Wow. Seriously, if we ever determined any host held such an attitude, we’d immediately withdraw. And again, it would be a successful outcome for all, since - as I’ve repeatedly tried to emphasise - it’s vital that hosts and sitters feel comfortable with each other.
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I’m simply a host with a very desirable property that is in high demand, and I pointed out that a sitter who would have been next in line lost the opportunity because they chose to withdraw their application due to not being contacted for 2 days- because I was waiting for the first sitter to set up a video chat. The bottleneck is never due to us as hosts, we treat sitters with the courtesy and respect they deserve, in many ways including offering things that many hosts do not- pickup/dropoff at nearby train station, use of our car, the master bedroom, help themselves to any alcohol or food left behind with no need to restock, a lot of free time to go out and see the sights of Greece, and if they arrive early, the opportunity to stay over the night before and I give them a tour of the area.
We treat sitters like friends, in fact we are good friends with the first sitter and stay in regular contact. We also don’t interview multiple sitters and pick the best one. If there are no red flags or issues during the video chat, the sitter’s application is accepted
Your assumption that I “have an attitude” and thus would be a poor host simply because I take pride in our beautiful home and property in Greece , and am aware it’s in high demand (partly due to the high number of applicants and number of sitters who have favorited our listing, but also because of the influx of tourists paying upwards of 400 euros per nite to stay in less desirable AirBnbs), is utterly flawed.
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I’m thinking some of these posts are not helpful to the OP.
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Hi @CoffeyGrounds . It looks like you now have 2 applicants, so things are improving!
I’ve taken a look at your listing. You have a lovely home and everything looks beautifully neat and tidy, which is great. Maxwell and Hazel are cuties and look like great pals but, as a sitter, I’d welcome a bit more info about them. You say they’re used to someone being home all day and that walks are ‘optional’. It would help if you’d make things a bit more clear: You say they must be crated when a sitter leaves the house, but how long can they realistically be left along? Do they have any attachment issues? You say that Maxwell growls when jealous or uncomfortable, does this ever escalate to anything more? Does he growl at Hazel or at humans too? Just give a bit more detail regarding any behavioural issues. Sitters will appreciate that, as rescues, these two may have some quirks, but it’s important to spell it out so that sitters know exactly what to expect.
You’ve listed places to go, including the Blue Ridge Mountains, stating that they’re 1.5 hours away. Is it imperative for your sitters to have use of a car? If so, state this in the listing (and especially if you’re willing to provide one). Are the dogs happy to travel in the car? Is this something you expect? If so, say so. It’s a bit confusing that you’re seemingly encouraging sitters to go sightseeing which involves a 3 hour return journey, which means they’d likely be out for an extensive period of time, but don’t mention whether or not the dogs are good travellers (we’d never leave dogs crated during the day for hours on end).
In a nutshell, revisit your expectations and be clear on what you want from your sitter.
Wishing you luck!
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That’s never really a successful strategy for securing a sitter. Instead, make your listing as appealing as possible and be clear in your requirements and expectations- I hope my previous suggestions help - then let the applications roll in! They will be paused at 5, so respond quickly and decline any who are definitely not suitable (with a ‘thanks for applying’ note, which is always appreciated), then un-pause to allow more people to contact you.
Surely anything which offers insight into the mindsets of both hosts and sitters - to either facilitate or negate a successful sit - are relevant to the question of how to find a sitter at relatively short notice?
Back to the Op, sorry for the off-topic banter.
If you’ve still got that one sitter’s application pending, and you’re hesitant to take it to video chat perhaps you can share what’s stopping you.
Sometimes half a loaf is better than none, and if there are no obvious red flags then sometimes you just have to settle for less. Or make other arrangements off the THS platform.
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It’s been quite awhile since someone has asked how to handle too many applications. So, once again, your limited experience is not at all relevant to the OP in this thread or most other similar threads. That would make strategies based on your experience and outlier circumstances less relevant still.
The applicant you characterize as having “lost out” simply chose not to play your game. Most likely, they were among your best applicants. Had you done all applicants the courtesy of responding with a short “thank you, we’re working through applications and will get back to you within a few days”, they might have shown more patience with your strategy and you might have ended up with a sitter less cavalier with your shade umbrellas.
And, maybe, their “I won’t be kept waiting!” attitude was actually them withdrawing after picking up on your “you blew it” attitude.
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How would they pick up on an attitude if I never even contacted them?
I’m not “playing some sort of game”. I’m dealing with one applicant at a time. When I do confirm a sitter I let the others know that I’ll keep them in mind for a future sit, and initially I meant it. I did contact many of them for a subsequent sit prior to listing it publically but after doing that on my last sit I realized it’s a waste of time.
Really? Sounds like the sitter expected a prompt response of sorts and you expected them to wait until it suited you to respond. You subsequently weren’t a good match, which is what this site is all about, so the system wormed effectively for you both. Assessment of each other commences for both sitters and hosts at time of application.
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I expected the sitter to wait until I had something to offer them, either an opportunity to video chat or to let them know we chose a sitter. I would have in fact contacted that sitter within the 72 hour deadline after the sitter ahead of her in line was a no-go.
There’s no way to know if we were a good match because other than the sitter application we never had any communication.
Hey everyone!
I think we’re getting a bit off track here, so it’d be fab if we could turn the conversation back to @CoffeyGrounds and their needs, please! 
Jenny
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Agreed. Seems like many threads going off track. I wonder why that is?
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You can remove your sit dates, wait a bit and then republish them. I haven’t used it but I understand this will temporarily increase visibility on your listing.
Once you’re within 7 days of the sit, you can have your listing appear in the “Last Minute” category. Sitters looking for a last minute sit are rumored to lurk there.
Finally, you’ll often see “plan B” mentioned by experienced hosts and sitters in this forum. It’s just a reference to the need to plan for contingencies like a sit canceling last minute, travel delays or other life intrusions. What are your fallback plans if something blows up your sit? Kenneling, paid sitters off services like Rover, having friends or family step in last minute? You might want to give your plan B some serious thought just in case.
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Thank you so much for your feedback! It is greatly appreciated. I will make those changes.
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@CoffeyGrounds Hello, you’ve gotten good advice from HappyPets.
We are familiar with your area of Georgia: we visit a cabin our daughter-in-law owns in Elijay, not far from you. You are also close enough to Atlanta that sitters might like to spend time exploring the incredible history and arts that city/region has to offer.
Therefore, please be specific about how long your pets can be left at home while the sitters are out exploring. To help sitters feel free to do that, perhaps a neighbor can plan to stop by on two or three afternoons to give your pups potty breaks (while sitters are out exploring).
Maybe reserve a paid service now for both of your planned sits, in case you can’t find a THS sitter. That way, you have a back up plan.
Just food for thought. We hope you find a great sitter! Let us know how things go. 
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I just have to say, I wouldn’t sit for an easy cat at a 5 star home on Isle Saint-Louis if I sensed the homeowner was arrogant. Pride is different from arrogance. Knowing one has a nice home is different from arrogance.
I recently applied to a sit. The host took over a week to review applications and then selected someone else. That’s fine. I was probably on hold in case their higher up choices didn’t pan out. That’s fine too. But, I got the computer generated message and never heard from the owner at all. While I did not withdraw after 2 days, I took note of the situation. I sit in the UK for several months every year. I won’t be applying to that sit again. There are plenty of very kind and welcoming pet hosts out there. I will sit for the ones who treat sitters well. The ones who bother to write and say, for example, thank you and they would happily consider me another time in the future. With only 5 applications to review, a personal note isn’t too much to expect.
Have I missed an opportunity? Meh.
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