Household help that fits your family

A well‑run household feels almost weightless: meals appear, spaces stay clean, kids are where they need to be, and guests are hosted graciously without you touching the details. Getting there requires more than “hiring a nanny” or “finding a housekeeper”—it means designing a team and structure that supports how you actually live.

This guide outlines common roles, agency types, and practical steps so you can build a home team that scales with your life instead of your calendar.

Core Household Roles (and Who They Serve)

Housekeeper

• Primary focus: Daily cleanliness, laundry, and presentation.
• Signals you need one:
  • The house only looks “guest ready” right after a deep clean.
  • Laundry, linens, and small resets eat an entire weekend.

Nanny / Family Assistant

• Primary focus: Childcare, school logistics, and kid‑centered activities.
• Family assistant add‑on:
  • Light household admin (returns, appointments, simple errands) during school hours.
  • Coordination with tutors, coaches, and therapists.

Personal Assistant / Executive Assistant

• Primary focus: Your time—calendar, email, travel, obligations.
• In the home:
  • Interface with other staff, vendors, and services.
  • Ensure your preferences and boundaries are consistently enforced.

Estate Manager / Household Manager

• Primary focus: The system itself.
• Owns maintenance schedules, vendor relationships, budgets, and staff coordination.
• Acts as your single point of contact: you approve direction and numbers, they handle execution.

You may not need all of these from day one, but knowing the roles helps you avoid mismatched expectations (e.g., hiring a “housekeeper” but expecting estate‑manager responsibilities).

Agency Types and When to Use Them

Generalist Domestic Agencies

• Best for: First hires (housekeeper, nanny) and single‑property households.
• Pros:
  • Broad candidate pools and established processes.
  • Good for getting started quickly.
• Cons:
  • Less specialized in UHNW norms and multi‑property complexity.

Specialist UHNW / Estate Agencies

• Best for: Estate managers, butlers, senior nannies, and complex roles.
• Pros:
  • Candidates who understand discretion, travel, and multi‑home rotations.
  • Stronger alignment with security and lifestyle expectations.
• Cons:
  • Higher fees and longer searches.

Family Office-Led Staffing

• Best for: Families already running a family office or larger operating company.
• Treats staff as part of a broader system of service providers, with oversight, reviews, and clear reporting.

How to Design Your Home Team

1. Map your current pain points Is it kid logistics, cleaning, travel, entertaining, or all of the above? Rank them.

2. Start with the “base layer” Most homes begin with housekeeping + childcare and layer in assistance or estate management later.

3. Define working norms up front

   • Workdays, overtime, and travel expectations.
   • Boundaries around private spaces, phone use, and guest interactions.

4. Integrate with your calendar and finance systems Your estate manager or PA should be able to read your calendar far enough ahead to staff up for events and travel, and your accounting should clearly track staff‑related costs per property.