Hi friends!
Do european homeowners prefer to select sitters who are also from europe because they feel they are more reliable in case of flight delays / just generally being closer? I have had a lot of trouble securing a sit outside of London, and I am wondering if there is a preference for sitters who live closer?
I have many positive reviews, and I feel I write detailed and friendly applications but was wondering if there was a larger reason I am having trouble.
I’m American and have done three sits in the U.K. since March.
I haven’t sat in Europe, though. I did get a reply from a HO that they were choosing someone who was in Europe. But I haven’t been trying to land much in Europe.
I’m from the U.S. and did some sits in Europe over the summer. I did 2 in the Netherlands and 2 in Germany, and I had one confirmed it Switzerland, but it was cancelled (for a good reason). Just keep trying, every HO is different in what they look for in a sitter. I find the hard part about getting sits in Europe is just being able to apply since most get to 5 apps quickly and close before I even know about them. Plan to be checking for new listings frequently and be prepared to click the apply button immediately.
Also, it may have helped that I was planning to be in Europe for the whole summer. So, I was able to say that I already had a flight booked and provide the dates that I would be in Europe. They didn’t have to worry about flight delays since I was flying in a week before my first sit and then traveling by train the rest of the summer.
It is very individual. I have found if they are travellers themselves they love having an international sitter to swop stories with, compare notes and generally have a good chinwag. There is also the bagging rights with their friends and neighbours.
If travel is a once a year thing or they are new to international travel they are far more cautious. Some want someone that can sit again so they are looking for someone closer to home.
I have never had any problems securing an international sit. London, even outside the city is notorious difficult to get a sit. NYC is the same. Keep trying. I’m sure you will get a fantastic sit eventually
UK specifically hasn’t really been an issue for me but maybe that’s because there are so many sits to fill? I understand why someone would prefer someone from Europe but I am very responsible 
Haha
Yeah, I live in NYC and always fill applications within 5 minutes of posting. These sits have been slower to fill though so I didn’t expect to not even get a response before rejection. I always try to contact my sitters personally if I can to let them know why.
This is what I want to do, but need to put some plans in place. I am glad to read that it has worked for someone in this group. Thank you for sharing/replying to this post.
I’m US based but did a string of sits in Spain over the summer. Once I landed the first sit, I was able to tell other owners that I already had my plane ticket and I was going to be in Spain anyway. I think that made it easier because someone else had already trusted me to be there.
If you’re youngish, that might also be a factor. Some folks give older sitters greater benefit of doubt, because many of us have owned homes before. For locations with fewer sits, which are in demand, they can afford to be more selective.
The UK is in Europe too.
I live in Ireland (which some people don’t seem to class as Europe, but I do, but that’s a technicality I suppose).
I have done sits in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Germany, also the UK and of course here in Ireland. It might have been a bit easier to get more local sits, but a lot of pet owners in Scandinavia were quite open to having me stay, although I wasn’t in the country when I applied. I do always say when it’s a sit abroad that I am happy to arrive a day before to avoid travel delays. It never hurts to try! Each and every pet owner is different.
@andrealovesanimals I was JUST about to say, UK is in Europe, just not a member of the EU. But I get where people are coming from, I still think of Europe as those inclusive countries but not including the UK and Ireland. But I’m wrong 
The U.K. holds a special place in my heart and mind and I don’t think of it as European, and I know there’s been lots of discussion about that even among the English. There have been various pieces over the decades that have delved into that and my sense is that it’s a state of mind and depends on each individual’s perspective. This piece below from decades ago touches on various aspects. There have been a number of others I’ve read, covering whether the U.K. is European. Is Britain European? | Weblog | guardian.co.uk
So if the UK isn’t in Europe, where it? A continent of its own maybe?
The geography has never been that interesting to me. I recently visited Ireland and think of it as distinctive as well, LOL.
@Maggie8K the UK is in the continent of Europe just not part of the EEC, except for Ireland, unfortunately
Ireland is in the EU and uses the Euro, but lots of Irish people speak of Europe like it was an unconnected place.
We’re a Brit-Turk combo and we’ve done sits in Holland, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, Italy & Belgium. Most of them we landed fairly easily and two things we think help are, mentioning any language skills you might have (or offer to brush up on) & reassuring the HO of your travel plans and commitment so they feel you’re either already in Europe and/or know when you’re arriving and staying until. Adds commitment and confidence. Am sure you’ll land one soon @kaylarose 
Actually, Ireland isn’t part of the UK. UK means United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern ireland. Great Britain is England, Scotland and Wales. It can be confusing, and I’ve had to correct many people since I moved from Ireland to the US many years ago!
We are Americans and have done dozens of Europeans pet sits. It use to be very easy to schedule back to back sits and we would travel for 4-6 months at a time. We now do mostly repeat pet sits since it is rare I see a post for a good sit prior to it closing due to the 5 application limit. All of our homeowners are mostly American or British expats so feel very comfortable with us. I honestly have a harder time getting good pet sits in NY because it’s younger people who tend to invite people like them. We are near retirement age and are selected by people who are in the same stage of life.
We always arrive to a country 2-3 days before a pet sit in case we run into any delays. My best suggestion is to apply to sits with low applications to get good reviews so homeowners can see you are reliable. It takes some time and perhaps not the most desirable pet sits to build the reviews for this type of petsitting. Our first couple of international pet sits we did twice despite them not being anything we would do at this stage. Even if we haven’t loved the area or the home, we have enjoyed the animals and homeowners for 99.9 % of our sits. If nothing else, there is always something to learn from each experience.