Community Forum: January round-up

We’re kicking 2024 off with a (pet-friendly) BANG and getting ready for an exciting year of pets and travel. It's business as usual on the Community Forum as members arrange meet-ups, share photos, and get their teeth into some lively debates. Along with all this, the "new year, new me" chat takes center stage...

Topic of the month

Everyone around us is setting resolutions for the new year, so it’s only fitting that our Forum members are jumping on the bucket list bandwagon too - this time, to discuss some of their 2024 house sitting goals.

@Maggie8k’s fabulous thread saw members like @Globetrotter share dreams of returning to their hometowns, while @Silversitters were already planning their travels around great walking routes. @Samox24 had a more specific request, saying, 

“Hubby and I would love to look after a Belgian Malinois and we don’t mind where in the world it is!”. 

We love to see it!

The new year isn’t just for setting goals; it’s also a time to reflect on everything you’ve accomplished the previous year. @Maggie8k also shared her house sitting adventures from 2023, which inspired Forum members to share their own reviews of the year.

Not only were we thrilled to learn about the countless nights our members spent house sitting and the numerous pets they cared for, but also about the more unique experiences they had. We feel like there should be a song about the number of eggs collected, tomatoes picked, and nosy neigh-bors encountered (shoutout to @Silversitters’ visitor!). 

Category of the month

We always love seeing what’s going on in the Meet-ups & Travel category, with locations like NYC, Bangkok, and the UK popping off! 

One of our most popular threads in this category was Recommendations for Glasgow and Edinburgh, which has run from November through to January. Edinburgh Castle was top of many lists, but members also suggested visiting the Royal Yacht Brittania, walking up Arthurs Seat, and trying some of the local delicacies, among other things (foodie recs include deep-fried mars bars, haggis, and iron brew flavored jelly babies). Best of all? You can hop on a train and travel between the two Scottish cities in just 1.5 hours.

And with so many expert tips, Edinburgh and Glasgow were promptly added to our 2024 house sitting goals - Scotland, here we come!

Forum member of the month

This time the spotlight shines on @Cuttlefish, a house sitting duo who love sharing their adventures, guiding members to get help, and simply making people smile!  

When @mars said, “I LOVE your hashtags!”, @Cuttlefish replied, "#everyonesawinner #heretopleasemyfriend" - naturally.

Quote of the month

The fabulous @Cuttlefish is like the gift that keeps on giving! We loved their reply to a thread about good and bad house sitting experiences, and we think it perfectly sums up what it’s all about:  

“Without fail ours have all been one or more of the following - enjoyable, enlightening, funny, fulfilling, adventurous, convenient and new! Quite a few we wouldn’t repeat but that’s mostly because house sitting is a way for us to travel so new destinations appeal more. We have zero regrets #longmayitcontinue” 

There’s always time for a hashtag with @Cuttlefish!

Photos of the month

January is the month for hibernation after the festive season, and our furry friends seem to agree! Here's a collection of snoozing snouts...

It's EXHAUSTING being so cute!

What else have the community been discussing? 

New beginnings

In the spirit of new beginnings, there have been some pretty big changes to the Forum team of late. We said farewell to the wonderful @Angela, @Kelly, and @Karen_E, all of whom are moving onto other roles at TrustedHousesitters (luckily they won’t be going too far!) and a warm welcome to @Sam_F and @Maeve, who will both be joining us as Community Moderators. 

Who should foot the bill?

We also discussed the topic of utility bills, the big question being: who should pay them? While many members felt that it was against TrustedHousesitters etiquette for the sitter to pay the bills, Angela cleared up any confusion by explaining the following:

“We assure you that the owner’s choice to request a contribution towards utilities is the only financial option allowed under the TrustedHousesitters T&C’s and is something which has always been in place and is rarely applied. Any such request has to be clearly stated in the home listing BEFORE a sitter applies, allowing for full transparency. Sitters then have the choice of whether or not they apply.”

While some sitters may be put off applying for a house sit that asks them to pay the bills, there are others who are more open to this arrangement. @ElsieDownie made the following point: 

“If I was on a long sit in the middle of the winter in BC I would offer to pay a contribution to the heating bill. By doing this I can use the heating as much as I want without worrying about the cost to the home owner. Air conditioning in a very hot country would be exactly the same.”

It’s great to hear both sides of the story, and we welcome more interesting debates like this one!

Clarity on cameras

Finally, the topic of cameras was reintroduced after a three-month hiatus. @Silversitters kindly jumped in to clarify our camera recording policy:

• Owners must disclose the presence of any internal and external cameras or recording devices when creating their home listing. 
• Any internal cameras or recording devices must be disabled for the entire duration of the sit.

Whether you’re a pet sitter or a home owner, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with our Terms & Conditions if you haven’t done so already. 

Ready to turn over a new leaf this year?

How about sharing your thoughts on our friendly Forum? Join our community of pet people today to offer helpful tips or learn more about the world of house and pet sitting.