cleaner / caretaker fees

[rosebud]

How much is it resonable to pay a cleaner/ caretaker looking after a 2 bedroom cottage? It sleeps 3 but usually there are 2 people staying.

Work involves cleaning washing & ironing bed linen etc. Also putting out & returning the recycling bin on weeks when no one is staying and other bits & pieces - turning off fridge etc. when not in use for a while.

Work could include sorting out a problem but these haven't really arisen.

The National Trust pays a local cleaner for 4 hours at about £10 an hour for acting as caretaker for a similar sized proper. this doesn't involve washing and ironing.

I have been paying £40 for each turnover - & have just offered this to a new caretaker who said she charged £8 an hour. Is this enough?

Previously I let people tell me how many hours they had worked. the amount they charged varied - between £28 and £70.

[Happylady]

Hi Rosebud, ours sleeps 4. I pay £35 for the changeover clean, £25 for the laundry.

During winter months our caretaker will do weekly checks on the property for £30 per month and if there's a call out fee I think its about £25. Prices you've been paying/quoted seem reasonable in comparison

[dizza2560]

We started in May and are remote from our rental. I advertised for a housekeeper on gumtree and had lots of replies. Our property sleeps 8 and I quoted in the ad that the changeover payment would be £40.
i had a standout applicant who has worked out really well, I have upped her pay to £50 per changeover as the washing and ironing is taking longer than the 5 hours I estimated the changover would take. This position suits mums very well - 10am to 3pm. I picked our housekeeper because she had a back up plan if for any reason she couldn`t do the changeover and because she offered her contact details for guests. An agency wanted £95 per changeover. Hope that helps and good luck.

[jenboyle1959]

i recently paid £50 for a one off clean and laundry for our one bedroomed flat, which sleeps 4/5.She held the keys at her laundry for people to pick up, but didn't welcome them in or anything. I thought that seemed quite a lot , but it was nice to get the washing and ironing done !!

[Windy]

The going rate where we are is about £40 for a clean and laundry change. Sounds like we are fortunate!

[marsh frog]

We have a 2 bed property which sleeps up to 4. Our cleaners allow 5 hours for the clean & laundry & charge £11.50 an hour. Each changeover costs us £57.50 & includes the laundering of bedding but not towels which are charged per item.

[Wonkeye]

We have a 2 bed property which sleeps up to 4. Our cleaners allow 5 hours for the clean & laundry & charge £11.50 an hour. Each changeover costs us £57.50 & includes the laundering of bedding but not towels which are charged per item.

We're a similar size. Our cleaners charge per hour for the clean and per item for the laundry.
For 2-person occupancy, the time for the clean tends to be 2 hours, charged at at £13.80 an hour = £27.60. Plus laundry, £6 to £7. Total for 2 people therefore £34-ish. Sometimes she whips round in one and a three quarter hours or even one and a half.
A three or four person occupancy doesn't take her much longer, so really only laundry charge extra. Total for 3 people £40-ish. Total for 4 people £45-ish.
I think we're lucky too. Maybe being in Yorkshire is the reason. The cleaning company also has its own stand-alone laundry service, so maybe that makes it more economical too.

[rosebud]

Thanks everyone for all your helpful information.

I'm about to take on my fifth cleaner in 15 months. One got a full time job offer, one stopped because of her husband's health, one gave in her notice because she planned to move & one just wasn't thorough enough & I had to find a replacement.

One person came through recommendation the others had all advertised on a notice board outside a local shop. Sometimes I had to find someone at fairly short notice. Perhaps I should try Gumtree in future!

[harcourtv57]

Hi Rosebud

After issues with cleaners over the years we resorted to doing it all ourselves. but a recent trip abroad for a while meant we had to find someone to do it - we ended up using a local company rather than an individual on the basis that they will always have backup. For our 2 bed flat they charge us £35 for the clean and £5 to drop off the laundry - the laundrette then charges us £25. And £12.50 an hour if the clean takes any longer or there are any other issues that need sorting out.