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Description
House sitting in the Austrian countryside – Stroheim, Upper Austria
We are looking for reliable people (individuals or couples) who would like to take care of our house and animals while we are on vacation. We travel about 10 weeks a year, spread across several holidays of 2–4 weeks – so there are always opportunities to stay at our home and enjoy the peaceful nature.
Our renovated farmhouse is located in a quiet rural area with a beautiful view of the surrounding nature. After a short 2-minute walk up the hill behind the house, you’ll reach a spot with a stunning view of the Danube River. There are many nearby hiking trails, and the Schaunberg castle ruins are within walking distance.
Tasks include:
Checking on 9 young chickens daily (food, water, occasional treats)
Feeding and petting our cat Nala twice a day (she loves company and doesn’t like being alone)
Feeding and caring for two rabbits (fresh water, pellets, hay, and a bit of freshly picked grass – or letting them into the outdoor run if you're home)
Watering young trees and shrubs during hot weather
Occasionally checking our automatic helpers (chicken door, lawnmower robot, vacuum robot) – they work well most of the time but may need to be rescued if they get stuck
What we offer:
A guest room with a pull-out bed (160x200 cm)
Full use of the house after a short handover period
Access to our food supplies and a bicycle for getting around
Good bus connections to Linz and Wels (Monday to Friday), no public transport on weekends
Child-friendly – equipped for toddlers if needed
If you enjoy being around animals, appreciate peace and nature, and are responsible with house and garden care, we’d love to hear from you!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
Animal Care
Help around the house
General Maintenance
House sitting
Interests
Pets
Farming
Events & social
Plant care
DIY & crafts
Gardening
Drawing & painting
Cooking & food
Books
Architecture
Animals
Outdoor activities
Sailing / Boating
Winter sports
Water sports
Nature
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
In the summer months, there are regular tent festivals in the surrounding rural areas, in nearby towns, and also in our own village of Stroheim. The exact festival calendar can be found online, and I’m happy to help with that if needed. Since we have a small child, we don’t attend these events very often ourselves.
In addition, there are also traditional events like Frühschoppen (morning gatherings with food and music) and Mostkost (local cider tastings) throughout the summer. I’m not always fully up to date on these, but they are definitely a great way to experience Austrian culture.
With about a 15-minute car ride, you can reach lakes for swimming in the Feldkirchen area, or several other small natural bathing spots. We often go there ourselves with our little one. It’s also possible to reach some of these lakes by bike — though one direction is downhill and the other uphill.
Help
What you'll be doing:
Taking care of the chickens: Check and refill their water daily. Make sure they have enough food. The chickens also enjoy little treats like soaked oats. The automatic chicken door opens and closes the coop, and it usually works fine, but it may need occasional checks or manual help if it gets stuck.
Caring for the cat: Our cat Nala needs to be fed twice a day and requires plenty of attention and cuddles. She is the main reason we're looking for a house sitter, as she doesn't like being left alone for too long. Nala is very independent, goes in and out as she likes, and does her business outside most of the time.
Looking after the rabbits: Our two rabbits, Emily and Susi, need fresh water, hay, and pellets every day. They also love – and need – fresh grass or other greenery, which can be picked in just a few minutes. If you're home, you can also let them into the outdoor run where they can help themselves to fresh food.
Watering plants: If it's hot and dry, the young trees and shrubs in the garden need watering. Otherwise, the garden is quite low-maintenance.
Occasional help with our smart helpers: Our lawnmower robot, the automatic chicken door, and the vacuum robot usually work well. However, sometimes they may get stuck or show an error – in such cases, they just need to be freed from their position and restarted.
Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Intermediate
French: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
German is my native language, and I speak it fluently. I understand English fairly well – not perfectly, but at an acceptable level. I’m a bit shy when it comes to speaking. My husband is much more confident and speaks English well. We once learned a little French for a trip to Madagascar and to Martinique, but our vocabulary is very limited. We’d love to refresh it at some point. In general, I’m not too worried about language barriers – tools like Google Translate or ChatGPT are very helpful. During your stay, we’ll probably only be at home for a short overlapping time. Our neighbors, like many in rural areas, don’t speak much English or any other languages. However, some of our friends who might stop by do speak good English.
Accommodation
Our house sitter will stay in my home office, which has a pull-out bed that can be used as a single (80 cm wide) or double (160 cm wide). If you're traveling with a child, we can also provide a crib.
The house is fully furnished and well equipped. You'll have access to the entire house, except for our bedroom and our daughter's room – those will be locked during your stay. Everything else, including the bathroom, kitchen, living room, laundry area, and playroom, can be freely used.
The bathroom is newly renovated and includes a large walk-in shower. We also have a washer, dryer, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner (and a robot vacuum), as well as cleaning products and detergent available. Bedding is provided, and while it's not mandatory, we’d appreciate it if you could remove the sheets at the end of your stay.
In the kitchen you'll find a regular oven, a steam oven, a wood stove (with an oven and cooktop), a microwave, a Nespresso machine, a Sodastream, and a Monsieur Cuisine (similar to a Thermomix) – all available for your use.
You’re welcome to use pantry staples like flour, rice, pasta, jam, etc., but if anything runs out, it won’t be restocked during your stay. Please note that we will not provide additional funds or organize deliveries.
There is also a lovely outdoor area with furniture and a hammock in the shade – perfect for relaxing in summer.
Inside the house, you’ll find various board games, books, and a playroom with a climbing wall and lots of toys, which can also be used. There’s no regular TV, but Amazon Prime is available, and Alexa is set up for music and entertainment – you can even use it to learn German if you like!
We kindly ask you to treat our home with respect, return things to their place, and most importantly: please no parties and observe quiet hours – our neighbors are not used to much noise.
What else ...
You can simply enjoy a relaxed day here in the sun with a good book or make use of the large garden – we have almost 2000 m² of land. A barbecue grill is available as well, so you can cook and eat outside. There are several lovely swimming lakes nearby, as well as hiking trails, and the ruins of Schaumburg Castle are also worth a visit.
During the week, there are good public transport connections to nearby larger towns, including Linz, the capital of Upper Austria. On weekends, getting around without a car or without being up for longer walks can be more limited. However, you could take a taxi from the nearby town of Eferding, which is about 7 km away (possibly up to 10 km). From there, public transport is again easily accessible even on weekends. We’re happy to provide local taxi numbers – just keep in mind that Austrian taxi prices can be quite high.
Otherwise, the area invites you to slow down, stroll through the garden, or taste some fruit and berries from the little “snack garden” we are creating.
Please note: In Austria, almost all shops are closed on Sundays. Our local grocery store is open on Saturday mornings but closes in the afternoon.
Overall, this is a peaceful and relaxing place to stay, with plenty of options for small excursions – or simply the chance to breathe and unwind.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Internet in Stroheim is generally good, but it's not always fully reliable. We mostly make phone calls via Wi-Fi calling, as mobile reception is poor here unless you're using the provider A1. 5G works well, though. Our internet connection usually works well – currently we have around 60 Mbps download and 11 Mbps upload speeds. However, the quality can vary from day to day. Sometimes we only get 30 Mbps download or 5 Mbps upload. Streaming HD or even UHD videos (like on Amazon Prime) works without any issues. Since I work in the advertising industry, I can also say it's possible to work here with two computer monitors and manage large files. The only thing to keep in mind: if you frequently need to upload large amounts of data, it may occasionally take longer than expected. Overall, we have good Wi-Fi coverage in the house and most of the garden. Just be aware that moving between rooms may cause the Wi-Fi signal to switch between boosters.
Space for parking camper vans
We have enough space to park a motorhome or camper, just like we can easily accommodate up to three cars. Electricity and water are available in the garden, which may be useful for campers. However, we do not have facilities for emptying chemical toilets or wastewater tanks. We've seen such setups at campsites, but we don’t have anything like that here and don’t know how it works either. If you're self-sufficient and can manage this on your own, you're very welcome here. One important note: we are entrusting our home to a reliable house sitter, and we kindly ask that you do not rent out the house or any part of the property to anyone else during your stay. Even if you choose to sleep in your camper, we want to make it clear that the house and property are exclusively for your personal use. Thank you for your understanding.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
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