How long do people spend on writing each application?

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat
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Hi Folks!

We’ve been house sitting for about a year now, 12 sits done. One thing that still takes us ages is writing personalised applications - probably 15-20 minutes each time if we’re doing it properly. We know the generic copy-paste ones don’t work, but tailoring each one to mention the pet’s name, address specific needs, reference the location, etc., takes real effort. We’re happy to do it but curious to hear about others’ experiences.

Does anyone else find this, or have you found a faster way to do it well?

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For “regular” sits, I generally compose from scratch — usually taking inspiration from the things that appealed to me within the host’s listing. A couple grafs are somewhat static, relating to my maturity, experience, where I’m traveling from etc.

For competitive sits and/or areas I visit regularly: I have a few templates saved for each location. I modify first & second-to-last grafs to personalize to the hosts — mentioning what attracted me to their sit/things we seem to have in common, why I think we’d be a good fit and what my travel plans are.

Edited to add: I’d say your 15-20m estimate is about the same for me, even with the templates. A bit faster if I’m doing a lot of apps for the same city over a week or so…those are 85% templated.

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Hi @aaronsmith :slightly_smiling_face:

What you’re describing is pretty common early on — before you’ve settled into a repeatable way of structuring applications.

Where it tends to get quicker is when you stop writing from scratch each time, and work from a loose framework.

We found over time (fourteen years, 155+ sits) that we naturally settled into:

  • a short core introduction we’re comfortable with

  • a mental checklist of what to look for in each listing

  • and then a few very specific lines tailored to the pets/home

That way, the “personalised” part is still genuinely personalised — but you’re not reinventing the wheel each time.

:paw_prints: :heart:

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4

For the most part, my applications take just a few minutes to write. From what I have read here, I imagine ours might be a bit on the shorter end. We are full-time sitters who have done many sits on THS and have a pretty high acceptance rate.

I generally start with a short introduction that states our full-time sitting status, how long we have been doing it and where we are from originally.

I think it is also helpful to include a bit about our itinerary, so if I know where we will be coming from, and the earliest we could arrive at their location, and/or know where we are going next , and the latest we would be able to stay, I always mention that as well.

If there is anything the hosts mention in the listing that seems to be important to them ,and we are able to meet that need or preference, I will reference that specifically. For example, being okay with their small dog sleeping in the bed with us, having experience with a particular type of breed, not looking to be gone for long periods every day,etc…

If there is anything in particular about their location that we really like, or really suits us, that gets a mention as well, such as being near great hiking spots or in a quieter, more rural location.

Also, if we happen to be applying to international sits and I don’t know where we will be just before theirs at the time of applying, I always mention this in case it is important for them that the sitter books travel soon after confirming. So far this has not been an issue for anyone.

Because we have a really detailed profile, I don’t get into too much in the way of personal details about us. I don’t try to ‘sell’ ourselves to the host. I end the message by inviting them to take a look at our profile if our message piqued their interest.

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Probably 5-10 minutes- often written whilst I’m on a bus - so the occasional typo- I also send a nice photo image too of what I’m doing or a recent event. It’s an opening invitation to engage further, to explore if we’re a potential match. This is my veggie allotment to show I am able to take care of a garden.

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I use a templated message and customize bits, which takes a few minutes. My template is saved on a keyboard shortcut, which takes two seconds to spit out.

I always mention the pets and people by name, and say why I want to go there. And if I have experience with the breed or circumstances, like a reactive dog, senior pet, etc., I include that.

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If I see a sit I like I jot down the names of the pets and some key things they said about the pet’s personality or needs. I then just hit apply and type from my head. It takes a total of 10 minutes with 5 of that reading it back and changing a sentence structure. I also tell them why I want to visit their area and a couple of sentences about my retirement life. Easy peasy.

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In the early days, I did copy and paste but included some personalised details. Now my applications are far more personalised, take me longer to complete as I do them as a draft then copy and paste into the application box but this suits me. I’m not interested in applying for the “popular” locations, am not full-time (though it seems like it of late) and don’t set my heart on any specific listing. If I’m too late/too slow it generally doesn’t worry me.

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9

I’m similar to you

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10

Like many others here, I have a couple of templates - cats/dogs/mixed etc, so just choose that and alter pets’ names to suit. If there is something specific - administering medication, garden care etc I will put in a line about that.

All in all it takes me two or three mins.

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I really keep mines basic I only look after cats. It seems to work that way for me.one ho said I liked your message short and to the point.

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Mine are always short and sweet……Hi, Sue here………really interested in taking care of “name of pet” while you are away. Thanks for considering me. That’s typically it for me. If there’s been a specific reason I want that sit, I might include that as well. I have a grandaughter who lives in Florida, so when I apply for pet sits there I tell them I will be visiting her while in the area. I just feel like anything more feels like begging or having to convince them I’m the right one and just not going to do that. I’m ok with someone passing on my application for that reason as well.

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13

Same here. I’m not a full time sitter either. I only sit for fun.

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14

@aaronsmith, we probably take 5-10 mins on each application depending on our level of enthusiasm for listing, and degree of similarity to past applications.

Our applications follow a similar structure. And some sections are generic, or modular to specific listings. Sometimes we write from scratch, but mostly we adapt.

That said, we spend majority of time adapting or writing content to specific listing; their pets; any stated requirements; any relevant travel arrangements; and any likely dealbreakers (e.g. require vehicle + none provided + peak season).

We also take into account listing duration (e.g. few nights vs few months); any complexities in listing (e.g. odd pets); any immediate yellow flag concerns; and listing likely popularity.

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15

We don’t expect sitter applicants to write a book however it matters that they take time to understand our needs and those of our pets and explain why they think they’re a good match for our sit. There are some sitters that say things like “I would love to sit for you I always wanted to visit that area!” and I’m sorry but that makes it all about them and to us it’s a red flag.