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…

OP, where are you based?

I’d like someone to force me to do what I said I’d do last year once the clocks changed in October - every day tackle one drawer or cupboard in the house and chuck much of it.
IIRC I did exactly one drawer last year. 🙁
I couldn’t pay anyone else to do it - they wouldn’t know what I’d want to keep.

My elderly FIL could do with someone who would change his bed once a week or maybe more. He has a laundry service and a cleaner but neither actually change the bed. Also, he could do with someone who'd just call in and make his lunch every day, pick up his mail from his mailbox downstairs and then wash up after lunch. We call a few times a week but it's so hard to find someone to do daily "little jobs".

For me, it would definitely be a gardener.

But other useful services I would like to have access to are oven cleaning, fridge cleaning, freezer defrosting, window and gutter cleaning, pet sitting and maybe occasional room decorating.

A service I would like to provide because I quite enjoy it, is flat pack furniture assembly.

A cook.

Life events - a new baby, a new job, a move, an illness, a bereavement can hit us hard. We get behind, the task is overwhelming. The regular routine jobs get left, things pile up. I ever thought it would happen to me. Someone to come in and help once a week, get to know me, help with what I needed until I was back on track would make all the difference.

Batch cooking
Lifts to local places
Company, a chat and a cuppa at my place or coffee shop.

I’d have a builder to do all the work I can’t. If you go into this line, sounds great but consider the food aspect and quagmire of insurance etc. Sounds like a house organisation declutter service would be amazing.

@despiteappearance i don’t think i actually said a career change so, yes, more of an iteration actually. Yes, I have good references

@despiteappearance that is an interesting question! The type of work i do for them is mind reading. Being one step ahead. It’s only something you can do when you know people really well.

Also, I often approach my work as ‘what would my priority be’ but, as is evident fro the answers here, everyone’s priorities are different.

@PTSDBarbiegirl there are ways around the insurance for food delivery. And i don’t mean skirting or being illegal, but there are ways to deliver this service that aren’t so difficult

@AndThatsItReally I don’t really want to say as I think that will confuse the issue somewhat!

@despiteappearance i think because it is an iteration from my current focus. Thank you very much fo your input

Basically are you looking to be a sort of Lucy Eyelesbarrow (from Agatha Christie’s 4.50 from Paddington)? ;)

I wouldn’t mind a sort of low level adulting helper, someone to sit with me and go over how to set up my savings, how to close unnecessary accounts or similar or maybe just some future planning. I find this inordinately difficult to start doing so put it off ludicrously long.

@banivani going to look for movie and watch it now!

Haha do that! But I think the book has a succinct description of what her special service is - but it does seem to be a bit “mind-reader”. Firmly rooted in a nostalgic dream of a better class of servant though ;)

I'm doing a good free course on this sort of thing with Rebel Finance School.

Can you tell me more about the rebel finance thing?

@tsalty If you do set up - please PM me.

@AndThatsItReally I know it's a totally different scenario but I can understand how disappointed you felt, paying someone to come into your home and them not doing what you thought they would. I once paid a dog trainer to come to the house for a three hour session. The plan was she would firstly observe dogs behavior around us whilst we carried out our day to day lives in the home around the dog and to note his reaction and demonstrate training methods to deal with any problems. She literally sat back and did nothing, then opened a tupperware box and ate her lunch sat on the settee in the lounge (and, no, it wasn't a test for the dog).Her only suggestion was that we we move the dogs bed to a corner of the lounge from the kitchen, where he had been quite happily sleeping. Then, when he started chewing on her shoelaces she screamed and ran away from him. Her husband phoned her a couple of times whilst she was here and they proceeded to have long chats about shopping etc I couldn't wait to get her out of the house and then she actually had the cheek to tell me we'd gone into the 4th hour, so I'd have to pay for another full hour of her time. I refused and pointed out she'd only stayed for the extra time as she'd been talking to her husband on the phone. The dog eventually grew out of his naughtiness, no thanks to her!

An invisible nanny. Someone that changes nappies, grabs the wipes or muslin when it's in the other room or entertains the other child whilst I'm feeding baby and then disappears. I love my kids and looking after them but it's the extra hands that I need. I don't want a nanny though in my own personal living space if I could afford to hire one. DH works long hours and it's the weekends I have extra hands but during weekdays he comes home late and kids are already in bed.