Although you might not guess it from the weather forecast (hello grey skies and ever-persistent drizzle), we’re heading into a new season. If you keep your eyes focused on the ground, you might get more of a clue - daffodils are starting to appear in golden clusters, crocuses are at the foot of every tree, the last of the late snowdrops are disappearing. There are even hints of little green buds in the trees. Spring is starting to appear!
All this means it’s approaching the time of year for a good spring cleaning - whether you’re wanting to refresh your house with some new organisation, or have it scrubbed until it’s sparkling (and then try and keep it that way). Have you considered hiring some private household staff to help you out in this busy new season?
What does a housekeeper do?
If you’re not quite sure what to expect from a private housekeeper, look no further. We find that people often get confused between the roles of cleaners, housekeepers, and maids. A cleaner is responsible for strictly that - cleaning. A maid may also have responsibility over some of the cleaning of the household, but will also be fulfilling other duties, such as laundry, or running errands.
A housekeeper however, is responsible for the running of the household. They may be responsible for a team of private domestic staff, depending on the size and requirements of the house and family that are employing them. A private housekeeper may also be hired for their specialist skills, such as care of a couture wardrobe, or knowledge of care for antiques.
If you haven’t spotted what you need so far, housekeepers can also assist you with and be responsible for:
Hands on cleaning
Laundry
Cooking
Childcare
Running errands and organising the home
Driving (shopping and school runs etc)
Pet care
Still not sounding right? It might be that a housekeeper isn’t actually what you need. If you’re not sure, visit our website and have a look at our role summaries, or if you’d prefer, give us a call, and one of our experts will help you through the process.
Having a private housekeeper, or any private household staff, is also a very flexible way to keep your home in check. Greycoat Lumleys can provide live-in domestic staff, part time housekeepers, full time maids, seasonal nannies - we aim to make sure that every client is perfectly matched with a candidate (or candidates) that will be able to provide exactly what they need.
What are the benefits?
There can occasionally be a little bit of a stigma around private household staff - but we see it as just another example of outsourcing to a specialist - after all, you would expect to have an accountant to help you with your business’ taxes, or a teacher to educate your children or a property lawyer to help you buy a house.
Hiring a private housekeeper to adapt to your specific needs is no different, and we’ve found that all of our clients are extremely grateful for the work that our expert candidates do.
Whether you’ve got a busy home that you can’t (or don’t want to) keep up with, you’ve had a recent addition to the family and want some extra help, or you’re wanting to treat yourself and have a new start as we head into warmer weather, a private housekeeper might be the right choice for you!
Housekeepers don’t just keep your home looking clean, beautiful, and organised, they can also take huge weight off of your shoulders - it might seem like an unnecessary expense, but the stress relief reported by our clients once they’ve found someone to manage the clutter and chaos of their homes is priceless.
Private housekeepers also simplify your life - you don’t need to worry about anything such as collecting dry cleaning on time, getting the guest room ready for visiting family and friends, or tidying up before your weekly dinner party with friends - let the experts handle it!
Whether you’re looking for more information on your options when it comes to private staff, or just for an informal chat if you’re not ready to make any decisions yet, get in touch with us today, and one of our experienced team members will be happy to give you all the guidance you need.