Why domestic couples? Why not engage other areas of household staff such as butlers, or chefs, or housekeepers, or estate management or chauffeurs?  With a Domestic couple you have a team of two people and between them they are responsible for many facets of household duties which can cover all the roles mentioned above.

With a domestic couple you get a unit who are already a team with all-rounder skills that can manage the household duties seamlessly. It’s a unique category of private staff  Rather than hiring an army of staff who could make your household feel crowded, a domestic couple can take on multiple roles.  Of course this is dependent on the size of your household and how the time dedicated to tasks is managed and this may not suit every situation, but the couple can allow your household to be just that; yours.

With a range of skills on offer from a domestic couple, it is important the consultant understands which skills the household want to be implemented in their home.

Rather than just packaging up a couple in to basic roles such as housekeeping, cooking and childcare for the indoor duties and gardening, house maintenance and driving for the outdoor duties, we appreciate these are the necessary requirements to all households but which one makes your home your home?  Is it a family home and childcare is essential above all others, or do you like to entertain and would prefer a domestic couple who can cook and look after your guests accordingly?  Maybe your manicured garden is the apple of your eye and you need someone who can tend to that while maintaining the rest of your household to high class standards? 

Whatever it is that makes your home unique to you, our aim is to take take the time in understanding your household and find the right couple to suit your dynamic. 

And it works both ways. 

Our dedicated couple’s desk means we can take the time to understand what makes up the unique dynamic of the candidates we meet and register.  By having the time to not only research the skills of the domestic couples, we can also begin to understand their dynamic and find suitable placements that suit their strengths and life style preferences, such as urban or country living for example.

As every household is unique, so is every domestic couple; they come with a range of skills, experience and knowledge unique to them.  Understanding the market rate for such a variety of household requirements can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if it is your first time using a domestic household staffing agency.  Obviously what you are willing to pay is dependent on many facets such as the size of your household, the degree of experience wanted and hours worked, for example.

It is important to be mindful that the private service industry often work based on net salaries; that is the take home pay after tax.  To try and make this simple, we have broken down the pay structure into three sections, again being mindful of the household requirements.

As of the time of writing this article (August 2022), we would recommend the three stages of pay for a domestic couple would be:

Starter couple
This is generally a domestic couple with over a year’s experience of private household service or a couple who is moving from working on private yachts and moving into private households.  We would recommend a salary of £700 - £800 net per week for the couple.  This is also dependent on the various household requirements already mentioned. 

Standard couple
This is the industry standard and is generally a domestic couple who has the required five years’ experience sought by private households with a multitude of skills and those with specific skills, such as dinner party cooking.  We would recommend a salary of £900 - £1000 net per week for the couple.  This is dependent on the various household requirements already mentioned. 

Management couple
This is a domestic couple with many years’ experience between them in all aspects of domestic service and have had some experience in formal households.  They are not only able to take the hands on duties when required but also able to manage all the requirements of multiple households and estates.  They will arrange every single need from staffing, paying household bills to arranging all the household and social schedules and at times, business schedules of the Principals and their family.  We would recommend a salary for a management couple to start at £1,000 net per week minimum and rising depending on experience and the various household requirements already mentioned with the typical rate being around £1,200 net per week.

We would strongly recommend that each couple are paid as individuals.
A domestic couple is definitely not a two for the price of one.  They are a unit of two individuals, each with an all-round skill set that combined can cover a multitude of tasks in every household and when compared to employing the equivalent individuals to manage the same tasks, it certainly offers value for money.

At Marshall Harber, we are in the position to take the time to ascertain your household requirements and what makes your home yours, understand our candidates and their lifestyle preferences to ensure we offer the right suggestion to make each dynamic work. Contact one of our consultants to discuss your requirements.