I’ve actually seen several that state they wanted a solo.
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I find it very hard to believe that 80% of owners want single sitters, I’ve seen very few that specifically state this.
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We are getting off topic here, but from our experience it is a lot more common for a HO to request a single person, rather than a couple.
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We have been sitters for about seven years but often miss out on applying due to the limited 5 applications only rule, especially as we live in different time zones so are often asleep when new sits come up. By the time they come up again if sitters are declined we have moved on and accepted other sits.
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@Silverfox: FYI, I’m a solo sitter and not a homeowner, and I agree with your preference. I wish I had a partner and the experience of owning my own home. =) I can see those two facets just being like added insurance. And of course, it depends on the sit and how much backup you have already (e.g., neighbors).
Thinking more about your situation with applicants: What if it’s the window of opportunity because of the 5-app limit? In that case, it’s not ideal, but what if you preface your listing with a strongly worded request for certain applicants not to apply? For example:
If you are a sitter couple who has owned their own home, please apply. If not, please look elsewhere. We have already had 30+ solo applicants, 40+ renter applicants. We want to hear from more couples who have owned their own homes. The 5-app limit keeps closing too quickly.
If you apply against our above preferences, we may blacklist you.
That last sentence could obviously be taken harshly. On the other hand, if someone is offended by it, do you really want them to sit for you anyway? Or you could try without that last sentence, and if that doesn’t work, add it.
BTW, you should be able to add your listing to your forum profile without losing your sitter link. You should be able to add the listing link to your profile’s “About Me” section. If you trouble there, a mod can probably help.
EDIT: Ok, I found your listing and read it. I would definitely not use the last sentence I suggested, at first. No need. As a solo sitter who likes cats, I can totally see a version of myself applying for your sit with the listing’s current wording. If you make the wording a little firmer, that should help.
As it stands, I feel the idea of, “Can’t hurt to apply” still goes. A solo sitter may think you’re just asking for a slight preference but if I’m really good as a solo sitter, you may pick me. And “handle a house” isn’t the same as being a homeowner, if the latter is what you really want. Most people think they can handle a house… until they have a plumbing or electrical problem.
Also, many sitters may not see any harm in applying, because you can always unpause. They’re not considering that maybe the type of sitter you’re looking for may not be as quick to apply, statistically. Best of luck!
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I’ve dealt with the same issue recently. I even put “don’t apply unless you have reviews” and then still get ones without reviews and then they reapply or complain end demand answers if I deny them. It’s oddly aggressive and I wish I could block these ones.
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Thankfully, OP’s listing is kindly written. However, as worded, it is not clear that you only want a couple to sit so I am not surprised that solo sitters apply.
“someone reliable” --that implies one person
Then later in the paragraph:
“we’re looking for a couple of experienced sitters”
That could be interpreted different ways, including a non-couple pair, a few sitters to apply for now and future sits…
Why not put right up front “Couples who are experienced as homeowners only need apply”?
We’re heading down the coast for a few weeks so Harry & Alan(aka ‘the boys’) are looking for someone reliable and trustworthy to chill out with while we’re away. As this is a four week sit, (exact dates to be confirmed), we’re looking for a couple of experienced sitters who can handle a house and any issues that may arise during our absence.
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I am a homeowner and a sitter on TH, but requesting that a sitter has owned a home doesn’t sit well with me. Not to get political, but there are many people who can’t afford to own a home and some of that is due to intergenerational wealth (privilege). Of course a pet parent can absolutely require whatever they want in a sitter (age, gender, romantic partnership status, physical ability to mow a lawn etc) but it might be worth thinking about the larger implications of what we ask for. JMO.
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I had the same experience with my last listing as well. Albeit with fewer applications. I did get (from THS and other sites) quite a few people that had just got jobs in Melbourne and were looking for accomodation with a car. They planned to be at work all day and seemed to have little interest in looking after my dog. They also reapplied after being rejected (politely). I think that the housing crisis is making people “look outside the box”. It might suit some homeowners, but I really was looking for someone who put my dog first.
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@Silverfox I agree with @Shella_in_the_Forum that actually requiring sitters to be home owners is a little unfair to all responsible sitters who have not had the fortune to own a home. For example we have some wonderful tenants who have lived in one of our properties for the last 10 years. They are super practical with everything. During their time the hubby has laid new carpets in our place, chopped a tree down, rebuilt the patio, fixes everything & rarely asks for help etc…they are, like many younger people-priced out of the market- but very responsible people who treat our house like their own home. They also have 2 kids & a dog and would be fabulous sitters if they chose that route!
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@Lokstar I couldn’t agree more. The OP prefers people who have owned a home or own a home, so I was merely assisting with the listing’s wording so they don’t waste their time and applicants’ time.
Having lived in Sydney (as a renter, and in the same area), the attitude toward renters does not surprise me.
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A post was merged into an existing topic: Conclusion Of Pausing Application Test - Updated Post
I think the same. With all these articles promoting " free holidays" young ones who want to travel often apply without even reading listings. When the location is appealing and the “work” light…
I insist upon a few things ( experience, 3 reviews minimum, some ability in the language spoken in my country, people owning at least a home if not pets, sitters already in Europeq
I receive proposals from unexperienced persons ( not any owners reviews, just 1 or 2 external references, sometimes none)
Not speaking a word of french, often nomads
So i decline and explain why.
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@Katie Sorry! I misread your earlier post and see now that you were only quoting the OP re- home ownership and that you were not the OP! I’ve edited my post to tag the OP instead!
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@Lokstar. Being a home owner is not a requirement just a preference and not a deal breaker. It’s hard to assess whether a sitter is responsible and capable of handling any issues that might crop up during the sit when they have no reviews. Most ‘new’ sitters mention their experience with pets etc, but very few reference their capability and experience of looking after a home.
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@Silverfox I understand. We ourselves have a detailed profile mentioning all our home and animal care experience, and in applications will also reference specific experience relevent to the sit. I guess not all sitters do that. It certainly helps a great deal - on both sides -to be as transparent as possible and it also saves time when filtering out the right sitters.
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I totally agree with you Bluehorse. Also the THS email they send you showing new results matching your Saved Search is useless as most of the sits we would apply for are either under review or popular sits don’t even show up in this email.
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I disabled the daily alert email a long time ago, cause as you say @Mark, it serves no use. The daily alert would arrive in my inbox around 8am each day, by which time the sits that I’m interested in (from the day before) will be long gone
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I also am not in love with the 5 applicant limit. Since it went in place I have found it nearly impossible to apply for the sits I want in Australia,
Portugal, Spain and Indonesia. I’m just not awake when those sits at posted. Hopefully, THS will change this policy.
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It’s the HO house they are entitled to request the type of sitter they want.
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