As a home owner is it better to have a sitting position for a few days or a few weeks, what do sitters perfer?
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Our preferred sit, for cats, is about three weeks. It can take a while to get to know cats, and even that time is probably not really long enough.
We’ve done a few sits of only a week this summer which we haven’t enjoyed as much as longer ones, obviously you do want to see the area, but equally I want to bond as much as I can with the animals.
We have only once done a sit for less than a week for animals we didn’t already know and fortunately she was an easier to get to know cat, and was used to strangers coming in for a few days as mum was an airsteward. We applied for this sit as it was in just the right place at just the right time to fit in with a road trip we were doing.
I can’t say we’ll never apply for a weekend sit as if one came up somewhere we needed to be we’d be foolish not to but it would feel like a sit of convenience rather than a sit of love. I don’t know if that makes sense?
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Either or works for us although we do prefer two to four weeks but if there are gaps to fill in our calendar or we want/need to be somewhere specific a few days can be a godsend. I don’t think we have ever sat for less than two days. As someone has already said it takes time to get to know the animals but also some stress can be involved - tidying up, cleaning washing bed linen every few days is hard work. When on a short sit we take extra care to try and not make any mess and keep the place as tidy as possible just to cut down on the work when we leave.
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As full-time sitters we lookout for sits of approximately one month. This helps us to settle, lets us see more of the area, get a better attachment to the pets and save us stress and money by having fewer travelling days. We will take shorter sits to fill in gaps but prefer to overlap dates by a day or two to avoid this if possible.
More than a month starts to feel a little too long as we start to feel that our wings have been clipped!
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If we are travelling abroad then between 2 to 3 weeks. 5 weeks was the longest but was far too long. If staying in the UK, anything from 3 days to 2 weeks. We own our own home and have a busy social life, also volunteering, so don’t want to be away from our own home for longer periods.
We find that it takes no time at all getting to know the animals, and we know that we can have repeat sittings if we want to spend more time with them.
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We solely do our sits as holidays. So 3/4 days minimum, if it was nearby up to 2 weeks maximum.
I agree longer sits are better to get to know the pets & into a routinemail.
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I usually look for one to two weeks, three weeks max, but will take shorter sits if I can drive to them in a 1.5 - 4 hours.
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Hi @Francesk … We’d like to welcome you to our Community Forum and to TrustedHousesitters and thank our amazing members who have helped you with your question …
Enjoy the conversations and connecting with our community …
Angela and the Team
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@Francesk personally I like sits of a 1 week minimum depending how far it is from my base (London) as I factor in travel costs and moving on from one short sit to another short sit can get pricey and over time its exhausting. We are all different of course and some sitters are happy doing short sits and I think long weekends away suit alot of people. All the best and there is not a one size fits all to your question.
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Hello @Francesk
As sitter we do apply for 1 week minimum.
I would say 5 to 6 days would be our minimum as it is quite a job to apply, contact, handover, clean the house before leaving, etc. And as lots of people say it take some time to get on well with the pets and the pets to get used to us.
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I work full time and only get a few weeks off a year, so I use house sits to help me afford to travel. I look for week-end sits up to approx 1 week. Anything to give me as much trip without using too many vacation days. THS has been a perfect way for me to stay in some amazing homes with loveable pets, while I get to experience being in another city. It’s been perfect for my relaxed vacation style.
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Welcome to the forum @SitterSandy and thank you for sharing your feedback on this topic. It’s always very interesting to hear the different ways that our members use house sitting. We’ve been full-time sitters for many years, and sometimes forget that a lot of people use TrustedHousesitters as a way to experience lots of short breaks, to see different places and have the experiences you mention where they extend their travel options beyond their normal vacation days. Sounds like you’re really making the best of it… and all those lovely pets as well.
What was the most recent city you visited by house sitting? Would love to hear about it. I’m on a city break at the moment in France (not a house sit sadly) and very much enjoying it.
Hope you enjoy connecting with our amazing members here in the forum. All the best!
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Hello @Vanessa_A,
I would love to be full time sitter, one day! Retirement Goals!
My last sit was in Santa Cruz, CA, so I was able to keep costs down by driving/bring supplies. I stayed in a log cabin in the trees, and took care of a very sweet cat. I loved my slow mornings with her, breathing in the trees… and watching the deer/wild turkeys who visited the property. I did my adventuring/hiking in the afternoons before picking up take out dinner to enjoy at home with the my furry companion. I find that I select sits typically around nature, and select a comfortable home that is an experience to just stay in. Being a single sitter, it is really nice to have furry friends for company. If I get a sit with dogs, I like to take them along on my hikes (if allowed). It’s their vacation too! 
Some day I would love to have a sit in France. I’m keeping eyes out for a property that would be a great fit. Like I said earlier… retirement goals!
Since you sit 'full-time", is it safe to assume you are retired?
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As you can see by the varied responses @Francesk there are sitters for all types of sits. In my opinion, your listing should be based on your needs. Shorter sits will attract locals or people traveling to other destinations that you are in their route.
Longer sits will appeal more to full timers, retired sitters, those who enjoy extended holidays and of course those who work online.
We are plentiful. 
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Thanks for all the information, this has been very helpful to me 
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Nice, what area do you live in?
Thank you Angela, this is a great group!!
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So glad you are finding the forum it helpful @Francesk, we do have a very special community, thank you for being part of it.
Helping one another get the very best from their TrustedHousesitters membership is how we grow and bring more opportunities for everyone and it’ a great benefit for our team having the opportunity to interact with members through the forum.
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I loved reading about your sits… You really took me on a visual journey - I’m going to enjoy following your adventures!!
Love this… and you’ve got it exactly… this is as much a vacation for the pets as it is for us humans! That’s how we look at it too!
We were semi-retired, just doing a little online work (more a passion job) producing a magazine for the house sitting community. But since the pandemic we’ve settled into a long-term pet free sit in France, so now I’m working remotely and part-time for TrustedHousesitters as well. (Which honestly really doesn’t feel like work as it’s just more about what I love 
)
There are lots of full-time retired sitters but also many others who work online as digital nomads. For a lot of retired homeowners that’s ideal as we are around in the day to keep pets company … or vice versa!! If you ever make it to the Burgundy region of France… come say hello!
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