How Much Does a Housekeeper Cost?

Hiring a housekeeper is a great way of keeping on top of your home’s cleaning, especially if you’re busy with other things. But is a housekeeper expensive? And, more importantly, do the results justify the cost?

Well, let’s look at how much a housekeeper costs and what work they offer so you can make an informed decision.

How Much Does a Housekeeper Cost?

Let’s jump right into it by discussing the cost of hiring a housekeeper.

The average cost for a housekeeper in London is £12-£22 an hour. However, the average cost for a housekeeper outside of London is slightly lower at £10 to £18 an hour. It’s pretty standard for services in London to cost more, so be sure to factor this into your decision-making.

Generally, housekeeping services in larger cities will be more expensive, simply because living and travel costs are higher. But if you live in a rural village, your options may be more limited, so you might find you have to pay more anyway.

Calculating Housekeeping Costs

A housekeeper is slightly different to a cleaner in that they come regularly – either weekly or fortnightly – to clean your home. On the other hand, a cleaner may only come once, such as for end-of-tenancy cleaning, or they might offer commercial cleaning services.

There are various factors that can impact how much you pay for a housekeeper. These include:

• The size of your home. Unsurprisingly, you’ll pay more if you have a bigger house because the housekeeper will be there longer.
• Services required. Housekeepers can take care of more than cleaning. For example, they might help run errands, organise storage, do ironing, and more. Again, you can expect to pay more if you need more done because it’ll take your housekeeper more time.
• Number of people in your home. This is more of an indirect influence on cost. Generally, more people will mean more mess, especially if you have kids. You won’t get charged more because you have kids, but it’s fair to assume that having kids will often mean your house needs more cleaning.

Of course, these are just general guidelines. To get a more representative cost for your housekeeping services, you’ll want to speak to a company to get a specific quote.

If you think the price is right, please read our article on how to find a housekeeper UK.

What Do Housekeepers Offer?

We’ve already touched on some of the services offered by housekeepers. Let’s explain things in more detail so you can understand the benefits of hiring a housekeeper.

Household Cleaning

The most obvious service housekeepers offer is cleaning. This’ll include hoovering, dusting, mopping, bathroom cleaning, and so on. Although housekeepers aren’t “just” cleaners, it’s one of the many branches of chores they offer to make your life easier.

Running Errands

Housekeepers can also run errands if you’re busy at work. These generally include day-to-day activities like shopping, going to the post office, walking dogs, and so on. The actual scope of errands your housekeeper will offer depends on their training and insurance, so make sure you get a clear list of what they can and can’t do.

Home Organisation

One of the best things housekeepers offer is household organisation. It’s one of those jobs that you always put off because it can be big (and boring). Provided you set clear instructions, a housekeeper can take care of things like organising your kitchen, clearing out wardrobes, tidying offices, and so on.

Cooking and Preparing Meals

This might not be standard for all housekeepers, but some will be happy to help with meal prep if you’re busy. It could be anything from fully cooking an evening meal to prepping ingredients or putting things in the oven for you. Again, discuss this with your housekeeper to see what they can do.

Does a housekeeping service sound like its not for you? Read our article on types of cleaning services

Final Thoughts

So, is hiring a housekeeper worth the cost? If you’re busy and prefer your home to be clean and organised, the answer is probably yes.

If you live in London and think a housekeeper would help you keep things in order, get in touch with Cleaning Express for housekeeping services in London. All our housekeepers are highly trained and fully insured, so you can be confident that they’ll do exactly what you need. Contact us today to discuss prices and availability.

Also read: How much does a cleaner cost?