Home > Blog > Should You Wait for a Homeowner Decision?
Quick Facts
| Normal response time | 24-48 hours is reasonable — longer without contact is not |
| Our rule | If message has been read but not replied to, start searching after 48 hours |
| Do you withdraw? | No — leave the application open and search in parallel |
| Multiple applications | Apply to overlapping sits freely — first to confirm gets accepted |
| Polite follow-up message | "Would you like to discuss anything over WhatsApp before you decide?" |
| If a homeowner ghosts | Do not take it personally — just apply elsewhere |
| The five-applicant cap | Works in everyone's favour once you understand both sides |
The waiting game is one of the least-discussed parts of house sitting. You apply for a sit you want, the homeowner reads the message, and then nothing. Or you have a great video call, feel confident about the sit, and the homeowner tells you they are still interviewing one more applicant and will be in touch. How long do you wait? Do you hold the dates? Do you apply elsewhere?
Based on 18 sits across 11 countries with TrustedHouseSitters, we have been on both sides of this. This article covers how to handle the waiting period without missing better opportunities or burning relationships with homeowners.
How the Application Process Actually Works
Most homeowners reviewing applications are not being difficult. They are juggling their travel plans, comparing several profiles, and trying to organise video calls with multiple sitters before making a final decision. The process takes longer than most sitters expect, and the delay is rarely personal.
What is less acceptable, and more common than it should be, is a homeowner who reads your application message and does not reply at all. Creating a listing, inviting applications, and then ignoring the sitters who respond is poor practice. It is rude, and it wastes everyone's time. If this happens to you, do not take it personally and do not let it stop you applying for other sits. It says nothing about your profile or your application.
The 48-Hour Rule
If a homeowner has visibly read your application message but has not replied, wait 48 hours before doing anything else. Within that window, most homeowners who intend to respond will have done so. After 48 hours of silence following an opened message, the signal is clear enough to act on.
At that point: leave the application open, but start searching for other sits actively. Leave the application in place in case the homeowner resurfaces. The most useful thing you can do is keep your options open in both directions: the original application stays live and new applications are going out simultaneously.
If a homeowner has made contact and confirmed a day they will respond, wait for that day. If the conversation goes quiet past that point, send a follow-up. The follow-up does not need to apply pressure. The simplest version: "Hi [name], just checking in to see if you are still looking for a sitter. Happy to jump on a quick call if that would help." That is enough.
The Polite Follow-Up Message
The message that tends to work best when a homeowner has read your application but not responded:
"Hi [name], we sent across our application a couple of days ago and just wanted to check in. If you would like to discuss anything over WhatsApp before you make a decision, we are happy to do that. Looking forward to hearing from you."
This message does three things. It acknowledges the delay without making it awkward. It offers a way forward. And it prompts action without creating pressure. Most homeowners who receive it respond promptly. Those who do not, probably were not going to.
Two Stories About Waiting
The homeowner who needed two weeks to decide: We applied for a sit, were selected, had a video call, and confirmed everything. Then the homeowner told us he needed two weeks to see whether another sitter he had in mind would be available. We told him that was fine, but asked him not to formally confirm the sit on the platform yet. We said we would continue looking for other sits and would let him know if we found something. He agreed.
Two weeks is a long time when you are planning a route. We kept looking. We found another sit. We messaged the homeowner to let him know and withdrew from the process. We were glad we had not put our plans on hold. In hindsight, a homeowner who is still hedging after a video call is not a confirmed sit. Treat it as a lead, not a booking.
The Zug sit that went quiet: We applied for a sit near Zug in Switzerland, had a video call, and were told the homeowner needed to interview one more person and would be in touch. We waited a few days. Then a week. Nothing. We messaged. No reply. We were frustrated. It was a sit we had wanted.
We started looking elsewhere. The day we found and confirmed a different sit, the Zug family finally messaged. They had to cancel due to a family emergency. We understood. But the lesson was clear: a homeowner who goes quiet for a week after a video call is not a reliable anchor for your planning. The sit you find while you are waiting is often the better sit anyway.
Applying to Multiple Sits With Overlapping Dates
Nothing on TrustedHouseSitters or any other house sitting platform prevents you from having multiple applications open at once, including for dates that overlap. The practical rule is simple: the first homeowner to confirm gets accepted.
Lullin and Geneva is a good example. We applied for both sits on similar dates: one in Lullin, France, and one in Geneva. The Lullin homeowner messaged back within five minutes. We were on a video call ten minutes after that. Twenty minutes after sending the application, the sit was confirmed. A few hours later, Geneva got in touch to say they would love to have us. We thanked them and declined.
The Lullin sit turned out to be one of our favourite sits. Two outdoor cats, a month in the French Alps, the kind of sit that makes you glad you acted quickly when the right one appeared.
The lesson is that speed of response from the homeowner is itself useful information. A homeowner who confirms within an hour has their plans sorted. One who takes three weeks and leaves you chasing them is signalling something about how organised the sit will be.
The Five-Applicant Cap: A Homeowner's View
The THS five-applicant cap is often discussed from the sitter's side as a frustration. you spot a listing, consider it for a moment, and by the time you apply it has already closed. We have experienced this. The view from the other side is more interesting.
A homeowner in France who had been on THS for eight years told us the cap was one of the best changes the platform made. Before it, she regularly received over 40 applications for a single listing. Responding to all of them, even briefly, felt overwhelming. With five applicants, the process became manageable. If none of the five were right, she would relist.
Hearing that changed how we think about the cap. It is not just a constraint on sitters. It is a tool that makes homeowners more likely to respond promptly and more invested in the small number of applications they do receive. A sitter who gets through on a capped listing is more likely to get a considered response.
The practical implication: when you see a sit you want, apply immediately. Do not add it to a list to think about. The window is narrow and the competition is real. Our article on the THS app covers how push notifications give you the speed advantage when new listings appear.
When to Move On Completely
There are situations where the right call is to withdraw entirely or simply stop waiting:
A homeowner who asks you to hold dates for more than two weeks while they decide. Two weeks is a long time to freeze your schedule for an unconfirmed sit. It is reasonable to tell them you will keep looking and let them know if your dates change. The Ostuni sit is a good example: an Italian homeowner needed two weeks to decide, so we applied for the Ostuni sit and accepted it. We messaged the Italy homeowner to let them know. We have no regrets. Ostuni was wonderful.
A homeowner who went quiet after a video call and has not responded to a follow-up. One follow-up message after a video call is reasonable. Two is probably enough. Three starts to feel like chasing. If someone has had two messages from you and not responded, they have made a decision by omission.
A homeowner whose communication pattern throughout the application process makes you uncertain about the sit. If getting a decision out of them takes this much effort before the sit has even started, it is worth asking what the sit itself will be like if something goes wrong.
A Template for Managing Multiple Applications
The message to send when you have accepted a different sit and need to let a homeowner down:
"Hi [name], thank you so much for considering us and for the time you spent on the process. We wanted to let you know that we have accepted another sit for this period. We would love to sit for you in the future if our dates align, so please do keep us in mind. Wishing you a wonderful trip."
This message is warm, closes the loop, and keeps the door open for future sits with that homeowner.
Conclusion
The application process for house sitting involves more uncertainty than most sitters are prepared for. Homeowners take time. Some go quiet. Some are managing several applicants at once. The strategy that works is to treat every application as a live option but never the only option: keep applying, stay responsive, and act quickly when a good sit confirms.
The first homeowner to confirm is the one to accept. Everything else stays in play until that moment.
Join TrustedHouseSitters with our 25% discount and read our guide to getting your first house sit. The application approach that gets you accepted quickly is the same one that lets you move confidently between options.
DM us @housesittersguide on Instagram with questions about the application process. We answer everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I wait for a homeowner to respond to my house sitting application?
48 hours is a reasonable window. If a homeowner has read your message and not responded within two days, start searching for other sits in parallel. Leave the original application open. Do not withdraw, but do not hold your dates for a homeowner who has gone quiet. Our guide to the house sitting video call covers how to move a promising application forward once you do get a response.
Can I apply to multiple house sits with the same dates?
Yes, and this is the standard approach for most experienced sitters. Nothing on THS or other platforms prevents overlapping applications. The practical rule is that the first homeowner to confirm gets accepted. Apply broadly, respond quickly, and let the homeowners you cannot accept know promptly so they can relist. Our THS alternatives guide covers applying across multiple platforms simultaneously.
How do I politely ask a homeowner how long their decision will take?
Keep it simple and offer a way forward. Something like: "Would you like to discuss anything over WhatsApp before you decide? Happy to jump on a quick call if that helps." Most homeowners respond promptly to this. If they do not, the silence is itself an answer.
What should I do if a homeowner ghosts me after a video call?
Send one follow-up message, then move on. A video call is not a confirmed sit. If a homeowner has not responded after a follow-up, they have made a decision by omission. Do not chase more than twice. Do not take it personally. Apply elsewhere and do not let it affect how you approach the next application.
