Newbie retired couple

Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat
21

Smiley is right, it’s Aussiehousesitters

I think you can look at the listings without joining. So take a look

I used them for NSW and Victoria, but would assume plenty of options in West Australia, I had several invites!

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22

I’ve just taken a chance and applied for a sit where the dates aren’t quite right- I explained I couldn’t do the 1st two nights due to home commitments. I wrote to say I hoped it wasn’t inappropriate to offer this. The HO was delighted as they only had one applicant and is now seeing if a neighbour can do the 1st two days (cats/rabbits). If this goes ahead should the HO edit the dates or leave them as they are?

23

Great news @BonnyinBrighton. When confirming I would ask the homeowner to amend the dates to the actual time you will be there. This means if you see another sit to ‘tag on’ - there won’t be a clash of dates. It is also important to have the correct dates if you have insurance as part of your membership.

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24

The HO simply amends their dates to match yours :+1:. We’ve got quite a number of sits where we were one or two days different, as HO’s can easily find someone to help for a day or so, but they feel uneasy asking a neighbour or family when it’s a fortnight or more, because it feels like they are being a burden.

So personally, I would make a regular habit of doing what you are doing and reaching out to mention when you are free, because we know we have helped a lot of owners who would have been stuck if we hadn’t messaged with our availability. :blush:

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25

Update on my 1st few days as a Basic Member-

  1. I withdrew from an application when I realised it was a split sit…. this was after reading various threads on the forum regarding issues so thank you :pray:
  2. I messaged a HO to let them know the swimming pool and vineyard photos were a bit confusing for the location of the sit (their own holiday images!)
  3. I withdrew an application when my message went unread for several days…. was this a bit harsh? They replied saying they’d been very busy…
  4. I’ve met up with two potential local HO and agreed two sits for one HO and awaiting a decision from the other who is now ‘reviewing’.
  5. I’ve read multiple threads and now feel ‘educated’ as to the variety of HO/sitter issues/dramas that can arise. (Indoor cameras/cleanliness/responsibilities/THS T&Cs/mismatched expectations….
  6. I’ve read multiple HO and sitter reviews and got a sense of the potential joy of sitting :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:
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26

Update
I’m journaling our initial experiences as a newbie sitter just in case other newbies are encouraged/feel supported by this.

  1. Today I received notification that my application that was being reviewed had been declined but also a very nice WhatsApp message from the HO which I felt was very thoughtful.
  2. I’ve applied for a sit that includes horses (hoorah) and is local to me in Sussex UK.
  3. I’ve had an initial WhatsApp video chat with a HO for an Essex UK sit later this summer….
  4. I’ve joined some house/pet sitting fb groups in Perth Australia.
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27

And probably my final update as a one week newbie here

  1. We’ve now got x4 confirmed sits this summer/Autumn all local.
  2. On Monday we meet the 5th potential sit…. If it goes well that’s my goal of 5 local sits achieved :+1:.
  3. All my focus now will be on achieving a Perth Australian sit for January 2025…. if it doesn’t work out we will have to simply spend a couple of weeks in Thailand (:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye::smiling_face_with_three_hearts:) on our way home from visiting our son and wife.
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28

Hi @BonnyinBrighton greats posts. Thx.
Have you read the member code of conduct and terms and conditions?
Helpful as well.

Good luck!

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29

I have enjoyed reading your updates @BonnyinBrighton and congratulations on securing 4 sits in your first week .

I learned so much from this forum when we started and continue to do so . There are a couple of things that I wished I had known before starting . These are discussed in these threads

https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/home-owner-curtails-sit-by-coming-back-several-days-early

https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/sitter-has-to-pay-veterinary-expenses-up-front

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30

The issue of HO returning early wouldn’t concern us at all- we’re only doing local sits here in the south of England and in Perth Australia any local sits we would simply decamp to our son’s lovely house where we usually stay in any case.
Regarding the ‘sitter pays any vet bills’ if it was life/death situation and I couldn’t get hold of the HO (time zones etc)yes I’d pay. However the vet details/account situation simply requires a question being asked prior to the HO’s departure and suitable arrangements being made.
Regarding reading everything- there’s very little on this Forum and in THS that I’ve not read now :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:… this together with some private ‘guidance’ conversations with two very experienced sitters have been crucial in aiding us in selecting and securing our first sits.

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31

That’s nice of you to be able to be so flexible @BonnyinBrighton but early returning HOs (unless there is an emergency) are a complete no-no for sitters. Messes up plans, gaps, travel and so on. If a sitter left early then they’d be thrown off the platform! #yourwordisyourbondonths

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32

@BonnyinBrighton I underscore @Cuttlefish and encourage you to leave mention in reviews of early returns, as that is a big deal for thsitters to know about even if it is not a big deal for you.

It’s somewhere in the fine print not to do so. If I were as efficient as @Silversitters, I would link it here…

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