Editing How to write a hosting request (section)

== Saying hello ==

* '''Read their profiles'''!: This will help you better predict the quality of your experience. Also read to see if they have special rules/requirements, e.g. bringing a sleeping bag, no smoking, dates when they are unavailable, limits on numbers of people they can host, needs a donation towards food, or for electricity, or internet, or help in home and family, or is it a shared house or a flat.
* '''See if you are compatible'''. Look for a host with similar interests. If you only like museums and your host only likes drinking, there could be a personality clash :).
* Some hosts want to know why you want to surf ''their'' couch and not just ''any'' couch. When you try to answer this question in your request, you should realize that you are interested in the ''host'' more than just their ''couch''. Each host is different. So until there's a field to specify request personalization requirements, just read the profiles carefully. 
* '''Try to contact newer & less busy hosts''' to increase your chances. Busy hosts in popular cities can get up to 10 or more requests every day
* Realize that some hosts get fewer couch requests simply because '''they live outside of their main city limits''' "proper", but they still happen to live very close to the main attractions. Be sure to use the "Within ___ kilometers/miles" of a city when you do a couch search. Often, these hosts are more willing to take surfers simply because they get less requests. You can also just search the region instead of the city, when traveling in more sparse areas.
* '''If you're traveling with friends''', make sure they all have profiles. Your profiles should be linked to each other (as friends or with comments/references) and the single links provided in your request, because this makes it easier for hosts to look at all your profiles. (Group/couple profiles are a bad idea, as all references will be for the group/couple after a split up each of you will loose the history record. So better have all individual profiles, and reference each other.)