Hi,
I am struggling to get sitters for my home. Can I get some recommendations on what would improve my listing?
(Link removed from post by the Forum team and added listing link to Forum Profile).
WOw love your listing, the pics are great, your description of nearby things is amazing. THe dogs are adorable 
. I suggest the following to possible attract more sitters:
- can you offer use of a vehicle for those who fly in? (you can require a valid DL and ask to see it if this helps you feel better, and check with your insurance that its ok)
- add more info about the medication required - does the dog take it easily? wrapped in a pill pocket? peanut butter? do you have to manhanlde it in there?
- add more info about the dogs personalities
- do you want (require or is this optional?) them to be off leash with the sitter? elaborate here.
- if you are picky about their feeding times, add the times in also not just AM/PM
- can sitter choose either bed? (king or queen?) as it seems so but isnt entirely clear
- can you offer pickup from airport also? (just spitballing hereā¦)
- can you offer to pay for the sitter feee should they not have a Premium membership?
Hopefully you can do a little tweaking but really it sounds super amazing and your home is very appealing. (I happen to be a mountain biker and love to hike too!). Good luck!!
Wow thank you so much this is very helpful!
In addition to the vehicle issue ā which if you canāt, you canāt, the only other thing Iād consider is writing a little more about the probiotic/medication issue. How easy is it to give this? I would consider a probiotic often more a supplement like a powder that can go on food rather than a medication that needs to be pushed into a dogās mouth, so you might explain it more. It also could hint at tummy issues which are no fun for anyone, so Iād so a little more.
Your home sounds lovely and the dogs adorable!
we need to stop normalizing this
@belluca Funnyā¦ I was a homeowner first, just turned dual Sitter. Either youāre 100% for this or 100% against this. If a homeowner is having trouble getting a sitter, itās a tool to consider. Sheās seeking help, Iām offering potential solutions. Whatās normal or acceptable for one Sitter or homeowner may not be for another.
THS needs to reconsider. I can quite understand why some HOs are offering to reimburse sit fees, if it helps them to get a good sitter.
Quite, no one has to offer reimbursement. THS has created a division amongst members that could backfire.
Lovely pics and description, what a beautiful location. As an experienced sitter Iād want more clarity about the dogsā behaviour being walked on-leash as they are medium sized well built dogs who need daily walks - are there pulling or reactivity issues, could I handle both of them leashed while walking? Or would I have to walk them separately?
As a solo sitter Iād be reluctant to apply without more info on this as, just from experience, it can be an issue. Ditto āsometimes if you go out on a trail early and there are minimal people off-leash can be okā is a red glag that there may be some issues with them off-leash around people.
Some would say this can be addressed in a video call but tbh the lack of clarity would put me off applying given other sits available.
Hope that helps.
Thanks everyone! I made some of the updates that were suggested. If you are open to it, please feel free to review again! I tried to clarify some of the open things. When I said people on trails, i meant just having my dogs startle other hikers or people primarily with dogs since thatās not a very nice thing to do!
Anyway, hope that helps. I donāt know if itās frowned upon to offer to pay cover the sit fee, but was considering throwing that in too 
Yes, even if your dog is fine there may be a hiker coming around a bend with a nervous dog on leash. Or the person themselves may be nervous, so you have the correct trail etiquette!
Your listing looks fabulous, youāve done a great job. Offering to pay sit fees is very kind and generous, but itās a contentious and emotive issue for many so expect some pushback.
I think this decision is up to each individual host/homeowner and not for others to judge.
In fact I would never pay a sitterās fee and I would be quite hesitant to choose a sitter who requested I pay the fee, thankfully that has not happened as we get lot of applicants but for hosts having difficulty getting sitters itās one strategy of several that may get more applicants and itās not fair to discourage them from doing exactly that if necessary to confirm a sit.
Itās a controversial issue but the truth is that people who need to attract sitters try to add some kind of incentive. I donāt think the money itself would make a difference but it might be seen as a generous gesture and a sign of appreciation for the sitterās help.
I would and will quite (un)happily pay the sittersā fees even though Iām heavily opposed to them because, whatever their subscription level, it shouldnāt prove a hindrance on them securing my sit if theyāre interested. Different strokes etc. THS seems to have divided andā¦all the rest. A sad state of affairs
Would you still offer to pay sitter fees if you had lots of applicants and could pick one that was either Premium or didnāt feel it necessary for you to pay their fee?
I know that despite my opposition to choosing a sitter who requested I pay their fee, it comes down to having choices and if I didnāt have alternatives then I would do it because it still beats a kennel.
Iāve had probably 30+ sitters over the years (many repeats too) and Iāve never even thought about asking them what level of subscription they have (nor do I know even know). I have read their reviews and had video chats with them all. And thatās what I shall continue to do, regardless of their membership level. Itās simply not something I would ever take into account. But THS has introduced fees that never used to exist, I am simply levelling the playing field in my own way.
Your listing is really nice. I would not invite sitters to take your dogs off leash however. As a sitter, despite owners telling me this, I will never take that chance. Sits that require a car to get around are difficult for folks if theyāre flying in, thatās an added expense and when its only a 5 day sit, I would never pay for a flight and a car for that short of a pet sit. Just something to consider as well, could be why less folks are applying.
6 days later and 2 dates including the end of May donāt have applicants! This might have more to do with the wider events. There may not be as many US people doing vanlife or being nomadic and able to rely on online jobs. There may not be as many people getting on airplanes and renting cars even with accomodations covered by sitting. Theoretically, I have an old friend in Denver I could see. I could imagine going to Boulder for the day. I have a great friend in Vail who maybe I could meet for lunch halfway. All this would require flying out and a car rental, and of course making sure the dogs could come with on a day trip like that which if I did it with my spouse AND they are well behaved in public spaces would be doable. But when the economy was better and the US was more welcoming to foreign traverlers, and more people were fully remote, and fuel and gas cost less, it would have been easier to fill his sit.
Because of the nature of THS, I think oversweetening an offer by offering to pay fees, or leave a grocery gift certificate while wonderful gestures can backfire in terms of appealing to sitters who are more in need of that. But there are other sites that offer paid and unpaid opportunities and it might be worth looking there.
You might still find great sitters for your dates. Iād recommend talking to your two applicants ASAP for the one date that has them and choosing one if the person is suitable and declining both if they arenāt. Deleting your listings and then relisting the dates will put things back on top so theyāll appear as ānewā not "low applications.
I would consider reaching out to sitters carefully. You might find ālocalā sitters willing to your sit through THS or willing to do offsite for $. You might find people within families especially during the summer willing to drive out from a little further away to explore Colorado.
Actually itās that bad in the US. I would not talk to u suitable applicants or applicants who ghosted me. I would budget for a paid sitter, which are plentiful in most areas of the US. Unfortunately due to geopolitical events I think THS will have a difficult time in most of the US except a few enclaves. Actually we will probably not renew and just use paid sitters for the next couple of years. I have a sit I will post soon but expect no (viable) interest.