Another vote for a single sit from a sitter. They’re more appealing to experienced sitters and avoid potential problems at a handover for which the owner isn’t present. It complicates things.
@Kena. +1 for the longer duration housesit.
We’re experienced housesitters. Currently on a three-month housesit in Interior British Columbia.
The housesitter community is surprisingly diverse. There is a significant subset of the community that actively seek housesits of greater than one month duration. We’ve completed several housesits of 1+ month in CA, OR and in BC, AB. Fun times.
Hope that you find a great housesitter.
I really appreciate your feedback! I definitely need to clarify this. Strike can be left alone for up to 6 hours, occasionally longer, but for extended periods, we’d need to arrange for a neighbor to check on him. I just didn’t want him to be left alone for 8–10 hours straight on a daily basis. I’ll make sure to update the listing to reflect this. Thank you!
Thank you so much for your kind words and feedback!
Regarding the bathroom photo— I was in the process of uploading new pictures, and for a brief moment, the bathroom image accidentally became the cover photo, but only on the phone app. On the website, I still see the exterior as the cover photo.
It’s probably just a glitch!
Thank you very much for your feedback.
Seems like WA is next , please check my listing
One sit please. If this was family friendly and we were available, I would apply to this sit.
@Kena, thanks for the nudge. Have reviewed your listing. Favourited it (so you can identify us). Nice spot. Anya seems a fine companion. Close proximity to city. Suspect that you’ll have great applicants. Don’t think that we can execute this housesit but who knows what future holds. Cheers.
I am a THS HO and sitter who lives about 30 minutes from your home. I would add a things to do list and distances/transportation information. For example, you are about 30 minutes from downtown Seattle where a sitter can visit museums, the Pike Place Market, Space Needle, etc. You are also about 30 minutes from the state ferries that cross the Salish Sea. Can they take your pup places? Add how far you are from the airport and train station. Mention light rail service that would allow a sitter to drive into a neighboring city and hop on light. Include distance to the Cascade Mountains and the hiking and skiing activities there. Just ideas.
Where is the members forum?
I would like the full 2 month sit. With the cost of airline tickets some sits are not worth it for 1 week. 2 months makes it worth my money and gives me plenty of time to see the things of interest. Have you offered a car. I like sits that offer a vehicle to use. Car rentals do not let animals in theirs and charge and extra $150 for cleaning fee. The Pacific northwest would be a great sit.
Here it is.
I was very confused. The note said it has been moved to the members forum so I thought there was a secret one I was missing. LOL!
Great feedback. I didn’t know the area, so this would be incredibly helpful.
Agree with everyone else on the longer sit. Your listing looks great! I’m saving it!
Jackie, since you are interested in this sit, it might be helpful to know that most of the public transportation in the region is dog friendly. This sit could feel a bit isolated if you don’t have a car, but if you can get to the nearby cities of Bellevue or Seattle there are many transportation options and things to do.
FYI, at least in the U.S.:
I’ve rented cars and taken sit dogs on many rides (if their health, personality and humans allowed). No problems at all with the rental car companies. Of course, don’t leave the car a mess, but that’s true of humans, too. And of course, if the pets took a dump or peed in there, you’d face a cleaning charge. But I’ve never encountered such an issue.
My copilot in Seattle, for instance:
I’m also from the PNW, close to the Portland area, and I recently landed a sitter for my 2.5 month sit coming up here shortly & overwhelmingly sitters like the longer sits, plus you don’t want to be dealing with different sitters while you are gone. I took my time & screened a bunch of people. For me if they are local, I do not accept them. I have had 3 really awful sitters & they’ve all been local, so I now have a rule, if they are local I generally decline them. My best sitters have been people who travel abroad often & my new sitter is coming from Italy. If you live in the PNW, you should get some good applications, but don’t be afraid to decline those that do not resonate with you. If they don’t have any previous reviews, I decline them, if they only have one or two external reviews I decline them. Remember you can only have 5 applicants at one time, so if you are sure you do not want them, decline them so it can open a spot for a new possibility. Another sitter provided this questionnaire they use when they do video interviews, you might want to check it out & get some ideas from it. I do NOT use all of these, but I do use some of them:
Here are all the collected questions so far.
• exact arrival/departure time
• how will the sitter(s) arrive? Do they travel by car and do they need a place to park it? Can we pick them up at a bus or train station?
• are they fully vaccinated (proof?)
• do they speak the local language?
• do they have a permanent address? Where can they be contacted by an insurance company in case of damages?
• are they ok with cleaning personal, gardeners etc on the property?
• are there any groceries we can shop for them before they arrive? Especially when they arrive at a weekend or late at night.
• are they allergic, vegetarian, vegan?
• if it seems important to you, ask for insurances. These may differ depending on where the sit takes place and where the sitter is from.
• In case you cannot provide a decent wifi connection, how do you plan to communicate with the sitter during his stay.
• How would you describe your house cleaning habits? Will you be able to clean the house at the end of your stay, including vacuuming and wiping down all touchable surfaces?
• Do you plan on spending any overnights away from the house?
• Do you have experience giving __ type of medication to a cat using __ method?
- Does your dog get along with other dogs? Strangers?
- Any specific times for (dog’s) daily walks?
- Any specific times for (dog’s) meals? Are (dog’s) meals before or after he walks?
- Fun question…How did (dog) get his name?
- Does (dog) enjoy playtime? balls? tug of war? hide and seek?
- During your time away, will need any medication(s)?
- Any behavior issues? Afraid of noises? Aggressive behavior? Separation anxiety? Excessive barking?
- How long can (dog) be left alone?
- Do you have a Welcome Guide to share? Disclaimer: I won’t accept any sits without this being done.
- Does (dog) know basic commands…i.e., heel, come, stay, sit, down?
- How is (dog) on his leash walking? Does (dog) pull? wear a harness?
- Fun question, when is dog’s birthday?
- Where does dog sleep at bedtime?
- Allowed treats? car rides to explore? allowed on furniture?
- Does (dog) have to be crated? Or does he have free roam of the house?
- Security cameras on premises? Interior / Exterior?
- Is your home non-smoking?
- What time would they like for the sitter to arrive and what time would they return?