I’m new to the site and [this is our first listing. haven’t had any applications so far, and am wondering whether there is anything further I can do - are there any issues with the ad, does it need further clarifications or information etc.
Any advise would be most appreciated. Thank you
Nina
p.s. I’ve reached out to a few sitters from the area whose profiles seem to be a good match/who’d saved the listing, and I’ve heard back from a couple who aren’t unfortunately available for the dates. So, trying my best
Welcome @Nina2 ! I think your listing looks nice! Just one question: would the sitter sleep on a sofa bed or in the main bedroom? That piece of information might be worth mentioning.
I think your ad looks wonderful. I’d apply for the sit if I was available.
I’m sure you’ll find someone, I can find nothing not to like in your listing!
As an American who considers U.K. sits, I’d suggest:
• Use your headline to indicate what’s available nearby. For example, I recently did one that said, “Best of town and country - Cambridge.” That was super helpful, because if they’d just relied on the name of their village (Fulbourn), it would’ve been meaningless to me as an American. And so many listings do that, making it laborious to open countless sit descriptions and look up their location and proximity to things.
• Be specific about what’s walkable or nearby. Like if I’m American and don’t rent a car, I have to figure out how I’ll get groceries and get to places. The listing I took was within blocks of a village high street, so I could walk to the co-op for groceries, visit the pub, get takeaway. Especially for those of us who telecommute, walking distance to supplies is helpful, because we’ll actually be spending a lot of time in the house. It might seem obvious to you when you say something vague like “close to town” that that means you’re within an easy walk of groceries or such, but people who aren’t from your area or country might well not know that.
• You might want to consider offering your car or bicycle if you’re in a location with little or no public transit. That would increase the number of sitters who might consider you.
Hi @Nina2 - Yours looks like an excellent sitting opportunity for someone. The star of the show is Mia so change your main pic for the one you have on this thread.
Also, you mention that you have a few sleeping options - would you consider a family to sit for you? If you are happy about this be sure to tick the ‘family friendly’ tag
Good Luck, I am really confident that you will get an application soon!
Thanks, Colin. Was looking at the photo and was thinking exactly the same thing will go and change the photo now. We do have a few sleeping options but there is only one ‘bedroom’ - the rest are sofa beds (so not exactly the same) and that’s why I didn’t list it as family friendly. But will have a think
Hi Nina,
I think your listing looks good. I guess I’d offer the following bits of advice: In future try listing your dates further ahead; as an active sitter I find myself booked up about 6 months ahead. This July is really very short notice.
Secondly, when inviting sitters, don’t limit your search to those in the local area. Many sitters use Trustedhousesitters as a way of having a break away from where they live, so you may get a better response from those outside your local area. Personally I only do paid sits in my local area but I use THS for getting away.
Thirdly, if you don’t have any luck, don’t forget that Trustedhousesitters has a money back guarantee. Details on the website.
Good luck
@Nina2 your listing and photos are beautiful. Did you take those local area shots yourself? If you did, you’re an amazing photographer and should mention in your listing that you took it yourself - it might entice a wannabe photographer to try and replicate it!
Perhaps my only question would be if Mia is good on a lead. Be honest, sitters would like to know.
Your listing looks great and if i was free I’d be keen to do it, Mia is my kind of dog!
I think the issue you have is that it’s for July. I’m seeing so many sits being listed for July/Aug now, which for many sitters is too late. I’ve got 3 sits in July that have been booked since Feb so I’d definitely recommend listing earlier next time!
Your listing looks great, Nina. I’d apply for it if I weren’t already committed for another sit. If you end up offering future sits and timing works out, I’d love to be considered.
The photos are all from Newcastle travel guides, so can’t take any credit at all, unfortunately.
Mia was pulling for a while and we took her to dog training last year. Now she’s actually doing quite well as long as it’s the regular places (and unless there’s a cat around!)
Thanks. Yes, we were a bit late in planning everything this time but will try to be a bit more organised in future. Makes it easier for everyone. Good point on expanding the search! The money back guarantee is good to keep in mind but hopefully, I won’t have to apply
@Nina2 Mia looks a lovely smiley dog and you have a great location. It might be a good idea to include photos of the sofa beds opened up / made up as beds? That way sitters can get an idea of where they might sleep, especially if you were open to a family sitting, or even a couple where one of them likes to escape the snoring!
It looks like you’ve made a few changes and your ad is very inviting. Just one more thing I noticed was about the two walks a day with the park nearby. I would add details on length. I’ve seen two 20-minute walks and three 1 1/2 hour hikes. A little clarity about the effort required would be good. Also if your dog likes to go for walks in town, go to cafes and pubs, etc. (without making it sound like an expectation).
