Good day all! I’m in the progress of setting up some sits for this summer (mostly in Switzerland if anyone needs someone ) and I’d love to get some HO opinions. I am traveling in a camper van and there is some internal work I would like to do now that I’ve been living in it for a while and have learned what I really want. In my ideal world, I would get a sit that has a parking area where I would be able to do some work on my van. This would involve bringing at least my mattress into the home or putting it in some other clean, dry place on the property (I can move it myself it’s really more a question of bringing it into the home). Ideally I’d also be able to put some other things in there as well just to keep them out of the way, but that’s less necessary as they’re easier to move in/out than my mattress. I would also be cutting some wood and doing some drilling. I have all my own tools, so that’s not a problem. I can even do all the work completely from my battery vs connecting to the HOs power. It’s really a total of probably 6 hours of work that needs to be done, so it’s not like it would be loud all day for days on end. And most places I’m applying are pretty rural, so no neighbors would be around. I would also, of course, clean up any wood shavings or anything like that.
So I’m curious. If you were a HO that had that kind of space, how would you feel about your sitter asking to do this? For me it’s not a deal breaker. Worst case I just do it all in a hardware store parking lot one day. But it would be super convenient if I found a sit that would let me do it there.
Thanks for any opinions!
ETA since a couple people have mentioned this: asking the HO is a given. I would not do this without asking first.
Best to ask the HO first just to be sure. There may be local restrictions on generating noise, or even the ability to do mechanical-type work at one’s residence. You never know. What some people find acceptable, others don’t. This can be especially true in different countries. For example, in the USA some cities do not allow drying clothes outdoor on a clothesline. It’s considered a visual nuisance.
i would be cool with it as long as it was during the day when the neighbors are awake. my neighbors work on projects in their driveway all the time so you would fit in great
To be fair, I added it later so you didn’t miss it. I just figured it was a given so didn’t need to be mentioned. But apparently that’s not true since several people mentioned it.
Switzerland is a great summer destination @CreatureCuddler. I’ve noticed an uptick in the number of sits here so chances are good that you’ll find some interesting places to stay and creatures to cuddle.
As a naturalized Swiss and resident of Switzerland, I just thought I’d mention that Swiss laws prohibit most types of loud work on Sundays. Even if you’re in a secluded location, it may be reassuring for the home owner to know that you’re aware of such laws. Other than that, I can’t see that there would be an issue with you doing the work on your van as described.
There are a couple of expat groups (English forum website, Montreux Riviera Expat FB group, etc) where you may find some sits to supplement the ones you find on THS.
If you have any questions on Switzerland, feel free to send me a dm. I’m traveling at the moment but will respond ASAP.
Thanks, I appreciate the information. I lived there for a year and I’m looking forward to spending an extended time there again. Usually it’s only short trips because $$$$$ but with my van it’ll not be TOO bad. Safe travels!
The same applies to Germany. Additionally, if it’s not commercial work, in many places a “midday rest” is expected between 1-3PM.
Even if it’s not required by law anymore, people appreciate it if it’s respected.
Similar to your situation I travel sometimes with a teardrop trailer. I recently applied for a sitting that happened to be during a camping trip that I had planned a couple states from home (USA). In this case it is two cats. In my application I stated that my dog and I could stay in the trailer at night and that I would visit with the cats during the day and make sure their needs were taken care of. I stated all of this in the application, the owner asked a few questions and it was accepted. I don’t expect to sit this way often, but in this case it was a win-win.
As a follow-up, I have a two week sit coming up in a rural area and I asked the HO their thoughts and they were happy for me to store my stuff in the garage and do the work while I was there. Honestly I’ll likely just store my stuff and do the work at the hardware store so I can pop in when I inevitably forget things.
) and I’d love to get some HO opinions. I am traveling in a camper van and there is some internal work I would like to do now that I’ve been living in it for a while and have learned what I really want. In my ideal world, I would get a sit that has a parking area where I would be able to do some work on my van. This would involve bringing at least my mattress into the home or putting it in some other clean, dry place on the property (I can move it myself it’s really more a question of bringing it into the home). Ideally I’d also be able to put some other things in there as well just to keep them out of the way, but that’s less necessary as they’re easier to move in/out than my mattress. I would also be cutting some wood and doing some drilling. I have all my own tools, so that’s not a problem. I can even do all the work completely from my battery vs connecting to the HOs power. It’s really a total of probably 6 hours of work that needs to be done, so it’s not like it would be loud all day for days on end. And most places I’m applying are pretty rural, so no neighbors would be around. I would also, of course, clean up any wood shavings or anything like that.
