Hi everyone, I’m Mary-Anne and together with my husband of 34 years, Kent, we joined TH earlier this year. We’ve done one local sit already and have an upcoming one in June 2023 confirmed in UK. We are really excited about the opportunities that TH can provide, as we enjoy travelling and really getting to know what it’s like living in other parts of the world, not just stay in hotels, see tourist attractions.
We have experience mostly as cat owners together, but Kent grew up with a dog, and we have also looked after other people’s chickens and dogs.
5 Likes
Hi @Mstuart. Welcome to TrustedHousesitters and our special community here in the forum. I’m glad you found us and introduced yourself.
Congratulations on completing your first sit and getting another one for June in the UK. Where in the UK will you be? We have lots of members here in the forum from the UK, and I’m sure they would be happy to give you tips and pointers for where you’ll be if you’d like.
Also a lot of our members enjoy meeting in person. I’ll be in Melbourne in late August and early September. If you’ll be home then, I’d love to meet up for a coffee or lunch.
Again, welcome to our community.
2 Likes
Hello @Mstuart and welcome to the Community Forum 
You can also add your TrustedHousesitters profile to your profile on here by following the attached link, should you wish. This will enable others on here to give you helpful advice and feedback.
Congratulations on completing your first sit 
Whereabouts in the UK will you be for your upcoming sit?
1 Like
Hi @Samox24 @Karen_E thanks for the welcome and tips.
We are heading to a sit in Sonning (although HO is slow responding, I think this is confirmed?!) and then Sussex and in between and around those, staying in air BnBs, country pubs and also with friends to attend a wedding-very much looking forward to our holiday!
Hi @Mstuart and well done on your first sit.
You say you’re not sure whether the Sonning sit is confirmed. Has the owner confirmed you via the website? If so you’ll have received an email saying congratulations you’ve been chosen to sit. You then have to accept the sit and it’s all go from there. Did you have a video conversation with the owners before confirming?
I hope it all goes well and that you’ll enjoy the UK.
I’m currently travelling/housesitting in New Zealand then Oz - going back and forth. I plan to be in Melbourne next January for the Aus Open so maybe we can meet up. I’m sure there’ll be lots of others too.
All the best!
2 Likes
Hi @Mstuart as @Smiley mentioned you should have received an email saying congratulations on being chosen for a sit and you should also be able to see this as an upcoming confirmed sit on your dashboard. If you have any problems with this please advise so we can help you further.
Your trip to the UK sounds like a lot of fun, it would be great if you could share some photos on here during your trip as we would love to see. 
Enjoy your travels!
2 Likes
Hi, okay thanks for clearing that up. No they haven’t confirmed then. They responded to our application and suggested a video chat which we agreed to but we were heading away for a month in Tassie so I asked if he would give us 24 hrs notice so we could be sure to be somewhere with good internet. This was back in January. I messaged him when we came back (early Feb) to see if they did indeed want us and to schedule a video chat. No response for over three weeks now. The sit is in May so I guess it’s not too urgent for them.
1 Like
Hi @Mstuart, have you checked to see whether the Sonning listing is still advertised or has he found a sitter? I’d be looking for another sit if I was you. I can see you have a sit booked from 8-18 June so that’s great.
1 Like
Hi @Mstuart I know you mentioned you tried to contact the homeowner in early Feb with no response, was this on the THS platform or via WhatsApp or?
Can you follow this up and try to check with the homeowner as soon as possible with regards to this sit. Until a sit is actually confirmed properly I would not consider it a confirmed sit if that makes sense.
Yes it does still look like he’s after a sitter. That’s what I messaged him about weeks ago but still no response. I have messaged him again and declined the sit both in the message and through the site.
Thanks for your help. I have messaged the HO and declined the sit now. Luckily I looked at it all again as I realised I had made an error in our dates! I have had no response from them still but I have made it clear we are declining.
Hello Mary-Anne + Kent, Wonderful to hear of your experience and beginning. I am new here, and love it.
I was blessed to be in Melbourne in 2006, and loved walking by the river, and just the whole place seemed very comfortable to me. Welcome to Trusted Housesitters. Adventures ahead!
See you in The UK, possibly - where I will be moving, 11 May 2023!
Aloha, Love, Claire + Tarkina, my assistance dog.
1 Like
Does this mean you have withdrawn your application which is what I would recommend you do if you haven’t already?
2 Likes
Hi Claire, thanks for the welcome! We are looking forward to adventures. Have just had a video chat with a HO for a short sit during our UK trip and it went very well. Safe travels to you and your pooch!
1 Like
Yes we have withdrawn.
1 Like