Request a call back

Housekeepers in London and the UK countryside

For clients who have larger homes and busy lifestyles, choosing to employ a housekeeper will ensure the smooth running of their home. For instance, our housekeepers will keep the property in order with a regular cleaning schedule, buy food and provisions for the fridge and pantry. In addition, they will also oversee general domestic maintenance of the property and appliances.

What are your Housekeeper requirements?

The housekeeper will use their many years’ experience of working within private homes to ensure their employers are living comfortably. In other words, you will be able to focus your attention on your family/enterprises.

Experience

Housekeepers registered with us, will have at least 5 years’ experience working in a private household.

In addition, we will require references to support this.

Above all, we’ll do the research for you, so you will have everything you need to make a decision.

Qualifications

In terms of qualifications, there isn’t one for housekeeping as such. Many gain their experience working in a private household and, in addition to this, they may have had training from a 5 Star Hotel.

Interestingly, some candidates will have taken a part-time course at college to extend their skill set and employment prospects. For example, a cookery course to improve their cooking or baking skills.

Live-in salaries

Countryside – £600 net per week PLUS for an 10-12 hour day

London – £650 net per week PLUS for an 10-12 hour day

Live-out salaries

Countryside – £15 net per hour PLUS for an 8-10 hour day

London – £16 – 20 net per hour PLUS for an 8-10 hour day

Housekeeper Duties, Responsibilities & Skills

Duties can include all or most of the following depending on your requirements:

For the Home:

Clean, dust and polish furniture

Flower arranging

Clean and sanitise rooms throughout the house

Take care of antiques

Vacuum carpets and flooring

Clean brass and silverware

Arrange and replace flowers as and when required

Care for pets including dog walking

Check all internal and external doors/gates are locked

Set and unset the alarm systems

Distribute the household post

Prepare the house for guests

And in the Kitchen:

Assist the lady of the house/Chef with food preparation

Order food and provisions online

Dispose of all kitchen waste, both organic and recycling

Laundry and Wardrobe Care:

Launder and mend clothes

Launder and press shirts

Change and launder bedding

Launder and press table linen

Replace and sew on buttons

Clean and polish shoes

Take clothing to be dry cleaned

Take shoes to be mended

Various Errands and Responsibilities:

Run errands, shop and arrange refunds

Deal with deliveries and tradesmen

Call swimming pool maintenance company

Collect newspapers/journals

Arrange electrical appliance testing

Reporting any necessary repairs or replacements

What about visas?

Nationalities range from, but are not limited to British, Filipina, Portuguese, Eastern European and Brazilian. Furthermore, they must have the relevant work visas to be able to register with our Agency.

We advise to be realistic about the size of your household, the duties you require. Furthermore, be mindful of how long is needed for food prep, cooking and serving.

Above all, we can talk through your requirements and discuss the options open to address your needs.

FAQ’s

What is Housekeeping?

Housekeeping refers to managing duties within the household including the family and household laundry. Furthermore, these duties are undertaken by a housekeeper who usually works alone to ensure the smooth running of the home, reporting directly to the client.

What about maintenance?

Housekeeper duties include making sure the household is fully stocked with food and cleaning provisions. In addition, coordinating any general servicing or maintenance that is needed around the home.

What duties does a Housekeeper do?

A housekeeper will clean, dust, vacuum, take care of antiques, polish silver and take care of fine crystal. Similarly, create flower arrangements and check the home security system.

As well as, getting the house ready for guests, ordering provisions for the family home and taking care of their laundry. Run errands, walk the dog and report any necessary repairs.

How does the Coronavirus (COVID-19) affect your Housekeeping work?

There are no COVID-19 restrictions currently in the UK.

What skills do you need to be a good Housekeeper?

Housekeepers will need to be highly organised, motivated and efficient with an acute understanding of how to run a home.

Above all, the role requires a candidate to be very active and capable of keeping a household thoroughly clean. They will need to keep the house tidy throughout, as well as displaying the utmost discretion.

What else is expected?

All clients are private individuals who expect to employ someone who is trustworthy and who values their privacy.

The candidate must use their common sense to notify the principal of matters when necessary and solve problems on their own when they can. Therefore, alleviate the strain that owning a home can have on the client.

The size of a household

Housekeepers must be aware of the type of home that their skill set is best suited to, whilst some housekeepers prefer a small intimate household without any pets while another may prefer to oversee the running of a grand country home.

Above all, it is crucial that a housekeeper discusses his/her preferences during their early conversations with their recruitment consultant.

Does a housekeeper take care of the laundry?

Yes the housekeeper will take great care of the laundry. In addition, they will also be responsible for mending, ironing and organising it.

However, unless the principal requests otherwise, as they may prefer to organise their closets themselves. The housekeeper will take delicate items to a dry cleaning professional as well as any items that they cannot mend themselves.

What are Housekeeping rules?

Whilst there are no rules per say, discretion, and directions on how the client prefers the home to be run or chores performed are expected. However, with that said, of course there will be rules for those housekeepers who live-in. For instance, no guests within the home, the alarm setting times, and expectations of shared living space.

For those housekeepers who offer a combined discipline such as housekeeper/nanny, there will need to be clear outlines from the outset regarding how their time must be divided.

Housekeeping Career

Is a Housekeeper role a good career?

A housekeeper is an extremely well respected role in the domestic staffing industry, with a long and rich history. Furthermore, many of the finest homes across the country are run with military precision by highly disciplined and hard working housekeepers!

Are there any benefits being a loyal housekeeper?

Many housekeepers remain loyal to their employers for many years and are the backbone to a smoothly run home. We find that when a client has kept their housekeeper for several years, they will do their utmost to ensure that the long service will continue.

There are several ways a client may honour long service for example, by offering annual salary reviews, and in time, paying for their annual trip home if they are not from the UK.

Why would I want to be a Housekeeper?

To be on our register, you must have at least 3+ years’ experience of working as a housekeeper in a private home.

Do you consider yourself to be an expert at organising and cleaning?

Would you take pride in running a household to the highest possible standards?

In other words, housekeeping may be the career for you!

How can I get started?

If you dream of a family relying on you to ensure the smooth running of their home, then one way to start your career is by working in a 5 Star hotel as a cleaner, housekeeper or porter.

Before moving across into domestic household work. Once you gain 3 years experience under your belt, you can then get in touch with us!

What are 3 qualities a Housekeeper should possess?

“Cleanliness is next to Godliness.”

― John Wesley

“The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment.”

— Marie Kondo

Clients

search for a housekeeper register a housekeeper vacancy

Candidates

find a housekeeper position register as a Housekeeper

Other Housekeeper Roles

Depending on the size of your household, a Housekeeper may be able to combine their duties with another disciplines such as cooking or childcare. If this is what you require, we can offer this service and discuss this with you during the consultation period.

Let’s take an example

For instance, if we were asked to place a Housekeeper/Cook/Nanny, we find that, firstly they will have to juggle three disciplines, and secondly, those who are excellent at all three will required a higher salary.

A Housekeeper who is a good solid Cook can supervise older children, in that they can be in the household at the same time while the parents are out. However, they won’t be a specialist nanny or have the time to assist with homework.

Does this sound like you?

If you are keen to combine all three disciplines, we would recommend that you consider the role as being described as HK/Family Cook/occasional childcare to include babysitting which emphasises the role’s priority.

Head Housekeeper

A Head Housekeeper will have a minimum of 5+ years’ experience in a similar position and will perform their duties with meticulous attention to detail. They will, however, take on a more senior role and is likely to oversee a team of Housekeepers, ensuring their duties are discharged properly and that they fulfil their roles, with method, skill and timeliness.

It will be the Head Housekeeper’s responsibility to coordinate the welfare, training and payroll of domestic staff. The Head Housekeeper could possibly undertake the school runs for children aged 5 years and older but this should be discussed with your consultant when giving the job spec.

Housekeeper/Cook

Depending on your household, you may wish to employ a Housekeeper who can cook. They range from those who can provide plain/simple dishes and/or family cooking to Dinner Party standard.

We have placed HK/Cooks who can cook to a high culinary standard for up to 8 while others can turn their hand to Formal Dinner Parties for 10 and hot/cold buffets for 16.

Duties may include general Housekeeping duties as listed above along with the following:

Light simple/plain meals

Good family fare

Food preparation (assisting mother or the Cook/Chef)

Dinner party/Event cooking

Preparing and serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Clearing away, tidying and cleaning the kitchen and rooms where food is served.

Presenting menus for approval and discussing daily requirements with employer, house manager or butler.

Undertaking the grocery shopping and maintaining accounts and budgets

Placing orders for kitchen supplies

Maintaining stock control

Ensuring refrigerator is clean and out-of-date items discarded

Housekeeping Fascinating Fact

By the 1850’s one in 3 females between the age of 15-20 were working in domestic service

Housekeeper/Nanny

Housekeeping duties combined with childcare. This is a super option for a family who wishes to have one member of staff who is a good all-rounder with the house and who will also help look after children.

For instance, this largely depends on the size of the house, number of children and their ages and the parents’ day to day routine. Furthermore, some families employ a daily Housekeeper who may do the heavy cleaning once or twice a week to assist.

Duties can include:

Sole and shared childcare and babysitting

Cooking nutritious meals for their charges

Supervise/assist with homework

School runs if they drive

Before you begin your search, it is incredibly important to discuss your primary expectations with your consultant. For example, if you have pre-school aged children, your primary focus will be childcare. In addition to childcare, the housekeeper will have housekeeping duties. Alternatively, if the children are school aged, while they are at school will the housekeeping will be performed during the school day and childcare responsibilities after school hours.

Housekeeper/Companion

Housekeepers who can accompany or drive their employer to various appointments and events, travel with and generally assist with everyday living for the employer to enjoy independent living in the comfort of their own home.

Duties can include:

Assist with everyday tasks and provide companionship

Shopping for weekly essentials and running general errands

Accompanying on special and regular outings

Cooking and sharing meals

Light domestic support such as cleaning, laundry, care of pets

Light gardening duties

Participating in hobbies and crafts

Helping with travel arrangements and accompanying to appointments

Assisting with correspondence and paperwork

Housekeeper/Family PA

Housekeeping combined with organised and efficient administration skills. For instance, a Family PA’s will run the family’s diary both social and for the individual children’s school. As well as, keeping on top of your children’s school appointments and events.

In addition, this position could include the school runs driving children to school and back and your consultant will help you iron out the details.

Duties can include:

Booking appointments

Arranging couriers, travel and childcare

Location:
Bath

Salary:
£15phn (£30,229gpa)

Start Date:
PLACED

NOW PLACED BY STAFF OF DISTINCTION

Part time Daily Housekeeper sought for role in central Bath, BA1. The Georgian property is home to a friendly and mature couple and their cockapoo dog. General duties will include housework, ironing, walking the dog at lunchtime and running errands. The current Housekeeper was successfully placed by Staff of Distinction 10 years ago! A driver would be a bonus but is not essential. Working 30 hours per week and salary on offer £15phn (£30,229gpa). Role to commence ASAP.

Ref no: 32871

Apply Now

Load More Jobs