The Strange House Sitting of Keswick

Final Update: Sep 21, 2018 — July 9, 2019.
Day 282 of House Sitting. Van Life Day 349.

Exit photos of premises.

• Jul 3 Wed – Inspection of house.
• Jul 5 Fri – Notice for House-sitter.
• Jul 8 Mon – Inspection of water, septic, termites.
• Jul 9 Tue – Last Day of House-sitting.
• Jul 17 Wed – Closing. House assumes new owner.

Strange how a house appears to be abandoned and overgrown, yet surrounded by a large lawn mowed on a regular basis. So for the first couple months, the homeowner sees a dramatic improvement as I do the yardwork. Looks like new owners moved in. But after the first couple months, the homeowner starts to wonder why some guy is living in my house rent-free. It's not where I live. It's where work. Homeowner starts to think the lawn service is doing more than lawn cutting.

Look at all this fire wood everywhere. No problems this winter. Wait. The newest wood has been out in the weather and on the ground for a minimum of 3 years? I did burn about 6 weeks worth. Then I got into compost wood that would incinerate (turn to ember then to ash) but not burn. So I had to buy wood to supply heat in case power went off during an arctic blast. Usually the house-sitter does not pay for the heat.

While bad feelings and resentment were building inside me because of all the work to purchase, process and burn the wood, resentment was also building with the homeowner. Her resentment presented itself Friday July 5 when I arrived at 7 p.m. to see she had not called before coming, as she had done up til now. She promised to call before coming on Tuesday. She presented a list of 3 complaints.

1. I had under-watered the plants. Then I over-watered the plants. I said I would set up a calendar to water from now on. She said no. I didn't say I have a green thumb and those plants look better than when I arrived.
2. Someone has testified that the wood piles are good, just like the wood just came from the fire wood company. I didn't say anything.
3. Her clothes are mildewed. Long pause. Then she said, the clothes were mildewed before I moved here. I've been living with mildew for 9 months.

Apparently she started to think of me as a renter. So when I told her the muddy well water had turned clear since early May, she wondered why I was paying attention? Because your house is where I work, not where I live.

Homeowner could have just said: Thanks. You have 4 days to get out. No need to lash out. If I argued back, then she would claim my attitude is what justified her preemptive attitude. She calmed down and almost cried as she left.

She doesn't want me to help her move the house contents to storage. She says I'm "unable" as a double meaning. Unable because I had a hernia operation a year and a half ago. Unable as in "can't", not allowed. This past spring I worked as a mover for the temp service. I quit because the work became extreme overtime in addition to heavy lifting. I offered to help 2 or 3 days of 6 to 8 hours. No 14-hour days.

I have some hard feelings too. But I have professional demeanor. I have to use this job to build a future. Rarely do I house-sit for more than a couple weeks. I have a 2-week stay lined up for late Septermber to early October.

The sojourn was not all negative. My cat Hero and I got off the street for the winter. I worked a few months at a temp agency. I organized my archive of newspaper clips (3 storage boxes).

Every house has its own story.

Saturday, October 20, 2018. Day 30 of House Sitting. Day 97 of Van Life.

"Un-blight this ole house." Basically occupy the space while homeowner is away taking care of an aging relative for 3 years so far. A contractor is making occasional improvements like the front stairs.

My role is to act as the occupant and push back against plants, animals, people who may be enticed to enter the property. Hero the cat is on the job to track down rodents. Bring the mail from the roadside mailbox.

In exchange for rent, I agree to perform 15 to 20 hours of labor per week as needed.

Day 1 Sep 21 Friday

(1) Solved a computer print problem.

Day 2 Sep 22 Saturday

(2) In the a.m. Raked/moved several piles of leaves from last year.
(3) In the p.m. Raked/moved leaves/wood/debris around big maple tree, along driveway.
(4) Pruned along driveway.
(5) Moved/re-set bird baths.
(6) Pulled weeds from gravel landing at front porch stairs.
(7) Keys made.
(8) Toilet tank filler valve is purchased.

Day 3 Sep 23 Sunday

(8) Filler valve installed. No leaks. No problem. They only last a year or two anyway.
(9) Fix toilet seat. One of the 2 screws seemed lost. Found on floor. Seat is now firm/secure.
(10) Cleaned gutter front porch full with rainwater. I just reached up and pulled out 2 handfuls of leaves. Downspout open. Water gushes out.
(11) Swept back porch.

Day 4 Sep 24 Monday

(12) Large fallen limb at Shed B. Prune off smaller branches. Drag to edge of woods. Rake/move leaves/wood/debris.
(13) Prune from Shed B to back of house. Continue Day 5.
(14) Gutters main house are clogged, raining, late in the day. Ladder work.

Day 5 Sep 25 Tuesday

(13) Finish pruning/moving debris.
(14) Unclog the 4 downspouts of main house. NW & NE clog routinely near trees. Bow/puddle in west side gutter. Spouts SW & SE are clear, pitched higher than front of house. Gutters both porches are clear. Front gutters clog routinely – house and porch.
(15) Cleaned out/landscaped flower garden back porch. SNAKE lives in the old tree stump SE corner.

Day 6 Sep 26 Wednesday

• Rest.
• My 3 tents set up to dry. 4 p.m. tents are put into Shed C. Need to be squeezed into the bags.
• Injury Day 5. Jammed ring finger right hand. Possibly a spider bite. Discomfort is peaking today. My hands & fingers took a beating. Blister on left thumb. That's part of the job.

Normal routines. Keep the area clean.

Day 9 Sep 29 Saturday

(16) Shed B cleanup begins. Recycling organized into clear recycle bags.
The lawn service mowed the grass. Neighbor chopped down large oak tree.

Day 10 Sep 29 Sunday

(16) Recycle bags/boxes into van.

Day 11 Sep 30 Monday

(16) Transport first van load of recycling to McIntire Recycling. Open daily 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Closed Tuesdays. Upon returning, load more recycling into the van.
Sweep front porch.

Day 12–14.

Send pictures of house exterior to homeowner as text message. Looks like new owners moved in.

Day 15 Oct 5 Friday

Rake leaves in driveway. Meet with homeowner.

Day 16–17 Oct 7 Sunday

• (17) Work on the wood piles. The newest pile is 3 years old. Top pieces of wood might be burnable. One foot into the pile, wood is half wood – half dirt. Another foot into the pile is all dirt, hollow. Basically all the wood in the piles on the ground is no good, to be pushed into the forest.
• Clean up living room. Toss out dry goods food minimum 3 years old, up to 11 years out of date.

Haul away van load of trash/recycling. Car wash. Restock drinking water from roadside spring.

Day 19–21 Oct 11 Thursday

Remnants of Hurricane Michael moves through.

Day 22–24 Oct 14 Sunday

Clean, organize kitchen. Wash walls near kitchen sink.

Day 25 Oct 15 Monday

• Clean out refridgerator of years-old food (not freezer). Cut back plants in kitchen.
• Yard work. Move 11 large concrete blocks from yard to Shed A. East side of Shed A is cleared of rotted wood piled against the shed. On west side there is a wasps nest. Wheelbarrow loads of rotted wood is moved into the forest.

More yard work.

Day 27 Oct 17 Wednesday

More yard work. Insurance underwriter visits, inspects.

Day 28–29 Oct 19 Friday

Clean out freezer. Restock drinking water.

Day 30 Oct 20 Saturday

Today. File this report as part of my résumé. Technically I'm still homeless, living in my van. Day 97 of van life. I still don't have an income.

Day 51 Nov 10 Saturday

Winterize 3 windows with plastic. 2 living room, 1 kitchen with AC. Rake leaves.

Day 52 Nov 11 Sunday

Clean gutters. Rake leaves.

Day 53 Nov 12 Monday

Most leaves have fallen, raked.

Day 54 Nov 13 Tuesday

Homeowner visit.

Day 75 Dec 4 Tuesday

Homeowner visit. Roof replacement estimate.

Day 80 Dec 9 Sunday

7 inches of snow.

Day 92 Dec 21 Friday

Homeowner visit.

... Now just routine cleaning and maintenance ...

Day 286 Jul 3 Wedneday

Home Inspection.

Day 291 Jul 8 Monday

Inspection of Water, Septic, Termites.

Day 300 Jul 17 Wednesday

Closing. New homeowner. Last day of house sitting.