Does Any Of You Employ A Housemaid?

[piggynose]

It seems to be quite common to have one in Spain.
Ours comes fortnightly. I personally think its weird. But I've stopped opposing the idea, as It seems I cant win. : (

[piggynose]

Does anybody know what the going rate per hour is for a cleaner?

[Barsel]

It might depend whereabouts you live, but a neighbour of mine pays £10 and hour for her cleaner.

[dannyk13]

Whilst in the army in Germany and again in Malta we had a 'daily' who looked after the cleaning and when required would do baby sitting.

[lankeela]

When my cousin lived in Rhodesia they had a houseboy who lived in a wooden hut at the end of the garden.

A DIY man would be great here too - so many little things I am unable to do or don't have the right tools for. I have lived here for 23 years and when I moved in I bought a set of bathroom stuff - toilet roll holder, towel rail, toothbrush pot - it is still sitting in the carrier bag it came in!

[roopower]

I could do with a cleaner as things are at the moment but I'm not up to cleaning before she/he comes

[Barmaid]

I don't. But Mr BM seems to have secured the services of one.

[bednobs]

it's about £13ph here (south) if they bring their own stuff.
£12.50 if they use yours

[pat2604]

Barsel

My hubby is also my DIY man and my gardener! We rebuilt our cottage!! I think I got a bargain when I married him! In 43 years we have employed very few trades people. He's also my official carer!!

[zebo]

*I could do with a cleaner as things are at the moment but I'm not up to cleaning before she/he comes*

Our house was never tidier than when the cleaner was due, I made everyone clear their junk away.
When we lived in the Med we had a cleaner a couple of days, I was very pregnant and went out on Wednesday when she was due and didn't return for 10 days, with new baby! I'd told OH to make sure he left her money but when I returned we were having a 'conversation', I only had a bit of Spanish, but at one point she said, in Spanish, No money, No work. I took this to mean that he'd forgotten to leave money the previous week but in fact she didn't want paying, he'd hardly been there, all meals at the Mess, so she didn't want paying for no work!

[piggynose]

Only one snag with cleaners. Once they get their feet under the table, they start to take liberties, eg 4 hours being the agreed time to clean our place, would turn into 3 3/4 hours, and then 3 1/2 hours.

[Gettingonabit]

I wouldn't say its taking liberties , its getting use to the house and setting up the quickest routine for completing the job. If you get the same result you were happy with when it took 4 hrs what does it really matter. If you complain it will make her work more slowly and you'll only get the same amount of cleaning done.

[ladybirder]

Mine must be the odd one out. She always insists she's been overpaid when I insist on paying her up to the next quarter of an hour. At £12 an hour I think she's cheap and should be charging more. It's so hard to get a decent cleaner in this area.

[rowanwitch]

Had one when I was with the ex before Redman, she was paid £20 for an hour and a half, hoovered through, cleaned bathroom and downstairs loo, cleaned kitchen and utility. Any remaining time she would change beds/ fold washing etc. It was lovely starting every week end with the place straight.