I’m new and have posted a listing but have had no responses, any advice? Do I need to actively look for a sitter or maybe there’s tips to attract sitters?
How long has your sit been posted and how far in the future is it?
If you use the ‘search’ {spyglass, top right} there are many tips on what to include in your home-owners profile and what sitters find useful.
Also, if you link your home-owners profile to your community forum profile, we’ll see it and be able to offer constructive suggestions on how to improve it. Instructions here:
Hello @A-T and a very warm welcome to the Community Forum
As @Ketch mentioned, if you could add your TrustedHousesitters profile on to your Forum profile by following the attached link this will then enable others on here to offer you helpful advice and feedback and will also give your listing extra exposure!
If you are unsure how to do this, or if you have any questions at all, do not hesitate to ask, we are all more than happy to help.
Thank you both for your responses and help! I have added a link to the listing in my Profile.
Maybe it’s just me but the link isn’t working, can you make sure the URL is complete?
The link doesn’t work, please double check. A moderator can also do this for you if you request it.
@Shafofo and @andrealovesanimals , it’s never a ‘clicky’ link for new members. You have to copy and paste it into a new tab/window. It becomes a clicky link after a certain amount of time.
I can’t see the whole URL to copy though, it goes to … and disappears
Oh, in that case I dont know what to say. Copying and pasting works fine for me!
If you click on @A-T 's name once, you get a box where you can see part of the link. Click on @A-T 's name again in that box to see the whole of the link.
Your profile looks ok, but maybe by you putting Asia in your main title may have made sitters thing that’s where the sit is, as they glance through very quickly looking for places MN.
@A-T , be patient. A moderator will fix your link and the rest of us will then be able to help you make your listing attractive to prospective sitters.
If you want to try again, do this:
Go to the regular website: trustedhousesitters.com and select, Find a Sit.
Enter your location and look for your listing.
Click to open your listing, then highlight and copy the link in the address bar.
Next, go to the forum and click on your image or initial in the little circle on the upper RIGHT.
Click on the bottom icon of the silhouette.
Click on Preferences, then Profile (in the bar across the top).
Paste your listing link into the space for web address.
@mars Thank you for the reassurance. @A-T the link should now be showing correctly on your forum profile. As a new user, it won’t yet hyperlink but you and other forum users can copy and paste the link into the browser and view your home listing. Any questions feel free to DM me
January in Minnesota is a hard sell.
Are you able to provide use of a car?
Can you describe winter activities in the area?
Helping potential sitters understand what your area offers and making it appealing will be helpful.
I looked at the photos (that is the first thing I usually do), and to be frank, I thought the interior photos looked somewhat gloomy. It was much better when I got to the cat photos.
The descriptions are a bit short, but those cats seem easy. It is nice that a neighbour takes care of the snow. A month is an attractive length of time.
(But I am in Sweden, I won’t apply. Plenty of winter here…)
Thank you all for this helpful information and for reviewing my Listing. I have changed the title to be more Interesting that was helpful advice.
There is a car available but I’m struggling to offer it’s use to a stranger. I’m guessing that’s a normal struggle for a newbie, huh?
I sit in the Midwest a lot and I think winter sits there may be slower to fill, but be patient. It’s good that you included info about snow removal, that’s always my first question for winter sits so I can make an informed decision. I would recommend adding information about what there is to do in the area to attract sitters who may not be familiar with Minneapolis.
I’m doing a sit in Michigan in January, so some of us don’t mind the snow!
Cat sits are easy. Your house looks fine. Probably not a lot of people who don’t have a reason to be in Minneapolis want to be there this time of year, so it might be slow getting applications, but I’m sure you’ll get them. Give it time. I don’t think you need to start looking for sitters by browsing through sitters just yet. However, In your position if I was going to browse for sitters I might look for local sitters or sitters who live in smaller towns within a few hours who might welcome a chance to be in your city and/or sitters just getting started who want to do a great job and gain some site reviews.
Thank you @Marion !
Hi @A-T , I’m going to second the suggestions you’ve had here. Your pictures are very nice, but it might be helpful to show your shower and they will also look better if, as @pietkuip says, they are brighter.
You should sell your location in the winter. For example, they can visit Ingebretsen’s Nordic Marketplace, go snowshoeing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ice skating and even snowmobiling. Snowmobiles are available to rent and you can mention any gear you have that you’d be able to lend the sitter(s), i.e., snowshoes, snow boards.
They’ll be able to see the fabulous ice castle installations at Ice Castle Minnesota. They’ll be there during Winter Carnival that features ice and snow sculptures, traditional Minnesotan foods, and a grand parade through downtown St. Paul.
Is your home suitable for a family? If so, check/tick that box. This can increase your pool of sitters.
I know you are not sure about lending your car but if you do, it will make your sit more appealing to out of town sitters who would arrive by plane, train or bus. If you don’t find someone you really like by, say, Dec 1, you could add, sitters can use your car to your amenities list.
You might also want to include a lot more info about public transport options, such as how far the bus stop/train station is, how often they run, and if you can pick up the sitters from the station/airport on arrival and/or drive them back at the end of the sit.