Hi, im new to this. Can someone please tell me what the dates highlighted in yellow mean (sorry if its obvious)
Also I am a little concered when reading on here that apparently there are a lack of sitters, now worrying I have spent hard earned money on something that will let us down and put our 1st holiday in a while at risk. September is fast approaching
Welcome to the forum @Yvonne26 September is still a long way off - you have plenty of time to find a sitter.
Not sure what you mean about dates in yellow ? If a sitters calendar is green or blue it means that they are available ( but not necessarily for your location ) Rather than inviting sitters the best way is to make a great listing and then sitters will apply .
Many new owners have linked their profile and then forum members have made suggestions on how to improve your listing and get great sitters apply to sit .
If you have standard or premium membership As a new member you get Dedicated member support
âIn addition to our basic support, get extra assistance to secure your first sit or sitter quickly and easily. Weâll guide you through setting up the perfect listing or profile and securing a sitter or finding your first sit.â
E-mail support@trustedhousesitters.com or do live chat and ask to speak to an agent/ human
Yes, the best way to get a sitter is with a really good profile. It helps if you look at it from a sitters perspectiveâŚif you were going to pet sit at someoneâs home, what would you want/need to see on their profile to interest you in the sit? Lots of folks on here to give great suggestions if you want recommendations for your profile.
@Yvonne26
Hello there, welcome to the forum and THS. I would not get overly concerned reading the stuff about lack of sitters, there normally is someone out there for you. Make sure your profile reads and looks good because you do need to attract folk to apply. Good photos of your home, the bedroom which your sitter will use, your pets etc are needed.
Let potential sitters know your requirements for your pets, feeding routine, walking routine, how long they can be left for etc. Make it clear if you want single or couples to apply, or both, if you do or do not want a family.
Full in all the areas on your profile.
All the very best with securing a sitter and enjoy your holiday in September
Unfortunately I think thereâs often some confusion by newly joined Home Owners (HO) that they search for a sitter in their area âavailableâ during the dates required. I know this because Iâve got a few requests from HO. Personally, I donât generally sit in the area I live and the THS calendar is so difficult/inaccurate to use that many sitters donât bother with it.
The way it works in practice is that HO need to create a profile with photos and information about their property and pets (like a rental listing) and Sitters apply if they are interested.
As others have said - take time to take good photos, especially of the rooms sitters will be using (bedroom, lounge, bathroom, kitchen and garden) in the state they will receive them (sitters appreciate clean uncluttered living spaces with room for them to unpack and store groceries).
Feel free to add your listing to this posting if youâd like feedback from Sitters/HO in the forum.
I love this post:
Thanks! 
My post was actually turned into a blog by THS which outlines tips more clearly. You can find it here:
6 Things to Avoid for a Successful Listing, According to Our Member | TrustedHousesitters.com
Oh my, thank you all for your help.
Sorry to seem dence but how do I add my listing to here for you all to give advice.
Again thank you, what a helpful forum.
@Yvonne26
I donât know how to link on here âŚyet.
But if you do a search for this topic, it should tell you
If you follow the below instructions, you will be able to add your listing
First, you donât have to find a sitter. Sitters find you. Once you know your dates, you just have to post them and sitters will look at your listing â which should be as attractive as you can make it, and then decide to apply or not. This is the best way for sitters who are available and interested in your location to find you.
Itâs not too early or too late to post a sit for September. If you donât get many responses, you can always take down the listing, come to the forum and have people help you with the listing.
Good luck!
Hi @Yvonne26
To make it a little easier for you, I have taken the liberty of adding your listing to your forum profile as @Louise7 and @Nagy26 mentioned, so members can now see it and give you some further advice.
Thanks @Therese
@Yvonne26 I took a look at your listing for you. Here are some things I can suggest.
1: Definitely change your title, as itâs very long winded and doesnât really sell your sit. Try something like â2 dogs in a charming townâ (near Dadâs army filming location!)
2: Use a profile picture that supports your title and attracts applicants to click your listing. A profile picture of your living room isnât very exciting or compelling.
3: Your intro is great and friendly, well done
4: Home and location section details your location well but says nothing about your home. Be sure to give details about your home, the amenities you have, where sitters will sleep, if thereâs a garden, etc
5: Your responsibilities section is okay, but as your dogs need meds, it is important to disclose exactly why / what for in your listing and if there is anything a sitter should be aware of regarding health concerns. 3 walks a day and not leaving them for more than 5hrs at a time is a bit of an ask for unpaid sitters and wonât be for everyone, but there may be some sitters willing to do this. Remember that this is a mutually beneficial exchange, so you might want to consider getting a hired dog walker for the midday walk or just dropping this midday walk request to give sitters more free time and make your listing more attractive for sitters on this site. 5hrs isnât too to bad, but not everyone enjoys having to be so time conscious when theyâre out & about during the day.
You might also want to mention where the dogs sleep, as many sitters find this information critical to know.
Overall though your listing appears friendly and welcoming
Hope that helps, and I wish you good luck!
The first photo needs to be the 2 dogs, it needs to make me go âarrrr 
â and inspired to scroll a bit more. I was underwhelmed tbh and I think the tips above definitely need to be followedâŚ. there was nothing in your sit that would make me think âoo yes, Iâd love to do thisâ. Sorry to be so blunt, but a listing is your opportunity to attract and inspire a sitter like me (Iâm retired) to offer to take care of your pets for freeâŚand travel to your location (and tell me why in the listing that itâs a great place to visit or that your home is very comfy or I might as well stay at home 
). Good luck.
I actually think not leaving dogs for more than 5 hrs at a time seems to be a pretty normal request on THS @Nagy26
Totally ok if thatâs too short of a time for you, but saying âthere may be some sitters willing to do thisâ seems a bit of an exaggeration. In my experience, that wonât be a problem for most sitters.
3 walks a day may limit the number of applications a bit, although you do say they are only short walks @Yvonne26 Our dog requires three short walks as well, but the timing of the afternoon walk is flexible, so that hasnât been a problem.
Each to their own, but if a sitter is using public transport and can only go out for 5hrs, itâs not particularly realistic. It can take up to an hour on a bus to get somewhere, even if itâs close by, because busses are slow, take long routes and have many stops. An hour (or more) there, and hour back, and 3hrs in a rush to see a place just isnât particularly inspiring, but some may be fine with this - really depends whoâs willing to do what
Yes, I agree, that sitters should only apply to sits that sounds like a good deal to them.
Just pointing out, that not leaving a dog for more than 5 hours at a time is not rare, but rather common request on THS.
If you mean with three walks one in the morning (8-10 am), one in the (late) afternoon/ early evening (16-18 pm), and before bedtime (22-24 pm), then it is quite normal, I think.
The sitter then has a large window where he can go away for 5 hours between the morning and afternoon walk.
(Leaving or taking the dog with them)
Most of the dogs sits I did where this way with âthree walksâ.
And then I could always take the dog for an extra walk, or when going away, take him with me if allowed.
As for the photos:
I would love to see more photos of the house (where do I sleep, how is your yard) and the surroundings.
I honestly think some HO ask sitters to provide a better service for their pet than they provide themselves, both in times of how long the dog can be left and number and length/time of walks.
I think some say 5 hours because thats what they think sounds like what a responsible owner should do, even though they leave the dog longer to go out to work.
I also think some owners maybe think sitters might stretch the time a bit so they allow for that.
