Where to find that perfect housekeeper...?

[Beeste]

We had a wonderful, reliable, gold hearted, indefatigable, intelligent housekeeper last year. Then we moved house and have since had a series of agency supplied workshy no hopers. Supermarkets won't allow advertising any more and job sites seem to attract people with no common sense or reliability.
If you have a great housekeeper, where did you get them? Does anyone have any tips for finding and/or selecting out that special Mary-Poppinsesque addition to the household who considers £9 per hour over-generous for domestic cleaning? Word of mouth is not helpful as we've only just moved here and I don't really like to ask at work as we like to keep work and home separate ("...and you know what else I found: they had lubricant and a selection of huge knobbly pink rubber things...and worst of all sob, gasp ticket stubs from Center Parcs" - you get the picture.)
If location is helpful we're south of Coventry.
Many thanks

PS: SO's advice so far has amounted to: "basically if you want Mary Poppins, you're going to have to give up all that kinky sh1t."
A line that was, coincidentally, dropped from the Disney adaption of the original EL James novel...

Totally agree with youafterthestorm.

It is so easy to detect those with that mindset and I avoid any potential client I suspect of having that mentality.

Ok it's not rocket science, nor am I battling to find a cure for cancer. I am just a housekeeper, but everyone needs a clean, well run and efficient household and I genuinely can't understand anyone looking down on someone who has the ability to efficiently organise not only their own homes, but the homes of several clients. I never look down my nose at anyone and don't expect it to happen to me.

We are a cleaning company and I don't think anyone has looked down their noses at us or our staff, most let us know they treasure us and thank us regularly. I suspect we will see it one day though.

Going back to the OP I don't think £9 will buy a legit self-employed cleaner, you could probably get an employee to do it for that though, that would work out as high pay with all their statutory entitlements but expensive for you to pay for all things added in, plus a huge liability and responsibility towards them as your own employee. Also you would have to follow procedures before you could fire them if it didn't work out and if they are not self-employed but employed they could take you to a tribunal if you didn't follow these procedures. Payroll is annoying to do as well but an accountant can process it for you if you do decide to employ directly.

Otherwise it's the cash-in-hand brigade and you do not want to go down that route for obvious reasons.

If you want a company to take all that expense and liability away from you you're looking at around £15 - £20 per person per hour.

Self employed from £10 per hour upwards but more usually like £12.

I could not work the hours I work and earn the money I do without my nanny/housekeeper. She organises our home: the oven needs cleaning- she sorts it. DC1 needs ballet shoes she buys them. DC2 has a party, she buys the gift and makes sure one of us is in the right place at the right time. She does the grocery shopping, takes the cars to be serviced and makes sure the cleaner is organised.

She has more common sense than me, DH and the DCs put together - I can't imagine anyone really thinking she was "unskilled"

The time she spends means I get to spend that cliche of "quality time" with my DC which means she is worth every penny.

Unbanned by the MNHQ with apology, thanks.

No response from the mod who banned.

To those who helped, many thanks.

To those who very kindly reported me for trolling, and apparently they were numerous, I'm sorry I ruffled your delicate sensibilities. You must find life in general far more upsetting than we men do, which is ironic as I'm sure you're all vehemently in favour of equality.

Personally I never wear the Here is a feminist t shirt (except in bed when my wife makes me... well, you like 50 Shades: chacun à son goût...)

Peace

Today I googled ‘how to find a good housekeeper’ and this post was on the first page of results. I have previously never used mumsnet, even though I’m a mum, because I’d heard it was a cesspit of petty conversation. I was not wrong 😂 the OP - Beeste, I salute you and your hilarious and dignified replies, thanks for the laughs 🙌🏻

I now do a similar job. Semi Retired ,having had career. Some people like me looking in your area. ? I am reliable,flexible and use my intiative. I iron and clean ans change beds and towels etc. I get £ ph . This is the same as I got post tax in my nhs post .

Ps responded to a fb ad. He interviewed and I got the job .

Beesteback peice work would work in yr situation.
? I have been paid at £ 5 per set of bedding or £ 20 an apartment for eg.

Zombie zombie zombie 🧟‍♂️

I don't think the op provided clarity.
My cleaner in Surrey is paid £14ph and for 8 hours pw does: kitchen, bathrooms and bogs (5), cleans hard floors, vacuums carpets and rugs, polishes mirrors/silver, irons, dusts, changes bed linen. 4 adults presently at home: DH, me and two grown-up DC.

Our English Housekeeper and her DH in France have accommodation and are paid a reasonable annual salary. They run our gites during the season and look after our house - they manage local cleaners, etc, and deal with admin, local tradesmen.

Zombie thread

@Beeste

Tried Gumtree, not been successful in past though. I was expecting suggestions like, go to local pub and ask cleaners there etc.

There's like loads of aggression here isn't there? I was kidding about the t shirts, honestly. In truth I'm vehemently against almost all forms of forced child labour.

The "Mums" of Mumsnet are not all the welcoming, inclusive, egalitarian, well humored, classless crowd I was expecting. Much tougher with extremely high standards. Like they say "expectation is the mother of all sorrows..."

You should pay them extra to put up with your shite jokes

Ffs it’s a zombie