Hello to everyone from Dublin! I’ve seen some great house sits but the dates don’t suit me. I’m debating whether to contact them anyway and give them my details for another time. What do other people think? Is this a good idea or would I be annoying people?
I’ve done it once early on and they didn’t seem to mind, but I think it might depend on how many applicants they get. I now rely on favouriting the sit so I am notified when they post new dates. (We have a premium account and we use both the app and the website.)
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I agree with @Kelownagurl that it is best to save as a favourite.
The danger of contacting them for future dates is that you are still not available.
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Did this one time when a 6-week sit in New Zealand was cancelled due to HO’s illness. Our flights were all booked and paid for from UK. Contacted advertised Christmas sits and explained our predicament - that we were not looking for a Christmas sit but a March/April one and wondered if any of them would be looking for a sitter then. Got lovely replies from all contacted HO’s and a 3-week housesit offer to look after 2 lovely cats who lived in a fabulous house whilst their owners went on a tiki-tour of the South Island!
So I say - Go For It! Nothing Ventured - Nothing Gained!
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Thanks for your opinions! I did save places as favourites before but didn’t get an alert when I posted again. Perhaps that works only with the app? (I use the website.)
I guess when a post is from a very popular location, I won’t bother messaging. But I’ve just seen a local listing from Dublin and can’t make the dates, but I’ll suggest helping them out another time or possibly meeting up.
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There is another thread about this, where I commented. In that situation, I contacted a HO who lives near my parents (coincidentally, in Dundalk!). I ended up hiking with that HO a few weeks ago when I was in Ireland.
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What’s the story with the 5 applications rule?
How fun about Dundalk! I’ll be there in July for 2 weeks of cat sitting!
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Whereabouts is the Dundalk cat sit? I don’t remember seeing it. I usually click on Dundalk listings out of curiosity but could have missed it.
For info on the 5 applications new rule, see the “Product Update” thread
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OK thanks, I really appreciate all the information and advice!
My Dundalk house sit will be not far from the actual town in a really lovely area. I went there to meet up in person and the cats were so affectionate, it melted my heart. I am really looking forward to it.
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I just had 2 people contact me that can’t sit the dates I requested but they wanted me to remember them in the future. I did write back and thanked them and said I would try to remember, but hope they would see any future posts. There seems to be many offers and I prefer to concentrate on the current travel plans as I do not have other plans in the future - yet. With that said, personally, I think it’s easier if someone can sit on the dates you request, they should answer - if they are not available, the future is basically unknown…
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@keysfun I would suggest that in your reply you ask that they mark your current listing as a favourite via the app. They will then receive a notification anytime you list. This way the onus is on the sitter, rather than on you. You are still acknowledging them and appreciating their interest, but the notification system is in place for that monitoring purpose.
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I’ve done this a few times where I’ve contacted homeowners showing my interest but not available for the dates. It worked out well as a couple in the Yukon invited me when my youngest son was living there so I did their housesit and visited my son at the same time. I’ve always had a nice reply from homeowners when I’ve approached them.
I’m from Dublin originally and saw sit in the area where I was born and contacted the couple who have invited me a couple of times but unfortunately I’ve been unavailable but would love to do that sit at some point. It would be a trip down memory lane to do a sit in an area of the city where I was born. I’ve never had a homeowner contact me when I’ve “saved” or “favorited” their listing.
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Thanks Snowbird! That’s a great idea, I’m new on this site so any ideas and suggestions are well received!
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@keysfun I should stress that the favourite needs to be clicked on the app, not the website. The website is more for merely bookmarking ones the sitter likes. The advantage of the app feature is that, provided the sitter’s settings are done correctly on their phone, they will get immediate notification whenever their favourites list. Yesterday I received notification of one I had favourited through the app and I applied straight away, so it can be a great advantage.
I’m reviewing the process here, as much for other forum members as for you as it’s a distinction (website vs app) that’s often overlooked or unknown by sitters. Sitters using the website to mark favourites sometimes wonder why they don’t get notified. 
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Very important distinction Snowbird! Thanks so much 
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Hello,
No don’t waste your time! I did that for 12mths without a response…
HO are only interested in their current sit.
Cheers
I never, ever, use the app. I access THS on my ipad or laptop. Why is THS continuing to drag its feet on the synching of features across all types of device?
So, if I have understood this correctly: ONLY if I ‘favourite’ a sit VIA THE APP (on my phone or ipad) will I be sent auto-notifications if that HO advertises again?
This is really significant with the ‘five applications then pause’ starting in July.
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Didn’t know that. It explains why I don’t get notified when a favourite publishes a new listing. I don’t even have the App. I will try to download it on my phone. Thank you for the information
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@LTD You’re correct about the notifications on your phone. You will need to make sure that your phone is set correctly, and I’ll add Vanessa’s instructions on push notifications, for the sake of all forum members.
Push notification settings for phone app (#13 & #14 in that post)
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@ElsieDownie I find this notification feature invaluable. It really helps me stay on top of the listings I think will be a good match for me.
Using the app, I favourite individual listings that interest me when the date range isn’t a match for me. I then get a notification anytime that owner lists.
I also use notification in conjunction with saved searches. I have three saved searches - two set up on the app, for my areas of top interest. I get instant notifications of any listings (not just favourited ones) that fall within those two saved searches.
The third saved search - a wider geographical range - I set up on the website (as I don’t want my phone constantly pinging). I get a daily email for all new or boosted listings in that area, regardless of whether I have them as favourites. I view the email on my laptop, then go to the app and favourite any there (I prefer to view listings on a bigger screen). It’s a daily task that doesn’t take long but keeps me current on my areas of interest. If I miss a day, that’s OK too. Those just weren’t meant to be for me.
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