Would anyone be willing to review my listing (assuming I linked it correctly!) and provide helpful feedback to improve? Also curious to know if HOs should list reviews from other platforms (e.g., home exchange or Airbnb) to increase confidence for a potential sitter - I’ve noticed sitters adding outside reviews, but not sure if HOs can or should do that too.
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Welcome to the Forum @mamamomo143 
I can confirm you’ve linked your listing correctly!
I’m sure some of our lovely members will be along soon to give you their thoughts.
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Hi @mamamomo143 and welcome to THS and the forum
I’m a sitter and I’m based in the UK.
You listing sounds wonderful! Very full of detail. Good title and well organised front page.
You might get a comment that its too full and some things can go into your Welcome Guide however there are as many sitters who want full details in the listing as there are others who want it pared down.
Its your choice and you have the experience of house swapping so you know what works for you. You appear as a detail person, so you will appeal to detail minded sitters.
The in-laws in the garden will be seen as some as a +ve and by others as a -ve. You have highlighted the +ve as on occasion having backup for feeds and walks on occasion. For me personally its not a problem.
You mention going away for a month in summer, but the dates read for just under 2 weeks. Can you check?
Next step IMHO woukd be to start on your Welcome Guide as it seems some HOs are commenting it take some time to collate but you have a lot here already.
I believe the new WG can be downloaded to a .pdf and you can offer that in your listing , to prospective sitters. First without the personal details like wifi and address. I would be super impressed with such an organised HO.
Would you accept families? Could appeal especially if a month’s sit?
As a sitter I was able to ask for referrals from non-THS sits. Hopefully a HO will reply to you about how to do it.
There are all types of HOs and all types of sitters, some people will have different opinions to you (and to me) but go with your feeling, if it’s feeling good for you, be happy.
Good luck, I’m sure you will find like minded sitters and a good match. I’d apply if I was in the western States this year.
Edited to remove listing dates as per the Community Rules.
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For context, I live in Portland also and am only a Sitter on THS, but I also do Home Exchanges!
Your listing is pretty clear, and I especially appreciate the tone which expresses that you understand that the Sitter might want to explore the area, and there are ways that can be accommodated.
The fact that relatives live on the same property. Hmmm…that might be a dealbreaker, so you might want to explain exactly what that means. The plus side of the relatives is that the Sitter will have greater flexibility to go wine tasting, visit the Coast, Hood River, etc. Does the dog like car adventures?
Photos: Hard to tell if the table and chairs are in the front yard or backyard? Hard to see the area where the Sitters might relax? Maybe an additional photo of the living room back towards the blue chairs?
Your home is lovely! Looks very cozy and inviting for those who appreciate the architecture. I can vouch for the fact that it would be a fun place to walk the dog on level streets while passing by shops and cafes. Cute area. This part of the summer is perfect weather (usually).
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If you have Reviews on the Home Exchange website, you could certainly place a “quote” in your THS profile, an excerpt from a Review. That would be nice!
I can already imagine what it might say!
And yes, please double check your dates and change the wording which says “a month.” Did you look for a Sitter last year and never found one? There are no reviews.
For those considering this Sit, there are always lots of Sits in Portland, Oregon, so this could be your “anchor” and then find more as time goes on. Plenty of Portland people take vacations in July and August.
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I really appreciate this feedback so far, and will be updating soon. Great ideas in there! Thank you!! One thing I forgot to ask was about timing of the listing - is six months in advance a good option, or is that considered too early?
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Love your profile. Too bad the US is not on our itinerary this summer. I personally like that you wrote so many details. It shows that you understand the sitters perspective. And I love the pictures of Geumi. Regarding the timing of the posting: you might get different opinions here too, but I rarely commit to a housesit 6 months in advance. My suggestion would be no longer than 3 months before the housesit starts!
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I think your timing is perfect. You might actually appeal to an international Sitter who is trying to piece together a trip to the Pacific Northwest (USA)!!
And to those Sitters who are reading this—there will be lots of Sits in Oregon and Washington states during June, July and August, so you could commit to this one and then look for others as they pop up. Children usually get out of school by mid-June (at the latest) and go back to school around the end of August, so lots of families take vacations during this period of time.
We invite you to look us up on our attached profile. We might be able to host you at our home for a few days if there is a need. Love meeting new people! Send me a direct message.
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Hi and welcome @mamamomo143. I agree that your sit looks fabulous. You’ve got great photos showing off your lovely house and adorable dog. I also agree that you really convey your thoughtfulness about the sitter’s experience. The presence of the in-laws might be a no-go for many, but — for me — your obvious generosity tips the scales to very desirable.
I think much of the detail could be saved for the WG, but I love it. If I were to head to Portland…
Good luck!
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I like your listing. You sound friendly and I like that you included a lot of info sitters would like to know. Have you considered opening up to families? You mention the master as well as kids bedrooms.
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That’s something we as sitters like to know too: my partner is a light sleeper, so we only do sits where 2 bedrooms are available. So you could say, “2 kids bedrooms, available if needed.”
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