My sitter cancelled with two weeks notice and I am really struggling to find another. We are accessible via public transport. I can’t leave my car as we need it to get to the airport 3 hours away. Every request I’ve put in has been declined. And we have a week to find an alternative. I’m panicking as we don’t really have another option and are booked to go to turkey
3 Likes
Sorry to hear @katiephillips18
Some suggestions are:
- Add a link to your profile and ask for feedback, see
How to add a listing or profile link to your FORUM profile - Remove and repost your listing to force the ‘New’ badge to appear, so it appears first when sitters sort by Newest (which most of us do)
- Consider adding your listing to the “last minute sits’ section of this forum if you still don’t have anyone one week out from your departure
Hope these ideas help 
4 Likes
Hurry up & link your listing here @katiephillips18 and when it’s only 7 days you can also post it on the last minute sits page. Do all the things @karinar suggests plus get a plan b through friends, neighbours, a paid sitter or kennels/cattery JIC. You’ll find a solution in the UK, so many options and not school holidays. The happy news is that once you’re sorted, Turkey 
is glorious right now so you’ll soon be able to chill in the sunshine 
Sorry we can’t hop over and help out. #thesethingsaresenttotryus
2 Likes
As a sitter I’d feel worried about this
“We are currently updating the house by decorating all rooms and renovating the kitchen so the pictures will be updated once these are done”
4 Likes
I saw that in the listing and it concerned me too @BonnyinBrighton
Thanks for the feedback. I didn’t even think it would have seemed like an issue. We moved into a home in October that had a lot of work that needed doing. It’s rented and we are spending any spare bit of cash on making it a lovely home
Sitters want to see photos of the rooms as they are now so they can decide whether it’s acceptable or not. Many sitters are not keen on staying in a place where renovating is happening, particularly if there will be contractors coming during the sit. I recommend you clarify any of this in your listing.
10 Likes
Then you need to show what the current state is of those renovations- and of course sitters would be VERY interested in this big red flag. The thing is to be transparent about it- don’t be ambiguous or cagey. Be upfront then sitters have all the info on which to form an opinion if it’s ok for them or not….
6 Likes
The major renovations were completed last week (the kitchen) which I have uploaded a photo of it’s mainly just decorating which is still being done. I’ve never done this before so I didn’t realise that would come across as an issue. I’m not being cagey I just didn’t want to upload unfinished rooms on photos I didn’t think that would be appropriate. I’m not disingenuous and all works were going to be completed before the sit was to take place
3 Likes
Then you need to say all of this otherwise how would sitters know? All a sitter has to go on is your description and a dozen photos- they use this to determine if it’s a possible fit before applying. They don’t know you or your thoughts or plans or intentions, how can they? Creating an easy early gateway/pathway to nudge a sitter to apply is the first hurdle- after that a video chat can open up the discussion about renovations which we all know always take far longer than planned. You really need to be able empathise with a sitter who offers a big commitment if they agree to stay. You’re in effect ‘selling’ your home/pet sitting opportunity so need to use all those well known marketing skills to do so.
1 Like
@katiephillips18 - Your home doesn’t have to be perfect , sitters don’t expect that . However your listing needs to be updated and accurate especially in relation to the rooms that the sitter will be able to use -bedroom including bed and storage , living room with sofa etc, dining table , office space (if sitter can use it ) .
Then the sitter knows what to expect when they apply . Like if you were choosing and AirBnB or hotel you would want to see photos of the bed.
After a sit , sitters are asked to rate these categories which will be published against your profile for future potential sitters to see .
Thanks for the feedback. I will take on board next time we need a sitter. When I uploaded the ad it was rushed and it was months ago when we first moved in and tbh I haven’t looked at it since only logging in to the app to communicate with the sitter that we originally had. And I hadn’t really thought much about it just recently uploaded a photo of the new kitchen… We’ve now sorted a sitter out. My father in law is travelling down to look after them so this post no longer needs to be here if admin can delete it
1 Like
Hi Katie
We don’t delete posts, but I’ve closed your last minute sit post, and as you’ve confirmed the sit is sorted out now, people will see that on this post and you don’t have to continue to take part in the discussion if you’re happy it’s run its course. 
Jenny
3 Likes
Thank you. I just don’t want to get notified if people still reply to it lol thanks for your help
As gently as I can manage to say this. If you come onto an open forum & ask for help and tips on how to find a replacement sitter urgently from an experienced group, then you have to take both the good and the bad feedback onboard and address the issues in your listing to help solve the problem you raised, & quickly. Otherwise, why ask?? #ifyoudontliketheanswerdontaskthequestion
I understand the need to sort out the issues with the add 100% but questioning my cleanliness and my ability to communicate and be a good pet owner just because I didn’t know how to write an advert properly isn’t constructive.
3 Likes
What’s interesting here to learn is that sitters and home/pet owners will act on ‘impressions’ and these are split second micro judgements due to not having anything else to go on initially. Sitters are primed to look for red flags, and will make judgements based on the smallest evidence, it’s guesswork at the initial stages…. The HO that gets this, manages the potential red flag communications by careful curation of their advert. And yes it’s ‘unfair’ and ‘unreasonable’ and ‘judging’ but it’s the same on dating apps and other sites where there’s a matching service. Nobody knows anything about you at all or how you live, so all we have is our capacity to extrapolate from a limited data set of information.
2 Likes
I didn’t really think of it like this. As I said I haven’t done an advert like this before. I see where you’re coming from. Take on board all feedback and for next time research exactly how to make a better ad. Take care
8 Likes
Have a lovely holiday @katiephillips18 -glad you have found a solution to your sitter cancelling which must be stressful even though it was for a genuine reason .
3 Likes
@katiephillips18 sorry you had to go through all this, have a wonderful holiday and happy it has worked out in the end. Life never stops teaching and we never stop learning. 
3 Likes