If you're a live in nanny how much space do you expect?

[virgiltracey]

Not sure how much longer we can keep juggling and so loking at other options!

Personally, as a slightly older nanny, I only look at jobs with self contained accommodation i.e. own cooking facilities, bathroom, bed sitting room. I like to feel I have my own space at weekends and evenings rather than sharing the family home.

At the moment I have a room in a seperate building to my bosses flat that is 1m x 3m and its AWFUL! I also share my bathroom (toilet, sink, bath) with another bedroom which has a staff member from any other house on the square, so a total stranger.

As a bare minimum I would t from any other house on the square,.it a total stranger ighink a decent sized bedroom (ie big enough for a double bed and clothes storage without having to squeeze it all in). I personally prefer my own room and bathroom that is relatively seperate from the families rooms after experiencing being woken at 5am daily including weekends by a previous charges ear piercing shreiks!

hmm thought that might be the case. We have a separate annexe which is currently an office but could be a self contained granny flat with sitting room bedroom kitchen and bathroom. Presumably that would be the best option rather than bedroom within the house. Would cost a couple of thousand to convert it probably.

Nothing wrong with just a bedroom and a bathroom shared with the kids (but not the parents, although it might work if just one parent) - in suburbia I would say this applies to 60% of live-ins with another 30% having their own bath or shower room, leaving just 10% with fully self-contained. OK, those numbers are completely made up, but I bet they are not far out.

A box room won't do though, we have a large room with a sitting area with a TV and a sofa bed for the occasional (female) guest which they have all liked.

Most live-in nannies only have a bedroom, some with en-suite or own bathroom, some with shared bathroom.

I have been lucky and had seperate accommodation since half way through my second position (lived at home with my parents, mum and I didn't get on, told boss that I had to leave to earn more money to be able to afford rent, two weeks later he had converted the garage (and half of his kitchen) into a one bedromm annex for me! He was a builder by trade though) and do not think I could go back to living in the house unless the accommodation was away from the children'e bedrooms! Being woken up at 7am at the weekend is not fun, as much as I love the children.

If you can afford to have the annex converted I think this will widen your choice of nannies. Too be honest, as long as it has a bathroom and a cooker, fridge, sink and small work surface, you wouldn't need anymore than that. I mainly eat with the children during the week (can't be bothered to cook for myself when I have finished work) and eat out at weekends!

Good luck, hope you find someone wonderful.

I'm a live in for a forces family so I get a bedroom and share the bathroom with the family.

I have a nice sized bedroom and nothing is stored in there for anyone else and I also have use of the playroom in the evening for supper or to watch tv.

Like Mogandme my last family I lived in with were in military accommodation so they had no choice in the matter and I shared the family bathroom but had a huge bedroom with a desk, sky tv and sofa in it, it only worked as the family were amazing and I would prefer bedroom space. But the children had bedrooms either side of me and woke at 6am everyday and trying to get everyone through the bathroom in the morning when both bosses left for work before 7.30 and I left for the school run at 8.15 it got very cosy!

OP I guess it depends how long you need a nanny for and if you think paying out for your office to be converted is worth it but you will probably have more nannnies interested in your job if you can offer separate accomodation.

Hahaha so true Clayrebear The queue for the bathroom can be fun!!

Ours gets a bedroom at the other end of the apartment to us, everything else is shared (also forces).

Ours has the nicest (and largest) bedroom in the house, on its own floor with double bed, 3-seat sofa, big TV, office area and lots of storage space, while we've all taken smaller bedrooms. It was worth it as she loves having her own space in evening. She also has her own small bathroom with loo/sink and storage room for toiletries, then shares the bath/shower with the kids. (DH and I have a small separate bathroom). Shared kitchen, living room.

i like to have a bedroom with a desk, drawers and wardrobe space and my own bathroom.

there's a lot of other factors. If the hours/pay/location are good, and most importantly the family are friendly and know how to share their family space without making me feel self-conscious or like I'm under their feet - a good atmosphere in the house basically - then I'm happy with just a bedroom. If the family are rich but very private people, or unfriendly, or not interested in making their nanny part of the family I'd want self-contained accommodation

thats very true! :)