The Housekeeper Company Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Housekeeper and a Housekeeper / Nanny? I want to make sure that I make the right choice for my family.

Housekeepers attend to various tasks around the home, such as washing, ironing, cleaning etc, and are ideal for individuals or couples with no children, or whose families have grown up. Housekeeper / Nannies carry out similar household management tasks, but also help the parent(s) to look after the children. Clearly, they are more suitable for families with younger children.

My elderly mother has always been incredibly houseproud, but she is becoming increasingly frail and the large family house is becoming something of a worry for her and for us as we live so far away. She would be terribly sad to have to give up her home. What sort of services can you offer to help?

A live-in Housekeeper / Carer would be the most appropriate type of help around the home for your mother; carrying out household tasks and also ensuring that she eats regularly and healthily, has everyday companionship and also assistance with showering, bathing, dressing etc if required.

My husband and I both work full time and have considered taking on a Housekeeper / Nanny. However we value the time alone with our two youngsters at weekends. What can you suggest?

Our Housekeepers and Housekeeper / Nannies provide a discreet and professional service and generally tend to keep themselves to themselves in their leisure time. You will also find that your employee will prefer to eat their meals on their own rather than eat with the family.

I would love to appoint a Housekeeper as I often travel abroad on business. However, I understand that as I will be an employer, I need to sort out tax and insurance and also set up a payroll system for domestic staff. What sort of help is out there to make my employer’s responsibilities as hassle-free as possible?

It’s actually quite a straightforward process and there’s professional help and advice available on running a payroll system. Take a look at our case study on Employing a Housekeeper for helpful guidelines.

I’m looking for some temporary help around the home whilst I recover from surgery. What sort of help is available and for what length of time do I need to appoint someone?

A Housekeeper / Carer can be appointed on a temporary and flexible basis, anything from several days to a few months, to provide the type of help that you are looking for. If you contact us with details of your requirements, we can tailor the degree of support to your specific needs.

I’ve read your Home page and I’ve noted that Housekeepers and other domestic staff would have domestic visas, (if required) when they joined our household. What happens when their visa runs out?

As the legislation currently stands, the domestic worker visa would be renewed annually. Take a look at our news item on Legal Advice for Domestic Workers for helpful information. The Housekeeper Company aims to keep clients aware of Home Office regulations and also recommends immigration lawyers, should our clients require specialist advice of this nature.

We’re interested in taking on a Housekeeper / Carer for my elderly father. However, his house, whilst very pleasant, isn’t huge. What sort of accommodation would he need to provide for his Housekeeper / Carer?

Your father would simply need to provide a bedroom with TV and, of course, TV reception and use of a bathroom, not necessarily en suite facilities.

We understand that you offer a trial period to make sure that the degree of domestic support and candidate selected are the perfect fit for our family. How does this work?

Basically, the trial period is like a long interview so the client can see how the working relationship would work out in practice within the home. You would have to pay the employee(s) for the week’s work, along with their travel expenses, but no Agency fee becomes due until after the trial week. Following a successful appointment, on receipt of Agency fee, we offer a 12 weeks’ guarantee, during which time we will replace the employee if you are not satisfied with them.

We live out in the country and we’re worried whether a single Housekeeper would feel a little isolated. I would also like help with driving and I understand that most of your people do not drive. Can you recommend a solution?

Your location is not a problem, as many of our domestic staff are quite happy to work out in the countryside. However, you may consider employing a Housekeeper Couple who would work as a team to offer impeccable housekeeping skills, plus a wide range of maintenance and driving duties.