New here, looking for long-term sitter

Owner Questions, Advice & Chat
1

Hello everyone,

I am brand new to this and have some questions about longer sits. I’ve looked in other topics but still have questions. Apologies if this has been addressed already.

I am considering leaving the US to teach English abroad for 3 in early 2027. I have a cat that I’d need sitting for. My concern is that I live in a studio apartment. It is nothing fancy and my complex doesn’t offer amenities like higher end apartments do. I live here because I have everything I need, it’s affordable, quiet, safe, and in a great location in Austin, Texas.

For those who are sitters, would a place like this turn you away from sitting? Would it be worth me trying to post this as a 3-month stint or should I maybe break it up into 1-month sits? Is that even possible? I’ve read up on what sitters like to see in a longer stay and all that made sense. I just want to make sure that sitters are aware that they’re not coming to a big house with lots of bells and whistles.

I spent most of yesterday reading through the forum. If there is a thread I may have missed that speaks more to this, please let me know.

Thank you!

2

Fabulous destination, would love 3 months in Austin! A lot of sitters seek out long sits so 3 months can be very appealing. Equally cat sits as they tend to be more flexible than pooches. Don’t split it. Don’t worry that it’s an apartment either - less to clean, easy to care for. Sitters want to know that it’s clean, safe, cosy, has useful amenities like washing machines, coffee makers and decent WiFi (especially for longer sits) and you’re off. Create a listing with great pics of the cat, home, living room, bedroom and bathroom, kitchen and any outdoor space. Explain what there is to do nearby and make it welcoming and post asap. #3monthsitsrock

3

As a sitter who actually prefers longer sits, I would encourage you to post the full three months first rather than automatically breaking it into one-month sits. There are sitters who specifically look for longer stays because they enjoy settling into one place rather than moving every few weeks.

A studio apartment would not necessarily turn me away, especially if it is clean, quiet, safe, comfortable, and in a good Austin location. For a longer sit, I would care more about the overall livability of the space, the cat’s routine, laundry, storage, natural light, and whether there is enough room to comfortably live there for several months than whether the building has luxury amenities.

I would be very transparent in the listing and include plenty of photos so sitters know exactly what the space is like. I’d post the entire three-month period first and see what kind of interest you receive. You may be surprised. If you don’t find the right person, you can always consider dividing it later.

Personally, a three-month sit with one cat in a good Austin location could be very appealing to me.

4

In your place, I’d list it as a three-month sit, because Austin is popular and longer sits are likewise with many sitters. Plus, it would be less trouble for you to have one sitter vs. multiples whom you wouldn’t be around to do handoffs for.

A small place wouldn’t bother many sitters. Less to clean.

Out of curiosity, where will you be teaching?

5

Great question! You might be surprised by how many people are interested in a long-term sit. However, there is one limitation that TrustedHousesitters hasn’t addressed yet.

I would test the waters by listing the full period as soon as you know the exact dates. If you don’t receive any suitable applications after a reasonable amount of time, you could split the sit into shorter periods.

As a sitter, I sometimes see a long-term listing remain open for months, but I’m unable to apply because the start of the sit overlaps with another sit I’ve already agreed to. Even if I’m available for most of the remaining period, the platform doesn’t allow me to submit an application.

For example, if your sit runs from January 1 to July 1 and I have already accepted another sit that ends on January 3, the system won’t allow me to apply, even though I would be available for almost the entire remaining period.

There are now some AI-assisted workarounds for sitters to be able to find the host and contact in another way, but it helps when hosts are aware of this limitation. Otherwise, suitable sitters who are available for a significant part of the period may never get the opportunity to contact them.

It would be helpful if hosts could include something like this in their listing:

“These are the full dates of our sit. Ideally, we’re looking for someone who can stay for the entire period, or for as much of it as possible. However, please feel free to contact us if you’re available for only part of the sit.”

Because of the platform’s limitations, you might ultimately need to divide the full period between several sitters, depending on their availability.

And maybe you are lucky and would @Cuttlefish be exactly one of the sitters you are looking for!

6

If I had the opportunity for a long term sit, the description of your place would not turn me away at all ! Some of us don’t need places with high end fancy-schmancy offerings and, indeed, prefer simpler accomodations.

I believe that I speak for all of us when I say that the two things that every single sitter needs are a clean home and a communcative and respectful homeowner. Based on your post, sounds like you have these down pat !

Good luck finding a wonderful sitter for your cat !

7

That’s very kind albeit we don’t sit in the USA (despite the Austin love) but am sure @saldate will find someone fab. #longsitlove

8

Thank you all so much for the wonderful info. You’ve given me hope that I might be able to make this happen. I will work on a detailed post with all the info y’all suggested and will post as soon as I know it’s happening.

If this works out, I will be spending 3 months in Peru. :crossed_fingers: Thanks again y’all! :purple_heart:

9

What kind of bed do you have in your studio apartment? A studio for those in another country may not know is one big room that includes your sleeping area and eating area. Do you have a Murphy bed or a couch bed or a regular bed? List what size and if it is suitable for a couple or not. Do you have a full kitchen? Some studios do not. Make sure that if you are splitting up the sit and you don’t get someone for the 2nd half that you know who will care for your cat for the remainder of the time. Always have a plan b so Kitty is well taken care of. Do sitters need a car or is it close enough to bus lines, grocery stores? Can you leave a car for the sitter to use?

10

So I think you have a great advantage being in central Austin.

As a HO, I’ve learned to take a critical eye at your listing and how you present your offering. For me, my home is not small but it’s certainly not fancy, ocean-front, upscale or any of the things that get listings a billion applicants in a day. But, that doesn’t mean I don’t have other strengths that I can emphasize in my listing. Take a look at the 5 sub-categories that THS ‘grades’ HO on: Communication, Hospitality, Cleanliness, Pet Behavior, and Accuracy of Listing.

To me, if I have just an average home, then I need to be above average in other categories. So I level up on hospitality (offer use of my car, welcome dinners, flex days on the front and back end of a sit), Cleanliness (deep clean before every sit, or hire a cleaner), Communication (always cordial, concise, and professional - but not cold - and also includes having a clear welcome guide available timely - sitters should not have to chase you for this), Pet Behavior (be realistic - and if your pet has some needs, think about having some help available for sitters to be able to get out and about one or two days a week - a drop in sitter, doggie daycare, etc - just some help to make it a good exchange), and lastly Accuracy of Listing (be upfront about any issues with your sit - eg I have a hairy dog and my home will never be fully free of dog hair, my pets wake up early, my cats like to sleep on your head - or you only have a couch for sitters to sleep on - whatever it is, just put it out there in the listing. Best to be transparent vs it coming out in an ugly review later!).

So if your place is small, that’s ok. Be upfront about that, and what sleeping arrangements you can offer sitters. Then down the rest of your listing highlighting how awesome Austin is, bragging about how well behaved and easy your pets are, and how you as a host want to be welcoming and accommodating for sitters who, in exchange, will care for your pets.

So, don’t worry if your home isn’t a fancy castle. There are so many aspects that can make a sit fantastic for all involved - focus on excelling at those - hospitality, communication, etc. That’s how you make THS work when you have just an average home - make it super clean, make it super welcoming, be clear in your listing, and be accommodating for sitters who want to take a day or so and look around.

I think you’ll definitely find great sitters if you embrace the spirit of the exchange! Good luck - it’s great when it works as intended!

11

Don’t break it up, we love longer sits, they’re fantastic because we can totally relax without the logistical side of travelling/transport/hauling suitcases around.

We’ve pet sat in a caravan, and a tiny 1-bed apartment, along with larger places. We’ve sat in small places with lots life-clutter and ornaments, and those with the bare minimum (beyond minimalistic).

We don’t care about the type of accommodation, as long as we can figure out how to get food shopping done. So for us, that’s within a 20 minute drive in our own country, or if we’re overseas, it’s within a 30 minute walk.

12

Hello! HO here - my sits are almost always 1+ month, and I live in an older apartment building with basically no amenities. It’s not a studio but has a non-compliant bedroom (no window) and it’s small. I list anywhere from 2-4 sits per year and have had great successes, despite living in a saturated area with tons of homes much “nicer” than mine offering sits all year long. Here are my hot tips:

  1. Location makes a huge difference - being in Austin will be a big draw! I don’t recommend breaking it up, especially for your first sit. Longer sits are more attractive - they only non-stellar sits I’ve had (and they were fine, just not awesome) were for sits less than one month. I’ve also had very good sits for shorter times, but longer sits do attract a different strata of sitters.
  2. Having one cat is also a huge plus. HUGE!
  3. Your profile is the key to finding the right sitter - be honest about any limitations, but talk up what is great about your neighborhood and your cat. List transit options. Post photos that show your place in its best light but are also accurate to what they will walk into.
  4. You don’t need a million sitters to apply to your sit, you need to find the people who will see how great your home is and want to stay there. So many of my sitters have commented about how they love and prefer old buildings. My sits appeals to a smaller group of sitters but they’ve been some real gems.
  5. Getting the first sit and review is the hardest. I recommend choosing an experienced sitter over another newbie if you have choices.
  6. Always do a video call before confirming a sitter! This is your opportunity to suss out the sitter, ask questions and let them ask anything they can’t discern from your profile.

Good luck!

13

@saldate, welcome to THS Forum. Kudos on trying to self-serve situation as there are prior threads on long-term sits.

Great advice already posted. Last year we completed a three-month sit without pets (western canada). Our contribution is to take a deep breath; create an attractive listing; and to firstly explore your ideal outcome (presumably one housesitter for three months). Consider how, in listing, you can make opportunity attractive to non-local housesitters.