Yes, there have been many discussions on the forum about the challenge of defining the word “clean” or “neat and tidy”. It is so subjective! I’m convinced some people simply do not truly see certain things. Proof of this is when we sitters see photos on listings of very messy and cluttered homes. I mean, if the HO truly felt their home was messy, uninviting and not clean, would they actually post photos like that in hopes of attracting someone to come stay there and care for their pets? Not likely, right? Clearly everyone’s standards varies greatly. Makes it all a bit challenging indeed. I think the phrase “please leave the house just as you found it” MIGHT help a bit except that I really believe some people are simply blind to different things. I have family members who are nearly OCD level neat - they definitely see things I do not (like a wrinkle in a curtain).
We now ask HO’s during our video chat to describe any experiences they’ve had with sitters that didn’t meet their expectations. This is helpful information for us.
I am curious if your sitter responded to your review?
In our profile we highlight that we don’t sit any homes that make us think ‘yuk’ regarding kitchens and bathrooms! We’re pretty fastidious so we also don’t do homes described as homely/comfortable it’s just not how we live normally. Our reviews support this as well. It’s a constant surprise to us seeing what a muddle/mess some HOs present their listings in…. and that the images are often them trying to show a home at its best! I think you need to be blunt, and say clearly that your home is kept spotlessly clean and tidy…. this would encourage us as sitters to read on. For others they’d be very much put off which for you would be a result.
One more thing….I suggest changing your “handle” (aka SharonValenti) here to be more discreet about your identity. Not only here but in general on the internet, your Housesit profile, etc. Stick with 1st name only at maximum. I know its not foolproof but it helps to protect from nefarious people.
I am glad to see so much helpful info here for you. This forum is wonderful!
Thank you for writing an honest review! Hard to fathom how she had previous excellent reviews. I am just making sure it’s clear - there are THS reviews for sitters, but there are also references that could literally be written by anyone, anywhere. These days I only pay attention to actual THS Reviews. I depend on these so thank you again and I’m so sorry you had this experience.
I think this is good advice. Unless you as a host are willing to deal with cleaning after sitter, “scare” away those who do not fit your norms. If you can afford that (meaning you are getting applicants).
I sit in “homely/comfortable”. Give me “museum” and I´m there! So when my hosts write “left the place cleaner than found it”, that is not always reflection of me and my tidiness, but of them. Thats why reviews are actually very very hard to understand and decipher.
I dont sit for hosts who write that they have high cleanliness standards, and we both are happy about that Unless it is a host who has a very easy to clean enviroment: all kinds of mashines, materials that are easy to keep clean, no clutter, high sofa under which the robot vacuum cleaner fits… Those work for me too.
I understand your reply. The fact for us though is we only gave permission to eat the produce that would otherwise go bad over our 14 days away. I don’t know how to copy our listing link to post in the forum so People here can view it and give me feedback on what, if anything, I might need to change/update.
(Member’s listing has been added to their Forum profile by the Forum team)
I understand that. However if you look at our listing you’ll be able to get a good feel for how we keep our home clean. It’s also quite obvious from the moment you walk in. I also left instructions about vacuuming regularly to keep the pet hair from accumulating. If it had been one thing that was left a mess we wouldn’t feel so annoyed. However, it was multiple things and overwhelming too. In the welcome guide everything is spelled out. We have a vacuum, carpet steam cleaner, electric mop, little Green Machine, cleaning supplies under the sink, etc., all spelled out. Definitely asks that the yard be cleaned daily of the dog poop. All the closet doors have yellow post-it notes taped to them advising what they will find in each closet.
We did not invite them to drink a case of sparkling water that we keep in the garage at this time of year nor half a case of water we keep in another closet, yet they helped themselves. As far as I’m concerned these are our private items and if you don’t have permission to take them, then don’t feel free to do so.
It’s been a strong lesson up front and in a way I’m glad it happened this way as we’ll know exactly what to ask sitters going forward.
Thank you for the suggestions. I gave an honest and pointed review. I also have pictures if anyone needs to see them.
We are having another sitter in May and have already had a video discussion with him about our first experience and our expectations. Have also sent the Sitters Welcome to him so he can review things ahead of time. (just like I did for the first sitter) Also have the binder I created with the same instructions and also helpful information about supermarkets, shopping, care of our pets and home too that I placed on the kitchen table for their review.
Totally agree. She told us that they had been “camping” in the cold for a few days before our sit. I do feel like it was treated as a free AirBnB. We have a 14 year old greyhound too and a fenced yard. Just have to let him out 4 times a day, feed him twice and he’s all set. Sleeps 14+ hours a day. Doesn’t get much easier than that!
So the question for me is, if you walk into an immaculate home wouldn’t one have the brains to make sure it stays that way and most certainly is left that way? Is it customary for a sitter to leave the home before the owner’s return? God forbid an accident happened while we were driving home from the airport - who’s there to care for the animals?
Our listing shows a clean home. It’s even more obvious when you step inside.
She has not responded to our review nor did she leave a review.
You would think, wouldn’t you. Sadly, common sense is simply not common to everyone.
I love that you left post it notes on everything saying where things were! I would have loved to walk into a sit like that!! I’ve learned to take photos of cabinets and fridge so it looks like it did when I arrived. (sometimes I need to move things to make room for our own provisions) I also would love all those cleaning supplies. We just finished a sit where I could not find any window cleaning product, and the only vacuum was a heavy, clunky, awkward one hard to haul up 3 levels of stairs and it didn’t do a great job. (I love those awesome cordless Dyson vacuums!)
Even when invited to we rarely ever consume a HO’s food or beverage (unless it was left for us specifically like a welcome bottle of wine or basket of goodies) and if we do, we replace it.
Your sitter had been camping for 2 weeks with her son before your sit? Hm. Interesting.
I will tell you that one HO we just sat for (large luxury home) who have had many sitters, when we asked them to describe any sitters they were disappointed with they described something similar (not to the level of what you described) and said that was the last time they’d accept someone who is a full time sitter and does not own their own home (or had never owned their own home). Not saying there are not some fabulous full timers out there, I am certain there are, but for them they felt there was a difference between people who need a place to stay and those who have their own comfortable home but do it for the love of it.
I have to say we had a family stay in our home for a year while we were away and they had never owned their own home and it did not go as well as we had hoped. The idea “please leave it how you found it” - just didn’t pan out.
I mean it is quite late when the sitter walks in. But I think you mean that there was not very likely a misunderstanding of expectations. In which case the sitter was unable to fulfill them. In which case it is good to “warn” sitters in your listing that this will be a sit with high cleaning expectations (I would be annoyed at the things you show in your photos, but I would also be annoyed at myself for bothering to care about such).
I think this is a case of the sitter just failing completely in control of their life - maybe they thought they will replace the drinks etc. They might not do these things every sit, and they possibly did want to clean etc, but ended up messing up their life and in extension your sit. Unfortunate, and you are left with the consequences, but there is a difference between malice and failure.
What comes to the time the sitter leaves upon your reuturn, it is something the host and the sitter agree on. Usually sitter can leave on their own schedule before the host returns (and many hosts prefer that, so they have their home for themselves upon returning - to relax after traveling).
If there is a reason the host is late from the agreed time, it is up to the sitter to decide if they stay a minute longer than what they agreed to. YOU the host are the one to care for the animals in case you miss the agreed return time. Never the sitter. The sitter is responsible only during the agreed time. You can however agree on a time after your assumed return - some hosts even ask for extra night after they return. And many sitters of course are nice and flexible and stay for extra time if needed. But think about it: the sitter has bought a train ticket/has another sit starting/just wants to head home - why should you have the right to demand or even ask them to stay extra time? I understand your concern for your pets. But THS is a mutual agreement, and asking the sitter to stay because you are late is asking them to do more work with no more pay.
I’m wondering now if maybe the sitter became ill, I’ve read her previous reviews and this sounds like a very different person, it’s very odd indeed. And of course sometimes people can ‘fall off the wagon’ or return to old habits they gave up long ago….I feel there’s a sad story here perhaps? Just speculation of course….
I only now found the review itself, left to the sitter.
I would not sit for a host that calls an adult woman “girl”. This is especially problematic in this case as calling black adults “girls” and “boys” in American culture has been stable way to disconnect them from full human rights in the past. I understand that this was a horror sit. But the review is not doing any favors to the host, and instead I read it as entitled and inconsiderate. It is not wrong to call out the issues, but the way talks of potential problems from the host side.
Now I also think that the “but who takes care of the animals if the host has an accident” is coming from a place of entitlement, and disconcern for the needs of the sitter. Obviously no one deserves a bad sit, but maybe some things were blown out of proportion.
Unless it is a host who has a very easy to clean enviroment: all kinds of mashines, materials that are easy to keep clean, no clutter, high sofa under which the robot vacuum cleaner fits… Those work for me too.
