Not sure if I’m in the right category but essentially I’m keen to know if there is much interest for repeat one/two night stays?
We’re in a pretty village in Hampshire (UK) and have a labrador who we can’t always take with us when we go away at weekends.
It would be great to find someone who may be interested in being our regular sitter - if that is such a thing - with potential for longer sits in summer.
Keen to hear your thoughts!
Unless you find someone very local or who has regular business (eg family) very local you will probably struggle to find an unpaid sitter for short (one night) stays. The platform is about a win win model and if you are a while away from everywhere there may not be many sitters that would have much incentive to make the trip especially on a regular basis. That being said, you never know and could always try advertising some of your upcoming dates to connect with local interested sitters.
I’m in the US, not the UK, so I’m not sure if this translates, but I’ve had an eye out for one-night stays specifically in an area we want to road trip through.
This is still likely to be the minority of sitters, though, so I agree you will have a harder time attracting someone.
You will likely be able to find someone to do one or two night sits, especially if they are just starting out and want reviews. But be aware that for more experienced full time sitters, they will likely prioritize their longer sits and are just filling time in between those with the short sits.
As for finding the same person to do repeat short sits with you, ask yourself why someone would take that? If they are local to your town or have business there, maybe. Or if your home is absolutely spectacular and they want the amenities they don’t have in their own home. If they are coming from farther afield, they’ll have transport costs and it would make it less appealing to do a short repeat sit. I think you may have to sacrifice consistency with the same sitter, unless you are hiring someone for pay off another platform.
I occasionally apply for very short sits, if I’m in the area and need to fill gaps. I prefer not to though as it is a lot of effort in terms of unpacking my car, packing it again, cleaning (it’s the same amount as for a longer sit). If I’m living in an area for a while, I usually use paid sit sites. It may be difficult to find someone regular because of this reason; if sitters are in an area long-term or live there, they’ll most likely be getting paid for it, especially if they are experienced. I hope this helps!
Where in Hampshire are you?
A regular unpaid sitter will want to get something from the arrangement so think about whether you’d be happy for them to have friends over or have kids to stay . Otherwise a local sitter will be frequently giving up their weekend and social / family life at their own expense which will restrict who the sit appeals to .
A repeat short sit may appeal to someone who needs to be in the area regularly- perhaps a divorced parent or a grandparent who comes to see their kids/grandkids in the area on the weekends.
On the other hand there are sitters who like solitude e.g. someone living at home with parents or in student digs who wants some more space and time on their own on the weekend.
You won’t really know until you post a listing .
Why not just list and see what results you get? You can specify that you’d ideally like to find a repeat sitter — that might help entice some folks. If you don’t get any bites or you get bites from sitters who aren’t a good match, you’re not obligated to go through with a sit.
Personally, I’d have no interest in a short sit unless your home and neighborhood offered such a unique experience that I couldn’t rent such a place instead. That’s because it’s not worth the hassle of travel, cleaning and washing for a short turn.
Relatedly, you might boost your odds of getting good sitters for short stays by specifying that you don’t expect them to wash the sheets and expect only for them to clean after themselves — not do any significant cleaning. And maybe offer to pick them up and drop them off at say the nearest train station or such — that could boost your applicant pool by including sitters without cars.
Not sure if this is relevant in your case, but another way to make a 1-2 night sit more attractive is if you can offer the sitter to stay another night as a guest (in a guest room and without sitting duties)
I definitely also agree about not making the person wash bedsheets/clean beyond basic tidying.