I am looking for opinions. I am just finishing up a sit where I am the Home Owner’s first sitter and I have something negative I feel I need to include in my review, for the benefit of other sitters, but just want your opinions
I am an experienced sitter, with over 20 sits behind me.
This house is a new build, and the patio outside living room, has a dangerous steep drop at end of patio, and there is scarcely room for door to open safely to exit, as it almost overhangs this edge.
Also, the flagstone nearest the door is loose and wobbly.
Would you mention this in review for benefit of other sitters, ?
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@RedLassie I really see your point. But somehow, I think this is something every sitter or visitor will need to figure out for themselves, unfortunately. This is only my opinion.
Might be good to mention that sitters who aren’t the most agile will want to be aware of the drop-off and loose tile.
The host, if responsible, would want to consider that not fixing the tile and not being careful to pick agile sitters could lead to a fall, with possible financial liability. And they don’t want to end up with a sitter who can’t navigate that drop-off — they could end up losing a sitter early or mid-sit.
This isn’t the sort of thing most sitters will know to ask about, and the host might have gotten used to it and overlook it in their communications. You’d be doing sitters a favor with a friendly heads-up.
No, I wouldn’t be mentioning it if I was writing the review. As it is a new build, they may still have work to do involving what you have raised. I might ask the owners about this on their return. Did you have to use that particular door all the time or was there another one with easier access?
Maybe I’m seeing this totally different to some others. There’s a midway slab section of steps to the right of the image so access is totally fine anyway. So no, I wouldn’t mention anything in their review, but instead I’d mention it to them when they return to advise them not to accept people with kids because of it, but not in their review. Anyone with mobility issues would just use the midway step to the right.
We’ve sat in a lot of places with various different health hazards in their gardens, which we’ve just seen as a part & parcel of staying in someones home, it’s not a holiday let.
I agree. Unless the door gets stuck and doesn’t open properly, it’s not a big issue.
I would talk to the owners rather than write about this in the review. Perhaps they would like to consider the possible risks @Maggie8K mentions.
I would first mention it to the PP and see what they have to say. Maybe they were not aware of the loose slab. Also the steps may not be a problem for them but after you mention the uncomfortableness it caused you they will now add a solution. The way they respond to you would determine if I would put it in my review or not. You may want to say there was a concern with the outside steps that PP is now taking care of.
I have stayed in homes that I thought certain areas can be a safety concern but have not mentioned in review. For example, one home had a very large living room that at the end has a slight step down to the den which I think was an add on. They both have slippery flooring using the same marble. You don’t notice the step down is there. If the dog didn’t go first I think I would have not noticed and fallen. I did not mention it as I wouldn’t think it would be a deal breaker for a sitter.
In the photos shown, the storm door looks to sweep across the tiles, without leaving clearance, so pets and people are forced onto a drop that’s not ideal.
Mobility issues and housing features can be dealt with without judgment, sometimes even in listings, from what I’ve seen — like a host will say there are stairs, in case someone can’t manage them comfortably.
One of my recent hosts called out an unusually tight circular staircase in their home before we agreed on the sit.
I did mention it, after I wrote this, when she returned today, she said it was on her list of things to do.
She asked me would I sit for her again? (she has 3 sits yet to advertise, April, May, June - I am fully booked already), I said No, I wouldn’t, simply because of this issue. and house being overly reliant on technology, Alexa. She had 10 pages of instructions, and access to the front door was to be via an App. I told her on arrival I wasn’t going to use any “App” and asked for a NORMAL back door key instead, she went to neighbour and “borrowed back” her front door spare key with a fob. she did Thank me for this feedback. I told her I absolutely loved her dogs, and the location, less than an hour from my home.
You got it spot on. Even the dogs had difficulties. A few old pallets at same height would have solved the problem for the dogs, at least, a bit of turning space. If I needed out to back garden ( I didn’t) I could have exited through kitchen and walked around, but even letting dogs in and out, I had to lean forward to open door wide enough for all 3 dogs, and pull it closed again. Had the weather been windy, I may have struggled with the door as there would be nowhere outside to stand safely to reach it.
Yes. In some jurisdictions for building zoning in the U.S., that build wouldn’t pass inspection. They’d often require enough clearance and sometimes a fence or handrail when there’s a steep drop.
And if someone from an insurance company were surveying, they might consider that a guest potentially getting hurt could lead to financial damages. They might require a fix or reject issuing an insurance policy.
