If could have any kind of help within the household, what would it be?

[tsalty]

I am at the end of my career in its current form - a combination of aging out and too much travel. I have been pondering what’s next, and have been thinking…

I had a relative who was in a very controlling relationship and, when she died, the controller completely moved himself into her property until he was legally escorted out. I wasn’t working at the time, so went and sorted out the house. I cannot describe the state of the place but, steadily I cleared it all sorted everything out. And I realize now that that was a really fulfilling task. So I am thinking about offering household services going forward.

Any form of ‘household management’, from decluttering to downsizing to respectful packing up houses of deceased loved ones. I would also offer services such as shopping and putting it all away, bed linen changes and perhaps even helping people go out to do their chores. Maybe even a meal service where is would deliver meals on maybe. Monday and a Friday that just need chucking in the oven.

But - talking wish list - what services would people like in their homes to make life easier? I appreciate this is very much a luxury for most, just looking for ideas…

Declutterring for sure

Deep cleaning. The sort where everything comes out of the kitchen cupboards, cupboard gets cleaned, out of date stuff is binned and everything else goes back in, in an orderly way.

@despiteappearance Pedicure - what a great call. Only sadly I wouldn’t know where to start!

@BatshitIsTheOnlyExplanation yes. Easily done!

I should add that I don’t want to be a cleaner full time but would consider forms of it!

I would love to have someone on call to put together flat pack furniture. I'm currently looking down the barrel at having to assemble two chests of drawers that are, apparently, a two-man job. With only one-man me.

Maybe pitch it as being a household assistant or something like that? Offering a range of services. So like odd jobs but more domestic related.

Depends for me what you'd be charging. I have a few things I'd be willing to pay a reasonable rate for. But specific companies charge £££ which I'm generally not willing to pay! If I were willing to pay that much then I'd go with a company rather than an individual as I'd feel there was more protection in case of any issues.

I don’t need that sort of thing at the moment, but if I was elderly and unable to do it for myself can imagine I would. You could pitch yourself at older people

I would like someone to help me pack up my dads house when he passes. 40 years of memories and assorted junk

I've used "rated people" for self assembly stuff in the past. Smaller things I'm fine with but DD's day bed had 50million parts and I got a big garden swing seat thing that I gave up on after 5 minutes 😂

That said, I tried posting a small job a while back and literally no one was interested. I think it's become much harder to find someone willing to do small one off jobs.

Just to add he's still alive, currently snoozing in the armchair!! Just thinking about future events as I'm the only child

I would outsource admin if I could - someone else to book appointments, switch utility provider, argue about bin charges, chase up the missing Amazon delivery.

Oh god so many.

As pp have said - a deep clean. Not a regular weekly cleaner but that stage where you need to strip your kitchen down to the bare bones.

Stacey Soloman's sort your life out type organisation? I'm currently slowly working my way through years of cupboards and wish I could delegate!

A mother's help? Someone to do the ironing, light housework, batch cooking, taking care of toddlers etc while mum attends to a newborn

Tell me about it! I was four months without a shower because I couldn't get anyone local out to fit it (I'd bought a new unit but it wasn't a simple swap-over job because new holes needed drilling). I won't mess with anything electrical.

My cleaner does shopping, bed changes, bakes people cakes to order (I just have the cleaning/bedchange). I have a few of other people in my phone book. One of them moves heavy furniture and takes rubbish to the tip, others do jobs I either can’t do or cba to. Handyman types I guess. I add to a list until there’s four or five jobs and get one of them in.

I’m reasonably capable of DIY, so I’ll always do things like measure and put blinds up, build furniture, add rails in the airing cupboard but other stuff like a sash window that isn’t running, door sticking, adding shelves into a compartment of a built in wardrobe, I’d farm out. Would you incorporate handyman type work?

With services like Uber eats or even Cook frozen meals, I wouldn’t expect to have to ask someone to meal prep.

I think it’s a tricky concept tbh, cleaner with added services would work.

Decluttering and deep cleaning, but disposing/selling of my items not just helping me identify what needs to go.

Right now, someone to research the best bathroom units etc for my needs and where to get them. Same for when I want a new TV etc.

Sex with the husband when I can't be arsed?!

Someone to mealplan, food shop, cook and wash up afterwards!
Meals with no effort from me would be bliss

Cleaner. That's it. But I have used a decluttering woman and she was very helpful when I downsized.

@HelterSkelter224 i don’t really want to get into childcare necessarily, but it is something I would look at down the line

@Theothername thank you for the suggestions!

Somebody who us like the maid service on holiday, so they come in just for 30/45 mins or so every day, make the beds, empty the bins, empty the dishwasher, general tidy round, wipe the surfaces etc, that would be amazing!!

I was thinking of selling it as a membership kind of thing, certain types getting you xyz, other abc.

The packing up of homes appeals to me too as it is very emotional to go into a parents home and have to make decisions. I feel I could be good at both the emotional and practical bits.

Yes, I could add handyman services!

I for sure could list items for sale and take things to the dump.

Thank you for the responses!!

Cooking and delivering meals for the elderly who rely on carers heating up ready meals or Farm Fresh meals.

😂