It’s so hard to say no, especially to those that ask us to return although this is usually simply because our dates don’t align. Having greatly enjoyed many sits now, and received glowing feedback, we often receive very welcome invitations from owners new to us - some we can accept, others we have to decline.
One of the reasons we say ‘no’ is simply because the sit is too close to home. We have undertaken a couple ( which, in their own right, have been glorious with gorgeous pets in lovely homes) but in those hours when we are not out with the dog(s) the lure of dashing just a few miles home can be so strong. To get back and finish that bit of woodwork, tend to the garden, catch up with paperwork or simply sink back into familiarity. On every sit we pack loads of food, clothes and other necessities like phones and tablets and the sit invariably means we spend way more on food ( eating out, buying commodities we already have at home) than usual. It seems strange to do so knowing a familiar larder is just a few miles back home. Same goes for clothing and laundry.
And, of course, added to that is the fact we already know our locality for many miles around so there is little exploration left to be done.
On occasion we have offered to take the odd pet in to our own home for short periods rather than go through the usual upheaval of gadding off ten miles up the road. But this is usually for friends and their pets we know well.
In a similar vein we rarely do very short sits either - the upheaval needed for, say, a weekend stay away just does not justify the organisation and travel costs.
So for owners, it may be a false picture to think seeing a sitter near to your home is necessarily the one most likely to say ‘yes’ !
I suppose it depends on the type of sit you offer and your location! My current home is located a couple hours outside two large cities and has a woodsy cabin retreat kind of vibe, making it more attractive to locals who want a short weekend getaway. Perhaps the ~2 hour drive disqualifies it as a “local” sit depending on your definition, but in my looser definition I’d say that almost all of my sitters have been locals!
In any case, isn’t it wonderful that there’s something for all types! 
In general, I don’t do local sits through THS. I sit through THS to travel and this is the reason I tell the HO. Staying in a local home and taking care of their pets is not a vacation for me, it’s free labor without the comforts of my own home. There are exceptions, for example, if the home is, say, 50 miles away and will allow me to see family or friends near there or if it’s in a lovely setting, say, by the water.
But there are also reasons many people like local sits.
See this topic:
https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/sitters-do-you-sit-locally-why
Hi @Liffy99
I do semi-local sits because I’m a digital nomad and have a partner who is somewhat anchored to our hometown via work. I tend to sit within 2-3 hours of home, unless it’s for a vacation time, like this summer we had a sit in Massachusets (7 hrs) and loved it. Normally, though, Nate visits on long weekends and we go adventuring together (he’s also super handy with house stuff & one-thousand percent a cat dad!) It’s worked great for us in this season in our lives. But I can also see us doing larger, more further out vacations someday.
I began sitting privately 4 years ago and lived in between sits at my mom’s home. I built up a great little roster of paying clients. But decided to move out and use my Sitter skill sets on TH while I nomad a bit, and save money vs. renting a place. I have met the nicest HOs here thus far who have welcomed me and Nate into their homes. I’m on a repeat sit right now about 45 minutes from my hometown and absolutely love these 2 cats and this gorgeous area of PA I get to explore.
I think people are probably on here for lots of reasons, with lots of nuance.
I agree with you on the short sits! I never do weekend or short-term stays - it is absolutely not worth the time to pack my life, travel, unpack, etc. Unless it’s a super easy sit in a weekend location you’re dying to visit & can have time to explore!
Those are all very good reasons not to sit locally! When I first started on THS I was living in a dorm and sharing absolutely everything! Local sits were a great way to get my own space for even just a few days while still being near my university. There is definitely something for everyone, which is one of the great things about THS.
(I will say, I once had a sit where the shower didn’t really work at all- the homeowner admitted she normally took baths- so I either showered at home or at the gym for those ten days. So I understand the draw of going home when the facilites are better!)
I love the idea that you escaped a dorm for a house sit @CoolCatAunt that’s smart 
You too @KellySue_Nate for saving money and making your digital nomad life work, such a nice story 
We don’t take local sits - mostly because our owned home is in the UK & we don’t sit in the UK anyway as we want to travel. And in our homeland of Turkey we want to explore the country and see places we’ve never been before. Mustafa had Çeşme, Yeşilüzümlü, Koycegiz & Kadikoy on his list and we’ve done them all as house sits! We’re also digital nomads so the combination of travel and adventure is just too alluring to stay local. #longmayitlast 