Hi @anon42826925, I totally agree add more specific details. I love northern Va and Bethesda, so many entertainment and food options. Really appreciate you. Take care.
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Hi @MarieHuggins! Come on over to the US, we would love to have you here; so many options to visit and have great experiences. Our pups are like big babies.
Thank you so much for your feedback.
@Racquelsj aww. Thank you. Maybe in the futureš
Hi @systaran! Makes sense! I am thrilled of all the feedback and very appreciative. Iām planning to update my post. Happy Holidays! Thank you!!
Although way out of my geographical range of sits, Iād agree with what others have said above. As soon as I see the sleeping arrangements Iād close the details and move on.
The Responsibilities section is very detailed and should be split into at least 2 parts - looking after the dogs (including how long they could be let for) and another on looking after your home.
If youāre still struggling, to me it reads a little ājob advert-yā e.g. āplay a crucial roleā and "maintain open communication ". It wonāt bother everyone but given the air mattress on offer it makes it seem like the sitter would be treated as hired help rather than a guest. Is there a reason you wouldnāt offer an actual bed? Also Iām maybe not understanding but what is a half bathroom? Sitters will need access to a shower!
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The listing says the sitter will have access to a full bathroom, plus other stuff, including a half-bath. In the U.S., thatās a toilet and sink, usually for guests, on the floor with the living room.
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Let the sitter use your bed instead so that they have a comfortable nights sleep, otherwise those over 40 year old āmayā be put off. Just change the linen before you go, and the sitter āshouldā clean and change the linen on the day they depart depending on what time of day they leave, but if itās early in the day, they could strip the bed ready for your return. Also put a photo of where the sitter is sleeping, we wouldnāt take a sit that didnāt show that image.
When you put a futon, with the wording like 'crucial role" and āopen communicationā, along with āresponsibilitiesā. It all sounds as though you are seeing the sitter as your employee, or second rate person. You can put your requirements without using any of those types of words. So take away any words that you may see in a job advert. You wouldnāt use those words if it were your neighbour or family watching your dogs, would you? So find a balance.
Youāll discover that you form fantastic relationships with sitters, especially when we do it for free, weāve made great friends and bonds with owners, not just the animals. You donāt realise that will happen, but believe me, it does.
Also put how often do the dogs get walked.
Hope that helps, Iām sure youāll find someone if you tweak it a tiny bit.
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Iād suggest reframing this: āWhile we may not have many mainstream attractions as other parts of the city. ā¦ ā Thereās no need to put it that way, which sounds inferior. You have all those attractions, plus guests can take transit to all the other attractions in D.C. Thatās typical of most listings ā very few homes have everything at their doorstep.
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Itās three dogs which is not a small task. You need to make it more appealing and welcoming as it sounds like a job advert currently. Your sitters are doing this for free and itās all about a fair exchange for doing this. House looks lovely but as others have said, why is the sitter on an air mattress!! or sofa bed when you have three bedrooms. Can you take a couple? (Could be wise with three dogs) if so, please add that into the listing. Remove words like crucial, role, responsibilities, maintaining comms. Theyāre not an EA, theyāre someone youāre entrusting your home and pets to and they need to feel like a welcome friend when staying. Some wording changes and the offer of a real bed with a pic plus opening it to couples and you should be good to go 
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hi @Racquelsj ā people tend to choose homes/ locations/ pets that are right for them, so give it some time.
3 dogs is a lot of work and maybe not ideal for a holiday sit, which is what a lot of people like me use THS for. And maybe itās not long enough for THS life stylers who go from sit to sit continuously.
Personally, I donāt sit for dogs with aggressive reputations (they are banned in many countries), although I know how sweet and well-behaved they can be if professionally trained.
You may wish to invite the sitter a few days before so they can learn the commands & how to manage their behaviour. Probably ideal for a couple or two friends traveling together to manage on walks.
Iām always offered the master bedroom so Iām comfortable on holiday. I only use an air mattress when Iām camping 
Your listing doesnāt include a car; if you can include a car this might help.
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Having a car in D.C. is actually a pain for most visitors, because parking costs a bunch and isnāt always readily available. A car is more useful for going out of town, and that might not necessarily be something OP wants from a sitter. Even tourists with cars typically stay on the outskirts and park there, then take the subway or other transit in.
A metro map and maybe a small loaded pass would be great. Not everyone knows how to use a subway system though they donāt get any easier than DC.
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I think anyone sitting in DC would/should know that a car wouldnāt be necessary.
Much better wording @Racquelsj - good job! You just need a pic of the made up bed and bathroom for the sitter. It also still says sofa bed on the amenities so specify the bed type and the solo/couple options if you can
@Racquelsj A lot of my thoughts have already been mentioned and it looks like you have changed a few things. I couldnāt help myself, so I rewrote your responsibility blurb 
to make it sound less like a job position. You might also add how long the pups can be home alone. With all of those nice places near by, surely your guests will want to venture out. You might also add that the sit might be better for a couple since it is 3 dogs. (2 is my limit and I travel with my husband) I also put in some paragraph breaks so its not so overwhelming.
Offer comfort to our fur babies while we are away 
We would love for you to meet our pups before the requested dates in person or virtual. They are lovable, enjoy hugs, rubs and most importantly snacks.
Our routine includes feeding once a day in the mid morning 10:30/11:30am, and making sure water is always available in their bowl. They are usually up at 6am and want to go out. They generally start their day with a walk about 8am for a few blocks around the neighborhood. On a nice sunny day we will walk to Anacostia Park, then back home to enjoy a snack. They love to play in the yard if the weather is nice. Let the dogs out a few times a day to potty and play. We typically give them snacks/treats after they come in from their potty breaks. The pupsā bed time is usually about 10:30pm, let them out one last time and then they will all snuggle up on their beds to sleep.
We ask you, our guest, to ensure security of the home by making sure doors and windows are secure. Please activate the alarm when leaving the house and when you are in the house for the night. Kindly update us on the dogsā well being through messages & photos, maybe every other day. Embrace our home as if it is your home; clean up behind yourself and the dogs after meals and bathroom breaks, dogs tend to track dirt in the house after being outdoors. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.
ā¦ Also, I would strongly suggest adding pics of where the sitters will sleep and the bathroom. That is a major turn off for me. I do not want to go into a sit situation without a vague look at where Im sleeping. Iāve come this far, so here I go all inā¦ I am a professional organizer/stager/designer - so to me the pictures say SO MUCH. Here is what I would do to up your presentation gameā¦ pic #1 clear the table, move the bed out of the pic - retake & post. Pic #2 leave the oranges clear the rest.Retake & repost. Pic #3 Fluff the zebra pillow, remove the big great pillow and the fan/heater, reposition the coffee table. Retake & repost. Pic #4 remove the gate, box on the floor and bottle by the bowl. Retake & repost. Pic #5 remove the white stool. Retake & repost. Pics 9 & 11 are duplicates. Turn on as many lights as possible and take new pics during the most light of the day.
I hope this was helpful, that is truly my aim. Good luck, I hope you find a good fit to care form your pups 
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The new version sounds much nicer! But it seems a busy schedule, not leaving much time for the sitter to visit the Smithsonian etc.
There is one other thing that I would worry about: that you write that the dogs are not dog friendly. What does that mean on walks?
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a lot of work for the sitter, but they arenāt considered important enough to sleep in a bed.
I would not apply for this.
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The revised version, while phrased better, sounds like the sitter wouldnāt have any time to go anywhere. Keep in mind that this should be an exchange, the sitter should be able to go see some of the great sights in DC.
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@Racquelsj Welcome to THS! You have a lovely home in a cool section of D.C. Weāve been watching this thread and would love it if things work out for you, so may we weigh in?
(We are homeowners and sitters on THS, so we understand both sides of this mutual exchange.)
As others have stated, please be clear in your listing what the sitters will sleep on. We see you have deleted the words āair mattressā and āfutonā from your listing. So, what exactly will sitters sleep on?
We ā and others here on the forum ā are belaboring this point because it is important to disclose essential facts such as this. You do not want your sitters to arrive only to find out they have nothing but a futon or air mattress to sleep on. Many will also reject a sofa bed, so please disclose this in your listing.
Speaking of disclosing important facts in your listing, do you have any interior cameras or audio devices? These are expressly forbidden by Trusted Housesitters. You seem very security conscious, so weāre just asking.
Best of luck! Weāll think of you next time we visit D.C.!
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