We recently moved from Chicago to Fort Collins, Colorado, last month.
We have a couple of trips planned for the fall and winter, but I would like your feedback on my updated page before I list any dates.
I’m looking for constructive feedback on photos, description of our home, and sitter responsibilities. I was going to wait until we were done nesting, but I want to ensure we find a sitter by the end of August for the beginning of October and November dates.
If you notice anything that could be worded more clearly or concisely, please let me know. I tend to repeat myself sometimes, as English is my second language, and I want to make sure nothing gets misunderstood or overlooked.
Hi Wendy, the link to your listing isn’t working; it directs to a page not found message.
hi @mdarden1x thanks for letting me know! Just updated it with the shareable link. Let me know if it’s still now working! Thanks for checking 
That worked!
“visiting the Rocky Mountains, all say,” Should this have said “all day”?
Favorite Bowie song is probably The Man Who Sold the World.
Thanks for catching that! It’s been fixed.
The Man Who Sold the World is such a good song! I have so many favorites: Modern Love, Starman, Space Oddity, Let’s Dance, Changes, but Heroes is my favorite.
Golden Years, Rebel Rebel and Young Americans come to mind as well. I met a little bull dog named Ziggy Stardust at the dog park this morning, now after reading your post, I think I know what will be on my backyard play list this afternoon!
Beautiful visuals! I think your job ad are longer than most, but it’s framed and worded very clearly.
It’s not to my personal taste, but there will certainly be those who find it appealing - especially professionals who couldn’t care less in sightseeing or the Rocky Mountains, as they use the site purely to connect and offer a ‘free sample’ of their services to new potential paying clients.
In that regard, your pool will be large and your matches successful. Good luck and happy travels
Thanks for the feedback! I’m always afraid that it is too much but I’ve had applicants not read our profile thoroughly or I have seen sitters complain here about HOs not sharing enough info about what is required or about the area.
There’s a lot to see nearby actually (but definitely not a big city vibe). The Rocky Mountains aren’t the only sightseeing attraction in the area, either. There are so many natural parks close by, but they’re just not as big or popular as the Rocky Mountains. I think it’s perfect for people who love hiking or running at high elevations. That’s why we moved here! It’s all just 10 minutes away from our house.
I guess one thing I didn’t mention is that it’s also the home of CSU (Colorado State University), so for those who have children going to college here or hope to go to college here, it’s a good place to visit.
Think it’s great to include more in the listing rather than later in the WG, it shows that you care and helps avoid surprises.
Recently visited the northern Rockies, and while some may see the value in hiking or the local university, the chance of travelers browsing with one of the world’s biggest attractions in mind is probably higher. That’s likely what competing listings in your area highlight, or choose to highlight last minute.
Regardless of how attractive a listing might be, I always pass if the wording in any way leans toward an employer/employee setup, even if the tone is warm and well-intended.
But as mentioned, different taste. Some are totally fine with that, especially those who use the platform more professionally for financial purposes.
I would lead with a photo of the dog! So cute!
I would shorten the responsibilities section. Maybe put bullet points of the main items at the top, and then you can put some short paragraphs to explain things.
Walk twice a day
Feed twice a day
Can leave alone no more than 5 hours
Water plants weekly
Very nice and clear listing Wendy. I am a diligent communicator, but requiring three updates a day seems excessive. All of my hosts have requested a once daily update, and I would be fine with an AM and PM update. Sorry, but requiring three updates daily waves the “high maintenance host” red flag for me!
Thanks @Hikergal - we only require a couple of times daily after a couple of days. We’ve had sitters go completely silent on the first day and night - we’ve had a really bad experience once that kind of made us anxious since (leaving our dog alone all night and morning). So we want to make sure we get updates to make sure everyone is alive and everything is going well. Also, we are traveling so we probably won’t even see the update until hours later or the next day.
If this is your requirement, then your listing should state that you would like updates twice a day. Currently it says 3 times per day, which does sound a bit much!
I would hope that you choose a sitter who is punctual and will update you promptly on arrival and at the end of the first day. You can specifically ask this. Sitters are not mind readers.
100%. The three photos requirement makes me think it would be more appropriate to pay a sitter.
Thank you! This is kind of the feedback I was looking for.
I’ll change the frequency of communication as well. We’ve mostly had good sitters, but we’ve also had some that go completely MIA even after communicating and agreeing during video calls.
All feedback is good feedback, and I appreciate everyone sharing their thoughts and preferences.
That’s totally fair! @buttercup
We haven’t even visited the Rocky Mountains ourselves since we moved here because we think we would need to stay in a different town, inside the Rockies, like Estes Park, which is why we ask to explore that before or after the sit. Maybe there is a sit for a cat or a dog in Estes Park or Dillon, CO, where it wouldn’t require leaving the pet alone for several hours.
We definitely don’t think of THS as a hiring sitter system. We never have, but we have also had a couple of experiences with sitters in Chicago who used our home as a free Airbnb and completely neglected our pet from feeding him and taking him on his scheduled walks. Our pet is very used to routine, which I think it’s important to ensure that whoever we host understands and agrees to that.
Apologies if this was addressed in later comments, but as much as I like many of the details included in your listing, I wouldn’t apply because the requirements come across harshly (to me) vs collaboratively. You have every right to emphasize your priorities based on your previous experiences, and some sitters may appreciate the clarity but I find many of the details unnecessary and unfriendly. Understanding how you may have come to these terms, I wonder if your screening process could help narrowing the applicant pool to folks better suited to your needs
I agree that the requirements sound stern and unfriendly. I understand that OP has been burned by experiences before this, but this listing could deter many excellent sitters from even applying. Many sitters especially dislike the idea of having a test within the listing.
I have friends who moved to FoCo a few months ago and i visited them a couple of weeks ago. I loved the city. However, Denver and the cities nearby have a lot of sits available, so I think OP might have more trouble finding applicants than she did in Chicago unless the language is more friendly
We actually thought of not renewing our THS membership at the end of last year because we were going to move and were not sure if we would be as lucky (or, in some cases, unlucky) with applicants in a smaller city. We hadn’t made any set plans for FoCo yet, but it was on our list of places we were considering.
My experiences with THS have been hit or miss in the last couple of years. Even after thinking we had a good video call and mutual understanding, the inconsistencies have made us very skeptical and as a result we have been more direct in our expectations, especially after I suffered a nasty injury that left me disabled for several months last year, we wanted to make sure not to add any additional stress since one of our latest sitters made a request of leaving our dog alone overnight so she could go to a party until 5 am. At least she asked
I guess but I found it very poor taste since I had shared a story with her about a previous sitter who left to a party in the middle of the night and didn’t come back until noon the next day. Neglecting our pet from going out and feeding him. I even had to ask my very pregnant neighbor to come feed him and check on him. I completely understand people may find my tone too direct, but I also prefer to collaborate with direct people who are responsible and aren’t just using our home as a free Airbnb.
I made some updates to our profile. I think @PVGemini feedback was super helpful and constructive, so I made the changes she suggested.
I don’t like putting a “test” on people, but I think it’s been helpful to select people that way because it shows me they’ve read the entire profile and they’re not just applying blindly; plus I think its also a good conversation starter as my dog was actually named after the legendary David Bowie.
To be honest, with that requirement and added information, I think your pool becomes even smaller. I used to live in Chicago too, and like NYC, it’s a desirable destination - but even hubs like that are ‘purple’ now due to the current situation.
Yes, unfortunately, the platform attracts bad eggs on both sides; guests and hosts who expect access to professional services for free, without effort.
Airbnb consists of private hosts, just like THS - what separates them is the currency: with THS, it’s mutual hospitality and shared responsibility.
In some cases, that ‘currency’ is uneven from the outset, which leads to low interest and, ultimately, a higher risk of a bad match.