The supportive advice is appreciated- how this is my first time using the site and the advice they give is to wait for applications- 5 I believe then respond. So I tried that. Then contacted immediately to arrange a call the next evening. Still no luck. Also although we seem rural we are 5 minutes from a bus stop which I have shown in my listing- and shops etc within walking distance. I just feel utterly despondent.
The problem with doing that is some sitters won’t wait around and they will withdraw if not contacted right away. Or they may have applied for other sits and accept one of the others before you get back to them.
If I get a sitter applicant who appears to be qualified I will reply as soon as possible to arrange a video chat.
Thanks yes I see that now - that’s what I did yesterday but it didn’t work out - I was trying to follow the site advice. 
@MJBannau nowhere in your listing can I see where you state you are 5 minutes from a bus stop. Am I missing something?
Please, don’t wait for five applications, if you like one or two then get on the buzzer and arrange a call with those sitters. Waiting for 5 may never happen and in the meantime the others have already moved on. I understand your situation but please read really carefully what advice you are given here. I wish you luck 
It would be worth telling MS that advising new hosts to wait for 5 apps before replying isn’t a good plan @Jenny - needs a caveat that says if you like someone then jump and schedule that call!! #seizethemoment
I agree @Cuttlefish . Some listings may never get 5 applications, so they could be waiting indefinitely without replying to the applications they do have.
This could also go some way towards explaining the trend of hosts not replying that @ziggy has noted.
If the wording of the advice is such that it can be interpreted as hosts should to wait until they have 5 applicants before responding, then it needs to be reviewed. Hosts will lose good applicants who will move on to other sits. This isn’t setting new hosts up for success.
Advice who gave you? Is that why I see listings where there are only 2 applicants and weeks later the listings are still there and still 2 applicants? If the advice is from THS then whoever has made or written this needs to be sucked
@MJBannau I think I’ve found your listing. If so, completing the Amenities section is essential. Many sitters will pass you by when they can’t see bed size or whether you have high speed wifi ( for those who work from home).
Also note that text under photos is only viewable on the app. Keep that in mind as you review and improve your photos.
Yes, to all of this. I’m getting quite tired of seeing non-communication excused with “Oh, they were probably busy…” We’re ALL busy, in one way or another.
I’ve only been with THS since 2019, but I’ve certainly noticed a big sea-change since then. Mainly, in the rise of the number of sitters who are clearly going into it completely with the “Free Air BnB” mentality. Looking after someone’s home and animals seems to be an afterthought. It’s all about whether the location is desireable (for whatever reason) and the house has the right mod cons. The changes were subtle to start with (“I want to look after animals, preferably in X general location”) but now it’s almost funny (“I want to spend X days in this postcode, and this one only. Oh, what? There’s a cat or something? Well hey, I had a cat when I was five. Anyway, they just need some food or stuff once a day, right?..”) Even in these forums, the references to how much money you’re “saving” by pet-sitting come up more and more..
Sorry, this seems a bit off-topic. But what I also remember about the Olden Days is that it was rare for sits, even obviously attractive ones, to have no applications at all. It’s difficult not to see the changes as linked.
Are UK sits commonly filled by international sitters? If so, I would think airfare costs are having an impact. I’d love to sit there, but unless I had a solid 3-4 weeks of sits, I wouldn’t even consider buying tickets. Also, last year this time, I applied for 6 sits in UK and only received immediate rejections, silence or a quick thankyou but no, so that kind of put me off from applying to any UK sits, for now. I thought with 10 5* reviews, and fitting within the desirable demographic, my wife and I would be appealing, but apparently not.
Anyway, HOs, acknowledge applications when you get them. Having to sit and wait days+ for a response is maddening and disrespectful.
Even worse. If that’s the advice, both hosts and sitters are being misled. Sitters are advised to apply for as many sits as they want. Hosts are advised to wait until they have 5 applicants… In the meantime, both sitters and hosts get impatient and miss what could otherwise be great matches.
Some people will never get 5 applications. The recent last minute sit in Pune got none, I kept watching as I was curious. I’m watching one at the moment with 3 applications but they clearly are not entirely happy with those and still hoping for better. Meanwhile the dates are getting closer. Really feels like the writing is on the wall.