Always enjoy reading your feedback
Great advice.
Often the moderators will add your listing for you.
@Jenny
Thanks for the tag @BonnyinBrighton - I dropped a DM to @jonnastar6 about adding their listing to their profile in case they don’t see the link that @Cuttlefish shared (thank you!) or just in case they need any more help with it.
Thanks for your feedback!
Thank you for the advice and encouragement!
I joined the forum to also ask about the lack of applicants. I’ve been with THS since 2022 and have usually had several US-based sitters I’ve had to turn away. (I’m in Nashville, TN).
My current sit is over the Thanksgiving holiday, so I thought that could be why, but when I looked at available listings for multiple major cities, nearly every listing shows that there are Low Applications, regardless of the date.
I have to wonder if sitter interest has decreased after the recent booking fee changes that were rolled out.
Our renewal is coming up, but if we don’t find a sitter soon, there’s no value in keeping it another year.
Curious to hear what other’s experience has been and if this is a shift in platform usage, or maybe just a timing issue for my listing dates.
@ss24, welcome to THS Forum.
Sorry to hear about lack applicants. There have been a steady trickle of THS Forum threads on related matters - suggest use magnifying glass at top screen to search for similar threads.
From other threads, there have been a range of seeming factors. It seems that the main two groups of reason are a) stale, unattractive listings, b) avoidance of US listings by seemingly many non-US housesitters.
Suggest now is a great catalyst to freshly review your listing. Ensure that photos show property & pets in an attractive way. Check photo of all key property areas. Choose appealing primary photo. Review listing contents for completeness. Add informative content that may attract a non-local person from US (airport, transit, local attractions). Review pet responsibilities for current status (e.g. dog walk time or pet left duration is genuine rather than historic or aspirational). Complete amenities section. Review listings of other listings in your area - that’s your competition!
If seek specific feedback on your listing from THS Forum members then consider adding your THS listing to THS Forum profile (weblink below).
Good luck!
It might not just be the fees. It could also be fuel costs and other factors causing some full time sitters to reconsider nomadism or reconsider THS. It could be changes with “remote” work turning into hypbrid or back to the office for some. I don’t know if you got any foreign sitters applying eager to visit the country-music capital, but fewer people want to take a chance on saying the wrong thing or having the wrong meme in their social media and getting sent to a detention camp. Possibly if you used to rely on more local sitters, they’re charging now.
Thanksgiving is notoriously difficult so that could also be a factor. You might try posting your listing in the forum to see if there is anything that could be turning sitters off. You could also try taking it down and reposting it later so it gets boosted. It could be found by someone coming in to spend time with family local to you who prefers not to have some private time away from family as well. You have enought time make another arrangement if you don’t find someone through THS.
Regarding whether or not it’s worth it to renew, I’ve got no advice. I’m in NYC, so as a homeowner, I still get applicants and have a pool of previous sitters, so often I can find someone who would like to return. I also sit occassionally, but am picking about the sits and the expenses around them – not the fees which I don’t pay because I have premium, but other expenses like if it would be necessary to rent a car or the practicalities of air fare.
Cost of living is biting for regular folks all over the world. We are probably all being a bit more careful with our money and this impacts travel for fun.
Definitely reduced sitter travel, especially to the US. We used to hit the 5 applicant limit in a day but now it’s different. For our recent posting, we did get 3 applicants over a week’s time and one was great and we confirmed.
Yes I think many HO will not renew if this situation keeps up, so in a way supply/demand will rebalance.
There are a lot less sitters now. I think it’s more the price of fuel because I don’t get sitters outside the US very often. Even the 3 out of the 4 sitters that did apply, they are brand new with no reviews. One is on her first sit now so I want to see her review of HO and HO of her before I move forward.
So yes it’s definitely much harder now finding great sitters.
Definitely a perfect storm of THS increased fees, fuel/travel costs, and geopolitical turmoil. It will take time to settle.
November is a long way off; instead of soon, why not wait until September to be concerned?