Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Anyone have any tips, tricks, special questions or helpful advise that I can benefit from when searching for housecleaning help? I have always done my own, but I think I will be needing help in the near future. I am mostly worried about paying too much for too little, and having stuff pilfered from our home. I know, horrible to think about but I have to think about it if I'm being smart, dont I?
Find someone through word of mouth, then see if she/he is taking new customers. With people cutting back on spending, you should be able to find a gem.
I second that. Get a referral. Have the housekeeper come in and give you a quote in person, this way you can let her/him know exactly what you expect. I had a great one until my husband's business started to slide and we had to let her go. But when he gets another job I will def. hire her back on!
I am mostly worried about paying too much for too little, and having stuff pilfered from our home.
Pay will be determined by your location. If you live in an area with immigrants, you'll get housekeepers for less money. My area doesn't have immigrants. Housekeepers make between $15 to $20/hour for fulltime and near $30/hour or higher for once a week, biweekly, or monthly. The less you have them, the more they cost because the dirt is heavier and takes longer to clean.
As for security, you'll do very well if you hire a stay-at-home mother who is supplimenting her husband's income. These women aren't likely to be financially desperate because the family can afford for her to stay home and make spare money here and there working a few hours a week. Even if they drive older cars, they're driving those cars to afford the stay-at-home mother lifestyle, not because they're desperate.
Remember, you get what you pay. Paying near nothing for help will bring you desperate people who are more likely to steal from you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by texasfirewheel
I'm sure that housekeepers who work for major cleaning companies are bonded but do "independents" get bonded too? If so, I'd ask about that.
Not often. It's an unnecessary expense for them. They can get work based on their reputations. You're much safer going with an independent because there's only one person in the house. With a company, you get 3 to 5 people at once so it's more likely someone will steal because it will be more difficult to identify which one was the thief.
Thank you all so much for the advise. Good to have these things to think about. I will go for word of mouth housecleaning recommendations, and have her over to discuss what I will need her to do, and see what price she offers. Do you negotiate this or does she just state what she wants to be paid? Do you say "I'll let you know, I have a few other people to meet with" ?
Do you negotiate this or does she just state what she wants to be paid?
If you negotiate down, you'll lose your housekeeper quickly. She'll find someone else who was willing to pay her rate. A housekeeper will take a job for less money until she finds a better paying job to fill the slot. You will end up needing to find a new housekeeper within a few months. If you think a rate is too high, keep looking instead.
Make sure they are insured and bonded! My mistake was this!
We hired someone from word of mouth. Came home and the house was super clean and we were saying our only regret was that we didn't hire sooner. Fast forward to that night when I was laying in bed. Smelled very strong air freshner. Asked my husband to find it and unplug it as I couldn't sleep it was so strong. Next thing I hear is my husband swearing: Here the maid took our Yankee candle air freshner (the kind you plug in) and put it UPSIDE DOWN on our $1800 dresser! The liquid ate through my dollie and the wood!!
I called and found out she wasn't insured or bonded, home insurance doesn't pay for this and my options are to buy a new one, have it repaired for $700 or just live with it. Sick to my stomach.
I know everyone makes mistakes but I can't afford for her to ruin more of my furniture with future mistakes. I should have paid the other woman $10 more who was bonded and insured. Saving $10 every other week cost me $1800 and a $12 air freshner!
Isn't bonded when they promise to live up to what you agreed upon? I want both in my housekeeper! I want insured and bonded...The one lady I interviewed is both so we will go with her for now on!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
