Hello! I was finally able to start sitting in January, thanks to those who offered encouragement. I did not need to start in my local area in NC, and got my first sit in Florida in winter! I now have done 5 sits with all great reviews, and one more coming up next week.
I was thinking of going to the UK in late August to late September. I know that there is high demand in the UK, but I wonder if a solo 65+ American woman with only 6 reviews would have any success securing sits in advance.
Should I just buy the plane ticket now while prices are decent and hope for the best by applying, while being open to more last minute sits as the dates approach? Do hosts find security in the fact that the ticket is bought and plans to be there are solid?
With all the talk of European sitters not coming to the US, I wonder if competition for even the abundant UK sits will be tighter in the near future. I have also heard murmurs of greater anti-American sentiment lately, seems crazy but maybe true!?
Couldn’t hurt to apply. Worst that happens is you don’t get picked.
I’m an older American woman who sits solo. My fourth THS sit was right outside of Cambridge, in the U.K. (and my hosts offered me use of a nice late model car). My seventh and eighth sits were in London and Stratford-upon-Avon and I’ve since done others, including a repeat. My host in Glasgow offered me two repeats, though I couldn’t make the dates.
I even got bites from British hosts I ended up deciding weren’t a good fit for me, so I withdrew.
When I started, I didn’t bother with references, nor with applying locally. I started getting U.S. West Coast sits right away, across the country from me, including unsolicited invitations.
My experience has been, older women who sit solo get benefit of doubt, because some hosts probably figure we’re clean, neat and responsible. Just make sure your sitter profile shows (not tells) how you’d be a great match.
Welcome @Hikergal
London based sitter here. I think it depends where in the UK you want to sit? London sits are super competitive much like New York sits are. So your chances of getting a sit in London with only a handful of great reviews is probably slim.
Other areas of the UK you have a chance.
Booking a plane ticket to where? London? You could end up hours away from any sit.
I’d look at areas of the UK away from London and apply for sits in these areas then book your plane tickets once the sit is confirmed.
As to your point of the UK being anti- American I don’t see that at all living in London where there’s a very large US expat community. Now anti current US government policies may be different for many Brits.
Thanks! Definitely no interest in big cities, would hot foot it out of London ASAP! Not much choice about where to fly in to it seems for a non stop and best price. I was looking at the south, but I imagine rather competitive there too. Thanks for your insights! I will be sure not to wear any MAGA or anti MAGA attire!
The more rural the sit, the less competition you’ll typically have. THS has the most sits in the U.K. and U.S. and there have been hosts on the forum worrying, because they haven’t gotten any sitters or any good sitters applying.
Personally, I never bring up politics, though I can discuss if needed. Only one set of U.K. hosts have ever brought up politics with me and we happened to share viewpoints, so it was an easy conversation. I find that U.K. cabdrivers and drivers of ride shares often love to discuss politics, though. U.K. folks typically felt sorry for me as an American, because of our politics. No one attacked or shamed or shunned me.
In your place, I wouldn’t buy airfare without an accepted sit, unless you’re financially able to rent a hotel, AirBNB or such if you don’t land a sit(s). As @richten1 mentioned, you could end up in the wrong part of the country, should you land a sit far away after buying airfare. The U.K. covers significant geography, even if it’s not as big as the U.S. Train tickets can be pricey last minute, so whatever money you try to save by buying airfare randomly might end up costing you more than expected. But of course, if you’re willing to risk it, your choice.
@Hikergal I have a saved search for the first 2 weeks of September and there are roughly 60 sits advertised; the majority are on Low Applications and have been listed for a number of weeks. Most of them look fine, depending on what you are looking for. Put the dates in, see whether any appeal and then apply! All the best.
I get the impression there’s a bit of a dearth of sitters here. Tons of sits with no or low applications. There’s a sit I’ve done previously that I can’t do a repeat for, that’s been posted for a couple of months with zero applicants around your dates (Devon if you’re interested).
There’s the topical visa issue though, same thing applies to most countries not just the USA, so it’s a slight risk you might not get in to the country. I don’t think it’s as extreme as the risks faced by sitters heading to the US. Just be aware of it.
There’s a lot of dismay and criticism about USA politics right now, but I don’t think that extends to individual Americans. Just steer clear of those conversations.
As @temba noted, get ahead of the game with your saved searches and applications! for example, if you’re hoping to be in the UK by Aug. 24 and if you know there’s nothing preventing you from going on/around that date (other than the need to find a sit), then definitely create a saved search in UK beginning on Aug. 24. Make sure the filter criteria meet your needs – for example, if you’ll be relying on public transit, be sure to apply that filter. Extend the end-date way out in the future to fully cover the period you hope to be in that part of the world. See what’s available and start applying!
HOs want to know that you are committed, but in my experience, most don’t need to know that you already have a ticket before they’ll confirm you for a sit. (Of course, they’ll want to know eventually that you have a ticket. And yes, there’s a benefit when you’re already definitely going to be in a region when you apply to a sit. But at the interview stage, most HOs really aren’t bothered if you only are intending/working on your plans to fly in.)
Depending on your personal situation and whether you’re able and willing to fill gaps with airbnb/hotel/etc, you don’t necessarily need to have your whole schedule filled with sits in advance of heading over there. But I would certainly seek to have the bulk of your calendar filled with sits, especially during your first weeks in the UK.
While flights from US > UK are generally easiest when flying into London, there are other options as well. I would prioritize locking in a bit of a sit schedule first, and then book your flight once you know more clearly where you’re headed
I’ve noticed that hosts in U.K. who welcome sitters from abroad generally list early so that they have peace of mind that the sit is covered . You can start applying now - Do you intend to stay in one region for the whole month? Are you looking for a long sit in one place or several sits in different areas of U.K. ?
I suggest that you budget for a few nights in hotel or Airbnb at start middle and maybe end of the trip . That will give you most flexibility to apply for sits in locations that you really want to see .
Are you looking for suggestions on good places to hike in U.K. (as per your forum name ? ) I see that there is a sit listed for September near the Peak District with a Labrador that needs 1-2 hours walking that might work as a hiking companion ?
The other thing to remember @Hikergal is that it is a Bank Holiday long weekend 23 - 25 Aug so there will be sits around then. Be careful to book a sit that includes the Friday (22nd) and don’t have it ending on the 25th as it’s a nightmare on the road and I’m not sure whether public transport is more restricted either. One of our Forum UK sitters can advise on this. I’ve been caught where the sit ended on the Saturday and couldn’t get another one back-to-back. Accommodation is more expensive and in demand too for that weekend so keep that in mind.
Hi Hikergal! Canadian here who lives in Wales. You shouldn’t have any problems getting sits in the UK and the great train system means you have lots of choice. You will love it! Let me know if you make it to Anglesey in north Wales and I will come to say hi.
@Hikergal As a Brit (currently sitting in France), but frequently sitting in the UK, I can assure you there is always an abundance of sits over there. We have done a few stints of sits in UK, several months each, mostly back to back sits with the odd airbnb night inbetween. We travel by car when over there which does make things easier so if you are going to use public transport you’ll need to be a little more choosy and make sure transport links work for you.
I’d suggest to start applying now and see what kind of interest you get. We usually start booking the sits we really want and later, often when already in UK, fill the gaps. There are always many last minute sits, especially short gap fillers. My impression since Covid (2021 onwards) is that there are FAR more sits in UK than sitters. You do already have 6 reviews which is great- so I think you should have no problem finding suitable sits. I’d suggest creating a saved search for your dates to narrow the options down a bit otherwise you’ll be completely overwhelmed! I just checked the site and there are 3541 sits in UK right now!!! Many of them will not get filled.
I would say Go For It!
But.. VERY important! At border control, if asked, do NOT mention housesitting as your reason for travel! The UK does not have the intimidating reputation of the US border control but you could still be denied entry if you don’t have the right to work in the UK. Just keep it simple and say you are a tourist which is also true! It would be good to book a hotel/airbnb night or two for arrival & give that address if asked.
Have a look at sits in Brighton/Hove/Worthing/Lewes on the south coast of England as all of these are one hour by train from central London. Brighton is a lively fun tourist centre. It’s 35 mins direct train from Gatwick Airport. Personally I’d book flexible tickets. My reasoning is that cheap hotel nights to fit around various sits will be expensive late August, by Sep 6th school kids are back in school and prices drop.
It’s also worth joining ‘Women Welcome Women’ (5W) £47 a year and gives access to women who are happy to host for free for a night or two. It could be a good back up plan.
It’s true there is less competition for rural sits; however do check on the actual local public transport links if you won’t have access to a car. A sit where it’s hard to get anywhere once you are there could quickly pall.
Yes. Rural sits often are limited in public transport (or have none) in all countries.
Some sitters seem to love such surroundings and some claim to never or rarely go out, so cheers to them, because rural hosts have a harder time finding matches.
Personally, I sit only in urban areas with good access to amenities. And agree with @temba, who mentioned holidays — I check ahead to avoid being caught up with little or no access to public transit, food, access to sights or activities.
Thanks so much to you all for great information and advice! One of the appeals of escaping to England during the hot, humid summer here is the availability of public transport, and I will filter for that and make sure I won’t starve! Leasing a car for two weeks in the US in order to visit more out of the way areas is the price of airfare to the UK!
I would definitely enjoy breaks between sits of 1 week or more, and would plan on doing a bit of sightseeing with hotel/airbnb stays. I will need to work a bit remotely, but will certainly not mention that or petsitting to the authorities! At my age, I would hope there would be little suspicion!
I have a lovely sit coming up on a rural lake with two Goldens, and I will begin a devoted search and application process while there! Thanks again!
the Trainline App is brilliant for finding split-save train journeys. I’m a train fan and catch trains and buses everywhere.