We in UK have used site for years made some lovely friends but this year advertised for long weekend August got nothing just continued declines have put another long weekend up and it same again.
Beautiful home in private road two dogs who don’t need long walks .
2 Likes
I try local sitters for weekends I used to have my dad to look after boys but he died family are spread around Uk! My boys would not cope in kennels
1 Like
I always reply to responds
4 Likes
I sometimes would appreciate 1 or 2-night sits that are near where I live.
3 Likes
Hello, I’ve just joined the community and just joined THS a month ago. I too am looking for travel opportunity sits in locations where we have friends, family or just new areas to explore. For us, its about timing and available, affordable flights. I’ve JUST retired, so very excited about this resource. We do our first sit in LA in about 3 weeks just so we can go to a couple of Dodger games. We REALLY miss having our dogs. We aged with them and they passed away about 15 months apart, with the last one leaving us nearly 2 years ago. We’re very pleased about the opportunity to spend time with pets, even if they belong to others. Sorry, I’m just rambling. Just saying, we hope the HO will stay with it, so we can find you for an adventure.
One thing we also appreciate reading in the property description is accessibility features. Sometimes, I’d like to bring my elderly mother. She doesn’t require my care, but she needs to use her walker and have a shower, rather than tub. The home doesn’t need to be totally accessible, so even if it’s NOT totally accessible, the home could still work if but it has a walk-in shower and just a few stairs. That kind of info helps. 
6 Likes
I had a fab couple retired they had stopped travelling loved just sitting 20mins from their home, would even pop in for coffee and cuddle with my dogs, sadly he passed away during Covid.
Have tried another local but she never responded!
3 Likes
I prefer sits like that too.
Like others have said, 0-3 applications does not mean there are no sitters applying. One of my previous sit hosts said that on average they receive two applications per listing. I also think, on occasion, some hosts keep an active listing up, even when they may already have a sitter arranged from outside THS, in the case they may experience a last minute cancellation.
Hmmmm, so maybe this is the reason why some hosts don´t reply or/and read applications
6 Likes
Yes, I´ve found that to be the case. So many people adopted an animal into their family during the lockdowns (as much as people too up new fitness activites haha).
But also, I saw on a news program that upon countries opening up again, the dog kennels were getting fully booked up and it was even a struggle to find spaces in dog kennels for months!
1 Like
That may be one of the reasons you may not get a reply for a while.
Another reason is that they are not sure if they will in fact need a sitter, due to uncertainties with their own plans. I would prefer that they just get back straight away simply stating so, rather than say nothing at all and leaving us in the dark…
3 Likes
Of course, we all would, this is why I always withdraw my application if there is no response within 2-3 days
3 Likes
Totally agree. Really hard to fill sit.
1 Like
Don’t knock them. These two night sits are a Godsend to people on the move, moving from one area to another. Saves so much money. In fact last week we booked three short sits for moving from NY State to Maryland.
12 Likes
I do the same thing. Move along.
To each and their own.
Everyone that is a member will house sit to match what they want, whether short term or long term. Some home owners want overnight sitters. Some people apply for those sits.
I have undertaken short weekend sits and enjoyed them locally and in other parts of Australia.
4 Likes
I’ve noticed a similar thing in the UK, especially in certain areas that aren’t particularly touristy. I understand that the 2-3 day sits might suit some people as a stopover, but I imagine the majority of sitters wouldn’t apply for such a short time frame, especially if they are in difficult-to-reach locations.
2 Likes
Hi @anon80172330 I do agree with you that short time sits are sometimes harder to fill but honestly, we drive 3-4 hours in the USA for just weekend sits. It really depends on what you are looking for…sometimes just the chance to check out a new location not far from your home…or a chance to just get away from the hum drum weekend life of cleaning, cooking, shopping, etc. after a long work week.
9 Likes
True, which is why I said I understand that 2-3 day sits might suit some people. However, I still think the majority of sitters would have a preference for sits over a week in length.
As much as I enjoy housesitting, it can also be an upheaval, so try to minimise this by being in the same place for a longer period. I definitely notice a pattern whereby the combination of a shorter sit and less desirable area (i.e. not Edinburgh, London etc) is likely to have fewer (if any) applications. This applies to the UK and specific areas I search, I have no idea about further afield.
3 Likes
I would have thought that THS could offer promotions, upgrades or financial incentives so that sitters want to renew and new and lapsed sitters are encourages to join.