A house manager (also called a domestic manager, housekeeping manager, estate manager or household manager) is an individual who is solely responsible for overseeing and governing the ins and outs of the household. House managers may live on-site in the employer’s home, have a set number of hours per day to come in, or be on call to take on tasks as needed — all depending on the needs of the employer and home.
In this blog, we’ll discuss what a house manager is, what the job entails, and what is required to become a house manager.
Generally, a house manager plays an important role in keeping the household running efficiently and effectively. Responsibilities may include any chore or task that needs to be done for the home or family, like ensuring the home stays neat and organized, setting appointments for repair and maintenance services in the home, keeping an inventory of household items and restocking as needed, running errands, cleaning and folding laundry, managing bills, caring for children in the home, and more.
Another key component of a house manager is to hire and supervise other household staff or contractors at the request of the homeowner. For instance, if the HVAC system isn’t working properly, it is the responsibility of the house manager to contact a repair service, arrange for them to come and look at the system, talk with the technician when they arrive at the home, and oversee the work to make sure everything is done properly and the system gets fixed. A house manager may also manage the following:
The requirements to become a house manager will depend on the specific homeowner and his or her needs, but generally, a high school diploma or GED is preferred. Additionally, the homeowner will want to see strong references from previous employers to show the candidate is a responsible and trustworthy individual. After all, employers are trusting the house manager to deal with their families, personal information, and belongings.
Some experience in general household upkeep is also a plus when applying to become a house manager. Many house managers actually start as other employees in the home — most often nannies, who are often already doing certain tasks like cleaning and folding the children’s laundry, preparing meals, running errands, etc.
Different households will have different requirements for staff attire. More formal households may require a specific uniform, semi-formal households may request black pants or skirt and a white buttoned shirt, and an informal home typically allows the house manager to wear whatever they are comfortable with — subject to the homeowner’s agreement.
It is best for employer and employee to discuss this sooner rather than later to avoid any surprises (as a house manager, you don’t want to show up in jeans if the homeowner has a more formal preference; as a homeowner, you don’t want to blindside the house manager with a uniform requirement on day one of the job).
