With more and more dual-income couples, with or without children, we are increasingly looking for help with the household. However, it still proves difficult to find good and reliable help.
What kind of help?
It is important to determine in advance what kind of help you are looking for.
- A helper who does a number of basic tasks around the house every week
- An assistant who does basic tasks with specific cleaning jobs and, if so, special jobs in extra reserved time
- An assistant who also takes care of small children, after school for example
- A helper who, in addition to doing some of the housework, also does the cooking
Of course you can arrange all kinds of things with the help, but someone who is not used to (school-age) children will not easily do this on top of that. Of course, wanting and being able to do so plays a role here. People supplied by an agency have a range of tasks and this does not include standard childcare. This is also not always covered by insurance.
Please inquire in advance if you want to hire through an agency.
How do you find someone reliable?
If you get help from someone you know, you will automatically receive some information. Reliability is important, someone is very likely in your house when you are not there.
A note in the local supermarket on the notice board or an advertisement in the local newspaper may yield someone, but if you do not know this person, the reliability can only be determined if you have worked with someone for a longer period of time. Perhaps being there these first times is an option. This way you get to know each other better and it gives you a good idea of whether you can leave someone alone in your house or not. Of course, you never have any guarantees, but that applies to every situation.
If you cannot get help this way, it becomes a bit more difficult and hiring an agency may be an option. Some examples are De Witte Werkster (werkster.nl) or Huish oudlijke-hulp.nl. They are not yet active throughout the Netherlands, but the website lists the areas where they are already active.
Dates
Start by agreeing on a trial period. This prevents a lot of hassle if you do not want to continue with help.
Tasks versus hours to work
Things often go wrong if the agreements are not clear. Someone works for you a few hours a week and you expect something in return. Realize in advance that a laundry list of tasks is not always realistic for the duration that someone is there. Estimate the duration and adjust it if necessary and make separate agreements about specific tasks.
Method of cleaning
For some, clean is also clean and others have different expectations. Agree carefully in advance what you expect in this regard and what you find important. Edges, residual drops, moving things from place while dusting, scrubbing wood, etc. etc.
Children
If you have help who also takes care of the children, it is important that agreements are also made about this. A helper who works very differently from the parent can give a distorted image to the children. Agree on what is and is not allowed, friends over or not, snacking, etc.
Prices
The price partly depends on how you have arranged it and usually varies from around €10 to €17 per hour.
Once you have found someone with whom you can make good agreements, it can relieve a lot of stress.