Cost of a full time live out nanny in London (NW)

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I am considering a full time nanny plus housekeeper for when I return to work and was hoping for advice on the fair/market rate to pay. I am looking at 11 hours per day, 5 days a week and extra babysitting on weekends. I would expect them to take DD out to the park, activities, read to her, take her on play dates and do basic housekeeping when DD is napping (laundry, cooking, tidy up, the odd grocery run etc). Is £450 net per week unreasonable / below market, with babysitting on the weekends on top of that (at £8ph), given the guaranteed income (I am asking because one of the nannies suggested this rate but another that I am interviewing and really like is asking for £10ph net). All advice gratefully received.

£10ph net is the going rate for a qualified/experienced nanny in London.

You will be able to get someone for less than that, but they will be someone struggling to get the market rate of £10ph.

If they are working 5 days a week for you, would they then also want to come back at the weekend? On occasion perhaps they would but having that in the contract is I feel expecting too much.

Salaries will vary I feel. As the employer I feel you should be deciding how much to pay, then advertising the job at that salary and seeing who applies. You seem to be doing it the other way around... advertising the job but without a salary, then asking people what they want to be paid. Personally I feel that wastes peoples time, as you may love a particular candidate but find they want a salary you can't afford to pay.

Using MrAnchovy's PAYE Calculator 450net for 55 hours per week, assuming 810L taxcode and no student loan deductions or any other strange things, then it's around £30,780 gross a year. Certainly not a bad salary, but do look at the cost of places to live in your area - a live out nanny will be living quite close I would suspect, so are house/flat prices/rents affordable if the nanny is on a £30k salary?

It is easier to increase salary over time, then to decrease it. So you can reward someone you feel is a great at their job by giving them a salary increase... perhaps following completing probation, following completing 1 year of service, that sort of thing.

What you don't want to do is offer a salary which you can't afford to pay and can't afford to raise over the years.

I feel there are lots of people looking for jobs and not that many jobs, so at a salary of say £11 gross an hour, I suspect you should find quite a lot of candidates. It's certainly more than I get, but I'm 22 miles from London.

I would say its too low. £450 a week would be ok for 45hr week but you are asking 55hr week

Also in regards to duties, if you want your child going here and there in the day, dont expect all of those housekeeping duties to be finished every day. I'm sure your child only sleeps for a couple I hours max per day and remember your nanny can't leave at lunch for an hours lunch so a bit I downtime for nanny, for her to eat/ cup of coffee/ recharge needs to be accounted for whilst little one sleeps really if poss.

As a nanny myself, children here sleep 2 hrs in afternoon. I use this time to either have lunch if haven't eaten with them, then cook evening meal/ muffins etc and spare for freezer and so that only leaves about 20/30 mins assuming they sleep full 2 hrs, in which I sit down and take a short break. I get other bits done throughout day but don't depend on all those things being done during nap time
And of course some days children are clingy/ sick/ etc so things take longer

I would say £500 min for 55hr week, but more like £550net. I would also pay more per hr for any weekend work seeing they have already worked all week. More like £12net per hr

Hope that helps

Ah yes as see nanny nicks point re living costs for area. Someone working 11 hr days is unlikely for want a long commute so will prob live max 30 mins from you ( walking/cycling if poss as tube delays will mean you are late also)

So the average rent apparently for a studio/ 1bed in central zone 1/2 is approx £18k min a year.

I work in Nw London 11h/ day plus ocasional babysitting and I don't live that close to my employers house as the rent would leave me penniless :). 10£ it's reasonable depending on experience & qualification of course. Regarding the babysitting OP should make sure to discuss this during interview as not everyone wants to spend their Saturday evenings at work. Of course it depends how often that would be needed

Thanks very much everyone. NannyNick - thank you - that makes sense - I need to work out what I can pay first before interviewing candidates! Would it be more expensive to have a full time live in nanny? I am thinking that at least that way, with the hours of child care we have in mind (simply because DH and I work long hours), the nanny saves commute time / is less stressed? Thanks again!

A live in nanny would probably be looking at £400 net a week for those hours.

Thats helpful. Thanks

Yes a live in would be less as nanny doesn't have to pay for accomadation

Approx £400 net for live in, then accomadation and food included

A live in nanny may be more stress... they live with you 24/7. Sure they may go out a bit at weekends, may even go away for a weekend but generally they are around all the time so I feel it could be more stress for you and possibly for them. Think carefully before deciding to have someone you do not know well living at your house.

There room would come at a cost - if you had to move to a bigger house so you had room for a live in nanny, how much would it cost for that bigger house? Could be 50k, 100k, more?

If you have the room now then its the loss of privacy I feel you need to consider.
Make pro/con lists and discuss with family members.

Thanks a lot Nannynick. Will definitely make a list of pros and cons. Space is no problem - we have a big enough place thankfully. Privacy could be an issue though.