Let’s talk about how to get more house sitting applicants for your listing. One of the biggest complaints I see in the forums and on social media about the Trusted Housesitters model is the fact that some hosts don’t get decent candidates applying. If this sounds like you, here’s how you can remedy it.
My wife, Hannah, and I have spent the last 4 years traveling the world full-time, primarily using Trusted Housesitters. We’ve completed 40 sits through THS alone during that time, so we are very well-versed in knowing what to look for in a good listing.
If you are struggling to attract good house sitting applicants, read on and learn from an experienced house sitter’s P.O.V. exactly what good applicants are looking for in a house sitting listing.
Sign Up For Trusted Housesitters
A quick note before we get into it. If you haven’t already signed up for Trusted Housesitters, be sure to use our discount code BEACHES25 at checkout to receive a 25% discount on any membership. Click here to get started.
If you are new to the platform, be sure to check out my previous article – Everything You Need to Know About Trusted Housesitters for a full breakdown on the membership options and how it all works.
Choose Your Photos Wisely
The first thing potential house sitters see is your photos, so choose them wisely. Take the time to craft decent images in good light, showcasing how clean and wonderful your home is. Don’t settle for any old photos; make the effort. And the cover picture of your listing should be the best of the bunch.
You don’t need fancy cameras or advanced tech knowledge to create good-looking images – use your smartphone or digital camera to snap some great shots. Remember, you will instantly lose applicants with bad photos. So tidying up your house, making beds, and washing the dishes pre-shoot is a must!
Of course, you want to show off your lovely pets, too, but don’t go crazy. A couple of photos of each is enough. As house sitters, we very much want to see the pets, but are more interested in where we may be living.
Keep it Simple
A big turn-off for us is when we open the responsibilities tab and see oodles of information. We are not afraid of putting in the effort, but seeing a list of chores detailed to the nth degree is not overly appealing to potential house sitters.
Where possible, simplify the house sitting process for your potential candidates. Remember, Trusted Housesitters is a mutually beneficial exchange, so if you have a home with tons of upkeep or animals that are high maintenance, look at ways to limit the workload for sitters.
This doesn’t mean Rex should only get one walk a day instead of two. But consider writing things like ‘please leave the house as you found it‘ rather than ‘the floors need cleaning every three days, and windows twice a week.’ And ‘Rex likes two walks a day‘ instead of ‘Rex must be taken for two 1-hour walks!’
Show Off Your Home’s Amenities
I have never quite understood why people listing their home for a house sit don’t take the extra few minutes to list everything great about it. I click on listings every day that under the amenities tab just list WiFi!
Trusted Housesitters allows you to add all the great things about your home in an easy click format when posting a listing. You should also include any standout aspects of your home in the description. If there is something you love about your home, chances are, potential sitters will love it too.
Big Up Your Neighborhood
Continuing on from our previous point, big up your local area in your listing. I see so many pointless descriptions of areas, things like ‘We are 5 minutes from Duckworth Common, there is a pub nearby.’ Not exactly enthralling and completely irrelevant if you’ve no idea what or where Duckworth Common is!
A much better approach, and a guaranteed way to get more house sitting applicants, is to elaborate on such factors with a sense of enthusiasm and pride. You may consider writing ‘We are a 5-minute walk from a beautiful park that has a lovely cafe, and the Red Lion on our corner is one of the oldest pubs around.’
Whilst remembering point number 2 (Keep it Simple), don’t be afraid to boast about your area. Even if you don’t live in an affluent, sought-after location, there are always things that make your region special, so tell potential sitters about them!
Make Your Listing More Appealing
There are several ways to make a listing more appealing that require minimal effort. A big one for us is the availability of a car. As full-time global travelers, we don’t have a car, and hiring one for a house sit is so expensive that it defeats the point of house sitting at all from a financial perspective.
If you are leaving a car behind, consider allowing potential sitters to be added to the insurance or be open to the possibility of a temporary policy. The costs can be discussed between you, but I can say from personal experience that we are always happy to pay a decent amount to get covered on a car.
Boost your listing by offering collections and drop-offs too. The number of times we have arrived in a city and had to navigate buses, trains, and taxis to get to a house we’ve never visited before. It’s so much nicer and easier when the homeowner comes and gets you – this will be a big selling point for some sitters.
Be Flexible With Dates When Possible
Furthermore, if you can be flexible with your dates, this will go a long way in helping you to get more house sitting applicants. Rock-solid dates may eliminate a significant number of the potential sitter pool. I’ve seen many awesome listings where the dates just didn’t line up for us, and thus never bothered applying.
When possible, include in your listing that dates can be a little flexible to suit the right sitter’s plans. Even if you have your holiday booked, consider heading off the night before to kick-start the fun; it’s a small financial cost for securing more and better applicants.
If you have the space, include the option for house sitters to come early and stay on after. This has been a huge positive point for us, especially when we are navigating several house sits in one location. An extra night here or there can save hundreds of dollars on accommodation costs between sits.
Always Write and Seek Reviews
As house sitters, we always read reviews before applying. And while someone new with zero reviews isn’t a turn-off, seeing a listing that has had sitters but no one has reviewed them can be a warning sign. To me, that looks like the sitter didn’t have anything nice to say, so they said nothing at all.
The Trusted Housesitters review system has quite strict timelines for reviews to be submitted before both parties end up with blank scores. However, if I see a listing with a lot of blanks, it would be cause for concern.
Always take the time to write an honest and fair review of your previous sitters and then request a review from them within the allowed time. I am not adverse to chasing up hosts that haven’t reviewed us, because I know that hosts always read reviews.
Some Further Ideas
The following are all things we have either experienced directly during house sits or have seen written in popular house sitting listings
More Ideas to Help Get More House Sitting Applicants
- Offer a small per diem. Even an insignificant figure of $20/day is far cheaper than a professional paid sitter or boarding kennel and will automatically draw more attention from potential applicants.
- Fill the fridge. Many of our previous hosts have left a loaded fridge and pantry and told us to have at it. One couple in Texas even took us shopping; it wasn’t expected, but my goodness was it a treat. If this is something you’d financially be able and willing to do, then mention it!
- Consider the demands of your sit. Taking care of your 10 animals may be second nature to you, but it will be a put-off for many potential sitters. Consider ways to lighten the load for sitters. One example may be having a neighbor or friend help out with part of the workload or on certain days.
- Offer to cook a meal or go out for dinner. Not only is this a great way to attract more house sitting applicants, but it provides an excellent occasion to fully meet your sitters and introduce them to your pets, home, and expectations while enjoying a lovely evening together.
- List on multiple websites. If you are struggling to draw applicants from Trusted Housesitters, consider listing your home on alternate house sitting platforms or Facebook groups. Click here for the top 5 house sitting platforms available right now and the costs involved.
Final Thoughts
I hope this article has given you some insight into how house sitters think when viewing a listing. If you are struggling to attract good house sitting applicants, try revisiting your listing and tinkering with your format. It may only be the case of a few minutes’ work to change the number of applicants filling your inbox.
Good luck with your search!
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