Hi just wanted to se if anyone has had this. I have just put forward to sit a house in Berlin. Great, but bit worried as owner has asked me to come earlier so we can get to know each other a bit before. Normally not a problem but he’s a single male, & lm a single lady!.. ld have my own large room. Do peeps think this is ok? Thanks in advance Michelle
How many days earlier ? If you are not comfortable with this arrangement , you do not have to do it .
Are there reviews from previous sitters ? Were they also single females ?
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I think that’s for you to decide really. I mean, single men list all the time on THS and most homeowners, or the majority, ask sitters to come the day before to acquaint themselves with the pets and be shown the routine. It would seem a little discriminatory to think something untoward but in saying that I understand how you feel about it. Were his words actually “get to know each other” or more get to know the pets/routine/a bit about the actual sit?
Personally it wouldn’t bother me, I have no fear lol, but again, it is a judgement call only you can make. If you are anxious about it, just don’t take it any further, I think it sounds like that is the best option as you are already wary. Silversitters questions are good.
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If your gut is telling you ‘no’, trust your gut. Always, always trust your gut.
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@Michellehousesitting As a single female, it’s not something I would do. I appreciate that perhaps the host means well. I don’t apply for sits where the host is a solo male, even if I wasn’t being invited to stay overnight. I am a cautious person, but it’s served me well so far in life.
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If you don’t feel comfortable then don’t do it. However cancelling at the last minute is not great either. Perhaps you can stay at a motel overnight.
In the future state this upfront. I have out it in my listing that it’s required to show up a day early. It’s fine if a sitter isnt comfortable with that but they should not apply to my listing then.
And I offer a comfortable guest room for the night prior but if a sitter wanted to stay overnight at a motel I’d be fine with that, but it would be at their expense then.
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Despite my previous post, I definitely agree with trust your gut, your instincts. You will stress about it all even before you go so move on to the next one, there’s always a next one 
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@Ziggy I saw your suggestion to go with the questions suggested by @Silversitters. When I have looked at sits for solo male hosts, I sometimes notice that all previous sitters were solo females. That really puts my radar up! 
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@Snowbird oh wise one 
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It doesn’t matter what other folks think about something like this, because it should be based on your own comfort level.
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We firmly require an overlap at the start of every sit…not necessarily to get to know the HS, but to give them a chance to get to know our dog while we’re there, learn his routine, and ensure they are comfortable with all aspects of our home and routine. This also ensures that even if a sitter has issues with their travel, they will arrive well before we depart on our trip.
We sometimes also ask for an overlap of one night at the end of the sit when we are traveling internationally as a travel buffer just in case we run into issues. We’re also very flexible in allowing most sitters to stay a bit extra at start or end of a sit as our guest(s) if it helps them logistically. Sometimes sitters will still offer to pitch in with dog care but when outside the official TH sit days, this is not at all an expectation.
That being said. Our overlaps are disclosed in our profile, we reiterate them on the video call, and ensure any HS that applies to our sit that they are welcome to cancel their app if this is a problem for them. We’ve never had a problem bc only folks that are comfortable with an orientation and travel buffer overlap apply. The sit dates we list include these overlaps in the dates.
If you’re at all uncomfortable, don’t do it.
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You are hesitant, take heed of that feeling. Stay the first night in a hotel or hostel. If he is a good guy he will understand. If he does not understand, that tells you something too. Females are well used to being cautious and statistically it’s for good reason.
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When I am traveling to get to a sit, I always plan to arrive at least a day in advance in case of unexpected delays. I usually stay in a hostel or Airbnb. I don’t sit many dogs, but when I do I like to spend some time with them in advance while the homeowner is there. I also like to do that with cats, although that’s not quite as important.
Next week I start a sit where I am arriving two days in advance because the airfare was less expensive, and the homeowner I’m sitting for only has a one bedroom apartment. So I’m staying in a hostel and going there the day before to learn the lay of the land and get the keys
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Is too, definitely same!!!
@bakindoki The OP is talking about overnighting with a single male as a single female sitter. She may have no problems at all overnighting with a couple.
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Which is completely fine, but not at the last minute. Unless the prior night was proposed at the last minute, OP should have stated up front before accepting the sit.
So what happens if he gets to know you and decides he doesn’t like you for some reason and no longer wants to proceed with the sit? I’m not for one moment suggesting that’s a likely scenario, but raise the point in order to question whether meeting in person is really necessary - ‘getting to know’ could easily be done via video call.
For a longer sit, or one with multiple animals or a complicated house set-up, eg. off-grid, an in-person hand over is mutually beneficial. If the sit is simply a few days of kitty care in a straightforward apartment, a decent Welcome Guide backed up with good communication should really be enough.
Either way, make sure the situation works within your comfort zone, including a first night in an Air BnB if needs be. And, as others have said, always trust your gut instinct - the fact that you’ve raised the question here on the forum already says a lot.
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Um, no. For sits with dogs the sitter needs to arrive early so the dog can meet them with the owners present.
If this was a cat sit, then maybe a blind handover would be ok. Not with dogs.
@Felinelover I don’t see any wording in the initial post that shows it’s a confirmed sit. She may be in discussion with him on details and asking for input before she makes a final decision. He also may be unsure at this stage, based on waiting for her response to his offer.
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That’s true. I assumed ‘put forward to a sit’ meant on their way…but I don’t speak British very well (I assume that’s where OP is) 
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