Hi we are going away in three weeks time and I was wondering when I should look at other sites? This is the third time of using the site and the first time the holiday has been so close so I am getting worried ! Any advice please? Thanks Julia
@JuliaS Your sit looks great and you have good reviews from your previous sitters (we already have a sit or we might have applied )
Have you messaged any of your previous sitters to see if they are available?
Perhaps add a photo of the hot tub as the first photo - to catch someoneās attention ?
As thereās no public transport , could you offer to pick a sitter up from nearest train station if required ?
Maybe add some more information about things to do in your area for someone who is not familiar with it .
Hi Julia,
Your sit does look lovely, such sweet animals. I would suggest maybe making a small edit to your listing, as I believe doing so will ābumpā up the listing to the top so it is more visible, if it has been online a while. There are other UK-only sites but the audiences arenāt as wide and thereās the chance the same thing will happen. Might also be worth posting your listing in the Last Minute section of this forum, which may garner some attention. Good luck!
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Thank you so much! Both replies are really helpful and I will do my best to carry out the suggestions ( I am not very technically proficient!)
Both previous sitters are busy but really appreciate your time
Thanks
Julia
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@JuliaS These dates are school half term for some U.K. counties - would you accept a family to stay ? You can specify ages in your listing if you have a preference ( not young children or only teenagers etc ) . There are several families on this forum who travel with their teen children who are great at caring for pets .
If you would consider a family you can add the family friendly tag to the amenities section . This will help a family find your sit and apply .
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Presumably you mean that you have no applicants.
What a shame! Your sit looks lovely and would be very easy for sitters. You might like to add how long the dogs can be left for (you say a few hours) and where they sleep.
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Thank you! I have changed the listing to include older teenagers who I think would be fine - the reason we donāt include younger children is that we have a couple of large ponds and would worry too much
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So helpful! I had not thought to say where the dogs sleep but as they have their own area I will certainly add this. Thank you for your help
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Just a tip but you could try tweaking your title. Try putting Hot tub as your first words of your title, usually I wouldnāt say that, but your dates are coming around fast. Iām on laptop and it cuts those words entirely unless I click āread moreā.
Also, āPeaceful Country Houseā sums up most places in your area, whereas yours isnāt like most places, yours is extra special, but it may also give sitters the impression that it is really remote and isolated, which it isnāt, you have everything anyone could ever want within a short distance. Whether they want country, coast, or town life.
Hope you find someone soon. Good luck.
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More tips: Can you change the dates to create a 7 night stay? Sitters use filters to look for Sits, and many set the filter to minimum 7 nights. You might get better exposure if you added one night.
You could advertise a cleaning person on the last day, so that the Sitter would not have to clean at all. That might garner support.
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Thank you - I had not realised that about the seven days. Will have a think about how it might work .
Thank you for your lovely message which is so helpful . Will definitely use your feedback- very grateful!
Hi, JuilaS - Weāve done many sits in the UK, although we live in North America. And we have loved staying in your area! While many English Sitters may reconize Herstmonceux it IS a small town and having that as the location without more clarifiation means your Sit might get glossed over.
I put it into Google Maps: might help if early in your location description you add whatās nearby. Here is my shot at it, not really knowing your area as well as you do:
ā15 minutes to the historic Battle of Hastings location, 20 minutes to the seaside resort of Eastbourne., an hour SW of Gatwick Airport. 10 minutes to Hailsham with its many shops, restaurants, grocery stores!ā
As others have said, if the sit is for 7 nights it may interest more people, if you dates are flexible (and you can āhostā a sitter for the night before you leave or the night after you leave) add that. Iām sure youāll find a great sitter!
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How very kind of you to put so much effort into looking at our location . It really hadnāt occurred to me that I should put in information like that but it makes so much sense. Will amend listing tomorrow and I am very grateful for your help- thank you !
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Julia, your sit looks lovely and Iād be happy to do it. Just one question: Iād want to come by train. I notice you very kindly offer to pick the sitter up from Polegate station, which would be great. Only, I canāt quite make out from the listing how easy it would be for someone without a car to get around during the sit, for essentials like grocery shopping. Could you shed any light, please? (Iāve tried to message you privately - failed!)
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JuliaS - Not at all: this community is about people helping people! Best of luck, A
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Hi I thought I had replied so sorry if this is a repeat. You do need a car here if you want to go to shops etc. we have a pub within ten minutes walk but the nearest shop is three miles away. I do have an electric bike and helmet which you are welcome to use !
Hope this helps
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For a 7-day-ish sit much could also be accomplished by being able to stop by a grocery store on arrival so that the sitter could do the shopping, probably
Donāt give up @JuliaS
This looks like a great sit - lovely pets, and a spacious home in a gorgeous area, which I think your listing should make more of. Think like a tourist!
As thereās a lot of information in your listing already, you could do a bullet-pointed list of the following local attractions, and maybe add a sentence about each (Google is your friend here):
Places to visit:
Herstmonceux Castle
Pevensey Castle
Battle Abbey
Bodiam Castle
Batemanās
Walks:
Seven Sisters Country Park
Cuckmere Haven
1066 Long-Distance Walking Route
Nearby Brightling is beautiful
Activities:
Steam train at Bodiam
Paddle-boarding/Kayaking from Bodiam
Visiting Rye is always great for mooching around the antique shops, or going to the Kino Cinema
Beaches:
Bexhill
Hastings
Camber Sands
Pubs:
Your favourites localsā¦
And all of this within a stunning area on the edge of the High Weald AONB!
I know youāve mentioned that the dogs can be left for up to 4 hours, but I would also be keen to know whether they would enjoy being taken out for the day, or whether youād actually prefer that they stayed at home. If theyād be ok going for walks further afield, are they happy travelling in a car?
At the moment, your main photo looks very strange. I think it might be a close-up of the hot tub, but somethingās gone a bit wrong. I also think that the mention of the hot-tub is probably more enticing than the photo itself, but thatās just me. The photo of Polly and Douglas snuggled up on the green sofa is the winning one for me.
I can see you have one applicant already, so good luck!
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Thank you so much for your considered message. They are all great points and
I will amend my listing as soon as I can.
I am hopeless at technology so think I will remove the hot tub photos.
I am very positive about the applicant and very thankful for everyoneās input . What a fantastic community!
Best wishes
Julia
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