Hi Homeowners,
I’ve been sitting for a couple years. I love house sitting! If you aren’t getting applications for your sit please consider adding more information to your posting.
A lovely suburban home tells us nothing about your home or neighborhood especially if you only have a picture of your pet. Many sitters won’t ever consider applying. Please add photos of the inside of your home. Tell us about bedrooms, the kitchen, bathrooms etc.
Thanks!
There is one listing currently on the site with the picture of a toilet as their main pic!
Why would you !?!>
i am
not getting applicants can you please look at my listing to see what is wrong
That’s funny, but why? And would you ever apply for that sit? I wouldn’t.
I’d gladly give you an opinion. Can you us some specifics so we can all take a look?
Even HOs not new to the site. I saw a listing today from a HO that has reviews back to 2019. Very little information and only 2 pictures, both of the cat and not even good quality. I’m a little shocked at the number of reviews they have but I guess it’s good for them that people will apply with little information.
Hi @Audreychloe welcome to our community forum and to TrustedHousesitters … you have two wonderful dogs, a gorgeous home and in a great location there is absolutely nothing wrong with your listing and it has only been live for a couple of days.
All pets and owners need the sitter that is right for them and your girls have added needs, and there is the right sitter for them.
This year is really different from others sitters are planning later than they normally would as, for some, there is still an air of uncertainty around travel also some may be waiting until after Thanksgiving.
We can share your listing on our Social channels if that would work for you … it will give your listing extra exposure.
Once again welcome, enjoy connecting with our members from around the world.
Angela and the Team
And the toilet seat UP! That always makes me scroll on by. As you say: Why would you. …?!
Does it look clean?
Or it maybe that we are not having sits advertised to us. We are currently not planning on house-sitting over Christmas, as we are planning to visit my father, so I’m not looking, however if by shear good fortune there should be a sit very close by I would jump at it…
sherman oaks calif
12/23-1/2
Oh no… do send the details over Colin if you have them… we’ll get MS to advise! They may not realise they can reorder their pictures.
You can set up a Saved Search Jackie and do what many sitters do search listings on the site by location.
As I say, I’m not actively looking, but would always have scanned the daily email, just incase the perfect opportunity presented itself, or the opportunity to help someone out while we are travelling occurs. Both of which have happened in the past.
Hi Lisa. I have looked at your listing, as though I might consider it (I’m not available). I have sat dogs where separation anxiety issues were identified by owners. However, I would not start your listing as though it was a huge negative issue. I’d put a positive spin on the sit, showing how your dogs love attention and company, and would be a good fit for those who are home a lot of the time. Also I would give guidelines as to what you feel are acceptable timeframes for the dogs to be left alone, and perhaps how you best set up the home for them when you do leave. Very few owners say to never leave the dogs (although they do exist). A sitter wants to know the anticipated limitations, to make sure - for your sake and theirs - that they are a good fit for your requirements.
Also, although you have many beautiful photos of your dogs, and information about them, there is very little detail about where the sitter would stay. Perhaps adding a photo of their bedroom and bathroom, and one of the kitchen, as many are avid cooks. It’s realistic for some sitters to want to know how they will also fit into your home.
I hope all goes well, and enjoy your travels. I hope you find a sitter who will pamper your four-legged family members.
Setting up a topic to help new owners improve their listings is commendable it’s what community is all about and as you browse the site if you come across a listing which from the images and copy you think, “I wouldn’t apply for that” … it also means others might not.
There could be any number of reasons for listings being the way they are. It could be an existing listing which doesn’t go through the approval process when owners add new dates, it might have been edited after the approval process, perhaps the member is not good with digital and didn’t realise images could be reorganised etc., etc., and just as you might have appreciated help in the beginning so will they.
So rather than pass by (thank you @Vanessa_A) please forward the link to Vanessa or I via a DM and we will pass to Membership Services to follow up.
“Be kind whenever possible … it’s always possible”
words to live by.
By tagging the comments that @LTD and myself made ( Which, ironically, it seems a little unkind to do ) it gives the impression that you think we are being unkind by passing by listings that we think should be improved in order to attract sitters? I have to disagree - There are always many such listings on the site, I do occasionally pass on listings to you and @Vanessa_A that I feel you may want to take a look at but to be honest, I really don’t have the time to do so for all of them. Don’t the listings go through some sort of vetting before being published?
Hi @Colin thank you and for sending through the link to the listing in question, which was passed to the Membership Services team.
Highlighting the conversation points was to bring attention to how a particular image and the way a listing is presented can make a difference to someone’s perception and of course we don’t expect members to be responsible for vetting listings only when the opportunity presents itself, which we really appreciate.
New listings go through an approval process but existing listings with new dates don’t and of course any owner can edit their listing after it has been approved.
Hi @Angela_L
I have in the past referred unsuitable listings where the HO was asking for work, e.g. running a B&B. The last time that I did that, I checked from time to time to see whether the listing had been altered. It took 3 chasers from me and over 2/3 weeks before the listing was removed.
I was told that Membership Services had written to the HO twice with no response, It was only after my 3rd chaser that the listing was removed. This does seem to be a cumbersome process.