I think that if a HO deletes their listing and then reposts, it would move to front. I would try that . It can’t hurt if they have no applicants already.
Every so often there are one, two or three sits that stay at the top of the list. Every time I have searched for US sits for the past three or four days, a sit in Barrytown, NY is first on the list. They must be editing or reposting their sit several times a day.
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I noticed that too.
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I was a nomad from late 2017, and also saw the housesit market dry up completely when the pandemic hit. I had not logged on to THS for quite a while, and just happened to look one day (as I was set to sign a lease I was unsure of). Et voila, I was surprised to find a long-term sit in Seattle for December 2020-March 2021. I Turns out, the HOs were ready to get back to their “live in the southern hemisphere” schedule, covid or no covid. And they’d found out last minute that little doggo could not go.
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@mars The Barrytown listing is baffling me also! I don’t think that just editing the listing works to bump it up the list. I tried that once with my own listing and it didn’t help.
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Well this is enticing:
You’ll stay in the master bedroom on the second floor and sleep in a queen four-poster antique bed once owned by actor Liam Neeson.
Edited to add that it looks like a great sit.
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This gave me a hearty laugh. Thanks @Lassie ! 
It’s actually kind of a good example of the little stories and quirks and tidbits that can make a sit (or sitter) more enticing.
Not that famous people or their former beds need to be involved. But sometimes the quirks and personality of a place or an animal are what draws a person in! 
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I have a sit coming up in late June but trying to find a weekend one prior to that one.
But…
hello from me!
@Lassie @mars update from the MS team, this is due to a bug which is known and being worked on, thank you
As soon as a HO leaves, I close the door of rooms we do not intend to use. They are usually still closed when the HO returns. If nothing else, this avoids the pets getting into mischief there, something I am likely not to notice as I don’t go in these rooms.
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After numerous requests to potential sitters who were showing availability and either getting refusals or no response at all I have given up and cancelled my holiday. I’m afraid to book another one in case the same happens again. A real shame. 
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It’s always worth letting forum members have a look at your listing and see how it can be improved. Especially in the UK there’s such an abundance of sits and such a lack of sitters right now that it should really stand out in some way.
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Yes I agree it is very disappointing. In the past I have had several applicants and have been spoilt for choice. However my latest post has attracted 3 applicants all with children when I have clearly said I cannot accept applicants with children. I have recently retired, and upgraded my membership but it doesn’t look like it is going to be that easy to go away
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Hi @Corinne Perhaps embed your listing into your forum username or post your location (city/country as shown in your listing) and date range. That way forum members can provide some constructive feedback.
It’s also good to review Angela’s 10 tips & tricks to help with a successful listing. It’s definitely more competitive for homeowners in some locations, but tweaking your listing will hopefully have the desired effect. I hope all goes well for you.
If you have applicants who you have decided are not a good fit, it’s best to decline them. This way your applicant count will remain true, and sitters can have a prompt response and move on.
Francine,
Voluntary Forum Moderator
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You could always figure out your dates and get a sitter lined up and then book your holiday.
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. It’s definitely difficult right now with the overabundance of sits and the lack of sitters.
I would recommend looking into whether you could leave your car for a sitter as that would open up your options a lot. Or at least mention any bus/train options. You mention getting somewhere by train but not how far away the train is from you. Also, are you comfortable having families? You say it’s 3 bedrooms. Families have a harder time finding sits so that might increase responses as well.
Good luck!
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It can also help as I have said before to invite new sitters in your area without THS reviews. They will be more enticed by the invitation than THS-experienced sitters and will also compromise / try to be flexible to suit your needs (at least this is what we did when we started out). The other option is to try to be as flexible as possible yourself: offer flexible dates, the use of a car, allow families etc. We as sitters are also on multiple platforms, something that helped us through the pandemic.