L.A. asks from Magnolia, TX on December 28, 2008
How Much Do You Pay for a Housekeeper?
I have finally broke down...I'm looking into hiring someone to clean my house on a bi-weekly basis. I just have too much on my plate & don't have the time to get any deep cleaning done, much less the daily chores done. I have 2 different cleaning ladies coming this week to give me a price quote, but wanted to get an idea from others on what they are paying. My house is only 1700 sq ft, 3bdrm, 2 1/2 bth so I don't think it should cost as much as most. Any tips, suggestions or things I should ask during the meeting would also be great...this is all new to me.
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More Answers
J.S. answers from Houston on December 29, 2008
Hi there .. this will be a big relief for you. My home is 3200 sq and I pay $60 for a weekly visit. It would be helpful if you have a list of chores you want accomplished and see what they quote you. I focus on high traffic areas and rotate out the lesser used areas (guest bath, guest bedroom, etc). References are crucial. I highly recommend my maid if you need additional contacts. Best of luck.
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T.B. answers from Houston on December 29, 2008
I did the same thing last year--first I went with an actual company, if I remember right they were charging about $90 per visit and then wanted me to "tip" the cleaning person also. In addition, since we started with them in Decemeber, I was receiving numerous request for their "Christmas bonus"--which is typically equal to the amt of one visit, but since they had only been to our home 2-3 times and only once b/f Christmas--I thought this was a bit much. And I wasn't particulary impressed with the cleaning. FYI--the companies do charge more for the initial cleaning I think I paid $150.00+tip.
Anyway--I found an individual that now cleans my home bi-weekly for $75.00, she is so worth it and I often just pay $80.00. With her I do have to supply the cleaning supplies, but that's not a huge expense. And for Christmas I did give her the $75 bonus. She does a great job and just having someone else do what would be an all day job on the weekend is wonderful--it truly does relieve a lot of stress to come home to a nice clean house. Good luck!
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S.T. answers from Houston on December 29, 2008
My housekeepers come every other week and I pay $80.00. My home is about 2700 sq ft, and before I got hard wood floors they only charged $70.00, but there is more involved in maintaining these floors, so I don't mind. They provide their own cleaning supplies, even bring their own vacuum and long dusters for fans and blinds etc. If I set out fresh sheets, they change the linens on the beds, and every once in a while I'll leave a note requesting something extra, like conditioning of the leather sofa or cleaning base boards in the spring, and I add $10 or $20 to the check I leave. One thing you may want to ask is if they work during the holiday season. I had housekeepers several years ago who would leave for Mexico for about a month around Christmas and New Years, which made it difficult when entertaining during the holidays. Be careful with cleaning services because they often send a different person to your house every time, which makes me uncomfortable. Be sure that they are bonded and insured. When I clean the house it never seems to get done all in one day - and by the time I'm finished, it's time to do it all over again. Having the entire house clean at once is truly a luxury and I know you'll appreciate it!
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J.R. answers from Houston on January 03, 2009
I have the same question.
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