I’m beginning to read some of the posts on this forum with a mixture of hilarity and disbelief, so think it’s time for a good-natured reality check!
We’ve had posts recently about sitters being disgruntled to find out-of-date spice racks, and now we’re discussing how the cutlery drawer should be arranged. We’re not buying the house, or moving in permanently – we’re there as guests for a temporary period, and then we’re moving out again. Surely there are more exciting ways to spend our time when we’re in a new area with furry friends than inspecting the minutiae of other peoples’ lives?
And likewise, home-owners – you’ve had someone living in your home and hopefully giving your pets the care and affection that they deserve in your absence. Please do not expect to come home and find every cushion exactly where you left it, and yes, a few kitchen utensils may have ended up in the wrong drawer and we might have snaffled the last of your peanut butter, but hey…
I find it often helps to consider people as your ‘friends’ and treat them accordingly – if you’d gone to stay at a friend’s house for a weekend, or hosted them at yours, would these things really be a big deal?
15 THS completed so far and the chances are high that we have on occasion unintentionally put a few kitchen utensils away in the “wrong “ place and maybe arranged the cushions differently on the sofa if we took them off to vacuum and forgot how they were previously arranged .
We have not had any complaints from homeowners . They have all said that we left things clean , neat and tidy and that we respected their home.
In fact we sit for so much of the year staying in different homes so sometimes when I go back to our own home I can’t remember where I keep certain utensils in my own kitchen !
I don’t go through cupboards checking the use by dates on peoples spices and condiments unless I am intending on using them to cook in which case I might have a look and then decide whether to use them or not .
We have no problem with an owner who tells us that there is some precious family China that they don’t want us to use or items that can’t be put in the dishwasher . We respect their wishes . However if I saw a negative review by HO that said sitter put utensils / cushions back in the wrong place or forgot to refill the ice tray- I wouldn’t apply to sit for that owner . I would be too nervous of making a similar mistake that I wouldn’t be able to relax and enjoy the sit .
@marj I do exactly as you do so you are not being irrational or fussy or pedantic or anything. Doesn’t make us any different to anyone else. Some like doing things one way, some like doing things another way, doesn’t mean my way is right or your way is wrong, we just do it differently. When we are in someone’s home, we do it their way. It’s a petty issue.
@Marj I didn’t take offence with your statement - I get what you mean. Arrange the majority of things prevent trouble. Many owners don’t put this much thought into preparing for sitters. Put things away that you don’t want sitters to use - yes, I agree. If the sitter then goes through your stuff to use it, then that is rude. Group things together for ease of use - yes. Makes perfect sense to me.
We once did a sit where the HO said mot to worry if everything wasnt put back in the same place but when he came back we heard him swearing about us not being able to do a simple thing like put knives where they should be!
Strange but true…
I get what you’re saying (including the puppy training analogy). I Airbnbd my home for a brief time, and left instructions not to put certain things in the dishwasher, which apparently offended a couple who stayed. Would have been better to hide that stuff.
Yes, again not something that would affect the quality of the sit, but it’s a minor inconvenience to see that it’s showing you’ve watched 17 episodes, and you have to go back and work out what you have watched.
A sitter drank a bottle of rum that was special. I didn’t think it was courteous but that’s minor in the scope of things.
Re arranging all my cabinets. I found it strange but hey, they might’ve felt more comfortable with how they arranged things to their liking so no biggie.
A sitter forgot to separate our pets… Our cats sometimes get into fights with our dog and this is very important to us but we understood that the sitter might’ve been in a hurry.
What I cannot tolerate:
If someone applies to sit and fails to medicate my pets. It can literally kill my cat and cause internal bleeding in my pup. If someone applies, I expect them to abide by this 100 %.
Locking my pets up- we had an applicant whom we confirmed. We met the night before & red flags flew everywhere- we cancelled the entire trip because she specified that she wanted to keep our two cats and pup in the bathroom while she enjoyed the apartment. She also mentioned that she didn’t like cats nor enjoyed dog barks.
People who don’t like animals shouldn’t pet sit. You figure this would be a given…
We had a sitter urinate all over our bathroom. It was disgusting.
I never turn on my hosts’ TV at all, in favor of watching on iPad. It has all of my accounts, so all of my shows or movies where I left off. And I love being able to carry it indoors, outdoors and during travel. I don’t turn on TVs at hotels, either.
“Not putting things back where they found them”
It may be obvious to you, but the sitter does not have the habit of stuff going where it goes.
My cleaner moves stuff to clean, and doesn’t put it back.
“It’s obvious”, well, not to her, apparently.
Eh, I just go round and set things to rights the way that I want them
100% we couldn’t take the chance for our pets to be mistreated. We lost all the money for the trip and THS’ insurance didn’t kick in because the sit hadn’t started (it was to start at 6 a.m the next morning.)
I’m not sure if THS can change that policy. Unsafe sitters or unsafe conditions for a sitter should be able to be called in in advance in cases where an extenuating circumstance appears before the exact moment the sit starts.
Under the rules, the insurance didn’t kick in until the sit started but technically we lost so much money, time, and labor by cancelling the entire sit and work trip because we were scared for our pets’ safety with that sitter.
The cancellation plan covers sits that are cancelled within 14 days of the start to the trip.
“Unexpectedly” means a cancellation that occurs 14 days or less before the agreed sit start date or during the sit, but before the agreed end date.
So you should have been covered by the plan . I can see how would be difficult to claim because you cancelled the sitter ( for very good reasons ) rather than the sitter abandoning the sit … and the terms are not clear that this situation is covered . Although I agree with you 100% that it should be .
I’m not a TV watcher either. But I absolutely will, with a HOs permission, avail myself of their soundbar (music is one of my love languages). Does THS even have “sound system” as an amenity?
Yes, again not something that would affect the quality of the sit, but it’s a minor inconvenience to see that it’s showing you’ve watched 17 episodes, and you have to go back and work out what you have watched.
