Question about domestic help

[AdultFishcakes]

For those who live outside London...

Do you have domestic help and what does that look like?

We have three under 5 and we would like help with the general tidying up, washing dishes, doing the laundry and other random ad hoc stuff like mowing the lawn or getting some bits from the shop.

My DH and I work 4 days a week each and the eldest child starts school in August.

As we are in Scotland domestic help seems to be a real rarity and the preserve of the absolutely loaded.

We have no family around to help and whist its not childcare I’m looking for I really want to outsource as much as I can to be able to spend quality time with them.

What arrangement do you have as we wouldn’t need someone full time and we have thought about an au pair but I’m not sure how I feel about someone living in with us?

We have a 'cleaner'. I put it in ' ' because she cleans, hangs out laundry, tidies, changes bedding. She only comes for 3 hours a week though so I have to prioritize what I want her to do (so I run around tidying before she comes).

We have a gardener twice a month, he cuts the grass and trims the hedges. He would do more (weeding, planting etc) but I don't pay him enough!

An au pair is only for child care and light domestic duties so no mowing the lawn or cleaning, but they would tidy up the kids stuff.