For anyone who has used house sitting websites other than THS, which sites have you used? What were your experiences like? What, in your opinion, are the pros and cons of these sites?
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I have often been a member of another site during the time I’ve been with THS. It’s usually one that will focus on my country of choice at that time. For instance, when I planned to do sits in Australia for three months, I joined a site specific to that country. It just widened my range of choices for that country. I have perhaps been a member on seven sites in all. To date, THS has always been my main site, with others as secondary. It has also been the most expensive.
I noticed the Canadian one I joined this year is more specific on cameras and security, and I shared that information with THS product development. However, overall I have yet to join one that has matched THS when it comes to the requirements for range of photos and thoroughness of details for the sit (I’m a sitter). Together with messaging and video chats beforehand, it gives me a level of assuredness each time that I have found a suitable sit. The current format has worked well for me.
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I have been with MindMyHouse since 2009 and obtained 11 sittings with them in 2010… Over the years they have added many features bringing it up to date with other sites. It is free for HOs and about £20pa for sitters. After about 5 years I was given a free year as a thankyou.
I joined AussieHousesitters for a year and was successful with my first application. One of the best features of this site is that you have points deducted for not responding to a sitter or HO within 5 days, then more points for 10 days and so on.
It is interesting to note that you can join a few sites and the total cost of them all will be less than the annual THS fee.
As far as I am aware no other site asks for ID or security checks.
On the new ID and Background Check thread, someone recommended that those of us who will be leaving should copy all of their reviews before they are barred from using the site.
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House Sitting Magazine offers a good overview of various house sitting sites. They also have a Facebook page.
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Thanks for asking this question. You may have noticed I tried to get the name of a platform from another member which hadn’t been a great success
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I plan to join an Aussie site, in addition to TH, and a NZ site when I travel again to those countries. I was in both just before the pandemic and only used TH but I think, particularly for NZ, Kiwihousesitters would be worthy my joining
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We absolutely love Kiwi Housesitters and Aussie Housesitters and are members of both platforms. They have a much greater presence in this part of the world than THS. We’ve completed 34 sits on Kiwi over the past 23 months that we’ve been in NZ. We are almost fully booked in Australia through January 2023 through Aussie Housesitters. Their platforms are straightforward and user friendly. When you email customer service they are prompt and helpful in replying. As mentiond above, they deduct points from a HO (and housesitter’s) reply rating if messages from either side are not responded to in 5 days. Both platforms are free to HO and housesitters have a paid membership that is much less expensive than THS. Oh, and no background checks.
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Thank you, that’s useful to know. As a Brit, I can only stay for 6 months in NZ (can return after 6 months away) and 90 days at a time in Oz. Where are you from that allows you to stay so long?
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I will dm you
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We use Kiwi Hs more these days as most the NZ TH sits are up in the North Island 
. We’re also previous Aussie Hs members & mixed it with TH.
Both sites do have a voluntary ID check &did so with my licence/passport & our Aus or NZ police checks.
Not leaving TH as heading to NY/DC late Oct for Marine Corps 10k then NY Mara(Finally…poo to omnicrud etc 
) then Alberta/BC. Hoping to do a sit pre/post event.
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I have been a housesitter long before THS existed. The first site I joined, and am still a member of, is HouseCarers. Besides THS I am a member of 6 other platforms and if planning to sit in a country that has platforms specific to that country I would happily join them for the duration
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Until last summer I had a private business off and on for many many years. I’ve primarily done professional housesitting with consistent clients and a paid business. With Covid that all changed sadly. So following a seasonal job this past summer in Alaska I officially joined to test the waters. I am also a member of care.com which is mainly for Dog walking and pet sitting. Other than that I’m not a member of others yet.
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Oh I forgot I’ve been a member for several years at Caretakers Gazette. However that site generally only has caretaking positions which are compensated and out of my skill or level of experience for the most part.
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Hi @liz , Would you tell me the names of the 6 other platforms you have used and how you liked them? If you would rather not reply publicly, could you DM me? Thank you.
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There are platforms called Housesitters America, Housesitters Canada and (I think) House Sitters UK. They seem to all be affiliated in some way with each other, and with Kiwi Housesitters and Aussie Housesitters. Their platforms have an identical look and feel, and navigate the same. ID checks are available should you choose, and they are voluntary. I am a member of both Kiwi and Aussie Housesitters but have only completed house sits in NZ at this point, with several booked for Australia. The cool thing is my Kiwi Housesitter reviews appear on my Aussie housitters profile too. I am not a member of the ones I mentioned above but I imagine they work in the same way.
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yes, to the best of my knowledge they are all affiliated, and as you say, reviews in one can be shared with all. I have used both the Canadian and the American version and very happy with both
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I am a member of HouseCarers, Nomador, HousesitMatch, HousesitMexico, HousesitterCanada, HousesittersAmerica, MindMyHouse, TrustedHouseSitters and several Facebook groups dedicated to housesits. If going to a country where they have housesitting platforms specific to that country, (eg. UK, Antipodes) I will join those platforms too. Of the above I have had disappointing experiences with THS(1) and MindMyHouse (2).
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I am on the site of House sitters UK at the moment which looks like an excellent site. ÂŁ29 pa for a sitter.
The decription of the sitting has a clear heading “Security Cameras” Yes or No.
It also has a reply rating.
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Just a thought. Which site would you suggest for an owner in France? We live in a farmhouse some distance from town, so not everyone wants to be so isolated
I’d be interested to hear sitters thoughts on this.
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Hello @Piper.classique
I would also been interested reading the ideas.
As french sitters we’ve only house-sat in France these last 2 years and it seems to me that there are more and more listings in France.
I did have a look at nomador but I really didn’t like it : website is very messy, listings are not appealing (to me), and it’s not only about house and pet-sittings so some listings seemed very demanding (according to me).
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