Do you feel like you need a housekeeper?

[Amarettoplease]

Your thoughts please!
I’ve been looking at business ideas with my mum around the idea of being an ad-hoc housekeeper for dual earner families who can’t afford a full time nanny/housekeeper and want something more flexible than a cleaner. Think household admin, running errands, some batch cooking, laundry/changing beds, decluttering and hoovering. Basically what my mum did for me when DH and I briefly moved away from London with DS who was 11 months and I was having an awful time (new job, FT and more responsibility than I had before mat leave). I felt really lucky having her and know not everyone has someone that can step in like this- or it can be awkward to ask.
Why would you/wouldn’t you use a service like this?
What would you expect to pay for it?

I don't think people would be happy leaving their dc with someone on an ad hoc basis. Also household admin would require a very high level of trust. Would you be thinking of this as a permanent thing (so once or twice a month etc)or a one off intensive spell of help (so everyday for a week or two to tide over a new job etc)

Good points, thank you. Wouldn’t be to look after dc, more housekeeping. Household admin would be difficult yes- unless it’s things like getting quotes for new providers etc. But I guess some of that stuff still requires you to know quite a lot.
Thinking more permanent in a similar way to how people have cleaners but to include things cleaners don’t tend to do (errands, some laundry, prepping for evening meal). Any thoughts are helpful!

I can’t imagine anyon else doing my declutter. If people earn enough for a flexible house keeper then surely they would use just cook. My cleaner changes sheets and I am sure she would be happy to chuck them in the wash so I would just have to tumble them when I get home.

I would have appreciated Mrs Bird.

I have a friend with a housekeeper. She prepares meals, does the laundry, shopping and errands, eg dry cleaning, walks the dogs, tidies the house, lets work (men) in, takes deliveries, but doesn’t do money. There can be enough to do with all of that.

One off jobs like clearing out she would help. Ditto prep for a party. Also she did babysit when children were a bit older. Obviously they knew her! If you get to know a family then looking after the children is fine. My friend is a cleaner/housekeeper and she babysits occasionally prior to a parent coming home.

Hope this helps.

Yes - I would LOVE this - can't afford it but I have friends who could afford it and have looked for it.. one with a high flying job but no kids, other with kids and ended up paying cleaner to do loads and loads of laundry freeing herself up to do errands.

We have someone like this and pay £10 an hour, in the SE
She does cleaning, tidying, cooking, putting shopping away and other chores.

I work as a cleaner, however my job description would be closer to housekeeper for all the homes I clean.
I do cleaning, decluttering, sorting, purchase items for them return from holiday, babysit children for a short period of time, do laundry, sit and talk with older clients who have dementia and have a tea (as they need 'watching' whilst there OH has popped to an appointment), recieve parcels, prescriptions, help them with technology.
I don't do bills or anything of a financial nature.
I have worked for these people for a long time so the trust is there though.
I definitely think some people need a housekeeper more than a cleaner nowadays. I just see my job as helping to take the pressure off of them. Great job satisfaction.

I would LOVE someone like this in my life !
Cleaning , ironing , laundry sorting , admin , errands e.g. Post office , letting workmen in/ supervising them , pick kids up from school in an emergency, possibly be in house to help with stuff like kids tea when I am WFH ... seriously fantasising now !

Cannotmakemymindup
You sound amazing !!
I am now adding helping with technology to my fantasy wish list !

My cleaner will do this - I know she reorganised one of her other clients wardrobes on request, is managing some redecoration for me, this week is doing some extra hours as I'm away and DH is on crutches so is doing small shopping as well as sorting the house, does cat feeding when I'm away and loads of other things. She also baby sits on occasion and irons while she does that.
She is amazing, and our lives would be massively harder without her. I tell her she's the gran my ds doesn't have, though she's only a year older than me (but has GC)

Absolutely-I would totally pay for this.

We ( dual income, long hours, much travel) are lucky enough to have a cleaner who does an amazing range of things and a very, very grateful. When we were looking to move house, First thing i did was check that she would still be OK coming to the new area.

Started as simple cleaning, and expanded as we got to know each other better. We treat each other well, so that the relationship is mutually be beneficial.

Thinking of this as a service, I am not sure how you could build up that level of trust but, possibly, more importantly, how you would manage the competing demands of several customers. Our lady started as a straightforward cleaner, then expanded as her family circumstances changed and she had more time. We have always been able to be clear about when things need to be done by giving her a good few days to fit it all in (expect when i lost my keys and needed her to drop everything, come round and let me in' (in my defence, it was snowing...). If i were using an ad-hoc housekeeping service, i might expect everything to be done right away. How would you manage peak demand like that?

As for what we pay, I keep an eye on small ads, and always pay a pound or so more than the top rate, and pay as usual when we are away and she can get on with more serious stuff, recently started decorating (!!!!). Imagine, going on holiday, come back to fridge full, beds changed and walls painted. Bliss.

Really don't want her looking round for alternative jobs.

This would be an excellent idea. The housekeeper would need to have childcare experience and the relevant qualifications to look after children.
Batch cooking and doing the food shop would be brilliant as well as cleaning.

I'm not sure what I would pay. Maybe £12 an hour?

I would love this. I would pay between LLW and about £15ph.

For looking after children on an ad hoc basis, and probably no more than an hour or so, I wouldn’t expect formal childcare qualifications anymore than I would from a babysitter - relevant experience is fine .

For those of you who already have this, or offer it, so you happen to live near SE London?

I am in North Essex. Sorry.
And thankyou for the compliment Thedayismine I'm not perfect but try to have a real honest down to earth relationship with my customers.
I love cleaning etc whilst customers are on holiday as I know there is no better feeling than returning to a spick and span home. Plus i have a little bit more flexibility that week as to when I go in, whilst they're away. Also helps with not keeping their homes completely empty.
One tip I would recommend for getting a housekeeper/cleaner is keep heating on at least for the day they're in, otherwise some homes get very cold to work in. (burns off more calories when I'm working though)

I would love this. I've tried and failed to find this service at a reasonable price - am in SE London.

LillyLolly, me too. I’ll let you know if I ever find anything.

Thanks @Callamia !

I have someone who does this.

As a result, I am still married.

It was absolutely life changing and I love her. She is ironing my clothes and cleaning my bathrooms as I type this (from work!)

I actually dream of finding somebody like this

Since becoming disabled 3 years ago I'm really struggling with the house, I would get a cleaner but things need decluttered first and I just can't manage. Meal prep would be amazing and I just can't keep on top of the laundry at all. It's difficult for me to get up stairs so that doesn't get the attention it needs either. I'd love to be able to build a trusting relationship with somebody who I could eventually leave the kids with for an hour while I go to my hospital appointments.

I think someone like this would actually save my marriage! Might as well wish for a unicorn though!

I do this as a job. I clean, tidy, do all laundry, iron, put away, sort wardrobes, I take deliveries, order shopping and put it away, occasionally cook, walk the dogs and look after other creatures and babysit. I don't give a monkeys what I see/find/tackle, am DBS checked, completely reliable, discreet and trustworthy and have initiative to think ahead about what my employer wants/anticipate their needs. I'm in Cheshire though sorry.

I'd love someone that cleaned, sat in for deliveries, and went to the shops to get stuff, and possibly prepared food for me to cook later. I cant think of admin? As in car insurance, utilities etc. I'm not sure I spend much time doing that.
As for what I would pay - I have no idea as I don't pay for any of those things at the moment. I guess a little more than a cleaner.