I just signed up and starting to decide on sits in the U.K as I have been advised from forum members that the lower application sits may be better for new members. As I am travelling from the United States, I would try to schedule back to back sits over a couple of months, with back up lodging if needed. But if some of my applications were not accepted, or say only one of the ones I apply for is confirmed, then I wanted to know if there are any fees, or consequences to cancel as it would not be practicle to travel so far if most sits were not confirmed. Thanks for any info or suggestions. *Celina
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No fees but this is a good example of why it’s harder for people to get international sits. Homeowners don’t want to risk someone cancelling on them because it’s super stressful, especially if you’ve got a place in a less popular area so it’s not easy to find a replacement. In short, please don’t do this! Get a string of sits then book your flights? Or book changeable flights so you can return early if things don’t work out?
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Hi @Clever
Welcome to trustedhousesitters!
Never cancel a sit because it doesn’t suit you anymore.
The better method, if you are travelling long distances, is to, at first only apply to long sits- then one acceptance will be worth your journey.
Once you get accepted, if you’d like to stay in that area longer, or start to create a back-to -back route, you can then apply for shorter sits to tag on, which potentially will extend your stay.
Good Luck!
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@Clever the terms and conditions say that a sit should only be cancelled for extraordinary circumstances ( like a bereavement) .
If a sitter or homeowner cancels without a good reason, the other party can raise a member dispute, an investigation may take place that could result in disciplinary action against your membership.
There’s no problem in applying for multiple sits but you should not confirm the sit until you are sure that you will be able to do it.
The process is that you will APPLY
then if the homeowner likes your application you can arrange a video call to discuss the sit
If the homeowner chooses you to sit they send an INVITATION to sit.
You then ACCEPT the sit .
Then the sit is confirmed and from then neither party should cancel unless there is are extraordinary circumstances.
You can withdraw your application any stage before you have accepted the sit.
It’s likely that you won’t get every sit that you apply for , so you can apply for more than one at a time, even if they are for the same dates. However, as soon as you have accepted a sit withdraw any other applications for the same date.
UK is a great place to start off as there are so many sits available so you have a high chance of being accepted. It sounds complicated to co-ordinate a sit itinerary but there are lots of sitters on the forum who have done so successfully so I am sure they will be along to add their comments and suggestions to your thread soon .
https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/relying-on-house-sitting-while-traveling-to-europe
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I now was accepted for a sit where the HO thought that I was in England because I had changed my THS location to where I wanted to go. I thought I was sufficiently clear in my profile that in reality I live in Sweden but they had not quite understood that. So the HO got a bit worried “because we had several people from abroad cancelling last minute”. I bought a ferry ticket and sent a screen shot, so all is arranged now.
So that is three weeks in Cambridge confirmed! My return trip is completely open, I just applied for a nice sit in Bath in June. Those people won’t need to worry, I should be in England already in April.
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Thanks so much for this helpful info. 
Sounds great! Appreciate the feedback
Thanks so much! This is very helpful. I will keep these tips in mind as I consider my iteniary. 
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I would add here that a listing with low applications should get a thorough look at from a new sitter; especially in the UK where it seems understood that sits are very competitive and go fast into reviewing and/or filled.
Local sits to earn reviews are a good place to start as a new sitter too.
Good luck!
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They are not better, they are just easier to get.
There are often reasons for the “low application” label. Many are no problem for me. I do not need to be in the hottest beach resort, or close to an international airport. I don’t need a particularly luxurious home.
But then of course there are other reasons. Often it is the pets: their number, their health, their schedule. Or there is a lack of good reviews.
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Thanks for the helpful tips!
I think I saw that Bath sit you’re talking about - looks lovely and I hope you get it!
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I feel the same way about locations. I’m not too interested in the touristy areas neither. Thanks for the info!
I’m from the US and I sit in Europe. When I start planning an overseas trip, I start with looking for a longer sit (preferably a month), once I confirm the first sit then the trip is definite. Sits should not be cancelled unless there is some emergency. Then I look for other sits around that one (and then you can tell other HOs you are already planning to be in their country). It can be difficult to book back to back sits with no days in between so plan for the occasional hotel. There are lots of sits in the UK, so I wouldn’t worry too much about getting sits there (unless you only want to go to London). I have really enjoyed some sits in smaller towns and villages in England. Also think about whether you will rent a car or will rely on public transit as not all sits are accessible by public transportation.
I have a six month trip to Europe/UK coming up and so far I have sits confirmed in Luxembourg, Germany, England, and Scotland. Some of the trip won’t be sitting since I have some other plans, but I do have time open when I’ll be in the UK in August that I expect I won’t have a problem filling.
As you mention, low applications sits can be a great way to get started, but do look at those carefully. Often, they are great sits that are just not in popular areas, but sometimes there is some other reason sitters aren’t applying. So, be open to exploring less touristy areas, but also be selective.
Good luck!
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Thanks so much for your insight! I am open to sit anywhere in Europe to start, and the U.K has the most available it seems. I don’t need to be in tourist areas. I would like to plan to go in May for at least a couple of months, so looking for longer sits. I got a link to the train website from another forum member which is helpful as I would prefer not having to rent a car, and hope to be close enough to public transit, but if not as long as there is a market or restaurant pub close by works. I will definetly read closely before accepting.
Appreciate hearing your experience!
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@Clever, have you considered applying in the states first? Often you can find sits in your own area, which then gives you some reviews, which makes being accepted for other sits more likely.
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I would echo what @Val says. Do a couple of last minute, short, and/or low application Sits in your home town. Knock these out of the park, get excellent reviews, and this will make it much easier for you to get Sits in Europe.
When you apply for Sits in the UK, I think it is much better to say, “I am going to be in the UK,” rather than saying, “If I am accepted for your Sit, I am then going to plan my travel.”
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Great advice! I think I would feel better to start local for sure. And yes I see your point when applying for U.K. or overseas trips saying I plan to be traveling there anyhow, not just hinging on confirming sits, makes sense. I’m sure HO’s fear sitters canceling trips if sits dont materialize.
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Hi Val, yes I actually will be sitting in my area first as I definetly would feel better applying overseas if I had some reviews on my profile. I appreciate you and the other members valuable information. Some newbies have started out going over seas or travel out of their area right off but many are couples. I will be alone so I would definetly want to get my feet wet with THS first! 
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In fall we were looking for a house sitter for 4 weeks in southern Ontario. Yes, we are rural but there are a lot of things to do and to see. We got a few applications but none was suitable for the long time. I posted a very long list what we and the area offers. I also tried to find someone who would like to come from Europe but for most was the time for a sit too long. So we had to change our vacation date and shorten our vacation. We have a sitter now, a repeat sit form VERY amazing sitter but either we were to early (1. vacation time in May) or there are not many sitters, who want to sit for a long time.
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