Hello fellow home owners and house/pet sitters, my name is Donna , I am 59 & my husband is 60. We are thinking about a bit of travel over the next few years.
I am having trouble navigating the site and creating some interest with the sitters. I posted a house sit a week or two ago. I have not had any response so far. I didn’t realise this was going to be a tricky process. We have 3 dogs atm but actually only own two dogs. Bruiser and Eve , they are kelpies. Little Charlie is a mini King Charles Spaniel, he is the cutest of the three. He is going back to his owner soon,but we do love him like our own . My husband and I are planning to visit our son in Western Australia next month. I actually thought sitters would be knocking the door down to sit for us . It is a nice big home in the country NSW Australia. Or maybe it was that I posted in the profile that we had 3 dogs. People may have thought that was too many dogs. In saying that they are not too demanding. They are all happy animals. Looking for advice ,
thanks in advance. Donna ( Donnetta)
Hello @Donnette and a warm welcome from us all to TrustedHousesitters and our friendly community here on the forum. Sorry to hear you are have trouble with both navigation and finding sitters. It shouldn’t be a tricky process for anyone so let’s hope we can help you with that!
To start with I have added your listing to your forum profile to get you some extra exposure and feedback from our members. I figured you wouldn’t mind, as you’ve already shared some beautiful photos 
And on the topic of photos I have a few suggestions on that and other points that might help attract a few more sitters to your fabulous farm:
-
I’m wondering from what you say above whether Charlie is part of this August house sit as he’s featured on your listing, or whether he’ll return to his owners before you go away? That’s just a general clarification issue.
-
It could be that your first 2 photos of the garden aren’t making the most of your listing and those 3 gorgeous pups! If Charlie is part of this house sit, you might do much better featuring that lovely photo of the three of them in the back of the car. Or alternatively add a photo of the property from a distance?
-
Sitters generally like to see some internal shots of where they will be living, the kitchen, bathroom and lounge … maybe consider adding these in too.
-
This is just a thought but I wonder if the idea that this is a “farm” may be a barrier - in the sense that some might think it requires extra work or tasks. If there’s nothing for your sitters to do other than look after the home and pets, it might be worth mentioning this … “Don’t worry, there’s nothing to do on the farm” type of thing
-
Some information about the dog’s exercise routine would be helpful too - just a quick summary… how often, how long, where you take them etc.
-
Finally, it’s a great bonus that the car is included and this is a family sit, but there’s nothing to explain how your sitter family might get to you. How easy would it be for them to find their way to you?
That’s just a few suggestions and I’m sure @Snowbird might have some extra advice for you later when she’s online as she’s a wonderful mentor for listing improvements. Some of our other members might chip in too!
My partner is an Aussie (UK/Oz hybrid) from WA and we would love to get back to Oz again soon but our mums in the UK are both at a point where we are nervous to be too far from home. We love Kelpies so when we make it back and revisit NSW… we’ll be checking your latest dates!!
Hope this helps a little, and look forward to seeing how things progress for you.
Take care
Vanessa
Hi Donna
Don’t worry, a week isn’t long and if you take @Vanessa_A advice you’ll definitely improve your chances. I’ll be in Oz July/August next year. I’ve a sit booked in Two rocks for August so far.
All the best!
@Donnette I agree with @Vanessa_A 's comments. Reading your listing, I wonder if I have any farm obligations, and if so, how much skill or time would it involve. I am puzzled by your inclusion of ‘farm animal’ for pets. Are there more than dogs to be cared for and enjoyed?
I strongly agree with the need to rearrange your photos. I look for a balance between interior, exterior, and pets (not in that order particularly). I think the first photo has to draw someone in, and the trio of dogs would be my choice, if all three would be on the sit.
Finally, I’d change out your headline. The first 3 or 4 words are what will display, depending on whether the search is done on the website or app. I’d suggest, Rural family life - car included
Here are the instructions for how to edit the headline of your owner listing
Francine,
Volunteer moderator 