We are fortunate enough to be able to afford a cleaner, but I just don't know how we'd manage to get the house tidy enough the night before she came. DH and I both work, there's often stuff going on in the evenings (our stuff or stuff the DC are doing), it's a constant effort keeping the house even reasonably tidy in parts, let alone tidy enough throughout for someone else to clean it. And evenings often feel fairly frantic as it is. How do you manage to do this?
Also, is it better to have them there when you're there, or when you're out? I partly work from home and partly work in an office away from home; DH works entirely outside the home. So we could schedule the cleaner either when we're both out, or when I'm working at home.
It would also be really useful to know the going rate - we're in Hertfordshire. Four bed house (one is a box room), bathroom plus ensuite plus downstairs loo.
Thank you for any advice!