House Sitting
I stay in your home and keep everything safe, secure and well looked after — lights on, plants watered, deliveries taken in and a real person on the property the whole time you’re gone.
Peace of mind…
House Sitting & Pet Sitting in George, Wilderness & Sedgefield Your home. Your pets. Well cared for.
If you’re going away, I’ll look after your home and your pets as if they were my own — overnight stays, daily pop-in visits and home checks right across the Garden Route.
Free meet & greet before every booking — no obligation
Available in
George
Wilderness
Sedgefield ♡
Wilderness
Sedgefield ♡
Services offered
Whatever your home and animals need while you’re away
From a quick pop-in to water the plants, right through to staying in your home for a fortnight so nothing — and nobody — is left alone.
Pet Sitting
Loving care, feeding, fresh water, walks, playtime and all the attention they need. Dogs, cats, birds, fish and small pets — kept to their own routine, in their own home.
Pop-In Visits
Ideal for short trips or day-long outings. I check in, feed, walk, water the garden and make sure everything is running the way it should be.
Reliable & Trustworthy
You can count on me to respect your home, your privacy and your routines — and to leave the place exactly as I found it, only with the plants watered.
Price list
Simple, honest pricing
No call-out fees and no surprises. This is what it costs, written down where you can see it.
R150 per visit
Home Check
I pop in to water your plants and check that everything is in order — doors, windows, gate and bins. No pet care.
R200 per visit
Pet Check-In
I pop in to check on your pets, feed them, refresh their water, make sure they’re happy and well, and give them some proper attention.
R350 per night
House & Pet Sitting — Overnight
I stay overnight and look after your home and your pets, including feeding, attention, walks and normal pet care. Your house stays lived in and your animals keep their routine.
Travelling costs. Anywhere in George, the prices above are all you pay. For homes outside George, travel is charged at the standard AA rate per kilometre — the published South African rate, not a figure I’ve invented. I’ll work out exactly what your trip comes to and tell you before you book, so you know the full price up front.
How do I pay? By EFT or cash, whichever is easier for you. I’ll send you my banking details once your booking is confirmed — they’re deliberately not published on this website, so you’ll only ever get them directly from me.
Securing your booking. For overnight stays I ask for a 50% deposit after our meet and greet — once you’ve met me and seen how I am with your animals — with the balance on my last day. Pop-in visits and home checks need no deposit at all; just settle up at the end. Over December, Easter and school holidays the deposit is non-refundable, as those dates book up early and I turn other work away to keep them for you.
Longer stays or several pets? Send me a message with your dates and I’ll work something out that suits you. Every booking starts with a free meet and greet, so you can see who you’re trusting with your keys before you commit to anything.
How it works
Three steps, then you can stop worrying
1
Get in touch
WhatsApp or phone me with your dates, where you are and what you need looked after. I’ll tell you straight away whether I’m free.
2
We meet, free of charge
I come to your home before the booking. You meet me, I meet your animals, and you show me the routine, the alarm, the vet’s number and where everything lives.
3
Go away and relax
You enjoy your time away. I keep to the routine you set, send you updates and photos while you’re gone, and hand your home back exactly as you left it.
Who’s looking after your home?
Meet David de Pontes
Handing your keys to a stranger is a big ask. So here’s exactly who I am.
I’ve spent more than twenty years managing businesses — retail stores, a car wash, a construction office. That work meant being the person trusted with the keys, the alarm codes, the daily cash-ups and the banking, opening up in the morning and locking up at night, year after year. Being reliable with other people’s property isn’t something new I’m trying out. It’s what I’ve always done.
Between 2008 and 2011 I ran my own delivery service for retired folk in their homes, which included helping with their pets. That was the part of the job I enjoyed most — and it’s what brought me here.
I’m now based on the Garden Route, and Peace of Mind is my own small business looking after homes and animals in George, Wilderness and Sedgefield. It’s just me — you’ll never be passed to somebody you haven’t met.
- 20+ years of management experience — trusted daily with keys, alarms, stock and cash
- Contactable references — happily provided before you book
- No criminal record — clean, and I’m glad to put it in writing
- Non-smoker, sober habits — quiet, tidy and no surprises in your home
- Own transport — valid Code 08 licence, so vet trips are never a problem
- English and Afrikaans — whichever you’re more comfortable in
Kind words
References from people who’ve trusted him with their keys
Written by clients who have used David’s house and pet sitting themselves.
I have known and made use of the services of Mr David de Pontes several times and am always most impressed by his ability to handle any and every circumstance in both house and pet sitting. He is always calm and level-headed, able to deal with any emergency. My Pekingese, Diego, is always happy to see him. My home is spotless on my return.
I highly recommend David for any house sitting or pet services you require. I have been using his services for years. He is clean, tidy and reliable. The bonus for me is that he doesn’t smoke and drink. My dog and cats just adore him. You can definitely use his services without any worries.
I would like to endorse the services that David de Pontes gives his clients. David is caring of your pets and home with great care and attention, and you can leave your home and pets in his care with great peace of mind.
The full written references are available, and all three are happy to be contacted before you book — just ask David.
Where I work
House and pet sitting across the Garden Route
I live in George and work across the whole area, so I’m never more than a short drive from your front door. Every service is available in every area — overnight house and pet sitting, pet check-ins and home checks, wherever you are.
House & Pet Sitting in George
This is home — I live here. From Heather Park and Blanco through to Denneoord and the Kraaibosch side, I cover the whole town. Whether you’re flying out of George Airport for a week of work or heading up-country to family, I’ll stay over, pop in daily, or just check the house — whichever you need.
House & Pet Sitting in Wilderness
Wilderness homes are often left standing empty between visits — and an empty house on a quiet lane looks exactly like an empty house. I’ll stay over and keep the place lived in, walk the dogs on the beach and along the lakes, feed the cats, and keep an eye on the garden while the sea air does its worst to it.
House & Pet Sitting in Sedgefield
Africa’s first Slow Town, and full of holiday homes and retired residents who’d far rather their animals stayed put than went into kennels. In Sedgefield, Myoli Beach and around the lagoon I look after pets in their own beds, stay overnight when you’re away longer, and keep an eye on empty houses in between.
Also covering nearby: Victoria Bay, Herolds Bay, Hoekwil, Wilderness Heights and Kleinkrantz — the full range of services, pop-in visits included.
Knysna — overnight stays only. I’m happy to come through to Knysna when you need someone to stay in your home and look after your pets for the duration. What I can’t do that far out is pop in daily to feed and check — I’m based in George, and I’d rather be straight with you than promise a drive I can’t make properly. If I’m staying on the property, the distance makes no difference at all.
Good questions
Things people ask before they book
Which areas do you cover?
George, Wilderness and Sedgefield with the full range of services, plus Victoria Bay, Herolds Bay, Hoekwil, Wilderness Heights and Kleinkrantz. In Knysna I take overnight house and pet sitting bookings only, where I stay on the property — I’m based in George, so daily pop-in visits that far out aren’t practical. If you’re just outside these areas, send me a message and ask.
How much does house sitting and pet sitting cost?
A home check is R150 per visit, a pet check-in is R200 per visit, and house and pet sitting with an overnight stay is R350 per night. For longer stays or several pets, send me a message and we’ll work out what suits you.
Do you need a deposit?
For overnight house and pet sitting, yes — 50% to secure your dates. I only ask for it after our meet and greet, once you’ve met me and seen how I am with your animals, and the balance is due on my last day. Pop-in visits and home checks need no deposit; just settle up at the end. Over December, Easter and school holidays the deposit is non-refundable, because those dates book up early and I turn other work away to hold them for you.
How do I pay?
By EFT or cash, whichever is easier for you. Once your booking is confirmed I’ll send you my banking details directly. You won’t find them anywhere on this website — that’s deliberate, so nobody can pretend to be me and take your money.
Do you charge extra for travelling?
Not in George — the prices on this page are all you pay. For homes outside George, I charge travel at the standard AA rate per kilometre. That’s the published rate used across South Africa for business travel, so it’s a fair and independent figure rather than something I’ve made up. I’ll work out exactly what your trip comes to and tell you before you book.
Do you stay overnight in my home?
Yes. With the overnight house and pet sitting service I stay in your home, so it’s lived in and looked after, and so your pets keep their normal routine and have company through the night rather than waking up to an empty house.
Do you look after cats as well as dogs?
Yes — dogs, cats, birds, fish and small pets are all welcome. Tell me about your animals and their routine when we meet, and I’ll follow it exactly. Pets do far better in their own home than in kennels, and that’s the whole point of what I do.
Can we meet before I book?
Yes, and I’d encourage it. Every booking starts with a free meet and greet at your home, so you can meet me, I can meet your pets, and you can show me how everything works before you go away. There’s no charge and no obligation.
What happens if my pet gets sick while I’m away?
I contact you straight away and take your pet to your own vet. At the meet and greet I take down your vet’s details, your pet’s medical needs and an emergency contact, so nothing has to be worked out in a hurry when it matters.
Do you water plants and look after the garden?
Yes, happily. Watering the plants and the garden is included, and I can also take in deliveries, put the bins out and generally keep the house looking lived in.
How far in advance should I book?
As early as you can, especially for December, Easter and school holidays when the Garden Route gets busy and everyone goes away at once. For a quiet week, a few days’ notice is usually enough — just ask.
Let’s make your time away stress-free
Get in touch with David
Tell me your dates and what needs looking after. I answer WhatsApp quickest.
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WhatsApp
078 118 5749 -
Phone
078 118 5749 -
Email
depontesd@gmail.com -
Serving
George · Wilderness · Sedgefield · Knysna
Already booked with David?
Send me your pet’s routine, feeding, vet details and house instructions, so everything is looked after exactly the way you like it.