Getting a cleaner

[WingFling]

Hi,
DH and I are thinking about getting a cleaner. Neither of us are particularly tidy people and with a toddler running around the place we never seem to make it through all the jobs on the list.
I've found a company that's local and looks good, but I've got no idea how to get started.

I think we probably just want the semi open plan kitchen diner living area, bathroom and hall/landing doing - not bedrooms, studies or the dreaded junk room.

Do I have to say what exactly I want done, or is it enough to just say the rooms?

How tidy/organised do the rooms have to be before they start?

How long do you think the above list of rooms would take?

Do you have to be in the house when they come?

I know these are probably really silly questions - sorry - I don't know anyone IRL to ask. Thanks for your help!

Limited experience, but:

• I started with a cleaner from a company this year and she was fab. Then she left and the replacement was lovely, but chatty and kept asking, what next? I'm not usually here, so that was no good for me. Have found local woman who just gets on with it. Be specific and then leave them be unless there's a problem.

• I pay by the hour so it's in my interests to tidy up so she can clean properly.

• My current cleaner does a thorough job of my bathroom, changes bed linen, cleans bedrooms and vacuums stairs etc in 3 hours. Generally a bit more than that. The following week, she does bathroom, kitchen and downstairs rooms including utility and cloakroom. I reckon she could do whole house if we cleaned more during the week. Yours looks like a two hour job.

There's usually someone at home, but you can leave key somewhere safe or give the cleaner a key if you want.

Hope that helps!