Does anyone on our forum have suggestions or recommendations for obtaining a last minute house sit d/t sitter cancellation. (Traumatic event). I have searched the member site, sent invites to persons within Texas who might be able to travel with less preparation. I am hitting a brick wall. We have a confirmed vacation to Cancun, complete with airfare and resort reservations.
My heart hurts for our sitters who were scheduled to sit for us Aug 22nd-Aug. 30th. This was an awful thing to happen. I am trying to figure out whether to cancel our vacation or hold on for a last minute sitter applicant. Are there any sitters on this site that would be willing to travel to Belton Texas to care for 3 loveable pets in our home. Im pretty desperate here as you can probably tell. Any help would be appreciated!!! Thanks all
HI @DAV1 this is such a tragic and sad situation. I will have one of our Membership Services Team connect with you on Monday.
Thanks Angela.
Davi
I wish I could help you out, it looks like a great sit. But I’m committed to sitting for my brother from mid-Aug to mid-Sept.
A suggestion - are you comfortable letting the sitter use your car? If so note that in the listing.
For me, having a car to use is a big factor for a sit that isn’t in a city with good transportation.
I am very willing to fly to a sit, but renting a car has just gotten too expensive.
In fact, for a sit like yours - I’ve a few times met the host at their departure airport and then arranged a handover of the car on the return date. Save the HO paying for airport parking or transportation.
The sit I’m on now, I’ll be leaving the car in the parking lot at the airport, taking a picture of the spot, locking the key and the parking ticket inside. The HO will arrive about 2 hours after I leave and drive home.
tom
Thanks for your reply. That sounds like a great idea actually. The only problem is that I like my THS to come to my home the day before we leave. I like to introduce them to my pets, show them around the home and the area and get to know them a bit. I like that personal contact to decrease my anxiety about leaving my pets.
Hi. I’m sorry to hear of your situation. I can’t be of any help from my location. I’ve viewed your listing and I would suggest you add a photo of the areas the sitter will be using - kitchen, guest bedroom, and bathroom. You say you don’t have recent photos of your home, but I’d suggest that you should take a few minutes to take them and add them to your listing. It’s lovely to see a photo of each of your pets, but many sitters want to see the areas they’ll be using. As you’ve mentioned that you’d like them to come the day before, if you have more than one bathroom, although not essential, it is a good idea to mention that.
You may want to mention how close or far away you are from essential needs for groceries etc. You say you’re in a residential neighbourhood but that can mean so many different things. Keep in mind that sitters come from a wide range of backgrounds so some specifics might be helpful.
I think it’s worth taking some time to expand your listing, as you are then more likely to get applications.
As @toml has mentioned, you may need to consider offering use of your vehicle, even if you stipulate just for local travel. I will also not rent a vehicle as well as pay for flights as it makes the trip too expensive.
I hope things work out well for you.
That’s bad. 
From a sitter’s point of view, I’d suggest a better description and better pictures to possibly increase applications.
Wishing you luck!
My sitter just emailed me that her husband died and she (of course) cannot do the agreed upon sit. I unconfirmed on the site and adjusted the dates so that it would be reposted, but I’m really worried about finding someone with this time frame. We have tickets to fly and commitments made. Dates are Sept 29 to Oct 11. I’m not frantic yet but will be soon. Any suggests (or even offers to sit) would be mightily appreciated.
Shirley, it would help if you told us where you are looking for a sitter. But Sept 29 is still a while off.
Sorry. I’m a bit flustered and overwhelmed with the news so I’m not thinking clearly. We are in Eastern Connecticut and it’s lovely here in October with the leaves usually changing color.
Hi @ShirleyE I have sent you a DM
Thanks to everyone who has joined this conversation and contributed helpful advice and support for both @ShirleyE and @DAV1 … updating and enhancing listings @Snowbird thank you. It’s the obvious place to start and having an owner view their listing through another pair of eyes, especially a sitter’s, is incredibly helpful It can be difficult being creative with something that is so familiar.
Offering the use of a vehicle where possible, is often a real benefit that can make a difference for many potential sitters.
I will follow up with both @ShirleyE and @DAV1
Thanks everyone.
I think I must be missing something on this Forum.
On many occasions members make references to a listing which I cannot see.
E.g. @DAV1 thumbnail doesn’t include his listing but @Snowbird says she has viewed your listing. How?
I get that same feeling at times, so I understand. Just a little detective work. If someone gives their location, or specific dates, I search that way. However, there are times when others comment on the specifics and I haven’t been able to find it. Other than someone adding a link on their forum profile to their THS listing or profile, there isn’t any direct way, at least not that I’ve figured out.
Thanks to everyone who has commented and provided suggestions to enhance my listing. (Im kinda new at this). I have added pictures to my Welcome guide as suggested. Hope that helps. I will make other changes as well and provide more detail of our area. ShirleyE…I think we are experiencing the same situation. Still in shock that this even happened. The use of a personal vehicle is certainly an option. But…wondering. Are there insurance concerns that go along with that regarding coverage?
Again…thanks to everyone who has taken time to provide helpful feedback.
Darla
Thanks very much @Snowbird
Auto insurance varies widely, both with individual policies, and in various countries. For example, my personal auto insurance covers me driving another vehicle in Canada or the US, but not elsewhere. In some countries owners have to purchase specific temporary coverage for that additional driver. You would need to consult your insurance carrier for specifics.
Your interior photos will need to be on your listing, not your welcome guide (or in addition to it). I believe your welcome guide can only be viewed by a confirmed sitter.
Snowbird…Thanks. Did not know that about the photos. I will get that changed. I have learned a lot in the past few days!
Hi @DAV1 I have sent you another DM …
This situation is so sad. Our thoughts are with the family of the sitter. Once your sit goes live, please also post the link in this thread, so that folks can see it and give suggestions and possibly even have some interest from sitters here. You have almost 2 months before you leave, so hopefully you will have lots of great candidates. If you had candidates who applied to your original post, some may still be interested.