@Robin There is an element of trust and luck involved when sitting full time trying to line up back to back sits. And sometimes, depending on where you are you need to be prepared for gaps where you’'ll have overnight costs.
Here’s our current experience…
We’ve just finished a Christmas sit in KL and have been staying on a bit in a serviced apartment downtown enjoying the city vibe and plotting our next move. We’ve been looking to fill the gap before returning to India in March to complete dental work.
We’ve had saved searches set up for weeks for all the countries around us, e g Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam and including Malaysia where we are now. We check the site multiple times a day and mostly there are no sits at all over here or the occasional (uninteresting)short ones that pop up and are gone very quickly. We were also considering monthly rentals in all of those places & just travelling a bit but tbh nothing was really inspiring or calling us and we’re not really in travel mode anyway! (Its been a busy year!) We kept thinking the least action would involve a long sit in Malaysia where we could just chill for a while and keep the costs down. However outside of Christmas & summer hols a long sit over here is practically impossible to get…!
And then a couple of days ago whilst searching, yet again, in Malaysia a sit popped up- literally as I was looking at the page! - 5.5 weeks starting in 10 days and entirely filling the gap till we need to be in India!! I was astonished!!, applied immediately, the host responded 5 minutes later, we set up a call, got on great, and confirmed the sit!! 
All so quick & its a perfect fit! Its a lovely home in gated community in southern Malaysia (new area for us) 2 sweet cats, gorgeous community pool & car included!! It costs just £10 to hop on a domestic flight down there from KL! Amazing luck (& gratitude to the universe for answering our call!) Sometimes magic really does happen! 
Wanted to share. I am in St. Petes, FL. Had 2 nights before a sit starts in Atlanta. A sit for the 2 nights came up in Atlanta, but the HO delayed making a decision but I thought I could wait on booking a hotel. And suddenly another sit shows up in Atlanta for the same dates. So you never know on THS.
Great it worked out, @Huronbase .
Thanks, me too.
another comment. I was back in MI for dental stuff, didn’t want to impose on friends so much and took a short sit without much consideration. Location was right, time was right. But my review will not be good. And some I couldn’t know. And I am now filling time up in the future, based on plans that changed. And I am being more discriminating. But filling gaps, sometimes, you end up with a lemon./
As a homeowner, I try to spot Sitters who sound appealing simply because location and timing is good, even though they’re not necessarily the best fit. And what they really want is just to fill the gap and avoid rent.
I’m ok with this if that’s the primary motive, I would even offer Sitters to stay extra when I return or prior to leaving. I just want to know up front rather than discover at the end that something wasn’t suitable. Anyway, I’m here only 4 months, so I’m still learning.
Are there any particular clues you look for that might give the stitter’s motive away? Or do you just directly ask them during a video call? Thanks
@SewerRat - You don’t have to be Inspector Clouseau to spot sitters who have timing and location as their primary motive to apply to sit for you, That’s just about all of us!
What else could it be?
I always mention, location/timing, in my initial communication if that’s why I’m applying for a sit.
For example, we were driving to a sit in New Mexico and I found a sit along the way. Would I have applied for that sit if I wasn’t driving by? No. But we enjoyed spending time with the dog and visiting the area.
When our current sit ends in mid-April and we are driving back home I will see if I can find a quick sit along the way and mention that is the reason I’m applying. Having said that, I don’t apply for just any sit just because it’s convenient. It has to be the right fit.
I totally agree. In fact, that is exactly how I got the last dozen plus sits. I was traveling to LA, finding sits along the way, and then back along the southern US to stay out of winter. I had a schedule to get to LA, and then back again. That is how most of us do it. Where and when.
Thanks for the feedback. Amazing that this thread is still going since 2021! I fully support the full-time Sitter lifestyle. I added my perspective because the lemon comment goes both ways. A homeowner can get a Sitter that’s a lemon because their primary motive was simply to fill the gap.
In your not so good review, do you mention that prefered to take the Sitting job because you didn’t want to impose on friends? Why should the HO take a ding when you didn’t put much consideration into choosing the job? If Sitter reviews are meant to be factual, then they should include the other side of the story.
I’m beginning to think I need to be more direct. In my post I emphasised “just to fill the gap” because maybe the “where-and-when” overrides suitability. For example, sitters who prefer cats but will say anything to take a dog sitting without really having the experience or hate having to go out 3 or 4 times a day, rain, or snow or shine. What’s worse is if they give an “honest” review with complaints about too much work because the Listing wasn’t accurate.
Money.
What did the great Inspecteur Clouseau hunt? the Pink Panther. Even though the diamond was priceless, the premise of his detective work was about money. Money is a great motivator. The very first post in this thread is from Robin thinking of giving up a lease but worried that Air BnB living will be too expensive. That sounds like a different situation from your reply Colin, 4 years ago (amazing stuff!) where you let out your flat. Passive income is a benefit some full-timer Sitters might not have. Are there people (likely not on this Forum) who will say anything to get a Sitting job because they can’t/won’t pay for a hotel or plane ticket, etc. hence, “just to fill the gap”?
Thank you. I’m sure the majority of Sitters are like you. I try to screen for the minority who are looking for convenience, a free place to stay, or a vacation with easy work.
Not you because you are more discriminating, but I think there is a minority of nomads with different financial priorities who will say anything to fill the gap and get a Sitting job because they want “to stay out of winter”
Sitting in a THS-context is not «a job». A job is paid and with benefits.
@SewerRat I only apply to sits that are the locations, dates, and pets that I’m looking for. Why would it make a difference if sit dates fall between two other sits (a gap)? I don’t become a different person and go from being a good sitter to a bad sitter for that sit. And my criteria for choosing sits does not change just because I have some days open. If there aren’t any sits that look good, I get a hotel.
Since this is an exchange it does work in both directions. You are saying sitters shouldn’t just take a sit to fill a gap. HOs also shouldn’t just take any sitter just to fill their dates and avoid paying for pet care. Both sitters and HOs should choose carefully.
Please remember THS is an exchange, the sitter gets something, the pet owner gets something in return. Saving money is a prime example of something both parties are doing so it looks really unfair and inappropriate using it as an example of a reason to bash sitters.
Of course, sitters could ask - Are there people (likely not on this Forum) who will say anything to get a sitter because they can’t/won’t pay for pet care, “just to fill the gap ”?
You took the words right out of my mouth @Colin.
I agree with colin. I bet the last HO would have taken just about anyone to avoid pet care costs. And is looking for someone for a month in Aug. I could see it being some nomad who doesn’t want to spend on airbnb. Why else would you want to be in some transitional neighborhood in detroit that is not walking distance to anything, pits off leash, no one picks up dog poop, no poop bags…only some one filling in gaps.
I don’t see how a sitters motivation is relevant in a review. Sitters take sits because it fits their needs at the time. If they find out after they take the sit that their are things that weren’t apparent in the listing or the conversation with the pet owner they should definitely mention that in the review - especially if those things would have affected their decision to take the sit in the first place. If get a lousy sit, i might blame myself for not seeing the red flags, but i think it is my responsibility to inform other sitters about the red flags.
How could I have known that there wasn’t a supply of TP or paper towels? How would I know the bath tub was problem, who shows that? Or that they would leave all their items in the tub area, so there was not room for my stuff, her razer etc. Or that people did not pick up poop in the neighborhood? Or that all these dirty clothes and linens would be on the stairs and all over the basement, on the way to the washer dryer? These things are not clear when you take the sit. Now, I could have checked amenities and found out there wasn’t a microwave, but I didn’t think anyone wouldn’t have a microwave in this day and age. Not critical on a short sit, but it was a pain for what I brought to eat. No TV, but I use my computer, but the wifi was weak. But very sweet dog. A rescue that totally appreciates your attention and walks.
Yep yep, everyone makes good points. Thanks for agreeing with me! There are good and bad people in the world everywhere and they’re not restricted to Homeowners or Sitters. There are ~230,000 THS members, there is bound to be a minority of people who will delibrately try to take advantage of the other party. Let’s hope to spot them before we run out of TP.
I was planning to look for a permanent place in Toronto in the spring, then plans changed. Staying with my college roommate and her house is full of stuff. And I sat with her as she went through her bills, heating, water, resident taxes. And I was sort of looking at the face that her house was really a very large storage unit. As I have gotten older, I do want less stuff. This nomad thing has been very good for my head. And since I have a car, am older, clean, great with pets, I have been very lucky with getting sits. Sometimes it gets a little isolating, but you can always go out and chat with people. But there is always another sit.