Hello, I’ve sat for 3 different people so far and the things that have made me extra welcome are the personal touches. For instance a welcome drawing of all 4 cats with their names, from the family I was sitting for was really lovely.
I’ve also been offered access to bikes and one lovely couple took me out for dinner. Definitely not expected, but a really nice way for both parties to feel comfortable and prepared for a particularly long sit - that was for six weeks.
Extra food that might go to waste is a bonus and I always like to return the favour by picking up some milk if they need it.
Generally this approach is not a good use of time. Once you are established and been on the platform a few months, you will notice Sitters will start “Favoriting” your housesit (as a HO I receive an email each time this happens). I can view all of the Sitters that have “Favorited” my listing, and that is where I would head if I wasn’t getting applicants that were aligning with what I was seeking. Only members with Standard or Premium memberships can view this, Basic cannot. If you choose this method in the future if you are not getting proper applicants, you should search the favorited list, after finding one that you think is a good fit - do not just launch an invitation. Make the invitation with a well thought out note of WHY you like their profile and they would be a good fit for your sit, what makes your pets and sit desirable/fun/enjoyable.
This applies to all sitters interested in your sit: set up a videochat to ensure its a good fit. Then you can move to the Confirmation of the sit if both parties align. Fyi It is not unusual to move communication OFF of THS to WhatsApp or texting because the THS messaging feature is weird, buggy, delayed and troublesome to fluidly communicate with. If you aren’t comfy going off platform, that is OK too, just be aware of it’s shortcomings.
I find your reply, a bit odd @Travelerthiswld “I don’t agree with most of these”.
Please do share your opinion on the actual question at hand. Personally, I thought the list provided by @WeRPAWsome was fantastic and holds true for me from the Sitters side and something I do as a HO as well. I am both HO and sitter.
For example a comfortable bed, it just happens some beds are more comfortable than others, the hosts have the beds already, they didn’t buy it for you, how can that be an “extra” and make you feel valued?
Honest communication about expectations- what does it have to do with making you feel valued?
I don’t have time to go through everything, I’m busy
I think you’re a bit ahead of yourself on that front. If your July 2027 sit wasn’t a typo, it is way too early to solicit for sitters. It is likely too early to expect many sitters to apply now that you’ve published sit dates. 6 months out has worked well for us but there’s always the risk that the farther sits are booked in advance, the greater likelihood that something will come up that requires finding a new sitter.
Beyond that, participating in this forum will go a long way towards informing you what sitters like or don’t. Often enough, 2 different sitters will have diametrically opposed views of the same thing; it’s helpful to get both perspectives to strike a balance. For example, some sitters are happy with hosts leaving perishables and/or leftovers in the frig for their use while other sitters hate the very notion of someone else’s food being left for them. We’ve struck a balance where we ask sitters what we can stock for them in the frig before their arrival. Everything else goes. If a sitter has a long travel day to get to us, we’ll cook up some hearty soup or vegan dahl and rice to have hot and ready for them on arrival and at their convenience.
Slippers and robe are nice. Shampoos etc (from hotels ) in case I forgot something. A big fluffy bath sheet set out for me is luxury! For me a casserole for one in the freezer would be amazing as I don’t usually shop till day two.
One thing I would love is a little tote with cleaning supplies cloths etc left out in the bathroom. I hate going into cupboards even if they give instructions to do so. Looking for the salt and pepper in the kitchen is one thing, but I feel like bathroom cupboards are really personal.
Yes , and what sitters value varies among individuals. Personally, I have been offered a robe and slippers at some sits and have never cared. I pack my own slippers and knee-length hoodie, which I use as a robe.
I appreciate when hosts loan cars, but of course that’s their choice, not an entitlement for sitters.
Disposable slippers, no thanks. They are a huge environmental problem and usually made from materials that are slow and difficult to decompose. Beside my foot size means that they rarely fit.
Is being “favorited” different from an emailing saying a sitter has “saved” your listing? I’d love to know who’s marked our sit as a favorite, but don’t know where to find that.
To all who made suggestions on how to make a sit sound appealing, Thank You!! I went over my listing carefully, and could easily see some areas that could be improved. Done.
Plus, after listening to you all, we decided our listing was too soon. It’s now deleted and we will post it again, closer to the dates needed.
All feedback has been greatly appreciated!
Someone saving it is the same as them making it a favourite. THS are just notifying you that they’ve clicked your listing for the future. Think it’s very wise to wait a while, we’re full time global sitters & are only looking at very early 2027 even now. I believe you can see who has put you on their favourite list. These are the instructions on Google for members
The first local sit I did on THS the experienced HO left me a clear plastic folder with a handwritten note of local sights worth seeing and her favourite restaurants. There was a local bus time table for those needing local transport, local restaurant menus and a number of leaflets from local historical venues with opening times etc.
@jonnastar6, fantastically thoughtful question.
Suggest that many gestures would be welcomed by a housesitters.
Already great ideas noted. In case helpful, weblink to a related Forum thread below.
@jonnastar6 If you have a basic membership plan, I don’t think it’s available to you. However, sitters can still favourite your listing and will be notified when you post a listing.
As a long time sitter with THS, it’s always nice to receive a little “welcome gift” upon arrival. We’ve received lovely gift baskets when we’ve sat during holidays such as Christmas and Easter but gifts aren’t expected. Re your comment on not wanting sitters to drink alcohol in your home - I think this is something you should note in your listing. My husband and I enjoy the occasional glass of wine when we’re on a house sit so probably wouldn’t apply on your sit.
Boy, there have been so many good suggestions here. I think I can add a few more:
In addition to room in a closet to hang clothes, having at least a dozen hangers.
A bedside table for each side at the head of the bed.
More empty surfaces in the sitter’s bedroom. Sitters carry things that need to be laid out (devices, chargers, personal belongings) and a lot of that is stored in the sitter’s rooms. While it may look nice to have little boxes, framed photos, travel brochures, books, etc. sitting on top of furniture, these are the first things I remove from a surface and put in a drawer somewhere. Of course I put them back before I leave.
An extra warm blanket in a closet. It may not be needed but it’s nice to have if there’s a cold snap.
