We are first time THS users and rather late posting our dates. How likely are we to find someone when we are going away in 2 weeks time or should I try and find someone else to look after the dog?
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It depends on your location, your pets, and your home. If you live in a remote (ie no shop/cafe/pub nearby), then it may take a little longer, but if youâre in a desirable area, then I would try posting your dates and see if you get anything back within a couple of days.
There are plenty of sitters who want last minute sits, to fill in the gaps in between there other sits which are planned in advance. So why not just post, and see what response you get.
You can even ask for feedback on your listing on here, just in case thereâs anything we can spot that could be improved, to make sitters more likely to apply. You just need to attach your link to your profile on here and ask.
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It definitely canât hurt to post.
Sitters vary in how far ahead they book. As a full-time sitter, there are times when I am booked solid months ahead, and times when I still donât know where I will be a couple of weeks from now.
Some sitters may be trying to fill dates from a recent cancellation or a gap between other sits.
There are lots of part-time sitters with really flexible schedules who may take sits more on a whim when they see one that interests them, and donât need or want to commit too far ahead.
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Thanks all for your commentsâŚ
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Would like to add that when you have a week to the sit you are also allowed to publish it here in the Last minute-section.
With any sit one should always have a plan B, as something might happen - valid for both host and sitter.
You might well get a sitter in a timeframe of two weeks. Iâve seen several for my searches that get applications with only a week or two to the sit.
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This is all very interesting!
(1) Two weeks is not too short a time to find an excellent sitter: many sitters want or like last-minute sits because their plans may be fluid.
(2) Location is critical! If you are in a desireable location, Sits get snapped up quickly no matter if 2 months or 2 weeks out. Let those who donât know your area read why theyâd like to go there! If you live a short distance from a tourist destination, mention that & what else is around you! ALSO mention how close/easy it is to get groceries, etc.
(3) Be clear in your expectations. Since youâre new to the platform this made not be obvious to you, but if you have a dog which needs a 40-45 min walk in the AM & again in the PM but can be left alone for 4 hours, make that clear. If the dog needs meds, detail that. If the dog sleeps in the room the Sitter will sleep in, specify that.
(4) Be clear in what youâre offering In your post explain what makes your home cozy, comfortable, convenient (whatever is appropriate) in exchange for having your home safe & your dog taken care of.
(5) If you have flexibility, state that you are willing to shift the dates by a day either way OR to host a Sitter the night before you leave and/or the night you come back (some hosts/sitters prefer that to avoid issues with travel delays either side!)
(6) Look for Red Flags We all want your first Sit to go great! Go through applications and pay attention to your instincts. Read the Sittersâ reviews. Not all Sitters are suited to all Sits. You can âDeclineâ an application (preferably with a nice note) and open the Sit up to other Applicants (remember, THS only allows you to see the first 5 who respond, to see more, you have to Decline an applicant to get another applicant). Donât feel rushed - at least not quite yet!
Iâm sure youâll find a great Sitter!
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Hi Molly, Iâd suggest that you start slowly with some local sits to try your hand at sitting before going âall inâ. Having a few local sits under your belt will also give you some reviews which will put you in a better position to be accepted for longer sits and/or sits in your desired location⌠or anything else that you desire.
It would be quite stressful to find yourself in a position of not having a Plan B if you donât have a place to live anymore if house and pet sitting is not for you.
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@mollsyA
Hi there. I really wouldnât list things as pros and cons but just a few important things to consider as peopleâs preferences, personalities,etcâŚvary and what one person might find challenging about this lifestyle another might not. I have been doing this a decade and I canât imagine living any other way, but it might not be for everyone, and if you find it isnât for you, thatâs okay.
**â**Some might find it to be a more lonely life, especially if they are traveling solo. I travel with my husband so I always have company but there are times when I feel a bit lonely. But I am not a super social person so I donât feel the need to be around people a lot, so it is not a huge issue for me.
And I see when I do sits near friends and family that I donât see people all that much anywayâeveryone is busy with their kids, jobs, etc⌠So I know if I were to go back and live there permanently, it wouldnât be like I was surrounded by people all the time with some full social calendar.
**â**When traveling full-time and relying on sitting for a source of housing, people have to consider they may not always be able to line up sits back to backâthough in areas with abundant opportunities, this is usually pretty easyâand they will have to lay out money for accommodation for at least a couple of days. Cancellations are always a possibility and again ,people may find themselves in the position of having to lay out money for a place to stay. So you have to consider if you have the money for these moments.
â If people are truly reliant on sitting because of really limited financesâas opposed to a more general desire to save money-- they may not always feel they can be as selective with the sits they do since they would not be able to provide a roof over their head otherwise.
I suspect for a lot of people, that sitting is an absolutely necessity for them, heavily factors into having a higher frequency of bad experiences. Of course there is always the risk that something could go wrong, or a sit is not like you expected, but this risk can be greatly reduced if people approach the selection process more carefully. If people approach this process from a place of fear because they worry they wonât find a place to stay, it sets a bad tone.
â The more time you spend sitting, the more important it is you choose your sits carefully. It is really important to get a sense of what you like and donât like, your deal breakers, what you think you can handle, what you think you canât, your strengths,etcâŚ
As a full-time sitter, what my day to day experience and comfort will be like is my absolute top priority. I have a strong sense of what works for me and what doesnât, the types of places I like to stay and the ones I donât. And I wouldnât make any major compromises on these important things simply because the location is really desirable in some way.
For example, I get antsy in small spaces, and especially since I am traveling with another person, I wouldnât do a sit in a studio apartmentâsave a short sit of a few days-- even if it was in the best neighborhood in one of the most interesting cities in the world.
Some of these preferences are things you will know right off the bat; some are things you will realize as do sits, and you can fine tune along the way.
â Trust your gut. Sometimes something very particular might set off the feelingâsomething you read in the listing for exampleâand sometimes nothing will appear outright problematic but you just get a subtle feeling that it isnât the opportunity for you. Regardless, just trust that feeling and trust the right opportunities will come along.
There is probably a ton more I could say but this should cover the core things I think! Hope it helps
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Will you be tied to a specific area with a job or can you work remotely? If youâll be tied to a specific area itâll be much more difficult unless itâs a very popular area, in which case itâll be difficult due to competition, especially in the start.
Youâll need a good travel and emergency fund to account for when plans change unexpectedly. Having the ability to get a hotel or airbnb will help a lot with your stress levels and not force you into taking sits that may not be ideal, for whatever reason.
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@Peonie19 thank you for your time! I am starting local to dial in my packing needs so i think im on track! How are your sits going? What have you learned lately? Molly
Great advice! Iâm relieved I asked. I will fully remote.
I hope youâre well! Youâve much to offer here!
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We are taking a break from sitting because we now have a puppy.
However, weâve done about 6 sits and the main thing Iâve learnt during the getting-to-know-each-other process was to trust my gut feeling. One time that I felt that the HO was âoddâ ended up being true, she kept badgering us with many, many lengthy messages each day while away, it felt like she was spending more time texting us than with her family. Hyper anxious, even her cleaning lady and gardener commented on thatâŚ
On the positive side, my gut feeling gave me the green light about a few other HOâs, who were truly lovely.
Photo of Brida caught mid yawn. 
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This is the first time I have seen this mentioned, and thank you for bringing it up. As a solo sitter myself, I concur. Iâm not super social and am an introvert, so donât need company often and rarely feel lonely, but it is something I have been more aware of recently (ironically, in a regular house sit where I have friends nearby, which isnât often the case).
I have been house sitting full time for 2 years and have frequently taken part in social groups when Iâve been on longer term sits so there is an element of interaction with others, but making friends as an adult is hard, especially when you donât spend any length of time in one area. I am really feeling it just now and agree itâs a consideration for those who are thinking about house sitting full time.
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Thank you for letting me know! I am fortunately in 12 step programs so I 've community around the world. I have also enjoyed meetup.com. Itâs a fun way to meet ppl and do what we love creating community!
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Love that the 12 step programme is considered a worldwide community and yes, Meetup is great (also sites like Eventbrite).
Donât get me wrong, my experience of solo sitting has been an overwhelmingly positive one, but there are moments (like today) when I do long for more of a sense of stability. However, Iâm also aware that, if I were to be only in one place, I would likely get itchy feet! I wish you well on your housesitting journey!
I will look into Eventbrite! Wishing you well!
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While not the case always, I suspect that many solo sitters-especially those that do it full-timeâare probably more comfortable with their own company and donât feel as strong a need to socialize, or else they wouldnât do something like this. But even such people may feel a bit lonely or isolated, and it is important to let themselves feel it and not just push it away.
I also have come to realize that feeling of loneliness doesnât primarily stem from not having other bodies around ours. There are plenty of people who have loads of friends, are in relationships, are pretty social, and still experience that sort of feeling, maybe even more intensely.
While I donât like to think about it too much, I sometimes wonder if something happened to my husband what it would be like to continue living this way on my own. I have been doing it for so long and have never felt like I wanted to stop, but I have been doing it with him the whole time.
I have traveled on my own several times, but never for more than a couple of months at a stretch. I am a very independent person and am comfortable by myself but doing that in the face of that type of loss is a very different story.
I guess I really wouldnât know for sure what I would feel unless I actually found myself in that position.
It is good that you have made that effort to meet with people, and you are right that forming close bonds is difficult when you move around a lot.
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Hi @KC1102
Thank you very much for your insights. I particularly loved this:
I agree completely. There is a difference between the subjective experience/ emotion of loneliness, and the objective experience of social isolation. One can spend most, if not all, of their time alone and not feel lonely (there is a great thread on here about solo sitters where many expressed exactly this). On the flip side, I remember feeling particularly lonely and isolated in a past relationship, surrounded by âfriendsâ with whom I had no shared values and didnât belong.
While not the same as the hypothetical situation you posed, I am currently on a repeat sit and the last time I was here (for a period of 6 months), I was engaged in a relationship of sorts that took a lot of my time and attention. it wasnât the best situation, and I eventually ended it, but returning here is a stark reminder of all that, and Iâve found it more difficult than I anticipated. In his absence from my life, I think this is possibly the first time I have felt âlonelyâ in my years of house sitting and Iâm grappling at how to deal with that. Increasingly, I am realising itâs not a case of having other people around me, but itâs an inside job. As you say, itâs important to feel it and not push it away. Difficult though.
I agree that sitting alone would be different in the face of the loss of someone you previously travelled with, versus a sitter choosing to travel independently. Hopefully thatâs not a situation you will ever find yourself in.
(Sorry to the OP for boycotting the thread!)
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