Thanks so much for replying. I’m relatively new to THS so all useful.
with regards to the existing application, this is the sitter who has cancelled. I will see if I can remove it.
it is almost February, ditch the Christmas tree photos. Also, you have the same photo of cat on staircase twice
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Hi Ziggy, I had never heard of a house described as a passive house before either. That description is not one that would have attracted me to a sit.
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So the sitter hasn’t cancelled, but has withdrawn her/his/their application?
There’s a common misconception, it seems - especially with new HOs - that an application constitutes an offer to sit and a withdrawal is a cancellation. This isn’t actually the case, since sitters more usually make an application simply to find out more (this is the only method of doing so) and often will have more than one application at a time for same dates. A sit isn’t confirmed until an official offer is made by the HO via THS and accepted by the sitter, after which it will appear in your respective dashboards.
I realise you’ve removed the listing link from your profile @Claire8 but have been able to locate it on THS and would agree with others in saying the annex (‘cabin’) and sofa bed is likely to limit your number of applicants.
You might want to amend your wording: ‘you can go out for the day (with Bob, of course 
)’, since it very much implies an employer to employee approach rather than acknowledging the mutually-beneficial ethos of the exchange. Simply state your requirements and expectations in a more friendly and explicit manner, for example: Bob can be left alone for up to 4 hours but will very happily accompany you when you go out and about and loves travelling in the car (a vehicle / doggy seat belt / carrier will be provided).
You state this is a rural sit and you recommend the sitter has a car. If a car is necessary to this sit please state this explicitly rather thsn simply making a recommendation, and if you expect sitters to take Bob out in their own car, make this clear too (be aware that this will further limit applications, since not all sitters travel by car and still fewer are happy to transport dogs, especially if they’re given no choice in the matter).
One of your previous two sitters has docked stars for communication, cleanliness, listing accuracy and pet behaviour, so it might be worth addressing how those issues have been resolved, in your listing. The more pertinent info you include, the better the match with a competent sitter who knows what to expect.
Best of luck!
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A quick question: you mention this is a passive house design, is the cabin also a passive build?
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Hi Happypets, thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. Lots of useful feedback, especially regarding the dog/car/going out.
Regarding cancellation, the sitter was confirmed and houseguide shared a couple of months back. After replying to the sitters message saying they were withdrawing due to health issues, I couldn’t find out from the help functions how to show this and unfortunately the sitter was no longer responding. Any info on this would be helpful.
I am pleased to say we’ve received a promising application so fingers crossed. I’m still going to update our listing with all the great tips and prompts from this chat.
Thank you to everyone.
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Hi again, After all the feedback on accommodation, it will be in the house. Good point tho - the cabin is cosy in winter with air con in summer, but not heated the same way as the house
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Didn’t know I’d removed the link - will sort
The listing now reads well and I’m sure you’ll have applicants but, please reinstate the info about one of the cats having accidents in the house. I realise you’ve mentioned pee pads which can be machine washed (which may be off-putting for some sitters - including us - as we wouldn’t fancy washing our clothes in the same machine) but please be entirely transparent about any toileting problems - and indeed any and all behavioural issues - so that sitters can make an informed choice about whether to apply. If sitters arrive to find there are behavioural issues which weren’t stated in the listing, they’re at liberty to walk.
Best of luck.
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Thanks so much for reading the new post - will amend as suggested
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The listing is significantly better than before- you’ve made great changes. Best wishes.
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Thank you for your help 