Hello, I’m new here. I’m not getting any possible applicants to fill out sit. My husband and i only paid for basic. My question is do you think our ad will be buried because of this? I’d love some advice on how to attract sitters. Does anyone mind taking a look at our listing to give some tips for improvement? Thank you so much!
Edited to add listing to forum profile
Welcome @Kellygirl
PHOTOS -
You need to add a photo of the bedroom and bed that the sitter will be sleeping in .
The photo of the pool - will this be in use during Feb: March ? If not , maybe remove the photos of the pool from the listing this time around .
If you can add some photos that show how the home will look during winter - fire on in living room - /so sitter can see that they will be cosy and comfortable.
Some information that would be helpful to add to your listing :
You have stated that Lily has a skin condition- does this need any medication to be administered by the sitter ? This could be added to the responsibilities section … Lily needs xx( pills / ointment ? ) or this condition doesn’t require any treatment by the sitter .
You also mention that Lily has “weird characteristic traits” - ( what are those ? constant meowing, pooping in the house ? ) , providing more explanation will help sitters decide if this sit is a good match for them .
Is Lily an indoor cat ?
You mention the skiing opportunities an hour away - how long can the sitter leave Lily to go skiing ? Could they do this every day ?
From the photos I see that you have lots of indoor plants -some sitters might be concerned about how often they will need watering or if any special care is need -and how long it will take . So you could add this information to the responsibilities section .
Hot tub , if sitters will be able to use it in Feb/ March you could add this to the title …”Oasis with hot tub awaits you “
All the best .
My $.02
your home looks nice and lilly is adorable but a relatively short sit in mid-winter in Canada isn’t going to be super enticing to many people. I’d beef up your listing a bit but you should also have a plan b. once you’ve updated your listing, remove it and then post it again and it’ll be listed as new. you’re not being pushed down because it’s basic.
@Kellygirl, hi and welcome to the THS Forum.
Context to advice: we’ve completed ~30 housesits (currently in Europe) and lived in Greater Vancouver for a bunch of years. We’re booked at Predator Ridge (Okanagan golf resort, BC) during your housesit dates so unavailable.
We’re very careful about housesit selection. But I can openly say that membership level of Pet Parent has never been a factor that has impacted our decision to apply/accept a housesit.
I’ve taken a look at your listing. Looks good. Photos seem uncluttered, yay. I like the intro comments about broader location references. Encourage that you add a statement about a) typical weather during housesit dates (for non-local housesitters); b) ballpark estimate of how long your cat can be left. Suggest also review other housesit listings in Abbotsford area.
Hopefully you receive plenty of applicants.
Well, I’m not a sitter but a HO. I think your home looks amazing but as said, there’s no bedroom pics. Yes, it can be difficult especially if it’s a room you’re using. Siamese do have a bit of a needy trait don’t they. And a different meow. Another thing you might want to mention is the care of a hot tub (unless someone does it for you?). You’ll get a sitter soon I’m sure.
@Kellygirl Your main image is of the living room, I’d change this to one of the house exterior. Put the loo seat down and take another pic of the bathroom, showing the shower (or bath?) and do include one of the sitter’s bedroom.
Lilly looks gorgeous, but from scrolling through the photos (which we always do, prior to reading the listing info), I thought this was a sit for 2 cats. I realise you’ve lost one, and it might make you feel bad to remove the pics with him/her in them, but I’d recommend this for clarity.
Do specify whether Lilly’s skin condition requires medication, and how / if it bothers her.
It’s not the longest sit duration, so won’t attract the attention of longer, single cat sits, but it still looks great.
Wishing you luck!
Thank you all your suggestions. Its strange because in my list of what see and selected for the main image is the front of the house.
Yes, that’s what I saw when I looked. But, as suggested….toilet seat needs to go down in the pic. Not sure it’ll make much difference in attracting anyone, just personal preference. 
you get an application soon.
The toilet seat is down actually. Thank you for your input though!
Hello, i have changed my listing to attact more sitters according to many suggestions. Many thanks everyone. I received an application this morning though she doesn’t have any sits under her belt, just a couple personal references. I responded positively right away asking about setting up a VC in the near future. Her list said she was happy to VC. Then she never responded. I didn’t confirm her, just shortlisted. Im a little frustrated. Any help or suggestions? My listing is linked in my profile. Have a look if you like.
@Kellygirl messages do not get delivered immediately on the THS app so if this is what the sitter is using they may not have received the message yet. In my experience of using the app messages are delayed by several hours before they appear in the inbox. Your sit isn’t until Feb so I think you need to give your sitter at least day to respond …when they receive your message they may be working , caring for responsibilities of another sit , sleeping ( if in a different time zone ) driving , so may not respond immediately . I would expect a response within 24 hours .
If time is of the essence , you could put your mobile number in your message and switch to WhatsApp or text messages for speedier communicating with potential sitters .
Your listing is looking good @Kellygirl. As it’s still showing “Low applications “, remove your dates then re-list them to make it “New”.
Be patient, as just like you, your applicant is new too and will be learning what to do. She probably hasn’t had help from the forum either.
I feel you’re so wanting a sitter that you might just accept anyone. And that’s when issues could well arise on the actual sit. Remember, you need to have confidence in your sitter/s that they will look after your home and Lilly.
The site is flooded with Christmas/New Year listings at present. Although you are anxious to secure a sitter now, you may do better advertising after New Year as there is still plenty of time before you leave late February for your holiday.
All the best in whatever you choose to do.
She just applied this morning meaning it’s not even been probably 12 hours. People have lives that don’t revolve around checking THS and responding to messages. You need to have reasonable expectations about responsiveness. THS says 72 hours.
Can you please tell me how to remove my dates and readd them? Thank you for all you feedback. 
@Kellygirl If using the App:
Good luck
When reading through your offer as a sitter I notice 2 things that I would like to know more about. 1. Be careful how you describe your wifi. “Wifi (Basic)” can be interpreted in so many ways. This is an orange (warning) light for me as i work remotely during pet sits. As petsitters are away from home, we usually need or want a good to excellent internet connection. Mention it in “home & location” in a descriptive way. For example, if you work from home, or watch netflix with it, everyone understands that it is actually excellent. 2. “Accessible by public transport” also needs some extra information. I have recently finished a pet sit close to Zurich, Switzerland where accessible to public transport meant a 5 minute walk to the trainstation with train to Zurich main station every 15 minutes every day of the week including nighttimes, with connections to any place in Switzerland. But i have also had pet sits where it meant a single busline every hour during weekdays and daytime and none at all on Sunday.
Beds that look luxurious are always appealing. I’d definitely add 4 pillows, not just 2 as at present, and if you have any light-coloured bedlinen, use that for the pics. The little things can sometimes make a difference.
I sit internationally and I am fully prepared to pay flights but don’t want to rent a car. So with public transport I would love to know how to get to your home. Can I get to your home and manage during the sit without a car or is it requried to have a car to manage? Your listing mention an hours drive from Metro Vancouver but not whether it is possible to get from there and to your home with bus/train/other. Whether I can get around, get groceries walking and/ or by bus.
In general I avoid sits that require a car, and if I suspect it (it isn’t mentioned in listing) I would usually not ask, I would just scroll on to next lisiting.
Lilly is adorable and your current description is good, so with a cute cat, large tv and a massage Chair (!) I’m sold. 
Hi @Kellygirl
What a beauty Lilly is. She looks very chilled!!
I wouldn’t panic just yet as your sit is some way off yet. However I think making the changes already mentioned would help you.
Something else I noticed and as a remote worker you’ve marked your wifi as basic. Maybe state it’s good enough to send emails, video chat or stream tv if it is.
Good luck.
