Hello,
We’re new to the site and wondered how long we should wait for a sit to be confirmed or denied? I can’t seem to find any guidance on this. Could this be right up until the sit commences? Would be great to hear others’ experiences. Will we always receive confirmation when a sit is denied?
Thanks for your help!
Libby
It’s really up to you but there are a few people who don’t bother to respond at all and the next you know is that they’re no longer looking for sitters, either because they’ve found a sitter (in which case you should get an automated message saying you’ve been unsuccessful) or they remove the request because they’re not going away. In the main, most houseowners will contact you within a few days of your application. If I was you I would apply for a few sits you like around the same dates. Btw I applied for a sit for October on 16 June and another for October on 6 August, neither of whom have had the decency to reply to me although I can see they’ve both read my personalised application. They’re still advertising. While I’ve since got a sit for those October dates I’m leaving my applications to see if they ever do respond!
Hi @libbyexplores welcome to TrustedHousesitters and to our community forum as @Smiley and Petermac who are both really experienced sitter members say, there is no hard and fast rule.
There is a process for owners to go through as well, they receive applications and may wait a period before responding after which they will contact the sitters who they feel would be right for them and their pets and open communications via the secure account messaging system, set up video calls etc. Once all of this is completed and both parties are 100% happy with the arrangements and agree, they will confirm the sit.
As Peter says depending on their lead time, last minute and urgent sits will happen far quicker.
I’ve taken a look at your profile and it’s great I would advise adding another couple of references and also some pictures with pets, when surveyed owners always respond with favoring profiles that actively show sitters with pets, after all that is the main reason they come to TrustedHousesitters.
Applying for local and last minute, where possible, is the best way to get started, where have you been applying for sits and are you looking for city or country?
Feel free to ask your questions here, we do have an incredibly helpful and supportive community … welcome and thank you for being part of it, we cannot wait to share in your journey.
Angela & the Team
Hi @libbyexplores - Welcome to the group.
Don’t presume a sit will be confirmed until it is confirmed. - It is not uncommon to never get a response at all. Don’t be disheartened when this happens.
Whilst you are waiting keep applying for all sits that you are interested in. If / when you do get accepted just let any clashing applications know that you are no longer available.
Good Luck
This is REALLY good to know. Thanks so much for taking the time to respond and for all the detail. This makes sense and will help us navigate the platform!
Thanks, that all makes sense 
Thanks so much Angela.
We’re looking in London at the moment but will be looking elsewhere in Europe over the next months. Will keep a look out for those last minute ones. That’s great advice, we’ll do that.
Thanks Colin, great advice, we weren’t sure if we could try for clashing dates
I recently had a HO request a video chat with us. I responded with a day that worked for both of us, then she went quiet. I saw she read my response. I sent a follow up note. Well, the day came and went with no response and no video chat. Then I got the system note that someone else was selected.
I understand as it would’ve been an international sit, but I would’ve appreciated a note that we didn’t need a video chat as she had directly reached out to us. I spent quite a bit of time researching the area, flights, etc. in preparation for the video call.
I applied for another sit a week ago that hasn’t even been read yet.
So, I just keep watching and applying as the successful connections make it all worth it!
Sorry to hear you had that experience @JMP_Loves_Paws , really good for us to know what to expect. Thanks!
I’m glad to say we have our first sit arranged for next week, in London, where we had been looking. A new sit came up and our application was accepted immediately without any ‘sit’ reviews. Really looking forward to it. It’s a night short one to get us into the swing of it. Wish us luck!
Good luck, it 's just the begining
Congratulations @libbyexplores that’s brilliant news … please come back and tell us how it went …
congratulations @libbyexplores and good luck with your first sit. Taking short sits is a great way to quickly get some reviews under your belt which will give future home hosts the confidence to accept you.
In June 2018 I applied for a sit for the Christmas holiday. The HO got back to me in August and we arranged the sit within about a week.
As a sitter of eight years with THS, I’m curious to know how other sitters feel about this. I applied on a sit and had a video chat three days ago which I thought went great. I haven’t heard back as yet from the homeowner which makes me feel that she is waiting for more applicants. There was only myself and one other applicant who she told me was an international applicant and I’m a local applicant. I have many - almost 40 glowing reviews so not sure what she is waiting for. I respect homeowners who make quick decisions and I don’t feel like waiting around another day for this HO to make a decision - it’s actually totally put me off accepting the sit if it’s offered. Perhaps that’s just me - but any other sitters out there who feel the same? Just curious 
Would appreciate feedback.
@Globetrotter , I have three applications in a holding pattern like this. All three owners tell me they’re interested and they that they’ll get back to me in ? weeks when they return from their respective holidays. It’s been 12 days since I heard from one, about nine from the other and I connected with one today who says she’d like to set up a video call in eight days time. In the meantime, I am getting ready to fly out without even knowing my itinerary. Kind of nerve-wracking for this impatient person. I plan to recontact the first two this weekend if I haven’t heard anything. Maybe you should write to your people too to get an update. Then, if you’re not pleased with their response you can decide whether to withdraw your application. There could be an explanation, for ex., a medical diagnosis that is making them unsure about taking the trip – you never know what could be happening in someone’s life. But I think you should keep applying to other sits that look good even if they have conflicting dates. First come, first served.
We’re the same. We don’t have anywhere near as many years as you but we do have 30 reviews over nearly 2 full time years. It almost always happens that if the HO responds within 24 hours then it’s ours and they are our kind of people and if not then almost never a fit. We get at least 80% of sits we apply for. There was a lovely sit last week that we waited 4 days for a confirmation for & nothing so declined and pulled out. It’s odd isn’t it? 
We get it occasionally and it is frustrating. Last week we had a video call, all went well then the home host said - “That’s great thanks, we’ll let you know in a few days” I told him that was fine but he should know that we will still be looking whilst waiting for his confirmation and work on a first come first served basis.
He confirmed less than an hour later!