You may have seen my orher posts about my husband and I going on our grand overseas adventure in the UK from late Nov / early Dec 2022 to do full time house sitting until March 2023. We are then heading to Europe in April for 6-8 weeks. We had planned just to lock up our Scarborough Beach unit for the time we are away but after the recent significant rain event at the end of February in SE Qld we wondered what would have happened if we had not been here to keep clearing the leaves away from the patio drain as our patio nearly flooded into our unit. We don’t have any pets so the hardest thing for any sitter to do would be to water the indoor & outdoor plants which we had planned on asking a friend to do. My question is, if we do want to get a sitter can we advertise through this forum or do we have to pay for an owner THS membership to advertise the sit? Alternately, is it ok to approach a forum member directly through a DM to see if they would be interested? I don’t want to do anything inappropriate so thought I would check first? Regards, Jenny
We would be happy to consider sitting for you after 14 January 2023 as we are fully booked until then. We would never consider booking outside of a platform, but that’s just how we work.
HI @Crookie the forum is a meeting place for our community, it’s where we discuss all things pet and house sitting, arrangements for sits need to be done through the website for many reasons the main one is that is where you will reach the most sitter members …
The forum is separate from the website and you can include your listing link in your forum profile and if members are interested then you can connect by direct message but finalise the arrangement through the site.
While there are many reasons for going through the site one in particulate … sitter members will want to get their review which can only be done through the site.
Just clarify, I am a premium member of THS as a sitter, joined in 2019. My question is, do I have to take out a HO membership to list a sit here on the forum?
@Crookie I’d imagine the peace of mind utilizing the THS platform, to confirm a long term sitter, would far outweigh the annual cost of a HO membership. Although we are sitters, I know if in your shoes, and we were seeking someone to care for our home for an extended period of time, I’d prefer the benefit of what THS offers it’s HO. Best of luck in your search for a sitter, and enjoy the amazing adventures in 22/23!
Hi @Crookie. First let me applaud you 
for being upfront and honest with your question. Some may not have been as concerned about not wanting to do ‘anything inappropriate’. I’ve just looked at premium membership pricing and see that, for new members at least, the difference to go to a combined membership is an additional $80 Canadian (about $86 Australian). For the benefits that membership would give you, I think that’s a bargain. That’s my personal opinion anyway.
Enjoy your ‘grand overseas adventure’. 
Hi @Crookie apologies for the confusion …
As @Snowbird says you can upgrade to a combined membership and create a HO listing, this can then be included in your forum profile.
Many sitters really enjoy long term sits, it allows them to really connect with a community and truly live like a local … a little insight into the advantages of having a sitter. I recently did a week sit in Edinburgh, yes just a week, was going to get a sitter but then time ran out and after all I was only going to be gone for a week.
In that week a breaker tripped shutting down electricity to my utility room and fridge/freezer … lost all the food and the smell and mess I returned to could have been avoided.
I always had sitters for my pet free, Vancouver home when I traveled mostly to pet sit.
The peace of mind is worth it.
I hope that helps
Thank you all for your feedback. We are leaning more towards a sitter than asking family or friends to check our place as most live an hour or more away & we don’t want to burden our lovely but elderly neighbours in the building. I will,come back to you all and let you know soon what we decide. Currently sitting out on the patio at 5.30pm having a glass of wine (aka sundowners) and up popped our very own rainbow.
What a stunning photo @Crookie … thank you so much for sharing, enjoy the rainbow and your wine. 
We utilize THS for both sides and the cost was not that much for both with premium memberships. We have found it to be money well spent.
Hi everyone, just an update on our potential sit. We have decided at this time not to advertise for a sitter to look after our place while we are in the UK. If this changes I will let you all know. Thank you to those who expressed interest through this forum. Regards, Jenny