House Cleaner Cost Regular / One off [VIC]

G'day,
We're looking to get some home cleaning service for a short term (3-6 months period/ either few times once off or at set intervals) and was wondering what's roughly the cost I'd be looking at for a 4 bedroom single story house (on average).

Looked into Jim's cleaning and the 2 franchise owners offered a package around $150-200 (The website advertises a $99 package, but both said they do not do it). There are couple of others as well maidtoclean / deepcleaning and had 300-400 range so am not sure what I'm missing between the large difference in pricing across these companies. (checklist items they do are the same)

For those who employ a house cleaning service, how was your experience? Anything in special I should be aware of when you ask these blokes? (For insurance purposes I don't think I will be going with cash only folks)

Cheers!

Comments

  • +1

    You need to break it down to hourly rate.

    We have single storey 4 bed 2 bath. A 2 hr clean is sufficent for a few odd jobs, both bathrooms, mop and vac.

  • -1

    Once off for 4 bed/1 bath/1ensuite/1kitchen.
    DEEP CLEAN $1100 cash. $1500 with receipt.
    Fluff Clean: $600 cash. $750 with receipt

    Ongoing FLUFF Monthly x 6 cleans
    Initial would be $700 and then $400 for each monthly clean.

    With receipt add 30%

  • +5

    I often wondered about people that get house cleaners.

    Are they time poor? Hate the actual chores? Happy to pay someone as a flex?

    I'd rather clean my own house and then take Mrs Muzeeb out to a nice restaurant with the savings.

    • +1

      Are they time poor?

      Lately its become the case. We both are doing part time studies with 2 very young kids at home it can be challenging to get on top of regular maintenance.

      Hate the actual chores?

      Not really, just lack of available time.

    • I'm looking into it due to being time poor, my saturdays have turned into a day of doing all the stuff that was skipped through the week.

      But also efficiency, we tend to do a lot of cleaning adhoc, before friends come around on a friday evening is often a mad dash to clean anything that looks dirty, vacuuming is different bits done at different times, cleaning involves getting out and putting away cleaning supplies. But we don't have the time to do a proper house clean in one go once a week like a cleaner could do while I hide in my office and work.

      • Yeah my own greatest incentive (read pressure) to clean up and/or get things done around the house is when we organise a party or dinner.

        Need more parties.

    • +1

      Are they time poor?

      Yes

      Hate the actual chores?

      Yes


      My wife and I have thought about it do just do the general items. Two kids, working full time, just don't have the time. Bad enough with washing and dishes. We get that done, but other cleaning isn't done as often as it should be.

      —————————————————————————————————————————

      Missed one question

      Too much time on OzBargain?

      YEEEEESSSS!!!!

    • If you make effectively hundreds of dollars per hour at work then it might not make sense to wrap up so much of your free time on domestic chores, when someone else can do it for $50 an hour or whatever. Especially if you don't have a partner who is willing to do most of that in exchange for being a part of your fabulous and wealthy life.

    • +1

      Most people who employ cleaners, pool care and gardeners are either very high income, elderly, disabled or receiving some sort of government support to pay for it. Great businesses for anyone to get into if they don't mind manual labour, as they are well paid, highly flexible, low stress and rewarding. Plus you meet some great people.

    • +1

      Are they time poor? Hate the actual chores? Happy to pay someone as a flex?

      Basically yes to one of them.

      I'd rather clean my own house and then take Mrs Muzeeb out to a nice restaurant with the savings.

      Understand, others would rather save the 4 hours of cleaning to spend with the kids or wife etc.

    • Not talking about OP but given house sizes on average have doubled in the last 20 years. (if you think about the statistics the old ones are still mostly around, it is the new ones being built dragging the averages up therefore new ones are probably 3x the size). Houses are pretty large these days. I got someone telling me 25sq for new builds.

      I grew up on 6sq. Live in 8-10sq. Building a unit that is 18sq (and I thought that is pretty big).

      It is actually a lifestyle choice that is generating the problem.

    • We had a cleaner for ~20 years.

      We both worked a full week and cleaning was the only thing we had conflict about. The fix was getting a cleaner. Our hourly rate was more than what we paid the cleaner so it wasn't a huge drain on our finances.

      I can think of better ways spend my weekend than cleaning. OTOH, I was quite happy to spend my weekends renovating the house, washing the cars, doing maintenance work, cooking, etc. Do you do these things or sub-contract them to others?

    • I hate doing bathrooms, showers are the worst. I pay someone to do them because I absolutely hate them with a passion.

  • +2

    Whatever you do, I'd get yet another service to do a deep clean first, or do a deep clean yourself. Whatever they are quoting you per cleaning session probably isn't enough time to clean properly.

  • +1

    and was wondering what's roughly the cost I'd be looking at for a 4 bedroom single story house (on average).

    Its normally based on an hourly rate. So how many hours would you spend to do the work you want them to? 4 hours? Then $50/hr is $200. $50/hr is pretty cheap BTW for a come to you service.

    For those who employ a house cleaning service, how was your experience?

    As above, you'll normally be booking them for a period of time.

    There is normally a list of things for them to do, broken down into must do each week, then nice to do if there is time.

    Some also use your cleaning products, other supply. So ensure that is worked out as well including what they will be doing. Don't just assume that a 'clean' means you'll come home to a spotless house. They'll do what has been requested in the time given.

  • +2

    I get our large 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house done fortnightly.
    Cost $165 inc GST.
    She does everything and anything you ask really - mopping, vacuuming, bathrooms, make beds, put clothes away, dust plantation shutters, etc.

    • link? where do you find them?

      • got referred from a couple who were doing a deep clean on the rental we had stayed in, while waiting to move into our new house.

    • Really good on ya! A colleague of mine also has a similar sort of a maid, too bad she lives too far away from where I live

    • Bargain, when you consider that 16 people in Australia a year are killed in disputes over household chores. Probably.

    • She does everything and anything you ask really - mopping, vacuuming, bathrooms, make beds, put clothes away, dust plantation shutters, etc.

      How long does that take?

      What about cleaning showers/toilets? wiping over benches and cupboards?

      Making beds, how about changing the sheets?

      • +1

        Usually about 3 hours - is a big house 320 square metres - single storey
        yep does all of the above.

        • So around $55/hr….. Which seems to be the going rate for a cleaner.

          Great to hear they can do all that in the time too!

  • Looked into Jim's cleaning and the 2 franchise owners offered a package around $150-200 (The website advertises a $99 package, but both said they do not do it)

    I don't know about everyone else.

    I asked Jim's electrical to look at an exhaust fan problem in an apartment. They quoted $500 to replace. Turns out the vent was dirty (it was dark up the vent) and the building had central extraction system. Basically 15 mins to work out (went through the access panel) then realised it was a central system. Double check and it was a dirty vent. Would have figured it out and called me right there and said "hey mate, $200 to clean out the vent and you are good and I make a buck for my time" never again Jim.

    That said. You are better off with facebook group asking for recommendations locally.

  • +1

    So you're looking to rent a wife?

    • Technically the idea came from missus her self.

      But yeah 🤨

  • +3

    Never book a Jim's anything, overpriced charlatans.

    • 😭. They were the ones that had best pricing in this scenario tbh. but i’ll look into hourly rates option through other providers. ✌️

    • Agreed, generally overpriced! But Jim's does have a place.

      Oddly I've used Jims for a home window repair as they had been the best price out of the ones that could be bothered to quote.

      It was what I see for a typical Jims franchiser, older person. Had been doing glazing for decades, from my chat with him, he seemed to be struggling to keep busy using his other methods, I guess no one uses the yellow pages anymore and he didn't seem to have a online presence.

      The other time I've used Jims was for a lawn mowing job while on a long holiday. They hadn't been the cheapest, but happy to do a once off job. So it worked.

      • +2

        My brother is a plumber by trade, and got a job with Jim's when he moved town. He quit after going to the induction and training run with one of the other guys, he said the methods they used to trick people, especially the elderly, was disgusting.

        • he said the methods they used to trick people, especially the elderly, was disgusting.

          I haven't looked greatly into it, but the demographic of Jims that I always see are older workers, so this doesn't surprise me at all!

          Most younger people, like your brother I guess use Jims as a starting platform, learn what needs to be done, get a few clients and then go out on their own.

  • I do most of the cleaning when I get a chance, the wife just doesn't know how to clean (had a maid as a kid). Leaves food on the floor and all over the benches. Has never vacuumed or cleaned the toilet or shower. Her answer is to get a maid but they just seem so expensive like you are finding out

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