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Domestic Couple

Domestic Couple Position

Domestic Couples

A domestic couple team will carry out a wide variety of duties that when combined will ensure the property and grounds of a private estate are managed and maintained.

The roles will vary from household to household and a good team will carry out their own individual tasks alongside working together as a team. Most commonly this will be a combination of a housekeeper for the household and a handyperson/gardener for both inside and outside maintenance.

Responsibilities.

Duties and Daily Responsibilities of a Domestic Couple

For a domestic couple maintaining a private household, duties will be wide ranging depending on the individual needs of the client.

One member of the team generally spends a good deal of time outside the house with estate management, gardening, maintenance and family driving - as well as helping in the house with heavier tasks and small maintenance jobs. The second member usually provides any combination of household management, cooking, childcare and housekeeping.

Domestic Couple Duties

  • Housekeeping

Tidies and cleans all the bathrooms, bedrooms and living areas which have been used or will supervises a domestic help

  • Laundry

Collects laundry, washes and irons it and returns the items to the appropriate places. Hand washes delicate items. Delivery and collection of dry cleaning

  • Meal planning and cooking

The timely preparation of all meals for the family. Carries out weekly grocery shopping. Supervision of catering services for dinner parties and events as appropriate

  • Minor electrical work

Undertaking tasks of minor electrical work such as plug replacements and switches.

  • Gardening

Keeping lawns manicured, upkeep of planting, watering and general weeding. Supervision of external contractors for larger scale maintenance ie. tree felling.

  • Property maintenance

Handyman duties of hanging of pictures, cleaning inside of windows, woodwork touch up, cleaning light fixings, small plumbing jobs, supervision of external contractors for larger maintenance works.

  • Driving

Upkeep of vehicles, ensuring services and MOTs are current, driving duties as and when required

  • Other duties

Keeps household accounts. Deals with tradesmen/contractors. Manages security alarms. Carries out any other task the employer may reasonably ask. Larger estates may have a team of security, front of house, butlers, waiting staff, nanny, maids and cleaners. A domestic couple may potentially supervise this team.


Domestic Couple Jobs

A selection of domestic couple job opportunities throughout the UK.


Skills Required for a Domestic Couple

Collaboration

Whilst housekeeping, maintenance and gardening skills are a must, the main key to working as a successful Domestic Couple team is the ability to work together, managing your time for the duties required.

Flexibility

Flexibility is a must as the demands from the client may change day to day. Some households may have second homes that you will move between, seasonally.

Discretion

Discretion from both members is essential as there may be occasions when you are exposed to sensitive information and personal events.

Driving License

We would normally expect at least one member of the team to have a full, clean driving licence and be able to drive the household vehicles.

What salary and benefits can a Domestic Couple receive?

The roles are normally advertised as a combined salary for the Domestic Couple team, both working full time unless otherwise stated. However, you will be paid as individuals with your own tax codes and NI contribution as appropriate.

Average salaries for a domestic couple can range from €5K a month (per couple in Europe) to yearly salaries in excess of £70K in the UK.

Salaries will also depend on whether you have a live-in or live-out contract with the client.

If you and your partner are considering a career as a Domestic Couple or you are looking for your next move, take a look through our currently advertised roles.

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Live on the estate

In most cases, it will be preferential for the client to have a Domestic Couple team live on the estate full time and will be provided with accommodation as part of the role. This may be a separate with your own entrance and privacy or may be within the household. This would be included in your contract details.

Flexible Schedule

Most Domestic Couples will work on a 40 hour schedule but should be flexible depending on the client’s requirements, particularly if the client is not in residence at all times.

Holidays

Holidays and days off are usually taken as a couple and days off could be weekends or in the week depending on the household.

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Frequently Asked Questions.

Domestic Couple FAQs

Some of our commonly asked questions regarding the Domestic Couple position. If you have queries or questions, please do not hesitate in contacting us.

We don’t automatically undertake a DBS for every candidate that registers with us as sometimes candidates may find their own jobs and only stay on our books for a short while. However if a client employs someone who we introduce and who does not have a current DBS but is required to have one for the position, then we are happy to do this for you.

We are able to supply staff across the whole of the UK, including Scotland and Ireland. We also cover International positions.

No, we provide a free service for candidates who are looking for work and we only invoice clients if they employ a candidate who we have introduced to them.

Unfortunately we do not provide staff for short term assignments, however we do accept some contracts for a minimum of three months upwards.

We absolutely love hearing from candidates with good, relevant experience in private households. Unfortunately without previous experience it is unlikely we will be able to help you but we are always happy to advise. Chauffeurs must have previous experience of working as a private chauffeur and not purely in chauffeur services or taxi driving.

A vacancy could be filled within a matter of days or it could take longer. The timescale depends on which candidates are registered at the time of you giving us your vacancy, and whether they match your requirements. We will never just send a CV for the sake of it or to ‘make up the numbers’.

We are happy to organise short trials wherever possible, however you need to bear in mind that it might not always be possible if a candidate is in a full time job. In order to address the fact that very occasionally things may not always go to plan, we offer a rebate/replacement period for your peace of mind.

In a nutshell, convenience, cost effectiveness and efficiency. An experienced domestic couple will be able to cover all areas of the house and grounds as a team, they will be used to working together to ensure that the house and grounds run smoothly. They will not be in competition with each other and will communicate well and are generally willing to assist in each other’s areas to ensure that all jobs are completed. For example the ‘outside’ person will be able to cover heavy cleaning duties such as moving cumbersome pieces of furniture or cleaning chandeliers, they may also be able to help serve at table, if this is required. By the same token, the ‘inside’ person will often be able to support in some outside tasks such as light gardening or keeping pathways swept.

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