Hi we are new to trusted house sitters and I was wondering how long people waited for contacts ? We are going away on the 29th of this month and I didn’t know if I should start looking at other options?
Many thanks 
Lyn
It’s difficult to say @Lyn - when did you post the sit, how long is it for, where is it, how many people have applied, how many pets do you have? We need some more info to help really. You can add your listing to your profile for feedback from forum members.
#letsdothis
I’m in the same situation: I posted my sit a month ago for 2 weeks beginning June 28. I had two applications early on, both of which did not work out due to conflicts on their end. I boosted my sit last weekend, have reached out to the people who saved my listing, as well as to previous sitters in my hometown, with no luck. Any ideas? Thanks! - Stephanie
Oftentimes forum members ask to see the listing to give some suggestions as of way it might have not attracted many applications. Do you want to link your listing here? You’ll find instructions on how to do it by using the spy glass above.
I also would start looking for alternatives.
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Hey Stephanie,
I took a quick look at your listing for you. Your sit seems very welcoming and friendly, and Dimitri looks like a lovely and easy to care for cat! However, I can see that sleeping in an office space on a fold out couch bed could be a bit off putting for sitters - my immediate thought is ‘where would I put my clothes & belongings?’ and sitters may feel the room is rather squishy and that they can’t really make it their own space - compared to most other listings that provide sitters with either the owner’s own room or spare bedroom. Is it possible for you to either offer your own room, or clear some space in the office, retake photos & and show where sitters can store clothes?
There is also quite a lot of text in your listing, some of which could be condensed and saved for your welcome guide or when chatting with sitters (e.g: notes on amenities, cat listening to certain commands, info about the handover, etc). Remember that your listing is an advert & overview, not your welcome guide, and needs to be as clear & attractive as possible. Your intro can definitely be improved, as it is currently rather autobiographical and lacks compelling reasons why a sitter should choose you.
Another note - most sitters (besides those in your local area) will not be able to meet you in advance, as THS sitters are usually non-local travellers.
@Lyn & @springarjenta - you both might want to give this blog I inspired for THS a read, which outlines common mistakes to avoid for a successful listing. Hope that helps!
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@springarjenta
The thing that jumps out at me with your listing us that the sitter is offered only your office room- shown in sofa mode- in a room that looks small & cluttered and that your other rooms will be closed off- presumably bedrooms? That feels unwelcoming and would put me off. If you have a real bed/bedroom to offer that would be more appealing.
Dinitri looks utterly adorable!
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Thanks for your suggestions! I’ve updated and shortened my listing. Having a dedicated guest room is definitely a project on my list, but that space is currently not available.
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