We’re in Didcot, Oxfordshire and just listed our sit a week ago and have gotten 0 applicants 
. Received about 20 declines as most sitters are booked or away on their own holidays. Im starting to panick!
(Member’s listing is in their Forum profile)
Having a 8am/ 10 am arrival time is quite restrictive taking into account that the sitter is travelling to your home at their own expense .
Can you be more flexible with the arrival time ?
Alternatively invite the sitter to arrive the day before and stay overnight-
Thank you for your feedback! I’ll adjust the timeframe 
‘There’s Construction nearby’ might be part of the issue and all previous Reviews were from before you moved to this house. Your pets look nice so put a photo up front as the house looks pretty impersonal as you’ve just moved in.
Sitters need to be lured into applying to a listing, and nothing is standing out about your listing so you’ll need to be
- Warmer in tone (I could feel your panic)
- Put the pets 1st (that’s what sitters are moved by)
- Consider what a sitter might like eg a welcome Hamper.
- Arrival/departure timings and transport: make it easy for them to think ‘yes’.
- Even adding some bright cushions or scatter rugs could make your home feel more inviting to stay in.
Best wishes
@shaunna.walter, building on comments by fellow Forum members then we’d counsel you to focus on your listing. Blind invites to housesitters (as may be your habit) rarely successfully secures a housesitter. Rather the process is designed such that pet parent prepares listing; housesitters apply; two way interaction; pet parent invites-to-sit; housesitter confirms-to-sit.
Worth a reality check here that, irrespective of any marketing nonsense, THS does not somehow guarantee that pet parents will receive applications or secure housesitters. Just as housesitters are not somehow guaranteed to be accepted immediately for the listing of their dreams. Each party has to earn a positive outcome, by offering an attractive experience to the other party.
There are many Forum threads on how to optimize a listing. Suggest use magnifying glass at top of screen to access search function. Ideas therein may help your listing to shine; to be attractive to prospective applicants; and hopefully to effectively secure a housesitter. Good luck.
I hope you don’t mind some honest feedback from a sitter’s perspective.
For me, the photos don’t create a warm feeling yet. The large paved area next to the house may be very practical, but as one of the main photos it gives me more of a concrete or parking-lot impression than a welcoming one.
Personally, I think one good photo of each pet is more than enough. After that, I’d rather see more of the house and the surroundings. Where do you normally walk the dog? Is there a lovely park, woodland, beach or trail nearby? Those are the places a sitter will spend time every day, and seeing them helps me imagine what daily life would actually be like. If all I see is a lot of concrete and very little greenery, it doesn’t make me excited. But if there are beautiful places nearby that you usually visit with the dog, I’d definitely include photos of those.
I’d also suggest showing a little more of the inside of the house. For example, the bathroom photo mainly shows the toilet, but I’d actually be more interested in seeing the shower or bath. Those are the kinds of details that help people picture themselves staying there.
I also agree with what others have mentioned about making the house feel a little cosier in the photos. At the moment it feels quite grey and doesn’t really invite me in.
Speaking only for myself, I would probably only apply if I happened to have another reason to be in the area, such as visiting family. The listing doesn’t yet give me that warm feeling that makes me think, I’d love to spend time there.
I hope that’s helpful. I mean it as constructive feedback, because I think a few changes to the photo selection could make a surprising difference.
Do take note of what others have said to improve your listing. On the plus side, sitters will be able to go out and explore as you say the pets can be left for 6+ hours. However, be careful when discussing how long they can be left so you don’t attract sitters who leave the pets for 12 hours or overnight. We have heard the odd horror story on the forum of sitters leaving the pets all day.
The Didcot Railway Centre would be a huge draw for some people. You might also mention that Didcot is very close to Abingdon, which is an extremely pretty market town on the River Thames (with frequent bus service from Didcot to Abingdon to Oxford).
Thank you, I appreciate the feedback! We only moved in a month ago so the house certainly doesnt feel quite “homey” yet but we will be getting some items to hopefully help and provide updated pictures. Thank you so much!
@shaunna.walter Thank you for asking this question on this platform! There is definitely a learning curve when it comes to understanding how the house and pet sitting matching process works.
You live in a beautiful country with a large community of enthusiastic pet sitters, so I’m confident you’ll be able to find some wonderful matches. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying your holidays with peace of mind, knowing your home and pets are in safe hands.