Hello all.
I registered a couple of days ago, but have already booked a trip away for June and the accommodation.
Have I jumped the gun a bit.
Grateful for any advice please
Amanda
Plenty of time to get a sitter for June. Pop your link into your profile so forum members can provide feedback on your listing to maximise your chances of finding the perfect sitter. Not sure which mods are on duty atm, but I’m sure someone will post the instructions on how to do that very soon.
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Hello, @Amanda56 I would like to wish you a very warm welcome to the forum community.
I believe that you also asked this question on another thread and the instructions were also posted there. I have now done that for you.
If you need anything else at all just let me know.
Best wishes Carla
Hi @Amanda56 - You haven’t jumped the gun, there is plenty of time to get a great sitter confirmed - June is still a way off.
Two things jump out to me when looking at your listing
1 - Your main picture of a field is not an attention grabber - I would change it for a picture of Berkley
2 - In a couple of pictures on your listing Berkley is sleeping on the pillows of the bed - is this where he sleeps? Would this be where he would be expected to sleep with the sitters? If so, I think it will put a lot of sitters off but also you should explain it in your listing so that your sitters are aware before they arrive.
If this is not the case, he just happened to be there when you took the pics and he will not be sleeping on the sitters bed then I would remove these photos
Other than that, it looks like a great sit - I will stick my neck out and say if you don’t get some applications soon I will eat my hat!
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Hello, very cute looking house and pooch. I’m with @Colin though on changing the first pic to one of Berkeley. We wouldn’t do a sit with dogs on our bed or pillows either, so definitely be clear on that & take them off if that’s not normal behaviour. A pic of your bathroom would be useful too. You have lots of time 
do not panic! Good luck 
Thanks. Very useful feed back. Much appreciated
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Many thanks for you feed back I’ll get on it today.
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is safe for another day!Hi would you mind having a lookin at my revised listing please?
Hi. Would you mind having a look at my revised listing please and tell me what you think.
Although i have just received my first offer!
Hi all. Is it okay to wait to see if I get any more applicants? Do I have to tell the applicant?
Grateful for any tips/advice.
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Hi @Amanda56 it is absolutely fine to wait for other applicants, but please communicate this with the current applicant, for example, just write a quick note to say: “Thank you so much for your application, I will process all applications once I reach the 5 limit” or something like that. Then at least they know what is happening. There is nothing as frustrating as waiting for a home owner to respond to an application to no avail.
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New HO/sitter here.
I had 4 sitters that replied to my listing fairly quickly.
I email with 2 and video chatted with 2.
I asked each sitter what was their timing to need a decision.
I asked them to keep in touch with me about their intetest and that I would keep them updated.
The communication was great. I didn’t hesitate to chat candidly about my chatting with other sitters and I did update all along the way.
I am approaching my interactions in both my applications as a sitter & in my HO listing with clear and candid communication.
We matched with a sitter for our listing just fine in the end.
And no bridges were burned in the process.
Good luck!
Keep us posted!
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Wait for 24/36 hours to see and then message your applicant and make contact and set up a video call from there.
Looks better but I’d still have Berkeley on the home page if it was me. Congrats on applicant no 1
@Amanda56 - congratulations on getting your first applicant. If I was you I would use the close-up pic of Berkley as your main pic and Berkley sleeping on the bed still needs an explanation.
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Hello and welcome!
A little feedback:
- Photo 5 and 13 are pretty much the same.
- I’d put all photos of Berkley first, now they are pretty much the last ones, sitters need to scroll quite a bit before finding him.
- as a sitter I also appreciate a quick reply indicating that you’ll review applications at a later date, however I’d indicate a time frame, not that you’ll do it once you receive 5 applications.
After a first message, I personally like to hear back with a suggestion to do a video call (or being asked further questions if there are any or being declined) within 5-7 days.
Reading that the HO prefers to receive 5 applications before letting me know makes me think that I may have to wait too long for my taste. Once I received a relatively quick first message, notifying me that they’d make their decision after a month. I withdrew my application explaining that I cannot wait that long.
Hi Peonie19
Thank you so much for your feed back.
I don’t actually know how to change the order of the photos?
The replied to my sitter within 10 hours, but I must admit I did wonder if I should wait to see if I got any more applicants.
I got back to her and said thank you for your reply and I would love to chat. I didn’t give any indication how long though.
I would not say that I’ll get back after 5 replies and would never leave anyone hanging for a month. In the end we contacted via video within 48 hours.
It’s tricky.
Incidentally what are your thoughts of dogs sleeping on a bed. The bed that is shown in the photograph is the spare room, he does not sleep on my bed.
Regards
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Hi Colin
Thanks for your feed back.
The bed photo is the spare bed, does that make a difference.
It’s my fault because I’ve allowed this to happen over the years, and now because Berkley is nearly 15 I think that he can sleep where ever he feels comfortable.
Regards