How soon should I post our sit request? We are going on a 14 day cruise in late September, and need the sitter(s) here at least one day before we leave. It’s crucially important that we find someone reliable. When should I post this sit?
Personally, I often sit overseas. That means I need airfare which will usually be more expensive the closer to travel dates. So some sits that I’m interested in will be less attractive if posted closer to sit date. So for me - post it. 
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Why not post it now? There are plenty of hosts already posting for Christmas and it enables hosts and sitters to plan their schedules. Review the applications carefully and if you prefer to do so have a video call with short listed candidates. Some sitters don’t like this, but there are plenty of good reliable sitters that are happy with video calls. Good luck.
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Hi there,
Most people post a good few months in advance to ensure there’s plenty of time to find a sitter and arrange video calls with applicants. A good 3 - 6+ months in advance is ideal; you could certainly post now if you feel ready.
Make sure in your introduction section of your listing you explain what you expect for a handover (that the sitter should arrive the day before) and ensure your listed dates include this handover day.
Here’s some listing guides that may help when writing your listing:
https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/uploads/short-url/pLTxH15JL8f02lWEkv8FsjpLKxD.pdf
https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/uploads/short-url/2j2Xbyp2Go6y4DDKISeAKg8njw7.pdf
For best success, make sure you respond to applicants promptly (within 72 hours) and organise a video call with them if you’re interested in their application. Always discuss handover and arrival and departure times in the call. Hope that helps and best of luck! 
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In January we confirmed a sit for this September.
If you know the exact dates , post now - you have nothing to loose .
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If you have booked or will book the cruise soon, then publish the sitting request. Remember that sitters also need to arrange their travel, including flights. Flights usually get more expensive if you wait longer, which is also a challenge for the possible sitter. If a sit is attractive for a sitter, he/she will apply, independent of how long before it is. I have now a confirmed sit for end of August for 3 weeks. I also arrive a day earlier on request of the home owner. So nothing strange or exceptional for an experiences sitter.
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If you know your dates, post them! Our diary is quite full for 2025, and we’ve got a couple of sits booked in for 2026 already.
There’s plenty of sitters that take bookings well ahead of time, like us, and I’d imagine you’d have a higher chance of getting applications from people who have been pet sitting for quite a while, but that’s not always the case.
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Go ahead and post. I booked a September sit over a year ago (it’s a repeat). I’m looking at October/November sits now.
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I think you should post now because people are looking now for dates months ahead of the sit. If you wait then a lot of the sitters you may have liked for your sit will already be booked and not allowed to apply.
I only sit part time but I am looking now for a sit month in 8 months. I am picky so taking my time till the right one comes up. Unlike some I only apply to one at a time as I feel lucky to find that one being so picky. At least I admit it, ha.
If they don’t respond within 72 hours with at least, thank you for your application we’ll be reviewing all applications in 5 days or whatever it is, then I withdraw my application and look for a better fit. Not acknowledging an application tells me all I need to know about the pet parent. My opinion only. So either decline an applicant you are not interested in right away ( also helps them move on and not wait for an automatic decline from TH when you choose another) or acknowledge their application. Especially to those that take time to write a thought out message to you.
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I aim for posting a sit 2 months in advance, and have gotten great sitters - but that timeline is based on when I make my own travel arrangements. If you already have your tickets, there’s no reason not to post the listing now.
Just make sure to respond quickly to applicants - the trip is a while off and it may feel like you’ve got plenty of time to decide, but sitters may be making entire route plans now for the fall.
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It doesn’t matter that much. If the right sitter is looking and they see it now, they might go for it. If the right sitter is looking 3 months from now they might go for it. There are many sitters on the site. It’s less about finding someone who isn’t “booked” and more about simply finding the right sitter for your pet.
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Thanks to all you responders. You’ve convinced me to book sooner rather than later!
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Thanks. This is most helpful!
Thx. Good suggestions.
Thanks… I hadn’t considered the possibilty that someone might be traveling that far for a sit. Good point!
Thx! This is helpful.
It’s a good question. I usually apply for sits no more than 2 or 3 months in advance. The more time between the agreement and the sit raises the possibility of an unforeseen event happening on the part of the pet sitter or pet owner.
While the risk of something happening is always there, I guess it’s about finding that sweet spot when both owner and sitter feels pretty confident the sit will take place, once agreed.
Fortunately, I haven’t had a cancellation or needed to cancel in 5 years. Whether it is down to that is another question.
I’m not sure if that’s what you were angling at with the question but I hope it helps.
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Yes, this is exactly what I was concerned with. I’ve had incredibly good experiences so far, but I realize unforeseen events can come up. I will likely post next month. That will give me a six month window to interview interested sitters. Thanks for your input!
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Hi @Trish2024 in the meantime you can work on your listing to make it as attractive as possible ( @Nagy26 has provided links to helpful guides )
When you do publish your listing - be prepared to respond to the sitters who apply promptly ( within 24 hours ) . By far the majority of sits that we have done, we have had a video call and been accepted within 24 hours of applying . Sitters can apply to as many sits as they want and so you may miss out on a great sitter if you don’t respond to their application promptly- as another host may snap them up in the meantime.
Also heads up that many sitters don’t like the term “interview” as it sounds as if the host is approaching the discussions as if the sitter is applying for a job . In reality , it’s a friendly chat with both of parties asking questions to work out if it’s a good match a mutual exchange for both sitter and host.
All the best
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I have a 3 week vacation starting in mid October and I haven’t posted the sit yet. I asked a previous sitter if they were interested and they are thinking about it. I told them when I would post the sit, so they have time. If they let me know sooner that they wouldn’t be able to do it, then I’ll post the sit a little sooner than I planned.