Hello - new here as an owner but just wondering if you can invite more than one person to do a sit. We are short on time to find someone and some people don’t even read their email or they read it and don’t respond. How exactly does it work when you invite a sitter - if they accept your invite is the sit confirmed automatically. Just not sure how it all works yet - any advice would be helpful. Thanks.
Hello @Zoegirl! In my experience as a sitter, when I am invited I still have to apply, that gives the HO the option to accept or decline.
2 Likes
Hi @Zoegirl you can reach out to many sitters at one time, those who you believe will be right for you, your pets and your home. When a sitter responds this is the time to begin your communications, by message and inviting a Skype/Video call this is the opportunity to ask all of your questions of each other. There are great articles on the website blog which will guide you through the process.
Experienced sitters will help you also, I cannot stress the most important thing is to communicate, this will help ensure a successful sit for everyone involved.
https://support.trustedhousesitters.com/hc/en-gb/sections/360000575877-Inviting-a-sitter
When you have communicated with a sitter and you both agree that the arrangement will be right for everyone you invite the sitter and they will need to confirm at this point you can share the Welcome Guide and arrange arrival times.
There are articles about questions to ask, cleaning guides, how to prepare etc.
You will also have great help and advice here on the forum.
5 Likes
I have a related question - can HOs invite sitters without posting the sit publicly? I assume so, but not really sure.
I also ask because I want to make sure this HO knows that it’s also a good idea to post the sit publicly so everyone can see it (in the off-chance that they haven’t).
1 Like
I’m new to THS as an owner but I believe you can invite sitters privately without posting the sit publicly. We have posted the sit (in Victoria BC) publicly but haven’t had much response so we’ve started going through profiles and inviting sitters who are close by.
5 Likes
Hi @Kelownagurl this section from our Help Section (FAQ’s) answers your question and the how
2 Likes
HI ZOE,
DO you know how I change from a sitter to a owner?
Hi @serenamomberg … if you confirm your account details via DM I can do this for you.
Hi all
I am a new user and just wondered whether I now invite people from my local area or do I simply just sit back and wait for people to contact us? Our holiday is approaching really fast 
Thank you in advance
Michelle
There is currently a lot of competition for sitters so you should be proactive in your sit. I would also recommend adding your listing link to your forum profile so people can provide feedback on how to optimize it. When is your holiday?
1 Like
It’s more time effective to post your listing. If you don’t get enough applicants, you can write to sitters in your area who indicate that they are available (we would write to new sitters without THS reviews since they will be most enticed by an invitation).
2 Likes
Hi
Do you think I should just invite people based nearby?
I don’t want to come across as aggressive or make anyone feel awkward 
Kind regards and best wishes
Michelle
Yes, I think that would be a good idea (if you don’t get enough applicants through your listing). A lot of new sitters start locally to build up reviews. We feel good about any invitation we get and we doubt it would make you come across as aggressive. 
4 Likes
I think I have added my listing to my profile. I am very much learning as I go along! lol … Thank you so much!
1 Like
It is 28th May 2022. Thanks
1 Like
If you do write to people directly then please address them by their names and read their profile first. It will be time consuming so hopefully, as @Timmy says, you will receive an application if you list it for everyone.
1 Like
Your sit is, indeed, linked. I would recommend adding photos of the sitter bedroom(s) and bathroom(s) as people want to see more of where they will be staying. I think there is a way to mark your listing as family friendly, so if you’re ok with that, I would make that update as well as mention any age limitations in your listing as families have a more difficult time finding sits so it could be very attractive. If you might be able to include use of your car, that might help. If you can’t do that perhaps mention if any of the supermarkets deliver since you don’t mention any grocery shopping being within walking distance, just being “up the road”. I would also consider updating your title. Only the first few words show in most views so maybe change it to easy family friendly dogs to start or something similar.
Once you get to within a week of the sit, if you still don’t have anyone, you can post in the last minute sit area. I would definitely reach out to people though, especially families. Good luck!
3 Likes
We would post a picture of all three dogs together first, they are very cute and we have traveled 10+ hours on a bus to cuddle with a Sphynx cat or a Saluki dog (both times it was worth it).
1 Like
I did reach out to a few people locally who had “saved” my listing. I either got no response, or, from one person, surprise that owners could see who “saved them”. She didn’t realize that TH did this, and honestly it did make me feel a bit awkward. Luckily, we did find someone who responded directly to our post and we are meeting them in person tomorrow! Good luck! I’m sure you will find a great housesitter.
3 Likes
@MichelleV , I was going to say, make sure you include a personal note with your invitation. I have received invitations without notes and it feels like I was part of a mailing list, so not something I am motivated to consider. I still reply with a personal message, as many times these HO are new and are not familiar with the etiquette.
6 Likes