All the publicity about that poor Murphy homeowner who had three nutcakes in her home as Castle Keepers may give you the heebee jeebies about letting strangers into your home to stage/babysit it. But as we said the first time, most Castle Keepers are extremely responsible people who would never dream of — well, pooping in the yard!
I still cannot believe the Burgess brothers.
Christa Haberstock is the President of See Agency, representing corporate speakers and entertainment. When she’s not booking authors, activists, innovators and world champions, she’s being professionally funny. As a founding member of Dallas’ Premiere All-Female Comedy Improv Troupe, Heroine Addiction, you can find her popping up locally at the Improv Theatre in Addison or The Back Door Comedy Club in Dallas. She and her husband Ken, with their two children, have been Castle Keepers for 2 years. They do not own a pit bull. They do not erect crosses in the back yard. And they would never — well, you know. They are exactly the people you want keeping your Castle.
CD: What prompted you to be a Castle Keeper?
CH: We call ourselves “Serial Renters” since we’ve never had the urge to purchase a home, and actually prefer renting. The house we had been renting was put up for sale, and since the owners were friends, we offered to show it while we lived in it. Our furniture fit nicely and helped it sell more quickly. When we needed our next rental, a house popped up that happened to be with Castle Keepers. We were already prepared for the lifestyle and commitment.
CD: What was the best part of the experience?
CH: Probably the obvious: living in gorgeous homes in ideal neighborhoods for a fraction of what it would cost to rent such a house (if it were ever available in the first place). We also really enjoyed ‘test driving’ houses to see what is really important to us in a home. We’ve compiled a good wish list for if and when the time comes for us to buy a house!
CD: Candy may want to talk to you about that wish list! Did you have kids when you did this? If so, was that tricky?
CH: We have two kids, now 7 and 10, and for the years we did Castle Keepers, they learned a thing or two about keeping a house clean, for sure! They were so cooperative and very helpful whenever we had a last-minute showing. The trickiest part was when they had friends over and we needed to vacate quickly and clean. Even then, their friends learned a thing or two about cleaning, which I’m sure their parents appreciated.
CD: Would you advise others try this out? If so what sort of people do you think are best suited for this?
CH: We’ve advised a few of our friends that the program would be ideal for them, but certainly Castle Keepers is not for everyone. For those who like to live lean and keep mess at a minimum, it’s a great deal.
CD: What was the vetting process like? Did you have to have a background check etc.?
CH: Castle Keepers did their own paperwork, and I believe it was a similar process to a rental application. We did need to send pictures of our furniture. Also, we don’t have pets, and that made it an easier process.
CD: Do you have any funny stories about scrambling to get out of the house before a showing?
CH: Since I work out of the home, I have had a couple of scramble moments with conference calls, as well my assistant and I running out the back door to go to Starbucks to work – as the realtor and the buyers are coming in the front!
CD: Do you think you might do it again in your life?
CH: Castle Keepers was good for our ‘gypsy’ lifestyle, and I think we may do it again if the opportunity presents itself.
