Trusted housesitters - any tips from people using this?

[NoMoreLimbo]

Hi all. Anyone out there that has used this and would have any tips for what to put in a listing when joining?

My dogsitter has had to amend her availability and I am now in a panic as do not have dogcare for a trip that is coming up in a month! I am normally very organsided so am in a bit of a panic about this and to find someone.

I believe both sitters and the people with the pet/house can review each other. As I will be joining for the very first time I will obviously not have any reviews and am wondering how to make my pets look more pleasant and well behaved listing grab the attention and find someone in time.

I have found some good, reliable housesitters on this site and the other big housesitting site but only by following a cast iron rule that I will only take someone on as a housesitter if I can speak on the phone to at least two references. This means it takes a little extra time but it immediately sorts the wheat from the chaff. It's amazing how people think that screenshots of references (that they might have written themselves in a word document and then screenshotted!) or reviews on the site itself (which are not difficult to fake - set up a few fake accounts and so long as you spread it over a number of weeks/months they look legit) are in any way a substitute for an actual reference from an actual human being. I am not handing the keys to my flat to someone based on easily spoofable online reviews!

which is to say, OP, I wouldn't worry about a lack of online reviews, either on your part or on the part of potential housesitters. Read their profiles, ask for a video call, then if they seem like normal and trustworthy people ask for the names and numbers of some references, and take it from there. And look at other listings in your area to find out the sort of thing that makes a listing appealing - you only have to read a few before you start to get a sense of it.

Thanks @SomePig That all makes sense and I agree, real live conversations with people who can give references would be the best. I guess my main panic now is that our listing will not look enticing enough.