Hi,
I posted my first listing earlier in the week, had one applicant immediately but it was a couple and my cat is not used to men. I reached out to a sitter I thought would be perfect but she has plans on the dates required.
Could anyone kindly give me feedback on the listing? I was hoping to have a few more applicants by now. Thanks in advance!
Listing was added to member’s forum profile
Welcome 
@chrstnthmsn - your sit looks fine and easy in a cute place with a cuddly cat. It’s early days but if you only want single females to apply as sitters you need to say that right at the top of the listing. Sitters find it really annoying to send a whole application & then be rejected on that basis. You will limit the pot by doing that though so think about whether a single male or a couple of any combo could work for Selah as that will increase applicant numbers. Invites rarely work as the calendars are clunky so a strong listing is the best bet. #alittlemorepatience
Thanks so much for your reply. The couple that applied seemed wonderful but Selah can be timid around men & I think she’d find a couple sleeping in our bed too strange! I’ll try to be patient but would love the peace of mind to have something organised…
@chrstnthmsn I checked your listing and it currently says “no sitter needed “
( maybe because you are editing it right now ? )
You say”Ideal for someone who works remotely. ”and later
I’m mainly looking for someone to keep Selah company. She has not been left alone for any length of time “ this gives the impression that a sitter might not have any free time to go out and visit local area - is that the case ?
Restricting the sit to a single female who works remotely will narrow down the sitters who meet this criteria and are available. So it might take a bit more time to find a sitter - but you have plenty of time .
Even a remote worker would likely want to go out some times in the evenings or on the weekend days - so If you could be more specific and state how long Selah can be left alone for . Then potential sitters will get an idea if they will have enough free time to go and visit local attractions
She might surprise you. I’ve lost count of how many cat sits we’ve been to where the HO says “they don’t really like men or they won’t sit on your lap or they don’t like being stroked” & 5 minutes later it’s all happening. Pets are like kids, they never do what their parents think they will or want them to 
#foodforthought
That’s true! I think I’m just trying to make it as normal as possible but she will adapt as you say 
Yes I think I may have contracted myself there. Possibly overcomplicating the listing due to anxiety over leaving her! I’ll go back and simplify it. Thanks so much for your input
You might want to make your listing more appealing by adding info about what’s available for sightseeing nearby, because that might widen your pool of applicants unfamiliar with the area. When people look at listings, they’re unlikely to spend much time doing research on each area and might just skip yours.
I sit solo as a f/t telecommuter and spend more time with pets than many sitters. But I automatically skip all listings like yours, because I avoid hosts who think sitters should be glued to the homes and pets. I also avoid anxious or nervous hosts, because the risk of that turning into handholding or other pains isn’t worth it. Various other sitters have expressed similar.
You also might want to take a look at listings in your area and similar elsewhere. The U.K. has MANY sits pretty much all the time. You should ideally make your sit as competitive as possible. Some hosts simply have trouble attracting applicants, because their sits aren’t as strong as others in location, comforts in the home and such.
Personally, I’m an American and enjoy sitting in the U.K., but I find I can be very selective, because there are so many U.K. sits.
As there’s only one bedroom and you request that the sitter arrives the day before you leave what are the sleeping arrangements? This might be the sticking point even for a solo female….
I’ve just had a look and I’m very tempted to apply 
Solo travelling female working from home, but right now I’m not 100% sure if I can make these dates.
It looks nice but it looks quite small, some sitters will be full time travelling and will need space in the bedroom for their things. Personally I would feel too enclosed with the bed with the screen so close and where would I sleep if I was to arrive the night before? I would sadly skip over your listing as it is at the moment, try and amend it so you can attract more people, there is a lot of competition
@BonnyinBrighton . . . It reads a bit oblique, but I understood the potential arrangement to be that the HO will leave the house after the handover on the 10th, as she will - on that day - be travelling to the city she is flying from.
If that is the case, it probably needs a little re-written for the sake of clarity.
“I fly on the morning of the 11th so if the potential sitter can arrive on the afternoon of the 10th for hand over/to be shown around that would be great. I’ll leave after that to travel to the city I’m flying from. You will have the place to yourself.”
Ah yes you’re quite right, although skim reading sits initially to get a feel for the listing as I often do I’ve easily misunderstood the intention here.
Thanks everyone for your advice. I’ll take your points onboard & clarify the listing