Is £300 per week a lot for a full time live-in nanny in London?

[streetwise]

I'm meeting a nanny tomorrow and that's what she has quoted me - although I'm not sure if that's net or gross.

Is that a lot or about the going rate. She mentioned 7am to 7pm - so proper full time hours.

Have you looked into a nanny who might need part time as she/he is studying? I have a 3 year old who goes to nursery every morning and i'm not twiddling my thumbs at home but i do have a full on job. What would you do if one of the kids was sick? Would the nanny be expected to be on call because then it really is a full time job.

The trouble is nannies may not be that interested in a job that pays less money even though the hours are less so you may have trouble attracting good nannies. I've just been job hunting and there seemed to be a lack of nannies around at the moment so i got 7 job offers in 6 days of job hunting all offering me the salary that i wanted (£400 net). I think a nanny share would be great if you could find someone . Good luck.

streetwise

my experience (and that of friends) shows that if you put in the work you can get a fantastic nanny for well below market rate.

I think your £300 can buy you an ex au pair. What I find is that 90% of what makes a goood nanny is personality and attitude, not qualifications. So... if you use gumtree and lower your requirements for formal qualifications you will save a lot. You will need to be very thorough in your checks - references, photocopy passport, do a trial run and all that, maybe send her on a first aid course. My Polish nanny even brought me a criminal record check from Poland (with certified translation). She was asking for £300npw for full time in Zone 2 London. (I offered her more than that).