New here and looking for tips

Hi everyone,
My name is Devon and i’m new to THS.

We’re in need of a sitter in Dec as myself and my daughter are flying out to UAE to join my husband in planning our move out there.
Whilst we’re there, we’re looking for someone to house sit and look after our 2 mini dachshunds Bertie and Buzz,

But, I’m struggling to find anyone with true availability over Christmas.
I know Christmas is a tough time to find sitters but if anyone has advice it’d be greatly appreciated.

Thanks :heart:

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First - you may find a sitter closer to the dates. I know you want to have one arranged now, but often sitters make last minute plans. I had a Thanksgiving sit listed and most of the applicants came in the 10 days before the sit.

Your house is amazing (I love modern styles) but I would change the first photo to one of the dogs, especially if it shows their size. 2 tiny dogs are easier than 2 large ones, so that might grab attention. Also on dogs - many sitters want to know how long they can be left alone, and how long their walks should be.

Your headline needs to sell the sit to people who are browsing. Only the first few words show on a thumbnail, so make sure that these words tell sitters something they can’t see from the thumbnail listing. You could say “Car included, family friendly, tiny dogs near Edinburgh” This is all info that isn’t obvious from thumbnails.
image

Add a photo of the living area, and remove some photos of the dogs. 2-3 of the animals is usually enough. I know it’s tempting to add more because they are so cute!

Good luck.

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A warm welcome @DevonP and pleased to see you’ve found your way to the forum to get some advice from our very helpful community! Bertie & Buzz are beautiful… I have a huge soft spot for dachshunds, and I’m hopeful you’ll find sitters soon. Have you used sitters before, or is this your first time?

There’s no doubt it’s a busy time but there are still lots of sitters looking for Christmas locations and your home and pups will I’m sure make a special Christmas for whoever takes this sit … and it certainly won’t be difficult for the lucky applicants to provide cuddle duties for this adorable pair :heart_eyes: I’ve shared a picture as I couldn’t resist… hope you don’t mind!

@Lassie has provided a perfect title for you… as you browse the forum you’ll notice how important a car is for many, so this would be a good point to highlight. For now I’ll leave you in the hands of our members, but if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us on the forum team!

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@DevonP we did a housesit in East Lothian earlier this year and visited Dunbar twice. We loved the cliffs and the harbours and watching all the seabirds. It’s a fantastic location and really well connected. Bertie and Buzz are adorable! We are already booked on another sit at Christmas, but I had to favourite your listing in case you need to make more trips before your big move. Good luck!

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Thanks everyone for your replies and kindness. I’ve taken your tips into account so :crossed_fingers:t3: we find someone.

@DevonP In my opinion, it’s unfortunate you chose not to follow @Lassie’s title suggestion to the letter. She has great experience and is wonderful at creating titles. As has been said by Lassie and @Vanessa_A , those first two words - car included - are your greatest promotional tool.

Here’s how your thumbnail now looks - car included, being at the end of your title, doesn’t even display. :worried:

Screenshot 2022-11-20 at 1.46.23 PM

I hope all goes well for you.

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After making the changes I’ve since found a sitter, which is great!
Thanks everyone.

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Thank you :blush:

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Brilliant news thank you for the update @DevonP have a great Christmas and a safe trip to the UAE, how exciting to be planning a move there …

We were fortunate enough to live in many different parts of the world with my husband’s work every new posting was an adventure, although I was always left doing the actual move I think the record for unpacking a 40 foot container and having it all “placed” was 48 hours … the lifestyle has served me well though especially when housesitting , I can immediately feel at home anywhere, can improvise with the best and packing and unpacking is a breeze, well most of the time. :wink:

Good luck we can’t wait to share in your new adventure and find out what surprises you the most about your new place of residence …

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