friends where we took the effort to solve a number of issues in and around the house, much to the delight of both parties. In our day jobs we are given big responsibility over IT environments as sysadmins so trust, care and discretion are key elements of our character, accompanied with a problem-solving attitude. Likewise, being respectful and considerate for others property is only logical for us.
More recently we have been doing several house-sits caring for dogs and cats in the beautiful country of Costa Rica since September 2022, and hope to add many more to the list.
My travel companions
Nathalie, 42 years old, IT System Engineer, Spouse / Partner
Language(s) spoken
English
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French
Compliments received
Community opinion
April 2023
We feel very lucky to have found Manu and Nathalie. They are a lovely couple who may just be the "worlds best" house/pet sitters. They were amazing with our 4 cats, they treated them as their own, groomed them everyday, slept with them at night, they all became very attached to each other - cats included! I am sure, being the people they are, this would be applicable to any pet they are minding, not just cats, as they loved all animals, even the strange insects that turned up during their time here. They were very attentive to our instructions, they asked questions before we left and had a checklist of things they wanted to mention upon our return. They are highly organized and went above and beyond in helping us with some additional tasks we needed completed while away. They were independent which was great as sometimes we were out of contact for days at a time. They took great care of our pool and retreat centre. The house was immaculate when we arrived home which is no easy task when you have 4 long haired cats. We enjoyed meeting them both and will be asking them again to house/pet sit in the near futures. Thank you to you both!
Turrialba, Costa Rica - December 2022
Manu and Nathalie stayed and watched my farm and took excellent care of my dog Kobi during their stay. They are now like family to me and I enjoyed their being here more than I can express in this review. They are the most wonderful people who are very aware of keeping things clean, taking excellent care of my farm, keeping me updated on a regular basis, and just being a lovely couple to have watching my farm. I give them the highest of recommendations and I would love to have them back anytime. Steven
