Have you ever asked yourself the question: ‘Should I hire a Housekeeper?’. It’s an important question to ask yourself when you are considering hiring a Housekeeper for you and your family. Be clear on what you would need the Housekeeper for, if your house is set up for it, and if you have the budget for what you want.
So, ask yourself: Should I hire a housekeeper?
A Housekeeper can be a great addition to any household, but it needs to work well and fit in with you and any other family members.
Housekeeper or Cleaner?
When you are considering hiring a Housekeeper, firstly it is important to understand what a Housekeeper actually does. Many people think a cleaner is a Housekeeper and vice versa.
There are many specific differences between a cleaner and a Housekeeper, and you can read the full overview here.
However, the main things to keep in mind are the following:
- A cleaner only does light cleaning and some laundry.
- A Housekeeper will do deep cleaning too, as well as other tasks such as shopping, running errands, looking after pets/kids and cooking.
- A cleaner will normally bring their own cleaning equipment, a Housekeeper uses your products and equipment
- A Housekeeper can be fulltime or part time, but a cleaner normally only works a couple of hours per week for you.
Have a look at the above list and undertstand who it is you are actually considering to hire: a Housekeeper or a cleaner?
Full time or Part-Time?
When you are considering hiring a Housekeeper, it is important to know how many hours you would need your Housekeeper for. In order to find the right person suited to you and your household needs.
So consider the following things:
- As a general rule, if the property is 3 bedrooms or less and used as a secondary residence or infrequently. Then a part-time housekeeper will be sufficient.
- If the property has 3 bedrooms or more or is a primary residence, one should consider having a full-time housekeeper.
- However. The above can differ if you would want a very high level of cleaning and upkeep standard from your Housekeeper. Things might take longer for that reason. Or because rooms might be very cluttered/require a lot of upkeep.
- A single person living alone may only require a part-time housekeeper. Only if they have no children or pets and do not have lots of visitors.
- However: Size matters. If you live in a 10 bedroom property it is likely you will need a full-time housekeeper. Just in order to ensure that the rooms are aired and kept fresh.
- If you have a family, perhaps with children and/or pets, a full-time housekeeper is most likely suitable and required to get all the family and house tasks done!
- Do you like having visitors, throwing parties, and entertaining? This can also have an influence on what type of Housekeeper you may need. The more entertaining and guests you have coming to your home, the more traffic through the property. And, therefore, the more organising, cleaning and upkeep is needed.
Live In Or Live Out?
Another important factor to decide upon when considering hiring a housekeeper is whether they should live in or live out. Generally, if you would choose a part-time housekeeper, they would likely be living out. It is mainly the full-time Housekeepers who would line in with you. Either in your property or on your land in separate accommodation.
There are several things to think about when looking at live in vs live out. You can read a full, detailed article about it here. But in summary, you should consider the following options:
- Do you have suitable accommodation?
- A Housekeeper should be given suited, spacy enough accommodation for them to live in and make it a home. Ideally a space with their own bathroom, and potentially even their own kitchen area. If you only have a spare room with no other facilities, this might not be the right set up.
- Do you want someone living in your house?
- Having a live in Housekeeper can have many benefits, but are you comfortable with someone else living in your house? Are you happy with this person sharing spaces with you? Them being around even when their shift is doing? Them having a friend come to visit them?
Budget
Finally, when you are considering to hire a housekeeper, make sure you have planned your budget. Although different Housekeepers will come with different salary requirements, a Housekeeper is a quality professional that should be paid accordingly.
The last thing you want is to find a Housekeeper you absolutely love but then being unable to afford their salary requirements.
Or, when you start getting used to having them around the house, for your budget to run out. Make sure you have a clear budget of what you can afford long term, even if job or other situations might change. And also have a clear understanding of what it takes to hire someone if you are looking at that route.
How can Polo & Tweed help?
Can you now give an answer to the question ‘should I hire a Housekeeper?’. If you are ready to explore the options of hiring a Housekeeper, Polo & Tweed are here to help. Why not speak to one of our experienced recruitment consultants about the great selection of excellent Housekeepers we have on our books. All over the world! You can also drop us a line, and we will be in touch!