I do not and will cancel an application if a HO asks for this. It is an unnecessary time and money waste for a sitter. I have 52, 5 star reviews, I have been thoroughly ID checked etc by the platform that should suffice. I do arrive the day before the HO leaves to allow space for flight hiccups and so the pet can see me with their person. However if a HO cannot host me that night I won’t pay for a hotel unless it’s a very high demand sit like NYC. This a reciprocity agreement not a paid job.
1 Like
As I have posted before, there is always another sit. For same time period, but better dates, found one in the Thousand Islands. Will cost me $100 in gas R/T. But a nice sit for Oct. And I know the one I got canceled was going to be a bad review. I literally wrote in my note, “I am not staff”. So there was the vibe.
2 Likes
It’s certainly not necessary (sometimes I never meet the HO at all) but if I’m in the area and we can find a mutual time then I do like to meet them.
1 Like
Not required.
Out our ~50 housesits, I think we’ve visited only two properties in advance of housesit start date. And one of those had no pets; we could walk there in a few minutes; and homeowners were making cocktails ;).
We suspect that it depends on housesit type. In OP, you noted a three day housesit - guessing that housesitter and pet parent are relatively local as an international housesitter is unlikely to hop on a flight for such a brief sit.
Perhaps a good next step is to stop offering to visit property, and listen whether pet parents asks that you visit property in advance. We’d wager that very few pet parents would ask. And even fewer still would require.
2 Likes
In my case it was a week sit, and I am in the region. But I am staying on the east side of Toronto and this was a suburban town about 40 miles, but through horrific traffic. Constant horrific traffic along the highway close to the lake. So it would not be worth it unless I was passing by, as I mentioned. But the attitude is what got me. I so wanted out of that sit. I am happy and applied to a sit that no one else applied to, better dates, to fill the time. I do not have a list of questions for a video call. Most are better organized. I am going to put that in my drive. Video call questions.
Like the red flag posts talked about. I did a drive and do a visit before hand, they would be gone when I arrived, for a great sit. Best sit ever so far, but it was 3 weeks, there was a lot of garden (free veggies), pool – pool guy but I needed to make sure if it needed water, I don’t like to use the master, my daughter was staying with me, there were 2 guest rooms, so I told them, we would stay in the guest rooms. there was a lot of instructions. So that was worth it. And I had an interview, for a sit. I was on the previous mentioned sit and this was a mile away by crow flying. The interview was at a coffee shop, then we went to their house. Again, I said guest room. It is a month long sit during winter in the north and this is in Orange county. Great house. Easy dogs. So I will do it if I really want it. As mentioned. More competitive sits, may require more work.
1 Like
I am in LA now, with a bunch of sits through the northern winter in SoCal. I got here a couple of days ago, sit starts tomorrow and then a holiday sit in San Clemente. So I drove to San Clemente this morning to meet the dogs, the people, figure things out etc. Then drove to the sit that starts tomorrow in Pasadena. The HOs will be gone when I arrive in San Clemente so it was great to meet them, see the , house, figure things out, like how to turn on the outside fireplace, or discuss their BBQ which has pellets. Meet the dogs. It is a very large house so it was worth the trip. And they are leaving 6 am, while I will be on route from the other sit. So it was necessary. If it was someone arriving to sit, they would have spent the night. Just input on back to back sits and when the previsit is necessary.
1 Like
Adding to my comments. Every sit I have in south Cal wanted pre sit visits. A sitter wouldn’t have been able to if they were just flying in, etc. Every single one. Luckily I could stop at 2 on the way to LA from San Clemente. But the one, is a month long sit, where I had already met them for coffee last summer and then went to the house to meet the dogs etc. Went back to go through details again, and again do a short walk with the dogs. My daughter was with me, since we were coming from a holiday sit and they saw her with the dogs and told me it was no problem for her to visit, so that works. She can take the $10 train down and help me hike with the dogs. But all 4 sits wanted pre visits. All great sits. The holiday sit was fabulous. So is this going to be a thing?
It’s not like the homeowners are all in a group and deciding. People are joining based on ads for homeowners that read a lot like an all-inclusive Rover, so they will ask for what they are used to and if sitters are willing to do this then they will get what they ask for.
You could try as an experiment maybe talking to them about “travel” aspect for sitters and how coming over for an advanced handover before a sit sounds fine, but you’d really prefer to meet online and get the confirmation first – assumming you are in the area and it wouldn’t be onerous. (They can always unconfirm if they don’t find you suitable.)
1 Like
These were all for confirmed sits. Except the sit where I met them last summer. Then it was confirmed. But they wanted to meet again, on the way back from my holiday sit. So these were all confirmed sits.
1 Like