Hi there. I’m wanting to get to a specific area of the US to participate in my hobby of birding. A sit came available at the right time and in the right place (have to figure out the transportation piece) but they are new to the THS program/community. I say that because they have no reviews and no past sitters. How do I go about interviewing and asking questions to make sure they will be good homeowners for me?
There’s a lot of good advice here in the forum to help you with this question however, at the end of the day, it’s a gut instinct. If you get on with the owners during a video chat & like the look & sound of their pets & their home looks clean & comfortable that should help you decide.
We’ve all had to be new to THS at one stage so give them a chance & good luck!
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My last four hosts were all first-timers, and all four sits went very well. If you like the sit and the vibe feels okay, give it a chance. You can, if you like, take on a sort of mentoring role. The host will appreciate it, and it may also give you some peace of mind.
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In my case, I wanted to make sure the home owners house was set up for guests, and ask if their pet was used to strangers.
I asked for a video tour, and she explained that her niece comes to stay all the time. She also said she had a housekeeper who would look after the dogs in the past.
What I realised afterwards was that the home owner really struggled to use the app, and know the steps to confirm the sit. They did not do a welcome guide or leave any written instructions, so we had to take notes during the handover.
They also had no concept of the “guidelines” of THS and asked if we could use our hire car to take them shopping. We played chauffeur for a day 
They pretty much treated us as hired help, saying we should go through the fridge and remove old items, how to deep clean their house and that they wanted a shower head fixed.
So in hindsight, maybe ask the HO if they know their responsibilities, or outline what a successful sit looks like for you.
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@karinar what the heck?!! Why didn’t you say, um, no. We aren’t doing those things? We are here to watch your pets, not deep clean, fix things, etc.
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We’ve done plenty of sits with first time HO’S, and have never had a bad experience. Everyone has to start somewhere, and we don’t judge HO’s for having no prior sitters. For us, it’s all about how we feel in the video call with them before we accept the sit. Do we feel that they come across as organised, transparent, friendly and confident? If they are somewhat frazzled, anxious, unsure or have needs and expectations that just don’t suit us, then we decline.
Of course you never really know what a sit is going to be like until you arrive, but a video call usually gives us a good enough sense of whether it will be a good fit.
If they really don’t know how the program works and ask many questions about what we expect and what to do, we ensure that we run them through all the specifics. For example, making them aware that we would need closet and fridge space, will provide all our own groceries, and THS rules such as internal cameras being left off and that no third parties are allowed etc etc. We also have routine questions that we ask every HO such as:
- How long can the pets be left for?
- Are you happy with us taking some day trips to other towns/nearby areas?
- Would you want us to arrive the day of or the day before you leave?
- what is the pet’s daily routine?
If they respond with positivity, confidence and are clearly committed to the program and providing sitters with a good experience, then it’s a yes for us 
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That sounds like it would not be a very long sit? Then you will survive. What is important to know of course is how long the pet can be left alone for or whether (if it is a dog) you can take it along.
I have a first-time HO lined up, and amazingly, they had already a welcome guide set up! It was that their confirmed sitter had had to cancel and travel home. So they were relieved that I had applied. Looks like a great sit, with two active labradors, so I will be busy! Those did not sound ideal for birding…
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The more pressing question is: have you watched (my favourite) birder movie: The Big Year? 
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@Nagy26 these are great questions and points you’ve made. So if I realize it’s not a good fit, would I say during the call/video that it doesn’t sound like it’s going to work for me, or wait and message them?
@NCSitterPD As a HO, I would prefer sitter telling me right away. But I understand it might be akward for some.
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My partner and I discuss it after the call and if we’ve decided it’s a no, we message the HO let them know that unfortunately this time we’ve gone with someone else. But that’s just us
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It’s a week. 
One concern I have is I’m not familiar with this breed of dogs and want to make sure they aren’t constant yappers. When I first got started I read a post from a sitter on a sit with a dog that wouldn’t stop barking the whole time, not even at night. 
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What do you take me for, a poser? 
Of course I have. And have you watched A Birder’s Guide to Everything?
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We’ve done plenty of sits with people using the app for the first time - had both good and bad experiences. I reckon because of why you want to visit, the most important thing will be being able to leave the dogs for long enough to go birding. So check how far away you’ll be from the birding spot you want to visit and then make sure you can leave the dogs for the travel time there and back plus some good spotting time. It varies massively, we’ve had dogs you can’t leave at all up to ones who’ll last all day. Don’t know the breed but we’ve found the poodle mixes to be very noisy! Good luck - hope you see some awesome birds, are you looking for any in particular?!
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@NCSitterPD No, but I’ll look it up!
I’ve had some amazing experiences with first-timers; I just go on the strength of their listing and my impression during the video chat. I think I have a pretty good gut feel for good people, though.
The only thing is you have to be a bit more proactive about asking about their preferences for some things that are super obvious with a little bit of experience, but first-timers don’t think about, for example what to do with sheets and how often do you like to receive updates.
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And reminder them to leave some space in the fridge/cupboard. First timers never think of this, unless they’ve been home exchanging.
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Hi @NCSitterPD check out the member code of conduct on the web site and it will help direct questions too and let you know if they have read it as well.
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Just like sitters need someone to take a chance on them, HOs need to get that first sit and review. I’ve got 75+ sits done, and a few have been first times for the HOs. I’ve learned to let folks know of things they might not think about - space in the refrigerator, kitchen counters, closet, reading lamp alongside the bed.
Maybe I’m really lucky but I’ve only had 1 sit that wasn’t a delight. The dog was a delight, but the house was cluttered and could have been cleaner. We spent a lot of time at coffee shops!
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@junipers well… let’s start with Anna’s, Broad-billed, Costas, and Broad-tailed hummingbirds. 