Housekeeper/driver

[Anonymous]

So we have had an au pair for years but the girls are getting older and we are getting weary of having a 20 something living with us full time. We are considering hiring someone full time to clean, drive the girls to appointments, and maybe help with dinner prep. Where can I find a good person for this? What is a fair salary? Our house is a 2000 sq ft colonial and we have 2 kids (12 and 10) and a very lazy dog who needs one 20 minute walk per day (that our older kid could probably handle most days). We have a car this person could use, although she would probably have a car of her own.

This is new territory for us, so if you are doing/have done this, advice is appreciated.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I think at least $20 an hour at absolute minimum.

[Anonymous]

Is this a 40 hour a week job, OP? Part-time is always harder to find and more expensive. I would think you could find a housekeeper willing to pick up your kids from school and keep an eye on them (as a babysitter would) but I wouldn't count on any extensive childcare or homework help.

[Anonymous]

A house manager with no experience would start around $10 per hour, but you either need to supply the car and gas or reimburse mileage. Reimbursing gas only doesn't do anything for the wear and tear on her car.

An experienced house manager (2+ years) could be as low as $13 an hour, but most would be $15+. And yes, part-time is a lot harder to find. Besides, if you are looking at a house manager, most of the housekeeping will be done while the kids are at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A house manager with no experience would start around $10 per hour, but you either need to supply the car and gas or reimburse mileage. Reimbursing gas only doesn't do anything for the wear and tear on her car.

An experienced house manager (2+ years) could be as low as $13 an hour, but most would be $15+. And yes, part-time is a lot harder to find. Besides, if you are looking at a house manager, most of the housekeeping will be done while the kids are at school.

Your figures are crazy.

[Anonymous]

As a nanny, I wouldn't consider this position for less than $30/hr. Your best bet is to find a housekeeper who is also comfortable with the childcare aspect of the position. Definitely doable, my guess is $20/hr. Different candidates will charge different amounts.