nanny costs - help please

[catgirl]

No time to search, sorry, but does anyone have an approximate idea of what a fulltime, live out, nanny would cost? To look after an 8 month old and a 4.5 year old. 4.5 year old starting full time school in September. We live in Hackney, East London. New to all this, so no idea what would be expected of a nanny/us etc. How does paying tax work etc?

Heading out now, so will check in later.

All information gratefully received! Thanks!

[Genidef]

Is the expectation that everyone in the London area a hedge fund or private equity manager now? In most private sector jobs - let alone teaching, nursing, publishing just about most jobs I can think of very few people could afford to pay £40K for a nanny and continue to work at all. And yet loads of people have them. Go figure.

Having said that, the Norland people were quoting £450 pwk net for a nanny with one year experience. Hey, loads of Russian oligarchs have moved to the UK, why not try you're luck.

[catgirl]

evening - thanks so much for all your replies - feel very honoured and loved !

would probably expect nanny to:

cook for children
school run (but it is a 3 minute walk if the lights are against you)
activities with the baby
tidy up toys etc with children (rather than for children)

not much else really, no cleaning, laundry etc, doubt we would want babysitting - we have no energy as it is!

Thanks again

[nannynick]

Just ran through figures from jobs listed today at NannyJob in London, Full Time, Live Out.

400-450 net per week seems a typical figure.

Some had a daily rate, 80-90 net per day.
Some had an hourly rate, 8-9 net per hour.

The lowest I found was 300-350 net per week.

Therefore, for London area as a whole, based purely on adverts posted Today on NannyJob, I would say that rate is: 300 to 450 net per week.

[sinclair]

I think saying '£x is way too much to spend on y amount of childcare' is rather like saying £20k is too much to spend on a wedding - how and where you spend your money is a personal choice, and where you sit in the childcare market is the same as whether you buy 3 for 2 tights in the supermarket or whether you are a Wolfords girl.

There are plenty of nannies out there earning £100 plus net a day, and the people hiring them presumbaly are happy with the deal, as alternatives are freely available. Some of the ways to cut the costs - hiring less experienced nannies, hiring nannies without English mother tongue, having nanny live in, paying cash in hand - are for whatever reason impractical/unacceptable to some families.

Obviously you hope to find the best candidate you can within a given price bracket.

By the way, I do not assume that the best paid nannies are the best nannies. My BF once had a wonderful childminder who charged £2 an hour, DS was the only child she had so effectively they had one-on-one care in the home at a very competitive rate. It is a mistake to think that by paying less you are getting a less than perfect nanny, just as it is insulting to those willing and able to pay top dollar to assume they are gullible and/or stupid.

[justaphase]

Have to agree with Eleusis and Jura here.

Actually I also agree with whoever said that a good nanny is priceless but it does not mean that I am able to afford that.

I found the agencies quite useless and demanding extortionate prices.

Gumtree is a bit of a jungle but you can find some jems on there, you just need to be very careful.

Before somebody jumps on me, I found my current lovely nanny through a personal recommendation which obviously is the best way.

[Eleusis]

That's fair enough, Anchovy. If you are in a position to part with some £40k of your take home pay, then by all means share the good fortune.

But, it is not realisitc to think most people are in that position. So when Fif starts preaching about what she is "worth" I feel compelled to remind her that it isn't about her worth, but parents' affordability.

[Anchovy]

But Eleusis, mud slinging apart (I never go there) I just think some people don't think £40k is too much to pay. My post was merely contradicting that statement.

[Eleusis]

Fifi, you are way out of line and if my nanny was here she'd tell you so. You don't know her well enough to go slinging insults like that.

£40k is a lot of money to some people. How much do you think NHS nurses make? What about teachers? Social workers? I know people with PHDs who don't make that.

Get off your high horse and quit your ego preaching.

Besides I never said you were lazy or didn't "deserve" it. I said it was too much to pay. Most parents can't realistically afford those wages. A lot of us work damn hard, and give all or most of their take home pay to the nanny.

And I'm curious, what is it that makes you think my nanny is an au pair? Because she'sfrom Canada? Or because the website she was on was has "aupair" in the domain name? And, actually, as I rack my brain now, I was mistaken... current nanny contacted me from my ad on nannyjob.co.uk but later told me she also saw the ad on greataupair.com. If you look at the site, you will find that while it does have millions of au pairs, there are also a few nannies in the mix.

[nannyk]

Ooooh Fifi I think you are very very brave taking on Eleusis!!! However I totally agree with you. a professional Nanny would not be found on greataupair and other sites like that. Eleusis was just lucky to have found someone of her present nanny's caliber there. I get all my jobs (and they are in the pay range stated) from agencies. After all I expect to be working for a family who require a professional. I haven't been doing this as my career for over 10 years just to get offered minimum pay and parents like Eleusis who have attitudes that we are not worth it. I am not Mary Poppins but I come a close second according to 5 of my previous charges, and my current bosses want me to stay til the kids are in college, so I must be doing something right. Plus, I get over 1000 a week here.

[Anchovy]

(I think she meant me and I think (hope!) she was agreeing with my earlier post)

[Azure]

fifilou - don't think you mean me! My nanny is absolutely wonderful and I have the greatest appreciation for what she does.

[MaureenMLove]

Oi you! - lend us a fiver. I'm a childminder and I'm skint!

[fifilou]

Azure,

I too have a great relationship with the children and family. We have a great nanny circle and the charges are all great friends and have been since they were young babies.

Ive been with my family for just under 7 years, I am happy to stay and they have said they want me to be here as long as I can.

The children see me as a friend, and I love them very much.

I was highlighting the 'mechanical' role, because to simply highlight my friendship and loving role as a nany, wouldnt show what I actually do every day every week.

its all about trust and understanding. If my bosses cant be home at my contracted finishing time, I would never make them feel awful about it like some nannies do. Its life, its going to happen.

Nannying is such an important job. It has such great responsability.

I love my job, and I know of so many decent hard working nannies, which is why I defend my income to the max!

[MaureenMLove]

How much! £7 - £10 per hour GROSS! If I added up all the hourly rates I charge for my mindees, I'd earn more than that! Are you really saying that that is what people are prepared to pay in your area for a nannie? On that payscale it wouldn't be worth a childminder getting out of bed!

[fifilou]

Eeusis, please stop saying you shouldnt pay that amount for a nanny when you CLEARLY employ an aupair.


You get your Aupairs from greataupair.com, thats what you said in another thread. (about hiring Aupairs)

An Aupair IS NOT A NANNY therefore you dont pay her A NANNY wage.

Catgirl, please take the advice of the nannies and employers of nannies on this thread. They know what they are talking about.

[VictorVictoria]

Anchovy, I can very much relate to your commenst about an understanding if things go pearshaped. We have an unspoken agreement with our nanny that we willbe as flexible as we can be on both sides given the somewhat unpredictable nature of our jobs/lives. THat is worth so much to me (and I think her)

[WanderingTrolley]

I think £550 net per week is a central London salary, with v long hours, imo.

It very much depends on area and experience/qualifications but £350 - £450 net is my guess.

I'm not in East London, but if you call around the local agencies, they should give you a good idea of what a nanny will cost you, even if you choose not to go through that agency.

Nannytax has a good calculator to show you net vs cost. You could google other nanny payroll agencies too.

[Anchovy]

Ah fifilou, didn't realise you were a nanny.

I expect mine to have a much greater "role" in my children's lives than just a mechanical one. Like you, she is involved with the school on occasions when DH and I can't be. She has also been instrumental in assisting in the friendships which DS has forged through after school playdates etc. The children adore her and trust her and she is a very big part of their lives.

Of course we have a professional relationship and we negotiate salary and don't pay "silly money". And built in to the salary is the understanding that sometimes it all goes a bit pear shaped and one or other of DH and I has to travel at short notice or plans have to change - which if we had more so predictability we would not necessarily need to "pay" for.

As with anything, how much someone is "worth" in a free market depends on how much someone is prepared to pay. But I do not think it is right to say that a nanny is not "worth" £500 a week as to some people the right nanny definitely is.

[Azure]

We are in West London and my DC were almost exactly the same ages as yous when my nanny started. I pay her £8.50 net per hour (she works slightly over a four-day week 8.15am - 6.15pm) plus of course the tax and NIC (note that her contract states the gross pay rather than net). Babysitting is extra. She drives our car and I pay her gym membership. After trying Gumtree (be prepared for dozens of unsuitable replies), Nannyjob (not many replies at all) and Simply Childcare (no replies) I found her though the agency KiwiOz Nannies.

[fifilou]

p.s and the children are at school until 3pm so i ave no children here now.

Oh yes Eulsis! I get paid FULL time while they are at school too! how terrible!

[fifilou]

Anchovy thankyou!

A decent hard working nanny is hard to find. you know- I work so so hard, ok fair enough I'm on the computer now, but Ive done all of my jobs wroked late twice this week with no complaint, and helped out at both schools twice too for no extra pay as they were short staffed (im NNEB and police checked so they call on me if they need me, and my boss thinks its wonderful as I'm linked with the school)

Also, I think so many people think about money far too much. I know a lday who has employed Aupairs and used them as nannies. Her childre are behind at school with spellings, reading and other things because the Aupair cant do the homework!!!! Shes not employed to do that!

An aupair is NOT a nanny, which is why they dont get a nannies wage!

GRRRRRH!

ahem.

and breathe.

and calm.

(ps- ive cooked tea for 6 kids too alreday,done all the ironing, shopping and packed 2 suticases for them for the wknd.)

[VictorVictoria]

Eleusis I have to agree with Anchovy and fifilou. I entrust my child to my nanny for 11 hours a day, and sometimes overnight on the rare occasions my husband and I are both away on business. Where I live, this is very much market rate and I am just not willing to compromise. sure, I could find someone who could technically be in charge of my child for 55 hours a week. But, like Anchovy, this is not a route down which I wish to go

[Anchovy]

Fifilou -

[Anchovy]

Eleusis I am paying not much short of that and it is very much the market where I am.

TBH, I don't think it is inappropriate to pay that much, given what my nanny does. I really need high quality childcare (not implying others don't) and am prepared to pay for it. I know that that is a lucky position to be in, but as I've said before trying to get the cheapest deal for childcare is not, to my mind and in my circumstances, the best route.