Yeah I can’t get my head around that, towels? Come on, and she bought new sheets, why not towels as well.
“Nowt as queer as folk”
As others have said, I think it should be noted in your listing so there is no misunderstanding as to what is allowed in your home. There’s no point going through the bother of accepting a sitter, having a video chat only to find out the sitter enjoys having a glass of wine and having to reject them.
Was it a cultural disconnect? We had a pair of Chinese exchange students who arrived with their own towels. That was almost 20 years ago and I’m still scratching my head over that one.
Nope. We’re a Brit Turk pair and the host is Turkish so we all know what’s the norm in an Anatolian home. Large towels are de rigeur here in the land of hammams. #puzzling
No towels in the land of Turkish towels? That definitely doubles down on the weird.
Of course we ask, that is common sense. We would hope you were up front about being vegan as we’d be clear we are a non-vegan household and don’t expect animal products we leave like butter thrown away, but we would accommodate (most likely by ordering takeout, I do a lot of vegetarian cooking but not much vegan cooking, unfortunately. So just point out that you are vegan but don’t mind sitting in a household that isn’t, and all’s good.
If you find yourself in situations where HO are offering Grandma’s Meat Loaf to you, that is really as much your responsibility communication-wise as it is a HO to ask. So, just mentioning in your profile is great, just also on a video chat - hey fun fact about me, I’m vegan but no issue if your household isnt’ would completely eliminate that as an issue.
As a sitter who has done 16 sits to 5* reviews, my own perspective is this. i appreciate if the host asks me directly “is there anything that would be helpful for you?”
actually what’s most helpful is usually if they accommodated one or two day’s earlier arrival or later departure.
another would be if they made their car available to me (but that hasn’t worked out yet because of insurance reasons)
A small vase with some flowers in it in the bedroom would appeal to me. It’s a nice touch that makes me feel welcomed and valued.
I’ve had a few sits, not many, where the HO has had a home gym. Usually a room with some free weights, maybe an exercise bike and a treadmill. Being invited to use those facilities is always welcome. One HO had a subscription to a very nice health and fitness club and gave me a month long guest pass.
This can be a risky question for hosts to ask, because some sitters might ask for what hosts don’t want to offer. Then it can become awkward, because some sitters might be put out, thinking, then why did you ask? (Some folks are entitled that way.)
In particular, some hosts don’t want sitters coming early or staying later, even though that might be what some sitters — especially nomads — value. And some hosts have no interest in loaning cars.
Essential “extras”
- A new kitchen sponge, brush, and clean-wipe-up cloth, emptied the vacuum bin
- Reasonably full bottles of washing-up liquid, shower gel, and shampoo (nearly empty ones are surprisingly common), plus extra TP
- A couple of empty shelves in the fridge (if none are free, I squeeze the host’s things onto one shelf and leave it that way on departure, hoping it sends a message)
Extra extras that are always appreciated but by no means required
- Extra care in making my bedroom cozy and inviting
- A welcome basket
- A small vase of flowers on the kitchen table
- Entry cards to local attractions (if host is a member)
- A welcome dinner if arriving a day early
- During longer sits; an invitation to a local (walking, photo, expat) club or social friends´gatherings so that I can meet other people
@Cuttlefish i once turned up to a sit and the owners had taken all their sheets and pillows with them!!
Wowsers!! I needed this emoji for that one 
How & where were you supposed to sleep? #peopleareodd
On the hedgehog in the garden.
Thanks for all the wonderful details. You’ve added to my list of “To-Do’s” and I’m sure our first sitter will appreciate your input, as we do!
We always ask that question. If a sitter responded with something beyond our comfort zone, that’s useful insight for us. Unsurprisingly, all our sitters have proven to be reasonable and responsible. That has also been useful insight.
Anyone can ask whatever Qs they like, of course. Some hosts will be loathe to deal with the results, as they have commented or posted in the forum.
I am not a fan of an open ended question where an answer may be a ‘gotcha’. We offer use of our car upfront so no need for sitters to ask. If sitters have questions (eg I’m bringing my own car, is there off street parking?) then of course we answer those. But to ask ‘Is there anything you need?’ - I think that’s fraught with peril.
Usually a couple of weeks before the sit starts I touch base and check dietary restrictions/preferences, and I ask a few other specific questions (allergies? Wine/beer drinkers? Preferred morning beverage (coffee/tea/juice, with creamer, dairy or non dairy)?
Based on those answers I usually leave a few days of their preferred morning beverage, and some basics that are enough for a simple breakfast and some snacks based on their dietary preferences. After that I assume they will head out to do some food or other shopping if they want to.
“A comfortable bed with good linen and pillows. Sitters talk about this more than welcome baskets” – cannot emphasize this enough! Currently wrapping a month long sit with old photos, turns out the bedroom pictured was completely locked and I was forced to sleep on a hard futon (I eventually wound up sleeping out on the couch, yikes) in a cluttered office that was not pictured =( UGH