We are considering THS for a trial period of one to three weeks. Located in the south/mid-Atlantic US. How do we vet a potential sitter? Any tips or hints from pet parents/home owners who have used the service? Any advantage/disadvantage to bringing in a couple vs. single individual? Local person vs. out of state/country sitter?
What does the voice of experience recommend for a nervous newbie?
We are newish sitters and one advantage a couple has is if you get sick there is a second person to step up. Happened twice to us, short term tummy upset, nasty cold which left one of us in bed for a day or two, but no worries as the other person could take care of feeding and walking etc. Obviously you need the bed space but I think advantages to a couple.
At the moment some sitters (ourselves included) arenāt looking to do sits in the USA due to border issues (house sitting is considered āworkā so tourist visas are compromised). As a new HO getting a few 5* reviews from sitters within your borders might get you started. Thereās different groups of sitters: digital nomads, retired solo travellers, retired couples, gap year travellers etc
Decide which type of sitter you imagine feeling comfortable with. Is your home a bit complicated do you need somebody whoās owned a home before and can manage this maybe? Are your pets used to having humans around all day- which type of sitter might this match up with best. THS is all about making a good match on both sides. Sitters have criteria too for picking which sits to apply for. Best wishes.
In your shoes I would pick a low stakes trip to start with. Imagine what type of sitter would best suit your pets and home and pitch your listing towards them.
Have a video call before confirming and above all trust your gut when deciding whether to confirm the sit afterwards.
Full disclosure - Iām a sitter only.
Iām a sitter here at present, but have done home exchanges for years prior to THS.
First - these kinds of exchange platforms are not for everyone, and that is ok.
Even for us that are comfortable, you should do due diligence and only go forward if you have a good gut feeling. If something feels Ā«offĀ» donāt do it. It doesnāt mean that something is wrong with either of you, but the match isnāt good.
As you are new, an experienced sitter with several 5* reviews would probably be the safer bet as you are still learning. Iāve found that Iāve learnt a lot from each sit, even though all my sits have been nice so far. That is not by accident, though. Iāve screened carefully what I apply for.
Iām also only a sitter, but one thing Iāll add is donāt delay. The sooner you get your listing up, the larger your sitter pool and the more choosy you can be.
Great info, thanks so much.
Remember THS is a mutual exchange. Be careful not to come across as if you are interviewing a sitter for a job - it is the biggest red flag for sitters. As you are nervous, go with sitter(s) who has a handful of good reviews from past THS sits.
Sell yourself, be sure to let the sitter know what is in the deal for them.
Good Luck1
You have 2 major challenges as a HO.
First, you have to PROMPTLY vet applicants for your sits. When a sitter applies, respond within 1 day. If they might be a good match, set up a video call and discuss the sit with them. It is ENTIRELY on you to determine whether a sitter fits your needs; THS does nothing to verify qualifications claimed by sitters. Itās always a good sign if an applicant has many very positive reviews but as a HO with no reviews by sitters, you may have to rely on your spidey sense to weed out unqualified applicants. Whether unqualified or a potential good fit, we respond to applications quickly by sending a thank you note to the unqualified as a courtesy before declining their application on the THS dashboard.
A common mistake by new HOs is to wait on dealing with applications until you have āenough.ā One is enough and, if they turn out to be a good match, one is plenty. Good sitters are usually applying to multiple interesting sits for the same time periods so we consider received applications to be starter guns for the race to snag the good ones.
Your second challenge is to develop a profile of your home, pets and community that interests experienced sitters. This is no small effort. If considering a trial period on THS, Iād work up my profile before starting the clock on the trial. It took us a full week to post our initial profile and that has undergone significant revisions and updates as weāve learned the ropes.
Iām a long time sitter on here and started off doing local sits to get a feel for it. I would suggest as a homeowner doing that and you may find a sitter close enough to meet you in person to set your mind at ease. If you were successful in finding a local sitter and you were pleased, you could ask them to return. We love doing local house sits
If you are open to both solo housesitters and couples, youāll probably get a mix of both applying. You can choose the most suitable sitter which might turn out to be a solo sitter or a couple or two friends or relatives travelling together.
The important thing is that sitter is someone you feel comfortable with, someone you connect with who you trust not just based on reviews and a profile ā but thatās a start - but based on some feeling of common purpose:You are both travelers. You are helping each other to have fun.
Be honest in your listing. If you have a 60 pound reactive dog, you need a sitter who can handle a 60 pound reactive dog. That means the sitter shouldnāt be someone with balance issues or someone who is inexperienced with 60 pound reactive dogs. Remember, people arenāt usually āprofessionalā sitters and have had various amounts of experience. They are likely applying because they like features of your sit ā locations, dates, etc ā and not necessarily because they are dying to sit for a 17 year old cat who needs medications twice a day. Thatās okay, as long as they know how to take care of a 17 year old cat and give the medications and are willing to do so.
Of course the person should be someone familiar with house and petsitting. Itās good idea to choose someone whose done this at least a few times before with Trusted Housesitters ā especially if you are new. People tend to review each other generously on both sides, so while tons of 5-star reviews are great, they might not tell you everything. Read the reviews carefully and look for patterns in any criticism. A lower review here and there might not be problem but you can read both the review and the response (if any)and the review left by the other party to get a better idea not only of how the sitter approaches sits, but of how the sitter approaches criticism and conflict.
Consider this a process. Post a listing. See who replies. Read the application letters carefully. Read the sitterās profile and reviews and the reviews they wrote before replying. Itās okay to decline if your gut is saying no. Itās okay to respond with a question if there is something that confuses you. Only set up videos chats with people you already feel pretty comfortable about.
You donāt have to take someone just because they apply. You donāt have to take anyone if the right person doesnāt apply. You can get help on the forum to write the best listing if you arenāt attracting the right sitters.
Great points, thanks so much.