“Alexa - how long does it take to dry cannabis leaves?” 
Asking for a friend…
Alexa turned the fans, lights and yes, music for the plants, off and on. I was asked to water them 2x week. They did divulge and ask me in advance if I would water their legal plants. I just wasn’t expecting them to be so big!
We have exactly the same issue! It always adds a layer of difficulty to finding Airbnb and hotel accommodations. 
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Wow…I’ve never asked Alexa to do anything but give me a weather forecast, play music or read off sports scores. That’s amazing!
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When I first joined this year my listing wasn’t made ‘live’ until I had posted images of the bedroom, I assumed this was a standard procedure. I appreciate It does make a difference if you can see where you will have access to in the home as a sitter.
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Great topic because it is important to see where are the sitters sleeping??
If it is just a few days sit, I really don’t put a lot of weight into that concern.
But….a long sit, yes I need to know. I did still apply to one sit that I was interested in, the HO and I set up a video chat and I asked where will I be sleeping?
Man oh man I was so glad I asked. That is all I will say about that “tour”
After the video chat I did not accept the sit.
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@NovaStar We had a similar experience. Set up a videochat and asked the HO about bedroom pics because we wanted to see the bed size. The HO referred us to a photo already in the listing showing a red sofa which actually opened into a sofabed. We don’t do sofabeds. So we declined that Sit- phew! phew!!
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@Lokstar it’s great you found out prior to the sit and saved yourself a true headache (and backache)! Always a great idea to get ALL your questions answered during a video/phone chat…saves so many surprises later!
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Yes please! I learned the hard way in my first sit just completed. Did not notice no picture of the guest room, it turned out to have a full sized bed, which we find uncomfortable for a couple (and a dog), no night stands and lamps that we had to move to the bedside. Plus the bed was pushed against the wall meaning we either moved the bed or one person had to climb over the other to go to the bathroom in the night.
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@LosGatos that is why the pics AND call are so important! Asking about what you see (and even what you don’t see) can save a great deal of surprise and stress!
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Very good point.
It doesn’t sit well with me that I have to “apply” before my questions are answered.
I feel that if if there a "message the homeowner regarding this sit "option first, that would save so much time for the sitter and owner.
The HO will be so keen to have someone and may think the sitter will accept, when all the potential applicant wanted was answers to their legitimate questions like “may I see a photo of the room the selected Sitter/s would be staying in?” Or “do you have a clothes dryer? Washing machine”?, "Does your dog have a certain time they like to go for walks? " “Do they get along with other dogs when out walking”?
The amount of times I have had to apply and then withdraw because I felt the sit was not suitable after conversing with the owner was quite frustrating.
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Great advice for new member thankyou
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Here, here!! Agreed 1000 percent!
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Totally agree with this!
Now that there is a limit to how many applicants the HO can accept before pausing, it wastes their time and the sitters time to have to ask these kinds of questions.
Either there SHOULD BE A WAY to send a note WITHOUT applying like on Airbnb!! Or HO’s need to post as much info as possible and as many pertinent photos as possible
This means ALL the spaces the sitter will be using and caring for. I consider myself a HOUSE sitter as well as a pet sitter!
I am going to care for your home - so I think it is understandable that I would like to see what I will be caring for as well as whether it is within my comfort zone. I do not do well with clutter and would not be comfortable in a home with cluttered counters, tables, floors, shelves, etc.
I am always suspicious of a listing with not many photos of the interior because I do wonder if they are afraid by doing so sitters won’t apply.
And tbh, I don’t totally trust reviews because I know sitters are rarely totally truthful with any negative comments. There is a whole thread on this.
PLEASE POST PHOTOS of the all living spaces!
I find it very awkward and uncomfortable to have to ask for this. Am in that situation right now, in fact. We were approved without ANY dialogue, conversation, “interview” of any kind! But there are no photos of the bedrooms. Usually I wouldn’t even apply but the dates, location, pet, and what photos there are all seem like it COULD work, but I wanted more info and we just got approved like that!
I asked for a video chat but I do find it very awkward to say “may I see the bedrooms?” -
it just is awkward.
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A post was merged into an existing topic: Conclusion Of Pausing Application Test - Updated Post
Expect these comments to be moved to the Pausing Applications thread and ‘buried’ as mine were yesterday.
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@Twitcher all comments referring to Pausing Applications will be moved into this thread
https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/conclusion-of-pausing-application-test-updated-post
This is first and foremost to keep all references in one place … comments are not “buried” simply merged and can be found by any member searching the topics.
This topic is about listing image expectations …
Thank you
Yes @carpediem16 I had a HO assume I was definitely going to sit for her without a video call. I think some of them forget that they are not just interviewing us for the job. We are interviewing them too!
The photos are important to sitters. And building a rapport (or not!) through our communication and video call is vital for both parties to feel reassured that they are picking the right people.
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Yes I have ended up in a childs single bed that’s what it felt like not ideal.but the dog was lovely he made up for it in a big way.but I have camped in a mountain tent on hard ground on the top of a mountain many times, with just a mat .ok as I’m older now maybe need my comforts getting soft.I like clean homes but don’t want to feel that I’m scared to make a mess either.
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There’s one like that now in Maryland. It has 2 pictures of the dog both up close. It has virtually no discrimination of the home. I’m not even sure it has a bathroom or a kitchen from the HO’s description. Lol. I would never consider applying.