3. Pick the right photos for your profile
You have heard the saying, a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, those thousand words can be good or bad depending on the photos you pick.
Here are some photos you will want to include on your profile:
- A profile picture of you smiling: In order for an owner to open their home to you, they need to trust you. A simple but effective way to earn that trust and show you are a nice and friendly person is to make sure you’re smiling in your profile picture.
- A picture of you with animals: As you have probably noticed, most people looking for a house sitter are also pet owners. To prove that you are good with animals, include pictures of you with pets—what pet lovers phone isn’t packed with pictures of them petting a cat or throwing a ball for a dog?
- A picture of you with people: Owners need to know that people like you, so make sure at least one of your photos includes another person. Friends and family members are a great place to start.
4. Request plenty of references
One of the first things owners will see (and likely look for) on your house sitter profile is any ratings and reviews left by other owners from your previous house sits, and your external references. Of course, the better your ratings, reviews, and references, the better your house sitter profile. And while you can’t gain ratings and reviews until you’ve started house sitting, you can request as many references as you like, at any time.
So go ahead and request character references from people who know you well and be sure to get a pet or home sitting reference whenever possible. If you’re setting up a TrustedHousesitters profile, it’s easy. All you’ll need to do is go to the verification area on your dashboard and request a reference. Your referee will be asked to review you in the following areas:
- Organised
- Reliable
- Self-sufficient
- Tidy
- Pet care
Bonus tip: To increase the number of references you receive, consider sending an email to support the one automated by TrustedHousesitters. Here’s an example:
"I was hoping you could do me a huge favour; I have recently joined TrustedHousesitters to stay with people’s pets while I travel to new places, and I need references from people like you to prove I’m a responsible person. Will you be my referee?
I have sent another email to you through TrustedHousesitters, so please lookout for it. It shouldtake less than a minute to complete the reference and it would be a great help to me. Thank you so much and please let me know if you have any questions."
5. Spelling and Grammar
While everyone makes mistakes, too many spelling and grammatical errors in your house sitter profile suggests you don’t care. So always check your profile for spelling and grammar before you publish it for owners to see. This easy step shows you are professional, educated, and responsible — the same traits most owners are looking for in a house sitter.
