Hello, This is Dorelle from Chicago, IL. area. I just joined as a pet parent and I am looking forward to my first call with an applicant. I learned about trusted house sitters when I was kayaking in Florida and a recently retired vet shared how much she enjoys traveling and being a house sitter to see the country and still have pets in her life. So, here I am!
I’m wondering if it would be wise for me to upgrade to a premium membership.
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@dor2427 hello from New Hampshire and welcome to THS and the forum.
There have been chats about benefit levels with some good discussion.
You can use the seach function to see previous threads.
Also it is usually suggested to add your profile to the forum but of course it’s optional.
Keep us posted on how it goes!
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@HelloOutThere Thank you for the suggestion to add my profile to the forum. I think I succeeded in doing this. If you would be willing to check, I would appreciate it. I’m trying hard to get this right.
Hi, nice profile, great pictures…I would also want to know, are there are other things right in your town, other than chicago and the surrounding areas to do and are you walkable to grocery stores and restaurants and do you have a bike one can use? Also, you do mention quite a few places that are an hour away from you…how long is one able to leave the pets at your home alone for ? Maybe mention that as well? Just some suggestions, thanks!
What a lovey home and pets!
Well done!
My thoughts:
You DO NOT have to pay sitters for anything during a stay.
Sometimes gestures are all that is needed. Wine/chocolates/ small gift card to local grocery/restaurant.
We all know there is no money exchanged.
I would suggest adding paragraph breaks. Easier to read.
Also, you may want to add a note about how there is still a couch and TV easily used, as it seems in the photos.
Do you allow smoking?
Children/teens?
Sitters can bring their own pets?
Visitors?
Arrive prior to tour home/responsibilities and can the sitter stay that same night?
Some more details and your “must have & not’s” are good to be upfront.
Keep us posted!
Welcome @dor2427 !
I’m also a Chicago homeowner (HO) 
Agreed with @HelloOutThere reply.
Feel free to review my profile for ideas, or message me directly with any questions.
I have a premium membership just because of any reason such as force majeure or family emergencies where cancellations are inevitable. OR if by any chance a sitter decides to cancel on me the day of, you just never know these days so it’s nice to have that extra cushion of insurance. I’ve never had anyone cancel last minute.
There are also other perks like access to airport lounges - not sure if that’s all memberships or just premium. I’ve never had to use them since our credit cards have access to some nice lounges around the world, but it’s a nice perk to have when you have a connecting flight or you want to save money on coffee/food.
Hi @dor2427 @wendy_chicago makes a good point. My listings are attched as well to review, if you would like!