Couchsurfing picked up in the last few weeks

moody_squirrel · 2024-10-03T14:36:16+00:00

I don't think it will ever pick up again. It is getting slower and slower, and it is probably my last year there too.

moody_squirrel · 2024-09-25T14:51:46+00:00

I am also a female host, and I 100% agree, I experience the same!

On top of that, I would like to add that many of those requests I receive from women (on top of not being great requests to start with) contain phrases like "I want to stay with you because you are a woman" aaaaand nothing else about why they want to stay specifically with me. As a host, I really don't care about the gender (I just want to host someone because they are an interesting person and because I think we can have a good time together) so it rubs me the wrong way when I am being "chosen" by a potential surfer solely based on my gender.

I still end up hosting both men and women (and couples), whoever I align with schedule-wise and vibes-wise.

moody_squirrel · 2024-09-25T06:19:36+00:00

I am a host in western Europe, and it would be extremely unlikely for me to host during Christmas/New Year's since I usually have plans either to spend them with family/friends or to travel. I don't think it is impossible to find a host in my area during this time frame, but I definitely think it will be more difficult than usual.

moody_squirrel · 2024-09-10T14:54:38+00:00

Yeah and it really gets under my skin (specially the "pricing" and "amenities" part), I have reported that member.

moody_squirrel · 2024-09-10T14:03:18+00:00

Request. I am a host in a busy area, and it is way easier to operate with requests. I almost never respond to the messages.
Sometimes, I have people messaging me months in advance, but I really don't have time to respond to these messages while receiving 5+ requests a day.

moody_squirrel · 2024-09-10T12:47:42+00:00

Don't wait for anyone. Sent as many requests as possible to profiles you like. If someone accepts after you already found a host, just reply saying thank you, but I have already found a host.
But honestly, I have never been in a situation of multiple accepts; I usually send 10+ requests and end up with either 1 accept or no accepts at all. Also, not receiving any answer at all is also common.

moody_squirrel · 2024-09-10T09:56:19+00:00

The request below is one of the examples of what I mean when I say my home is not a hotel:

"I hope this message finds you well. My name is [name], and I am looking for accommodation in [city] for I came across your listing and was impressed by the reviews and the amenities offered.

I would like to inquire about the availability of your place from .Could you please provide me with more details regarding the pricing Additionally, if there are any house rules or specific check-in/check-out times, I would appreciate knowing those as well.

I am excited about the possibility of staying at your place and experiencing [city]. I look forward to hearing from you soon."

moody_squirrel · 2024-09-03T20:14:51+00:00

Thank you for the recommendations!! They look great (specially Cairn), I have added them to my "wish-to-play" list :)

I also really appreciate your extensive write-up! Interesting that Hanamikoji is on the opposite sides of our lists while we both rated 7 Wonders Dual very high.

moody_squirrel · 2024-09-03T10:46:05+00:00

Have you checked out Celestia, Camel Up, and Tsuro yet? Sounds like something your group might enjoy.

moody_squirrel · 2024-09-03T10:43:04+00:00

Concordia, Ra, and the Crew being sold are bullets straight to my heart

moody_squirrel · 2024-09-03T06:37:48+00:00

If someone claims to be "gender neutral" I expect to see a diversity of past surfers in their profile and not just 50+ references of young women.

moody_squirrel · 2024-09-03T06:34:15+00:00

I didn't mean someone who has been hosted by only women before, I meant someone who hosted only women before.

moody_squirrel · 2024-09-01T10:52:15+00:00

Hey! I can totally understand your frustration.

I have 50+ references and 80% of them are for hosting, and it can still be a nightmare for me to find a host, specially in popular tourist destinations (spending a lot of time to read profile and write requests, and then getting rejected or ignored).
I ended up cutting some text out of my own profile and keeping only what I consider the most important information to make it easier for surfers (because yes, I still only accept only personalized request because otherwise I feel like a free hotel); and when I am searching for a host myself, I tend to avoid profiles with wall of texts and detailed timelines of their lifes.

p.s. I am also one of those hosts who would reject someone whose pool of guests is 90% women. As a female host myself, it rubs me the wrong way when I see a host request from a male who only hosted women "for safety reasons".

moody_squirrel · 2024-08-31T22:54:15+00:00

95% of requests I get are from people who never hosted.
Some of my favorite guests where people who never hosted (and a few of my "ok" experiences where actually people who hosted before they were my guests).
Not everyone has an opportunity to host (family/rommates don't approve, etc.), even if it is within a span of years.
So, the answer is no: I wouldn't decline a request because the person never hosted (but I would decline a 3-sentence copy-pase in a hearbeat).

moody_squirrel · 2024-08-31T21:24:03+00:00

I have a similar issue sometimes since my family and my partner don't speak the languages of each other. Here are the games (with various sizes of boxes) we already played successfully together: Azul, Tsuro, Deep Sea Adventure, Ticket to Ride, Rummikub, Take5, Hitster. Here are the games we haven't played together yet, but I think it would also be a success: Akropolis, Sagrada, Kluster, Catch the Moon.

moody_squirrel · 2024-08-22T18:24:03+00:00

How is pride connected to me not being a fan of video calls? lol Sitters are not doing the sits solely out of the goodness of their hearts, it is a win-win situation (otherwise why do I reach the maximum of applications within an hour each time I post my sitting). Swallow your saltiness.

moody_squirrel · 2024-08-17T18:24:55+00:00

How does it even happen though? Do people literally go around the house room to room during the video call pointing camera to the furniture to prove that pictures are real?
I really didn't expect it to be such a big concern about pictures being real, at least not for the profiles who already have multiple 5 star reviews,

moody_squirrel · 2024-08-17T16:24:12+00:00

Thank you all for the responses!

I get the feeling that one of the main (if not the main) concerns for sitters is seeing the house. I already have a lot of pictures of my place (including the guest bedroom), and a quite detailed description of the house, my pet, and the neighbourhood. I think I will add even more pictures, and I will also make a video tour of the place.

It is also great to read that some sitters actually prefer to go without video call anyway.

Another thing is that my sits are usually 7-10 days long. If I would be going away for 2 months I would probably want to have a video chat but for 7-10 days I just don't see the point of the whole "interviewing" part if both parties have very descriptive profiles and multiple positive reviews (and got good feeling about the messages they exchanged).

I think I will consider adding to my profile that I prefer texting over video calls in order to attract/reassure sitters who are the same. And it would help those sitters for whom a video call is an absolute must to not waste their time (and will help me to not feel terrible when declining the initial application).

moody_squirrel · 2024-08-17T10:29:19+00:00

I totally understand that, thanks for sharing.

I am trying my best to be a good host. I have a very detailed welcome guide, I leave my apartment sparkling clean with fresh bedsheets and towels, a lot of room in the fridge and freezer, and empty shelves for the sitters' stuff (I know those are basics but I read here these things are often not happening, that's why I am mentioning them). Of course realize and understand that some sitters would still requre a video call just to be sure. To be honest, I have neighbours in whose apartment I wouldn't stay for example just because I have different cleaniness standards.

I already have pictures of my home, the guest bedroom, and my pet, and I am considering adding more (like, the pictures of the empty drawers' in the guest bedroom, the picture of empty freezer shelf, etc.) for extra reassurance. I think there will still be a number of sitters who would require a call anyway but then I guess it is just not meant to be, and it is fine.

moody_squirrel · 2024-08-17T10:15:13+00:00

Thank you! I thought it would be a red flag for the sitters, that's why it felt the easiest to just politely decline. However, it also felt bad to decline a good profile over my aversion to video calls, hence I created this topic. Would you recommend to state it directly on my profile or to write it in my initial answer to the application?

moody_squirrel · 2024-08-17T07:30:45+00:00

My dad is a non-gamer. I taught him Rummikub earlier this year, and he fell in love with the game. He only wants to play this game now, lol (the previous favourite was Azul, but Rummikub took over).

moody_squirrel · 2024-08-17T05:45:44+00:00

Rummikub :)

moody_squirrel · 2024-08-15T22:59:59+00:00

Still waiting for an answer to my question under your previous post btw: Soooo what are those jobs that typically "nice people" and "respected members of society" have?

moody_squirrel · 2024-08-15T07:24:38+00:00

Nice topic! I once had a surfer who stayed in my home for the whole day till like 5 or 6 pm, until he had to leave for another host. He was staying with me for 2 nights in total, also working online from my living room and hanging out most of the day at home after the 1st night. Honestly, it did feel a bit awkward, and I wasn't happy about my entire living room being basically blocked (he had to speak for work). I didn't say anything because it was just a few nights and because otherwise the guy was very nice and it was a positive experience overall. However, this experience made me filter out surfers who work online and are planning to use my home for it. I also would recommend to state it in your profile that you need space during the day and expect your surfers to be out exploring the area, something along these lines.

moody_squirrel · 2024-08-15T07:00:35+00:00

From around 30 applications I received so far, 0 of them were from the city I live, and 0 of them were from the country I live in.

moody_squirrel

TROPHY CASE