I’m a solo sitter and yes I went through a phase of getting rejected. Found out some people want a couple, and younger people may want younger sitters…not always the case but sometimes you can look at sits and see who they’ve picked in the past. But lately I’ve gotten a number of sits lined up. They’re looking for single, older females and I’m looking to travel!
One suggetion I would have about your profile is that you talk about yourself mainly, which is fine, but you should discuss how you miss your pets, who they were and how someone can trust you with their pets and home.
Humor helps too! You can always write something up and throw it into ChatGPT and tell it to edit your profile with a humourous slant if you’re having writers block.
Good luck with things. I find it does tend to come and go in spurts.
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Hi,
We are a couple however seen a huge decrease in house sits via trusted recently only had 1 so far this year.
You need to read through each ad your applying for make sure you personalise it to the home owner and pet. Use there names and if yhere are any personal highlights in the add that stand out ‘behavioral issues’, ‘gardening’ or ‘lifestyle’ or ‘car only’ ect that you can relate to try and focus on thqt.
For example: if the homeowner states that are a passionate gardener and would love for someone to look after the garden, if you are interested in this make that the focus of your ad.
I wouldnt mention your wealth or that you can easily afford a hotel. Focus on things that you would be interested in if you were looking for someone to sit.
It is difficult as a first time sitter, but apply for sits that you have lots in common with the owner. I dont think its an issue looking abroad for your first sit… we did it! But if you are struggling maybe look for an hour or 2 out of your way… or book a flight at least 5 days before the sit and go in person to meet the owner… we did this too and sent details (personal information covered) of our flights as proof we would be arriving on these dates.
Hope you manage to get some sits… it does get easier!
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whoa…so far I’ve been ignoring the passive aggressive against me having declared that the reason I am on TH is not because I have no money for hotels. (FYI It’s not part of my profile.)People don’t like hearing someone is doing well I guess. Pity. Would it make some of you feel better if I told you how I got wealthy? By living well below my means all of my life as a single woman. Susie Gorman would be proud. Not a dime from any man, ever…owning junky cars and even living in them at times. My story is an inspiration to my friends. Sorry that this thread turned into a commentary on wealth instead of pets but I will never be ashamed of the money and wonderful life I have in old age. I wish everyone the same blessings.
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You’re mistaken. I actually believe that having money is great. I didn’t grow up with it, but managed to make it. The key thing it buys is more choices. Like THS actually works better for people with resources.
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In my opinion you’ve had good advice and it is up to you what you want to do with it. This forum is full of experienced people that are happy to help with advice. Then it is up to the person who asked if they will use the advice they get.
Many here are well off, incl. me. I don’t think my monetary resources are what a pet-owner is looking for for their pet, and I assume it would definitely put them off to tell them that my home is somehow «better», «bigger» or «more expensive» than theirs (which is often the case). It is just not relevant. It is only an advantage for me, as I have the freedom to be choosy, and should a sit go haywire I’m able to give notice and leave. Haven’t happened so far (I’m choosy). But of no relevance for a host.
A host want good petcare with a nice, friendly and tidy person that is reliable and can communicate, I think.
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I can relate. I grew up without much money as I was raised by a single mother trying to provide for two children. I wore hand me downs passed down from older cousins and ate at soup kitchens. When I got my first job at the age of 14, I began saving and continued working and saving through adulthood. I was able to help my mother when she had financial struggles. Money gave me financial freedom and financial stability.
I am in a good place financially, but I am not braggadocious about it. The elders in the church I used to attend used to always say, “You can’t take it with you when you leave?” Meaning when people die, they can’t take their fortunes with them when they are buried.
Having money is great, but HOs care more about what is in a person’s heart (in caring for their pets) than what is in their wallets.
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Absolutely. From what I’ve gathered, the OP’s approach is probably falling short in their application and/or listing, despite their wanting to believe that there’s nothing wrong.
Since they’d mentioned in their original post that they’re wasting time and effort, they could potentially hire a virtual assistant (they’re findable online for little abroad) and have them take time to experiment with writing potentially more successfully. (In my line of work, we use them a lot.) Could even offer a bonus based on landing them X number of sits.
Or since they don’t seem inclined to rework their applications and profile, or to take other suggestions, the OP can just do nothing and wait and see whether their upcoming sits produce reviews strong enough to attract more sits.
Plenty of folks have offered other suggestions that could help. All of us who’ve sat successfully are problem-solvers, after all. And we have the empathy to understand what hosts look for when they consider whether to trust someone with their beloved pets and home.
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Hey very helpful. I should include in my profile I speak spanish even if they’re not spain sits as language skills are useful.