Hi. I’m still fairly new to THS. I have had three sitters over the last couple of years, but would like to travel a bit more. Fortunately I am retired and have a very flexible schedule, so I’m wondering if there are times or time periods that are more appealing or convenient for sitters (since I can arrange my travel almost any time).
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@LindaNC great question
It all depends on your location
If your location has a popular annual event / festival that it’s famous for - sitters would love to stay during that time to enjoy the event . https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/cherry-blossom-season-in-south-korea
-If you are in an area that gets cold over winter many sitters would prefer not to sit at that time but would enjoy being there when it’s warmer . If you are in a location that gets exceedingly hot in the summer ( and most locals are leaving for cooler areas ) then most sitters also would not want to stay at that time .
If your sit is family friendly - School holidays are popular times for families that sit .
However there is an over saturation of sits at Christmas holiday time which means not all listings for these dates get sitters.
If your previous sitters had a reason to be in the area ( e.g visiting family ) you might reach out to them to ask if they want to stay again and book your holiday around their dates .
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Hi Linda,
It is a shame there is not a flexible option on TH, where owners and pet skitters can reach out to each other without any dates being mentiond. I have on a couple of occasions been able to be flexible with dates with owners. One was as I had applied before but didn’t get the sit. May have already chosen, not sure now. Anyway. she got back to me as needed to go away for a few days and wondered when would be most suitable for me? I was able to tie it in with coming from another sit, so this worked perfect. There have also been a couple of others where owners have been flexible and we have worked it out together.
At the moment the only way you can be flexible is contained others who have contacted you in the past, or have sat for you previously. Good Luck.
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There are all kinds of sitters with all kinds of schedules, so go when you want to. But maybe not around Christmas/New Year’s because there always seems to be a shortage of sitters around then!
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Love your misspelling!! 
Maybe share your location and anyone interested could email you and they could discuss dates etc. Then, when both parties are happy you could put up a listing, the sitter could apply, you could accept and BANG! Job done.
This is of course nothing to do with the gap I have in my calendar (23rd May to 5th June) which I’m looking for a sit in Hampshire for.
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We pet sit full time but our diary gets full quickly, so what we love, is when those pets/homes we have favourited reach out to us (because sitter can’t send owners a message unless we’ve applied for a sit with them before), and they ask us when we’re available and explain they can be flexible. It’s music to our ears!
It’s the same with those who we have sat for before, when they message to ask us about our availability. That’s particularly fantastic, because we know they’ll organise their trip fast because they want us back, but they know we will only keep rough dates pencilled in our diaries for them for a few days or a week at the most, just long enough for them to consider and book their own holidays.
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Hi, I love when a HO puts in their listing that dates can be flexible, especially if put near beginning of listing. This allows for people filling in dates. Say, if I am sitting in Columbus until September 18 and then on my way to South Carolina and you list close dates but flexible, I would reach out with my preferred dates and maybe even suggest dates on my return up north. Maybe we would match dates that work for all or at least establish communication for later dates. You never know. Love your willingness to adapt to obtain good care for your pet family. I’m sure you will do well.
Happy travels
How do they email?
As @HappyDeb says, you as a host can contact sitters without previous communication between you (sitters can not reach out without previous comm.). So if someone you like the listing of has favorited your listing, it is possible for you to reach out to them and suggest dates or just say you are flexible. Or even to say you are publishing dates, and thereby giving them the opportunity to contact you even if they don’t get in the 5 applicant window.
In that way you will open up the possibility for them to reach out to you in the future. I would use that sparingly, as otherwise you might use lots of time on messages and questions that won’t end up in a sit.
The usual way is for the host to publish dates and to get applications. I do think that works best and is most functional, after all. Even as a sitter and sometimes other sitters would get to apply instead of me. 
As others have said, Chrismas is the time where it is more sits than sitters, other than that there is a sit for everyone.
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Great question! I’m a bit new to this as well. One thing Ive noticed is that, of course, the majority of sits are for a long weekend. As I’m trying to put together stays in a location, it would be great to have more Sunday - > Thursday or Friday, or weekday sits available too.
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Thanks, everyone, for your very helpful insights and suggestions!
Through the forum email system?
But if you put a heart on somebody’s profile, they can see it somehow because the homeowner reached out to me and said I noticed that you liked my listing. I have three times for sitting and I told him I was unavailable at those times, but I hearted the house because I am watching it as it is near my mother and would love to visit the area about three times a year, but I’m already booked this year.