Hi all.
I’m a newbie here & wondering if anyone else has this issue and if you’ve still managed to find a house sitting opportunity?
I live in Derbyshire UK and want to House Sit in London to be closer to my family and friends now Lock down restrictions have lifted here.
My Marriage has come to end as I found out a while ago he’d had affairs… We still get on well, most the time as friends, after a lot of good counselling but for my mental health I really want & need time with my family and friends until I’m in a position to move (If I still want to) Especially after the affects of the Lockdowns!
I equally love animals but until my allergies are better I could only look after hyper allergenic animals/ fish/ plants and happily give someone’s home plenty of TLC and keep the place loved and clean!
Id really appreciate any tips to make house sitting still possible for myself, or other websites that might better cater for this?
Huge thanks in advance for reading this far and responding!
Hi @Viks and welcome! The majority of sits do involve looking after pets, but don’t be discouraged, there are definitely some opportunities that don’t involve furry pals. Sometimes for a longer sit, the homeowner will ask for help with yard work or maintenance that doesn’t involve pet sitting.
You can use the filters regarding pets when you search for sits so your results only include sits with either no pets or the types you choose. You never know what might pop up - for example I just did a quick search and right now there is a couple with a gorgeous home in Hawaii needing a sitter to look after a koi pond and a spectacular looking sit in Italy with no pets!
Wow @Lindsay! Thanks so much for your encouragement and for responding!
That’s great to hear! I’m off out shortly but when I get back I’ll start looking at more sitting opportunities using the filters and continue finding my way round THS.
Feeling a little more optimistic now thanks to your response.
Even though I would wish it for you @Viks, I will be honest. It will be tough. There will only be a few sits, and you won’t be the only one who applies. Most sits always involve cats and dogs.
How do you define allergic? That is a wide range. You should know precisely what works and what does not. It’s no use if you suffer from allergic reactions the whole sit. You can not leave the HO relies on you. Maybe you can include farm animals or horses in your selection. So everything that lives outside. That would increase your chances a bit.
For example, if I search now, there are only six possible sits for you. On the other hand, there are 723 sits for non-allergic people.
Here the filter option i used and if we are also honest here, the small pets should also be out of the selection. Because behind them usually hide hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits. Also no animals for people with allergies.
Hi @Viks welcome to our TrustedHousesitters community and to our community forum, such a shame about your allergies, especially being an animal lover, is it all animals?
There are owners who come to the site without pets although not in the same numbers as with pets, this will reduce your opportunities but as @Lindsay says you can filter your search by location and pets to sit. TrustedHousesitters care for all pets not just dogs & cats.
Creating a great profile, with references and photos and completing the verifications is an essential first step and applying for a sit is like applying for a job. Keep your application professional but let your personality come through, owners are looking for the why more than the how, although that is important to. Think with an owner’s “hat” on, what would you want to know about you?
You could also look at starting your house sitting locally if any opportunities arise that way you will be able to add THS reviews to your profile before moving to London, which is very popular with sitters and homes without pets are in high demand.
As well as the forum our Membership Services Team will be a great resource during your membership.
