Hello all, I’m new here!! We’ve just signed up as home owners, looking for sitters for our two whippets. We have a fab chance to take the whole of July off work, and really want to make the most of it, but know our hounds are safe and happy at home.
I’m hoping I filled in my profile OK last night, and have just listed our dates… Now’s the time to panic and hope someone matches with us. Is there an etiquette about inviting sitters to apply? We would ideally love someone quite local to us, so we can introduce the dogs to them before we leave.
What a great idea this thing is, I’ll certainly be offering our services as sitters for others at some point too.
Hello @Norfolk-whippets and welcome. I see that you’ve already added a link to your listing in your forum username, which is great. Forum members will be happy to review your listing and give you feedback that might be helpful.
You are always welcome to invite sitters directly, and overwhelmingly sitters appreciate that. Homeowners do often say that it can be time-consuming though.
The greatest likelihood of success is through a well written listing with good photos. If you do approach sitters, keep in mind that not everyone keeps their calendar current (you can search that key word with the spyglass and read more), so don’t be guided by who appears to be available for your dates. Instead, as you’ve said, focus more on distance from your location. However, there may be other sitters who will be nearby during your dates and may also apply and be able to first visit with you.
Enjoy making new friends with THS, as sitters and homeowners often develop friendships.
Thanks for the quick reply, I’m more than happy for some feedback on my listing too! I felt I written an essay by the end, but wanted to be as honest as possible. Do you think it’s best to have the first photo of the house, or of the dogs? I’ve shown the back of the house for now, as the front is quite recognisable - I didn’t want to advertise to the world that we are not home for a whole month!
There is a listing for a sitter in my village, I thought I might approach them first to see if they would be interested.
A long description with lots of detail to help a sitter determine whether they think they will be a good fit for your needs is welcomed by most sitters. Where I personally see too much detail - and I have seen this - is telling me the cupboard or drawer in the kitchen where the pet food is stored. The Welcome Guide is the place for that. It does not help me decide whether to apply, and that’s what a sitter is considering when reading your listing.
As for your photo, there is no right answer. Some are drawn in by beautiful homes, others by adorable pets, and others by beautiful landscapes - sitters are as varied as the sits.
You could certainly approach a local sitter. Even if they are not available for the sit, they may be willing to meet you and share their experiences.
Thanks Snowbird, I’ve sent the couple an invite as they may be very helpful for other much shorter occasions too. I explained why I’d reached out to them, being in the same village. Fingers crossed they will reply. As you say a local contact may be very useful just to chat about the whole process.
Hi @Norfolk-whippets and welcome to the forum. That’s exciting you have all of July off to holiday. It can be nice to invite a local sitter but for this length of time, it may work against you. From a sitter’s perspective I would not even contemplate sitting in my own town/village for a month where I can stay in my own home. I have done it though for very short sits. One of the attractions for sitters (apart from the beautiful pets) is being able to live somewhere new and experience what that area may offer. Just something for you to consider.
You also have plenty of time to get sitters where it is not until July.
Enjoy being a part of THS.
Hi @Norfolk-whippets welcome to our community forum and to TrustedHousesitters, a month in Norfolk will be attractive to many, it’s a really lovely county with lots to do and see, lovely walks for Jack and Bella too (I used to live in Norwich and know Coltishall well)
Sitters are as different as the sits they choose and there are many different motivations for sitting but the number one reason are the pets.
My first sit was literally 10 mins from my home, two weeks with an adorable spaniel and when you love animals and have no pets of your own but have the chance to help a pet parent travel with peace of mind, then if it works for everyone involved it happens.
There are different perceptions of local too … an hour or two away is still “local” for many and will offer a change of scenery and a new pet experience, new members are advised to start local to help build up their THS reviews.
With so many working from home since the pandemic it’s always possible that someone local might like a change of scenery, more space (I see you have a home office) and two adorable whippets to help with their work life balance, pets need care and attention before the laptop, starting the day with a walk is better than stating the day sitting in front of a screen.
As @temba has said you do have plenty of time … July is a while away. Here’s a suggestion, why not try a shorter trip to begin with and have sitters for a few days?
There is lots of help and advice on the blog and our members here on the forum are a greta resource.
Thank you for adding the photos Angela, I better point out the first one is one of the fantastic village pubs rather than my house, but it’s such a beautiful spot in the summer! The whippets just melt my heart every time I look at them
