We are currently on a sit a home belonging to new to THS HOs and they’ve left a pretty comprehensive folder of info- with an invitation to add/correct/update from a sitters viewpoint. This has been a very interesting exercise- adding house quirks we’ve noticed useful to other future sitters, dog quirks again that maybe useful. The HOs are lovely and said to us at handover ‘look there will be things we take for granted about the house/dogs but please note anything down that’s useful for us to add to the folder). Welcome Guides in the beginning for new HOs will always miss a few things so it’s a great invitation to include their first few sitters in the team effort to get it as good as it can be.
Not sure if this should be in the sitters or the HO section though @Jenny
Very open minded HO and brilliant idea!
My first host asked for feedback as well, just orally, so I shared with him. Sometimes, I share suggestions with hosts even if they never asked for any. It’s possible to do that in a supportive way, even unsolicited. But as with much of sitting and hosting, it depends on each person’s ability to match well, to communicate, to read the room and such.
To me, THS could try to do all sorts of handholding or micromanaging, but I don’t need that. The thing with such handholding or micromanaging is, people who aren’t good at judgment, communications, etc., or lack such experience, will end up with fewer opportunities to grow such skills. And in the age of AI, that means they’ll be more likely to be replaceable in the job market. I mention that even though THS isn’t a job, because THS settings are actually really low stakes ways of getting such experience and growing skills.
I leave a pretty comprehensive house guide and pet care guides (including crib sheets for any emergency vet visits - just in case!). There are even photo illustrations ![]()
Ive pinched a couple of ideas from here (local pay-as-you-go gym classes) and ask sitters to let me know if there is anything to add or explain differently.
Im worried it’ll turn into doorstopping tome though…
Would be nice if more HOs did that; it’s thoughtful of them to ask you. Probably most of the ones who need to see this suggestion aren’t on here to see it ![]()
I’ve had 22-page WGs, down to almost none at all. Next sit will be kinda wingin’ it as the WG has next to nothing beyond where the cat food and the vacuum are. And it took some nudging to get it at all, even an emergency contact.
After my 12th sit (all 5-stars in both directions, I’m happy to report!), that HO checked in to see if I had any suggestions for improvements in any way. I was already planning to give her 5 stars, but I really appreciated her thoughtfulness. The only thing I could think of was two or three other homeowners had left binder notebooks with menus from local restaurants, pamphlets for state parks and tourist attractions, etc. So I suggested she offer some such thing for anyone who wasn’t familiar with her area (I was, so I knew what historic and tourist sites to google). She was thrilled to get this suggestion, and once again I think we were both gratified that THS is a win-win for both parties!
@BonnyinBrighton, marvelous idea.
Perhaps THS could publish (already does?) an illustrative, fully-populated Welcome Guide that incorporates perceived best practices.
Perhaps a quarter of pet parents in our housesits have expressly asked for feedback - on property setup, pet matters, welcome guide or otherwise. Sometimes pet parents are relatively new to THS, or relatively frequent users of THS. But sometimes it appears to reflect their desire to attract great future housesitters, or simply a commendable mindset to optimize the housesitter experience. Regardless, all good.
A few times, we’ve been expressly by Pet Parents for a best practice template for THS Welcome Guide. Typically as relatively new members, we tend to direct them to completed the THS Welcome Guide.
The point of a pet focussed ‘team effort’ is to optimise the pet experience or minimise any disruption to the pets of new humans arriving into their lives. Enabling a smooth transition/handover is of benefit to HO and sitters alike. Similarly the same approach applied to a home builds trust between HO/sitters working together to keep a home safe/clean/manageable.