Hiring a Live In Housekeeper

Here's what you need to know before hiring a live-in housekeeper, including their duties, their needs and your costs. Share on XHave you been looking into hiring a live in housekeeper but are unsure where to start? Read this guide from the experts on the duties you can expect a live-in housekeeper to do depending on your needs as well as the costs involved.

Considering Your Needs When Hiring a Live In Housekeeper

First you need to decide what your expectations are when hiring a live in housekeeper. Do you want a live-in housekeeper so that you have more time to do the things that are of higher priority to you? Perhaps you want your home to be kept to 5-star standards but aren’t sure how to do this yourself. Or maybe you already have a regular housekeeper, or use a cleaning company, but feel that your house needs more full-time attention. You might already have a nanny and a housekeeper but are now thinking of merging the two roles into one live-in role.

Whatever your reasons are for wanting to hire a live-in housekeeper, it’s important that you have a clear idea about what you want your new live in housekeeper to do. Here are some of the usual duties:

Duties of a Housekeeper

• Daily and deep cleaning of your entire home
• Laundry, washing, ironing, folding and putting clothes away
• Changing bed sheets and making the beds in all bedrooms
• Regularly cleaning the bathroom
• Cleaning and tidying the kitchen, cleaning up after meals
• Running errands, stocking food, groceries and other household items
• Watering plants

You may also ask your live-in housekeeper to do some of the following duties, but all should be made very clear in their job description because they may not see these as ‘usual’ housekeeping duties:

• Looking after pets
• Some personal assistant, budgeting and accounting tasks
• Childcare
• Cooking

So How Much Does a Live In Housekeeper Cost in the UK?

We have a handy guide here on how much you should pay a live in housekeeper in the UK. However, this number can be affected by various factors.

What are the factors that can affect the expense of hiring a live in housekeeper in the UK?

The most obvious factor affecting how much you pay your live-in housekeeper is the number of hours they work per day. You may need them to only work 5 hours per day and be happy for them to seek other part-time employment in the area. The convenience of having them live in your property means that they can do overtime and babysitting when needed, but this should be paid on top of their normal salary. If you expect your live-in housekeeper to work 10 hours per day, their salary should reflect this.

Additionally, the accommodation you are offering can also affect their salary. Generally, live-in positions would cover all accommodation costs, including bills. We have guidelines on both live-in and live-out housekeepers here.

How do different needs affect the cost of hiring a live in housekeeper in the UK?

If you need your housekeeper to work longer hours, they should be paid to reflect this. Additionally, if you expect your housekeeper to do extra duties, which are more than that of a standard housekeeper’s job description, then you should consider offering a higher salary. For example, if you need a live-in housekeeper who can also do nanny duties and look after your children, they would expect a higher salary.

What are the tips for saving money on housekeeping services?

Be sure of what you need. If you only need your housekeeper to work 3 hours a day then contract them for 3 hours per day. Do keep in mind that even though they are living in your property, you should allow them to seek part-time work elsewhere if they want to; and as long as it fits around their contracted hours.

Combine job roles. If you have school aged children a nanny/housekeeper can be a great way to save money. Although more expensive than someone who is just a housekeeper, or just a nanny, it can be cheaper than hiring 2 members of staff. Many nanny/housekeepers do nanny duties in the mornings and evenings, and their housekeeping duties while the children are at school.

How Can Polo & Tweed Help?

If you have considered the above and are ready to find your perfect live in housekeeper or would just like to have a chat if you require some extra support on making the decision. Feel free to drop us a line today. We’d be delighted to help.