I (we) are brand new too. Just added some dates to see how it goes. I would love any input on our listing:
Edited to add listing to forum profile
Lily Joy is absolutely adorable. 
What attractions are in your area?
How long can Lily stay at home by herself?
What type of public transport is close to your home and how close is the nearest supermarket?
Looks like a stunning home @mocapman 
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Hi there,
I took a look for you.
Overall, your listing looks welcoming & friendly & you have lovely pictures. A few details could be added, however. Hereâs some ideas to consider:
1: Title:
Try a more engaging title that tells sitters straight away why they should sit for you & what they can gain from this sit. For example: Relax & unwind in Corvallis; slow pace, Willamette Valley & more!
2: Intro.
Your introduction tells a lot about you & your life choices, but doesnât do much for sitters. Try condensing and telling sitters straight away why they should pick this sit and visit Corvallis, plus please introduce your dog a little in the intro; thatâs what sitters are here for. Tell sitters how many sitters you can host, and what you expect for a handover (when should a sitter arrive?)
3: Home & location. Mention:
- Home: where are sitters sleeping? How big is the bed? Is there a secure garden?
- Location: what is in the area to see and do? Why should a sitter visit Corvallis? Youâll really need to sell your location and things to see and do to gain applications. Also, what amenities are nearby? Stating âthereâs plenty of friendly faces & furry friendsâ again doesnât do much for sitters; think practically about where is the nearest shop, amenities, pharmacy etc.
- Transport: where is nearest public transport? Do you have parking available? Can you offer to collect sitters from the nearest station or airport?
4: Responsibilities section.
Mention:
- How long can Lily be left alone? (If you ticked a box for this, it canât be viewed publicly and youâll need to manually write it).
- Can she go on public transport or car rides with the sitter?
- When you say visit the dog park, how often? Once a day? More? Is the dog park securely enclosed?
- Does she have a dog flap to the garden?
- Dogs that sleep on the bed will limit your pool of applicants. Is this really necessary, or can there be an option for Lily sleep elsewhere for the sit?
Dates:
-
The April 3 - 6 date might be tricky to fill, as itâs so short - most sitters look for at least a week or longer for a sit to be worth their travel expenses, time & energy. A local or repeat sitter might be your best bet for these dates.
-
September - October dates are still far away; if youâre not finding success with those dates, try boosting & re-listing closer to the time (3 - 4 months before rather than 8 months.)
Here is a blog that might also help, especially for your intro:
Hope that all helps, and best of luck!
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Thanks so much for all the great advice. I wish I had been on the forum doing research before I created the listing. I might take it down while I do a rewrite. There are so many things I will change based on all the advice.
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Thanks Gabba! I will definitely update our listing and take your advice.
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Lily Joy is going to steal hearts! Your home looks beautiful and comfortable.
I live in Portland, Oregon. My only advice would be to add a few items in your Home and Location section. Maybe a list of nearby sight-seeing opportunities, and which are dog-friendly? For example:
Newport: Visit beaches, hiking trails, crabbing
Silver Falls State Park: Hiking, trail walks
The Oregon Garden
Silverton
Mount Angel: visit the Abbey, the sausage company, and the brewery.
Pumpkin patches, corn mazes in October. Harvest time.
Corvallis is a vibrant college town buzzing with events. Is there an OSU football game in town during your Fall dates?
Can be rainy in the Spring but the Fall dates will be perfect. Crisp mornings and sunny, warm, dry, humid free days.
This would be a great Sit! I love visiting Corvallis. Such a gorgeous area.
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Hi PVGemini,
Iâve spent some time rewriting the listing and I think Iâve incorporated a lot of advice but it is still probably toooooo wordy.
As far as the sight-seeing opportunities, would it be ok to put those in the Welcome Guide and remind them to review the guide? Or is the guide not available - I canât see it on other listings.
I took another look for you, and and your listing is lovely! Maybe a little wordy, as you say, in some places, but overall it sounds spectacular 
You can definitely pop those details in the welcome guide (WG). The WG isnât public; it can only be shared with your confirmed sitter, as it contains all your home and pet details including your address, emergency contacts, pet care instructions, phone numbers etc.
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Itâs to your disadvantage to not include sightseeing opportunities in your listing, because sitters typically wonât do such searching upfront when there are countless sits to scroll through and compare when deciding whether to apply. Theyâre more likely to skip your listing. (Exceptions: If youâre in an obviously great location like London or Paris.)
Plenty of hosts figure out how to include such info in their listings and yet be concise. You might want to take a look at other listings and see how theyâre written, especially those in your area, because theyâre your competition for sitters.
Thereâs probably other info in your listing that you can tighten up on and/or move to your welcome guide, which is visible only after a sitter accepts the sit and you share the guide.
Of course, itâs your choice what to include in your listing, but sitters are deciding which sits to pursue and if your listing doesnât share whatâs appealing to a visitor, it lessens the chances that youâll be chosen. THS sitters spend their own time and money to travel â they have to see sits as worthwhile. Otherwise, thereâs little incentive to voluntarily sit. Most of us arenât homeless and without resources, so werenât not looking to sit just for shelter. Most of us could just stay home or do nonsit travel if we canât find sits that are good exchanges.
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Hi @mocapman. Welcome to the forum.
Probably some sitters will agree itâs too wordy (it probably is, perhaps the introduction can be shortened a bit) but I just love the tone. The listing really makes sitters feel welcome and fairly treated and Lily looks gorgeous.
This thread is a great example of the forum at its best: people reaching out for advice, taking it on board and keeping the forum updated.
Good luck.
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Love your listing
The only thing Iâd edit would be the âabout usâ . Itâs a bit wordy and feels a little over the top but I do see you live in a great area and want to highlight!
The rest- is great- with all the details ( under description of the area/space and responsibilities that sitters want to make a decision to match with you
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Your listing is great. It is long. Perhaps just review again and get rid of any redundancy. Not everyone is into wine and beer, so I am glad that you incorporated other attractions!
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Thanks again @Maggie8K and @Nagy26
I will cut out a lot of the wordiness, be more concise, and try to eliminate the irrelivant. And, I will definately be adding good sightseeing info.
Thank you again for great advice and support.
As we try to connect with the commnity here I have to draw on lifeâs experience. We have hosted Airbnd for years and loved everything about it. Now we are hosting TH-Sitters as well as going out on âSitsâ ourselves. As sitters we will be looking to explore destinations near family, or our bucketlist destinations. As hosts, we know very well the complications and responsibilities of opening your home to strangers. We will be the sitters that remeber we are still guests. Our echange of house/pet sitting services will not come with any expectations other than a loved home and loved pets. We have used Rover and other professional pet sitting platforms but we are expecting this platform to be more about exchanging homes and pets with like minded people that want to explore. I really do expect to find hosts and sitters like ourselves here, but we can continue to pay our local professional sitters if needed.
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Was just thinking⌠on our current sit, the little dog had an experience with young children as a puppy, that he found unnerving and as a result, every time he sees children or approaches a school during his walk, he hesitates and whimpers. It also seems to happen with loud barking, enthusiastic larger dogs, even though they are contained. Maybe (and sorry, I havenât read your listing details), you could also include in your WG any fears/anxieties your gorgeous little dog may have. Good luck!
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