Domestic Help Guide to Expats
Angelinos work hard and play hard, add on top the up to 90-minute commute time to and from work and there’s precious little time to wash the dishes, never mind clean the house. As a consequence, LA has scores of domestic help agencies and individuals falling over themselves to clean your home. There are plus and minuses with each service. An agency can guarantee service but can cost more and you might have a different cleaner each week. Individuals can build a relationship over time but be prepared to be the boss if the job isn’t satisfactory. Also polish up on basic foreign language skills as workers who haven’t yet mastered the English language or at least just enough to get by, often provide domestic help. LA’s high rollers demand domestic help from a reputable agency and a resume as long as your arm. More often than not, domestic help is live-out.
Ask around, referrals are one of the best ways to find competent domestic help. If agencies are a little above your budget, individual help can be found online on Craigslist, Insiderpages, or local free papers and supermarket message boards.
The Sandra Taylor Agency
The Sandra Taylor Agency has provided domestic help including housekeeping, children and pet care since 1967. Salary for a full-time domestic help starts from $400 a week (non-driving) to $1,000 for top-notch housekeepers and all potential staff must pass a rigorous screening process.
280 S. Beverly Drive. Beverly Hills. CA
(310) 205-2810
http://www.sandratayloragency.com
Maggy Maid
Maggy Maid offers the cleaning service for your home and your business.
3470 Wilshire Blvd
Ste 925
Los Angeles, CA 90005
(888) 624-4962
www.maggymaid.com
By-passing agencies all together will enable you to find less expensive options from individual listings on Craigslist or Sittercity. Yelp and Angie’s List present helpful reviews by real people who have used the service. Also check supermarket or local shop notice boards.
Hourly rates from $25-$50
- Craigslist http://losangeles.craigslist.org
- Sittercity http://www.sittercity.com/housekeepers.html
- Yelp http://www.yelp.com/
- Angie’s List http://www.angieslist.com
