@Myhnabird I’m also getting used to doing video calls shudders 
but have come to realise they are incredibly important tools for us to get a good feel for the HO and see if we have a rapport.
We recently did a video call for an absolutely amazing sit but just didn’t feel like we clicked with the HO. Not sure it helped we both had terrible signal so the call kept dropping out either. We’ve not heard back so assume they felt the same.
For us that goes to show how important pre sit communication and rapport with a HO needs to be otherwise turning up the night before and staying would be incredibly awkward for all parties!
I am doing one soon, where I need to arrive the day before, but the owners have booked me into a local hotel for the night. It is in a different country, so it makes sense that they wanted to make sure there were no issues with my flight, etc. I am happy with that
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@Kieran_Duke totally understand about showing the sitter around etc. All of our sits so far we’ve visited prior to the sit dates and spent several hours with each HO chatting generally and meeting the pets etc. We don’t mind that element of the process at all, it’s the thought of spending extended periods / overnight with the HO.
From reading the other replies I’m getting the picture that the HO is usually pretty busy with last minute packing etc and the sitters are left to their own devices.
It’s definitely something we’ll review the more site we do.
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@pergamino very valid point and completely appreciate every pet is different and the most important thing is to ensure the pets have the least stressful handover as possible.
We’d definitely like to know if the start / end dates of a sit include an overnight stay with the HO
It’s now something I’ll add to my list of questions when doing an initial call/video chat.
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@Goodboyjakey Yes! While video chats are another thing I’m not great with (struggle to not be drawn to the small screen of what I look like when on a chat; it’s terribly off putting watching myself 
) I can see their usefulness in determining a rapport with a HO and how easy we all converse. Certainly the best way to see if all parties click
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I think the bottom line is that HO’s need to set their parameters and sitters that like what they see will apply.
Same thing with sitter profiles; say it like it is for sits that interest you and things that don’t.
If you feel that being general in either type of profile will give you more options then it’s up to each to have candid conversation to make sure it’s going to be a good fit…or be more able to go with the flow.
We will want to meet sitters in person in some way…but we are open to what would work best based on logistics but meeting in person is going to be a deal breaker for our listings.
We get that some sitters may not apply for that reason.
Totally ok.
Just like we only want to do sits in nonsmoking homes.
Are we going to miss out on some good sits…yup…Totally ok.
That approach is probably fine it it’s a local sitter. But if someone is traveling to your location, you would be requiring them to arrive there the day before and to pay for a hotel the night before your sit starts.
I’m actually doing exactly what you describe on a sit in a couple weeks, but I’m going from one sit to another in the same area. Since I’ll already be there and the HOs for the second sit are leaving in the morning, I offered to stop by the day before to make it easier for them. For the sit I’m on now, I was able to stop by a few weeks before because I was passing through the area on my way to somewhere else. The HOs appreciated it because it freed them up to be able to leave whenever they were ready (they were driving) on the day of their trip.
I completely understand that it’s easier on the HO to do the walk-through before. As a sitter, I try and be as flexible and accommodating as possible. However, I don’t think I would take a sit that required me to travel there the day before without providing accommodations.
I always thought it is better to have a cold hand off to avoid interaction with humans but for those sit that I have warm hand off, they went 200% better. Seeing how the owner handles their pets give me a better idea on how to take care of them. I mostly hide in my room or go out alone for walk when I got enough of human interaction.
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That would only work for us if we were already on a sit nearby and had good public transport links to yours. Or there were extremely reasonable accommodation options near by.
I’m cracking up reading this. In addition to cleaning supplies, cooking equipment, linens, pillows, dog and cat supplies (leash, extra poop bags, head lamp, etc), I also bring two giant coolers with me full of cold packs and and food and leave them in the car until after the HO leave, often overnight. I can only imagine what the HO think watching me on their security camera move all this stuff in from my car!
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Maybe you wanna share that packing list with the forum?
Headlight. Love it but it wasn’t on my list!
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This has been discussed before. You can do a search and here are a couple of topics to start with:
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@mars snap! We’re slowly adding to our collection of kitchen ware we’re taking with us. Bar the kitchen sink we’ve now got rather a lot of stuff 
It’s great if the house you’re in has every conceivable gadget going in a kitchen, saves a lot of unpacking/ packing.
I think having a spare lead is a great idea, will be adding that to our shopping list.
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I also have a high-visibility vest for nighttime dog walking in dark places. Not that that would have helped but we had a friend who was hit and killed by a car walking a dog in the daytime on a street with no sidewalks.
I want to mention that I take a large load of stuff when I take my car but when I fly or take the train, I manage with a rugged wheeled carryon and a personal item bag.
I recommend this awesome bag that I got after realizing I couldn’t deal with a backpack: Approach Rolling Gear Bag, Medium at L.L. Bean
it’s taken me all over the UK, Iceland, NYC and will soon be going to California.
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That arrangement would be fine if we were local and could easily pop in the day before. But if it would involve an extra overnight cost because of not staying with you I would not be so keen. If its important for you that sitters come to check in the day before, as you are leaving so early, but you’d rather not have them in your house, then you could always offer to pay for their overnight cost, or at least a contribution towards it.
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I think everyone would have a different opinion and it also depends on the length of the sit.
My wife and I do long sits of almost always 30 days or longer and as the sitter, I like to have a night and hand off because for long sits there’s a lot to cover and there’s almost always something that comes up during that period that the guide missed. It also means the HO doesn’t have to think about the animals the day of departure as we’ve already taken over.
As a HO, for a long sit, we’d need the sitter to arrive a day early so we can meet them and make sure they fit with the critters. Also, we’d want them to take over so we’re not distracted before leaving.
Ultimately, it has to work for both parties. We’ve turned down a number of sits that weren’t a fit for us for a number of reasons and that’s fine, it’s got to fit for both parties. That way the little ones get the best care.
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I for one don’t mind staying over the night before and actually find it helpful. I’m a combo extra/intro so it doesn’t bother me. I think It’s beneficial to understand how everything works and If you have any questions. I’ve done this on a few of my sits and It’s works fine. Arriving the night before particularly these day’s with delayed flights etc is actually something I prefer to do. Also I’m now good friends with some of the HO’s due to this.
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