Does anyone have daily 'help' at home? If so what do they do? What do you pay?

[popsickle555]

So currently we have a cleaner who does 2hours a fortnight. I live in a large 4 story Victorian semi. 2 kids, 2 adults and a dog.

I work PT but only about a day a week currently (self employed). DH full time but from home. I do all the house stuff (which is fine) other than clean floors and bathrooms which the cleaner does every other week in general. Sometimes I clean them too obviously due to the dog. The kids do nothing but SHOULD. They're 10 and 8. Eldest changes her bed and empties the dishwasher once a month.

DH does some bits and bobs, he's not lazy but it falls to me in the week 90%.

Cut to the chase...I am starting a new job 3 days a week in September. I will be well paid for this job. Instead of putting kids in school club (£40 a day for both) = £120 a week. I am would prefer to get some home help daily. Is this realistic? Kids are fine being home and doing home work / playing with us working.

I am clearly looking for some sort of angel that comes in, clears up the breafast crap, cleans the house a bit, puts shopping away (once a week), does some laundry and makes my house look reasonable. Is this realistic? Do these angels exist? If so what is an expected rate of pay? I am in the North West. I am not fussy but I am desperate for help, have a long term health issue and I am worrying how I am going to manage 'it all'. The other option is paying for out of school care and doing this crap on my lunch break (i will be WFH two of the 3 days). I intend to have someone come in 5 days a week if I can afford it as feels like more of a 'job' for someone. Obviously DH will do more but it will still fall to me mostly because i'll be part time.

In the North West too.
I have a lady who started out 2 years ago as my cleaner, but she now walks the dogs, picks up prescriptions, does little food shops, waits in for workmen, deliveries etc.
She needed extra hours, so I offered her those jobs on top of the cleaning and she jumped at the offer.

It cost me around £600 per month. But she is worth far more to me, as I live alone and work full time.

Thanks @Furrybutts Furrybutts, what sort of hours does she do for you a week / month?

I have somebody exactly as you describe who works 4 hours every morning. Put an advert on Indeed and if you are prepared to be slightly flexible with times, then I’m sure you will find somebody easily. We pay £11ph (Yorkshire). Total game changer & worth it!

I do. 5 hours a day £15 hour

Wow this sounds like heaven!

Yes 25-30 hours a week, £18 ph in London.

She does extra hours if we have guests, or events.

Yes I have a housekeeper 20 hours a week (4 hours a day). Paid through nanny agency payroll (NI, tax, pension) so I’m too lazy to work out what it costs me per hour but our lady gets approx. £14/hr plus pension

I had daily help in term time when I was working and the children were in primary school. Retired married energetic lady came at 1 and stayed until DH and I arrived home ( after 6), five hours a day. Light housework ( clean bathroom and the floors ,hoover or sweep and wash) . She would then make the kids evening meal, walk the dog to school and pick up the youngest(the older 2 walked home later, alone), and her vague remit was "mind the kids , make their tea and feed them". Off her own bat she would take them to the park, play games with them, read stories, supervise/help homework, feed them,; and if she had time to spare (!) she'd look in the fridge,and make a start on our adult dinner (peel potatoes, prepare veg/make a salad). She was 100% reliable and all round lovely. I paid her in cash, half my take-home pay.

Wow

I love the idea (fantasy world as can't spare that sort of money) but would feel uncomfortable with someone in my small home from 1-6 everyday. How do people adjust to having a stranger around more than your DH so much of the day?

We have a ‘housekeeper’.
She comes 2x 2hrs a week

She does everything you mentioned and just helps keep everything in check. I wish I could have her 2 hrs a day!

Washing, puts it away, organises cupboards, dishwasher, general cleaning etc

Oh and we pay £17 an hr (south east but not London)

My old neighbour used to be a housekeeper. Think she did 7.30 to 3.30. I believe she arrived about half an hour before they left for school so helped get everyone out the door, cleaned up after, tidied the house - loving areas, kids rooms etc, washing, ironing and putting away. I think she did what I'd consider a big job most days, always seemed be bringing back curtains to iron and whatnot. Think she cooked the evening meal too. They worked her hard! Sounded great!
The parents were out at work and had a big house.

Thanks for all these replies. I’ve never thought about this before but being unwell for a few years has put this in perspective. I can’t do ‘it all’ anymore so i need help if I’m going to work more.

My mum put this idea in my head. She worked full time and my dad mostly full time and she said until us kids were 14 or so she always had help.

it doesn’t bother me at all someone coming to the house but I think we’d only need 2/3 hours a day maximum as we don’t have a huge house and don’t need help with the kids these days. I have a cleaner now (fortnightly) and I’d have her more if I could as I trust her etc but she’s too busy and I don’t think she wants some of these jobs. Perhaps I should ask though rather than assume.

thank you all.

£17.50 ph hour here. I had help five days a week when the dc were small, reduced and condensed the hours down when they are older as it began to get on my nerves never having the house to myself or any peace. It was priceless at the time though.

I would absolutely love this job! I'm a housekeeper in a large stately home and am currently looking for exactly what you're after. Unfortunately I'm not in your area otherwise I'd PM you

What area are you in drum?

@Festoonlights East Midlands

I have a housekeeper twice a week, 3 hours each time. She cleans, changes beds, does laundry (puts loads on, pegs out/in drier, folds and sorts, puts ds's away), irons, organises, does things like clean out the kitchen cupboards and sort them. She is house sitting when we are away, organised a fence repair and tree/hedge trimming, and is generally great. We pay £15 an hour

Lots of people seem to be talking about pure housekeepers who clean, shop, do laundry etc. is it really that easy to find someone to do this whilst also caring for children. Is that not a nanny, who wouldn’t do much housework?

How much do the people who have these people work for them earn per hour themselves?
Do you think it's okay to pay some one you value so highly just £11 per hour while you are presumably getting so much more than that yourself?

I get 9.50 per hour to take care of precious children! I'm not a nanny, a qualified nursery practitioner - but that's the going rate. So I'm gasping at 11.00 p/h, let alone 17.50.

@mosesb that is presumably a full time jog though with you as employee. It’s a bit different when you are asking someone to just do a couple of hours here and there.

Two hours in a day hardly seems worth the commute time/cost for the worker. Wouldn't it be better to do four hours every other day, or something like that?

One would barely get going and it would be time to depart.

@mosesb what a weird comment.

How do you feel about the inequity between your salary and that which anyone who provides a service to you receives? Or is there none/you feel that everyone should receive the same pay?