Houseman
Housemen are responsible for the daily maintenance and amenity upkeep both within and around a residence through hands-on repair, monitoring and handy work.
A versatile solution for many households, a houseman ensures the general upkeep of a home. A houseman will ensure the cleaning and maintenance is kept up together and offers continuity and flexibility.
There is an additional benefit of security if you employ a full-time houseman to work in the house during the day. Some may work alone within a private household while others work with other staff, including housekeepers, house managers, butlers and chefs.
The houseman generally reports to a managerial domestic employee such as a House Manager, Estate Manager, Property Manager, or Personal Assistant.
- Maintaining all interior and exterior living spaces
- Assisting with landscaping and grounds work through gardening, lawn care, horticulture and related project and contractor management
- Providing hands-on repairs throughout the home in areas of plumbing, electrical, carpentry, painting, HVAC, smart home and entertainment, as well as overseeing larger-scale renovation and construction projects
- Driving the Principals to appointments, airports, and engagements, as well as detailing all vehicles and ensuring registration, maintenance and insurance are continually up-to-date
- Incredibly hands-on, maintaining a no task too big or too small attitude
- Willingness and ability to manage ad-hoc projects and tasks, often filling in the gaps of other household staff tasks such as housekeeping, cooking, driving, and errand-running
- Knowledge of minor home repairs and technological systems within the residence
Other duties that may be included:
- Assisting with housekeeping and deep cleaning carpets and upholstery, polishing brass, mirrors, glass, light fixtures, and chandeliers.
- Waxing all floors or hard cleaning of floors. Cleaning and laying fireplaces, restocking wood, emptying bins.
- Changing light bulbs, fuses, checking boiler pressure, bleeding radiators, checking security and alarm systems and performing minor household repairs.
- Assisting with laundry and ironing, cooking, laying tables, caring for children and pets.
- Maintaining gardens, mowing, watering plants, cleaning windows, paths and steps.
- Raking gravel and leaves, jet spraying exterior walls, sills and outdoor furniture.
- Valeting cars, driving to meetings, shopping, running errands, airport and school runs.
- Assisting to serve at dinners, looking after swimming pools, saunas, gyms and hot tubs.
- Starting salaries are from £650 net per week. Full-time annual salary depends on candidate’s credentials, experience, and duties, as well as previous salaries had.
- Salary guide is based on a 5 day work week, 8-12hrs a day, and is presented to you as a guide. Final salary always varies depending on the overall package offered.
Butlers are a specialised type of household staff responsible for efficiently running a formal household and meeting the employer’s personal needs.
House or Estate Managers coordinate the smooth operation of your household, anticipating and managing daily family challenges.
A good housekeeper provides the client with a wide variety of professional domestic services and takes on the responsibilities of cleaning, laundry, cooking and running errands. Each household is unique therefore the duties and responsibilities are usually discussed at interview stage.
A Live-In Housekeeper gives a wide range of support and care to your family. It gives you the flexibility to call on them for additional hours if you need extra support. Live-In Housekeeper is a favourable option for many clients.
A Housekeeper Nanny is required when duties involve the household and not just the children. The duties are wide ranging, depending on the needs of the family.
For clients with large homes, estates or gardens, a domestic couple may be the most suitable choice.
Hiring a houseman is fantastic solution for many households, a houseman ensures the general upkeep of a home, offers versatility and added security for the household.
A private personal chef can be an excellent option for a household that require a high standard of cooking while also tailoring the meals to specific personal preferences.
In home Elderly Carers and Companions help makes aging at home possible, by running routine errands, doing light housekeeping and providing a helping hand with the everyday tasks that often become more difficult for the elderly.
An estate manager is required when there are large, multi-property estates owned by a family. An estate manager’s focus is largely on a bigger picture, making sure that each home runs consistently and efficiently.
A Lady’s Maid is hired to serve as a lady-in-waiting to her female employer. This means she serves as a personal maid to the lady of the house. The valet is a manservant to the gentleman of the house.
How We Work
Once you’ve decided what type of services you’re looking for, you need to register with Forbes Private Staff by filling out our client registration form. This will ask you to list your candidate preferences and unique requirements, as well as you will be able to read our Term of Business and familiarise yourself with our fees. Once registration is received, your information will be carefully reviewed by a member of our staff who will then contact you directly to discuss all your specific requirements in a greater detail, to note down all the final information we need to start your perfect candidate search.
The Steps We Follow
- Understanding Your Needs
- The Matchmaking Process
- Interview
- Contract
- Follow Up and Ongoing Support
Placement Fees
At Forbes Private Staff it is crucial that the candidate you choose is the right match for your family, and to ensure this we provide 12 weeks of free replacement and ongoing after-placement support.
UK Placements
- Client registration Fee – FREE
- Permanent Full-Time Placement in Childcare (52 weeks + ) - 15% of the Annual Salary
- Permanent Full-Time Placement in Private Household (52 weeks +) – 15% of the Annual Salary
- Full-time Governess or Tutor Placements – 17% of the Annual Salary
- Full-Time Dual Residency Placements - required to work in the UK and Overseas - 18% of the Annual Salary
- Part-Time Governess or Tutor Placements – 19% of the Annual Salary
- After School Childcare Placements – 18% of the Annual Salary
- Part-Time Placements in Childcare and Private Households – 18% of the Annual Salary
- Maternity Nurses - £170 per week, min 2 weeks.
- Temporary Placements – £100 per day or £450 per week.
- Trials - £450 per week, up to 4 consecutive weeks; or fixed daily fee of £90.
Overseas Placements
- Client Registration Fee - FREE for Permanent Placements
- Client Registration Fee - £100 for Temporary or Holiday Placements
- All Permanent Placements – 20% of the Annual Salary
- Maternity Nurses - £230 per week, min 2 weeks
- Temporary Placements – £100 per day or £500 per week.
- Trials - £500 per week, up to 4 consecutive weeks.
To our loyal returning clients and our current client referrals, we offer a 10% discount on your placement fees.
Our Registration is FREE of charge to all our candidates.
For more information, please contact us or register online, and we’ll contact you to discuss your requirements and answer any questions you might have.
What our clients say about us?
‘Impeccable staff, trustworthy and punctual. A great company to deal with who consistently deliver. Highly recommended.’
‘I’d like to say how pleased I and my wife have been with the service we received from you and from our housekeeper who has been reliable and efficient throughout the several years she’s been with us. All the best for the future.’
‘You were more than helpful at arranging the service I wanted and it was executed perfectly. I will most definitely be using your services again. Thank you.’
