Good morning - hi, I am seeking a house sit over Xmas in Hobart and unfortunately have missed out on some applications.
My question is, I found the perfect dates but looks like I’m unable to apply as the owners are reviewing.
Is it at all possible to contact the owners with my details as well? Would love to express my interest??
regards. Helan
(Post edited by the Forum Team to comply with the Terms of Service).
Unfortunately not once it’s reviewing @HelanT All you can do is favourite that sit and hope they don’t find someone they like on the first round of 5 applicants so it opens up again. #fingerscrossed
@HelanT, no it is not possible.
Other than through applications to open listings then housesitters cannot contact pet parents (other than previously contacted ones).
Suggest that you setup one or more Saved Searches for your specific criteria (location, dates, duration, etc) and ensure appropriate notifications (email and/or app).
The duration of time for which listings remain open varies greatly. Popular listings receive five applications very quickly. Less popular listings receive slow trickle of applications. Unappealing listings presumably receive minimal, if any, applications.
Like the others have said, no. If I were you, given you know exactly where you want and when, and it’s Christmas so extra special for you), I would save a search for exactly that, but instead of waiting until THS informs you of new sits for your saved search term, literally just check your phone every 30 mins or even more often, by simply clicking into that saved searched term. Because the new ones always appear first, and your brain automatically remembers the old images, so if you see nothing fresh straight away, just click out, it takes about 10 seconds of your time to do that way, unless you see a fresh sit appear.
That’s what I do when there is something very precise that I am looking for, because you will be in competition with the other sitters who have family in that area that they want to visit at Christmas, so those sitters will be naturally faster at applying than anyone else.
It’s not an effort or hassle to do when it only takes seconds, you’ll automatically remember the ones that are old, and you feel more in control instead of waiting until you get an update.
Take a look at aussiehousesitters where there might be more options
I agree with HappyDeb. I have found it hard to find sits in NYC or New Orleans. When I have a search saved for dates I click and check every 30 minutes… not exactly but that is how hard it is for those sits.
Definitely do a saved search.
Also, browse listings (without available dates) in the area, and “favorite” the ones that you like. Make sure you are receiving notifications on your cell phone. These seem to come through first for me. When a “favorite” posts new dates, I get a notification pretty quickly. If I look right away, usually it says “zero applications.”
If you are already familiar with the sit, you can click “Apply” immediately and send in your application.
Many more sits will open at Christmas! So if you don’t get this one, you are likely to get another. Here is another perspective: Sits go into review automatically once the reach 5 applications. Even if the homeowner declines someone or someone withdraws the status stays in review unless the homeowner has less than 5 active applications AND “unpauses” the sit.
The homeowner might unpause and look for more applicants at some point, so it is worth check in periodically to see if that is happening.
Thanks for that - I’m learning and it’s all new!
Thank you for the advice - I’ll set up a search - yes, Xmas is special time so will get to work
Thanks for the feedback - will set it up and fingers crossed!
I do this as well, and likewise feel I get these notifications first; even when I have a matching search saved, the Favorited notice pops up ahead of it.
Another suggestion: “favorite” the listing you just mentioned in your post as well, if you haven’t already. My understanding is that homeowners get notified when someone favorites them. It’s a bit of a long-shot, but I have had HOs reach out to me directly after looking at my profile, because I happened to be a great match for their preferred sitter profile.
Best of luck!
Oooo…I didn’t know the HO also had to unpause the sit after a withdrawal or declining an application. Thanks for this extra information!
Also take into account the time difference, as most sits are listed in the HOs ‘awake’ rather than sleeping time. I’ve found that many of my Perth Australia search alerts/notifications come in during my morning/their evening.
Yes. This is the case once there are 5. So even if a homeowner declines 4 out of 5, they won’t get more appicants until they “unpause”.