To the OP, I just wanted to make sure you are aware applications automatically close when you have 5 applicants (so there may be more experienced sitters who would be willing to apply, but they aren’t getting the chance).
As a host, if all 5 applicants are unsuitable - for whatever reason- decline their application, and this will open up your sits to new applicants. And, keep,doing this until you get an applicant you are happy with. There is no reason why you have to be stuck with choosing “best of a bad bunch” if you don’t like the first 5.
Vancouver is a popular location, persevere, and you should get better applicants.
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I recently advertised for a 3 week sit in London and I had 8 people apply before I was happy about making a selection. The winner had 9 excellent reviews and everybody else either had 1 review or none at all.
I’ve chosen people before with no reviews but it seems to be the norm that most applicants I get have very few reviews if any at all. When I signed up I was expecting to get lot of older couples with dozens of reviews applying but I just get young people. I suppose London is a young persons destination?
I’m happy with the person I picked for the 3 week stay but it would be nice occasionally to have a handful of really good people to chose from just to make the decision slightly tougher.
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We are a middle aged (yuk) couple with 30 5* reviews that will be seeking London soon so I hope we coincide with your dates @Lance for your sit 
Hi @Lance, that’s great you found a “winner”. Remember it is an equal exchange so hopefully your sitters find you to be a “winner” too.
As there is not a link to your listing profile on here, it is difficult to judge whether it is more attractive to younger sitters than to older ones. Perhaps you might like to add it so that we older sitters can see and give any advice should it be needed.
Hi @temba , I think I managed to follow THS’s overly complicated instructions and there should be a link to the (already filled) ad for my sit when you hit my name. I think. Possibly.
Hi @Lance, the link just worked. Not sure what happened the first time!
You’ve done a great job on providing valuable information in your listing, especially for Manny, who’s going pretty well for a 21 year old puss.
Very hard to understand why it hasn’t attracted more sitters but you don’t have to worry now as you’ve confirmed a suitable sitter.
@temba, I advertised for 3 sits earlier in the year and I got loads and loads of replies but still mainly young people with not a lot of reviews. When I advertised this 3 week sit in August the applications just dribbled in but still mainly young people with few reviews. I thought August would have been a good time to come to London and 3 weeks is a decent amount of time but maybe everyone else is on holiday at they same time as me.
Or maybe it’s got something to do with the 5 applicants rule and too few people even get to see the ad?
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That’s really interesting @Lance as, like you, I’d have thought a lovely sit in London would have attracted sitters of all ages, including those with experience. It seems it’s harder to predict these days! Enjoy your time away in August.
Well, I am nearly 44, have about 20 reviews and I’d like to visit London again some time, but I’m booked elsewhere until late in the year.
Yes, maybe the young ones are just faster or need less sleep! Sometimes when I wake up, I have a notification of a new sit. But then my eyes are so blurry and my mind so sleepy, that I just can’t fathom the focus to actually read and apply. Oftentimes when I look at it again after morning coffee, it’s already reviewing applications 
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We are HO and have been very happy with our no review sitters. They did have a referee and good report there.
I note the comment about local sitters … as a HO how do I find those ?
Thanks
Tom
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I’m a 56 year-old with 14 reviews and would love a sit in London. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to apply for any London sits. They go to reviewing status so fast and I don’t have time to monitor the site constantly. I’ll be in England this summer doing sits in Birmingham and Southampton, but I ended up just getting a hotel in London.
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@systaran rather than booking a hotel in London -already now -you could have waited till you are in UK and would probably have easily have found a sit when there! If your hotels have a good cancellation possibility then a last minute sit is still a possibilty.
It seems sits in London go to reviewing extremely fast. When I get notifications, even if I click on them immediately, they are already reviewing. I think I would have to be checking THS constantly to be able to apply to a sit in London or any major city.
It depends where you are right now! If you are in a different time zone then, yes, that will be an issue. But once you are in the UK it would be much easier. We did 5 months of short back to back sits in UK last sumner. We did not choose London sits but many other popular places. We booked most of the first 3 months from abroad and the rest when there. It really was easy as there are far more sits than sitters.
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Hi guys,
Haven’t figured out how or have had the time to post my ad.
I am interviewing one person today.
I don’t like the 5 limit as a sitter or the host. I tried to post that comment here before and they didn’t approve it. I don’t like having to tell people no without having arranged for someone.
Thanks for all the comment.
No sure you would have a problem with London. I love our sit there.
Post Moderated
@Agelesswanderlust Here on the forum is not the place to post your sit! You need to go on your main THS profile for that.
Hi @Agelesswanderlust, I too am very sorry to hear about your loss and can’t imagine how stressful all of this is right now. I’ve gone ahead and added your owner profile here to your forum profile so that those interested can take a look and possibly offer some advice. I sure hope you find a suitable sitter soon!
I just spoke with someone and I think she will be good. Thank you for all the comments and advise and thank you Kelly for posting that.
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