We are looking for a rugged individual or couple who would be happy in a remote, off-the-grid location. Experience living in off-grid situation preferred. Our house runs on solar power, rainwater catchment, and wood heat. We have hot running water for showers, a flush toilet, high speed internet, propane cooking and backup heat, electric lights, and a generator for cloudy days. However, because of our limited power and water, the housesitter needs to be able to conserve resources: 2x/weekly short hot showers (there are gyms in town if you want more frequent showers), lighting only when needed, and no power-hungry appliances such as hair dryers or microwaves.
Our house is 1 mile from the highway, on a dirt road. Four wheel drive is sometimes necessary. Since we are remote, you should be self-reliant and a good problem solver.
We are 40 minutes from Taos, the nearest grocery store and gas station, though there is a great restaurant 3 miles away. Taos is a wonderful and quirky town with lots of interesting activities, especially in the arts. It has a movie theater, nearby hot springs, a center for the arts, hiking trails, skiing opportunities in the nearby mountains, many yoga studios, excellent restaurants, and bookstores.
We have several pets that would care: one elderly cat who stays in the main part of the house, three young cats who stay in the bathroom/bedroom area, and one outdoor semi-feral cat. They would need twice daily feeding, and the indoor cats would need some affectionate attention and daily litter box cleaning. We have a few houseplants that would need to be watered a few times a week. We also appreciate periodic mail collection and forwarding.
This is an excellent housesit for someone who is mostly a homebody, who can keep the woodstove going when the weather is below freezing so that the pipes don't freeze. We do have backup propane heat.
We are located in the high desert at 8,000 ft. in elevation. Days are usually sunny and warm, nights are cold. We do get snow though very rarely enough to require someone to come and plow.
We have fantastic, unspoiled view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east. There are dirt roads in several directions for those who like to walk. The Carson National Forest is only a few miles away; we are less than an hour to the Colorado border, about two hours from Santa Fe. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys solitude, the simple life, and activities such as reading, star gazing, photography, and/or writing. We have reliable internet for those who would work online from our home.
We would provide fire wood, internet, propane, and money for cat food and litter.
Start and end dates are flexible.