HO taking time

Agree entirely. I write reports in my day job & I feel like writing an application to apply for a housesit is definitely like applying for a job. I feel the same way when I am declined.

I also felt that way when someone invited me to a sit which I couldn’t undertake at first and explained; & then after swapping things around with dates, I apply and they choose someone else.

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Definitely! It takes time and effort to apply for a sit. I do appreciate @Pips outlook, that people aren’t going to prioritise strangers on the internet. Reading this seems to take the edge off, somehow.

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Since we are on the topic of timelines, I wondered what people thought was a reasonable time to wait in this scenario. I met with a home owner to discuss her sit starting early December. We got on well and she mentioned that other people who had applied simply weren’t suitable for her home and circumstances. However, I haven’t heard from her with regards to whether I have been accepted for the sit and the ad is still up. I see there has been an additional application since mine. Although we got on well, there seemed to be a slight hesitation from both sides (I won’t go into why, in case it identifies the HO, but certainly not untenable). I need to make arrangements in the next couple of weeks, so wondered how long is reasonable to wait?

@anon80172330 if there is hesitation and something does not feel quite right I would withdraw my application. The host is not prioritising confirming you so obviously has doubts too. Don’t waste your time. Or you could also directly ask her if she will confirm you, or not, but don’t wait on her.
We had a video call with hosts who kept us on the line for over an hour and asks us all sorts if questions. Especially the husband. He seemed over cautious, suspicious even, and it felt seriously like job interview. Some of the questions were more personal and invasive than needed. Having read our profile, application and many reviews we felt uncomfortable with what felt like an interrogation. Nevertheless we all agreed the Sit by the end of the call. They said they would send the Sit confirmation directly after the call…but nothing came!
The next morning we asked them to officially confirm the Sit, no response, and by 24 hours we’d decided to withdraw our application. We explained why- the delay in response but also the discomfort we felt in the call. That message went unread but the next day they finally sent the Sit confirmation request! We declined, having already withdrawn anyway, and this too went unread.
We heard nothing more from them but their listing remained live for many weeks & our messages remained unread. We started to think they were assuming we’d accepted and would be coming for the Sit!! :thinking: We had by then been long booked elsewhere. Just when we thought we really had better check they weren’t expecting us the listing disappeared! Phew!:roll_eyes::woozy_face:

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Strawberryen this is exactly what is happening to me and probably why I opened the topic. I am feeling recently, more so than I have ever done, that some homeowners feel they are doing us a favour and not a mutual favour/agreement. I will now start withdrawing applications if I continue to be met with "I’ll be in touch/I’ll be back next week or so/you sound perfect but I am at work and will reply later (never does) etc etc etc. I housesit full-time so I need plans in place. If a homeowner posts a sit and a sitter replies, I believe that the sit should be pretty well confirmed within two days, or immediately after a video chat very shortly after organising. I understand it is a big decision to choose the “right” sitter but I also understand that if it is the right time to post the sit then it should happen pretty quickly. I waited for these three responses because they were perfect for my situation and according to the homeowner, I was perfect for them. Still waiting :roll_eyes: Won’t do it in future.

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Thank you @Lokstar! The HO had a particularly bad experience with her last sitters (previously had very good experiences) so I understand her wanting a good ‘fit’. I do too. I went along thinking this would be a great sit but, in a nutshell, am not sure if I would be granted the level of privacy I would like. I think you’re right about not waiting. I will let her get in contact with me but, in the meantime, will continue pursuing other options.
Regarding your own experience with the lengthy call, I think you handled it incredibly well. I don’t quite know why people leave messages unread, but glad it worked out in the end and sounds like your instincts were right. I do find it interesting how much HOs vary in their questions and their nature. Some are refreshingly and surprisingly laid back, others are (as you experienced) more interrogative.

@ziggy I agree there is a sense with some HOs that they are doing a favour, and that comes with a particular outlook. It’s interesting as I have recently had people tell me I am undermining my own worth by not charging for my house sitting services. I think the balance is somewhere in between. I am happy to house sit for free, but I would also like this to be appreciated and my time to be respected, as I respect theirs.
Truth be told, my plan for next year was to house sit full time and this particular sit is a long one, spanning a few months which would be easier than travelling for several shorter ones. The home and animals were also amazing, I’m just not sure though. This is the first time I have gone to a HO’s house and they haven’t confirmed quickly. Usually I will meet them, we’ll spend some time together and they’ll show me the ropes then the sit will be confirmed shortly afterwards. That isn’t surprising, as I’ll only travel to a home if there has already been some indication from both sides that we want to proceed. I’m a little surprised this hasn’t yet happened. It is also the first time I’ve been particularly vocal about something that concerned me, as I think it is necessary to do so before a sit, so maybe doing so was a bit of a deal breaker for them, but we seemed to get on very well. I can totally appreciate your frustrations!

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If one of my previous owners invites me to do a second or third sit with them and and I have applied for other sits, I think given the unknown 5 days is sufficient time to respond as there are also lots of owners in dire need of a last minute sit through no fault of their own. Also if people take a long time to respond, it may be an indication that they will take a long time to respond to vital questions pertaining to the sit

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We all approach things from different points of view and I was giving my own perspective both as an owner, and as a sitter. From either side of that fence, you never know what people might have going on in their lives.

Do what you need to!

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Hi everyone, I wanted to pop in and thank @ziggy and everyone responding for this post. I’ve been on this site for a while and am having a difficult time securing sits. I’ve been starting to feel very disillusioned by this experience. I am realizing now that it’s not just me, though it is hard to not take things personal (I’m learning). I know I need to keep trying but in light of what you all are saying, perhaps I am being too precious with my applications. I have been applying to one at a time and waiting for responses before I apply for the next. Some owners don’t read the applications in a timely manner or just reject me without a note as to why. I’m very thoughtful in my applications and even ask for feedback if it’s lacking anything. It’s nice to know that withdrawing applications due to unresponsiveness is a thing and I will definitely start doing it. Thanks again! :slight_smile:

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Hi @Yaritza, sorry to hear this has been your experience so far, hang in there! I would say don’t pin too much hope on any one sit. Until it is confirmed, treat it as unconfirmed. I know that sounds simplistic, but it’s easy to plan your life around a sit as if you already have it in the bag…and then don’t hear from the owner or they go with someone else. Put yourself first!

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Ive just looked at your profile @Yaritza & its lovely💝.
Unfortunately im a fellow sitter & previous pet owner like yourself, so no need ofva sitter.
I also tend to just apply for each sit at a time just going with a gut instinct as to what appeals.
Really getting the first couple of sits is the hardest.
Have you thought about sits near to where you live, where you could maybe visit first? Also maybe lookkng for areas that have more sits available.
Im afraid though there are Ho’s who dont read our applications & it is so annoying! But there are other much more considerate HOs too. Its maybe abit if a gamble when you do apply.
Personally if my application isnt read within a 2-3 days I tend to move on.
I quite believe in faith so if i get a decline, no matter how much i was drawn to that sit i take it wasnt meant to be.
Please dont give up if its what you want to do but maybe look for something that feels right to you, whether thats applying for more than one sit at a time or putting a time limit on an application, or even taking a step back & waiting for.a sit that strongly appeals to you.
Wishing luck.

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Thank you so much for the quick look at my profile and for the tips! I haven’t given up hope, I just secured my first video chat/interview! Reading all of the tips and tricks to navigating this has really helped. Thanks again :yellow_heart:

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@Yaritza Glad to hear you have a video chat lined up. Good luck!

We are both HOs and sitters, so my comments are from those perspectives. :slight_smile: Some things I would add to your profile is whether you are a smoker, and if you are vaxxed/boosted (there are a lot of people who still are concerned with that). Also if you’re experienced giving meds to pets, such as eye drops or injections.

In what areas of the US are you looking to sit?

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I feel you here. I found the perfect sit–I have the same kind of cat myself, and the dates were perfect. My application was read, but I waited, then got the reject note–not saying why, so I asked and HO said someone beat me to it! Huh? Who makes a choice based on first response, without even interviewing the top two? Sounded fishy, and it was. The ad is still active. It often surprises me how people on this site can be less than sincere (ie: trustworthy)

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Hi Yaritza, I am glad that I have been, as many others have been, a little help for you going forward. Please, do not just apply for one sit at a time, apply for everything you can to begin, just to get your reviews. It does help when you have reviews so when I started, I took sits very close to home to enable me to get the references (and to enjoy caring for the furbies of course). Now it isn’t too difficult securing sits. BUT I certainly don’t apply for one at a time, I apply for every sit that I think may suit me. Of course the inevitable just happened to me, as it does. One of the sits I applied for in regards to my original post, I waited and waited (whilst still applying for others of course, but I kept that sit open) but today got the reply that they had chosen another sitter. So had I waited, I could have lost another sit that suited me. There is no “bond” between homeowner and sitter, we don’t know each other, so you have to do what is right for you, and what is right for you is applying for everything you can. It will all fall into place once you get your first few, hang in there and don’t lose hope, Christmas is a huge time for sitters so good luck going forward x

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Really moving in the right direction @Yaritza, good luck​:blush::grin:.
Ken&mary & ziggy, both teally good advice.
I actually mention on our profile that we are both non smokers & vaccinated.
Feeling with @tortimom too!
Sadley is the case with many but i also like to believe there are just as many trustworthy, sincere people out there too, its just a matter of finding them.

How strange! I have previously applied for a sit and they read my application and didn’t respond. I subsequently withdrew my application, only to get a message saying they’d had 50+ responses in a matter of days. Considering the cut off is 5, I’m not sure why they said this, but I agree with you completely. Honesty is the best policy.

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Don’t worry, we have done many many sits since 2019 (not all on here) and we still have trouble securing sits! At the moment it feels like there is a drought in the areas and dates we are looking at - we get one ‘No’ after the other.

I had to laugh today: Two weeks ago, I applied for a sit. The listing had very little information. Literally 2 lines in every section. Because it was within our preferred area and dates, I applied and told them in my application that they should really consider adding more detail to the listing, for example here is a list of questions I have (about 6 points that need clarity). They came back immediately, thanking me for my application, saying they will update the listing. They said they were first timers and rushed into things. No further correspondence, no updated listing. Radio silence and I actually forgot about them. Today, out of the blue 2 weeks later, I get a message saying: “Congratulations, we picked you if you are still interested”. Uhhhm?! NO! They didn’t answer ANY of my questions, they didn’t add anything to their listing, and they went MIA for 2 weeks? No thank you. That’s not how you do it. I replied with “no thank you, you took too long and I already booked something else.” Hopefully that will teach them how to play a fairer game.

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Wow…you certainly do get a wide range of people on this site. I do think that people learn through experience when it comes to house sitting, specifically home owners taking their time to respond. It’s great you made it clear you weren’t sitting around awaiting their response and had made other plans. Hopefully they will update their listing and respond more promptly to sitters in the future.

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Botvot I love it! You did the right thing! I applied for one today, no photos AT all but in an area I love and dates are great. I suggested to the owners that sitters rarely apply for sits without photos but as I know the area and it “sounds” good, would they be so kind as to add some photos. I said I would like to do the sit if satisfactory to both parties. Am waiting to see if I get a reply and if it will be taken in the right context. I’ve been stung before by accepting a sit without photos and not risking that again as it’s a long sit. I probably won’t hear back :person_shrugging: The one I waited for who said I was perfect/get back to you chose another sitter. Another lesson learnt, but I guess it is the HO’s perogative, so now it’s mine :grin:

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