01 Oct The Houseman’s Duties and Responsibilities
A versatile solution for many households, a houseman ensures the general upkeep of a home. A houseman will ensure the cleaning and maintenance are kept up together and offers continuity and flexibility.
There is an additional benefit of security if you employ a full-time houseman to work in the house during the day. Some may work alone within a private household while others work with other staff, including housekeepers, house managers, butlers, and chefs.
A Houseman, in some parts of the world still referred to as the “under-butler or male housekeeper”, is responsible for the heavier housework in a more formal household. Today, more and more households that are less complex are requesting skilled housemen to do the heavy and light cleaning, cooking, laundry, and possibly some driving.
Essential functions of the job include:
- Cleaning the interior and exterior of the home which can include heavy housework, such as cleaning floors, vacuuming, polishing silver, accepting heavy deliveries, and moving furniture and other items
- Waxing all floors or hard cleaning of floors. Cleaning and laying fireplaces, restocking wood, emptying bins.
- Ensuring that grounds and exterior workspaces are clean
- Changing light bulbs, and fuses, checking boiler pressure, bleeding radiators, checking security and alarm systems, and performing minor household repairs.
- Performing small household repairs and assisting other staff members if needed
- Keeping property free of trash and pests and handling trash and recycling both inside and outside the household
- Maintaining gardens, mowing, watering plants, and cleaning windows, paths, and steps.
- Raking gravel and leaves, jet-spraying exterior walls and windowsills, and outdoor furniture.
- Valeting cars, driving to meetings, shopping, running errands, airport, and school runs.
- Assisting to serve at dinners, looking after swimming pools, saunas, gyms, and hot tub
- Assisting with laundry and ironing, cooking, laying tables, and caring for children and pets.
- Maintaining household appliances and other tools in working order
- Washing windows, walls, and ceilings as needed
- Setting up furniture and structures for parties and events
- Scheduling laundry services, room service, or newspaper delivery
- Identifying and reporting maintenance issues and coordinating appropriate responses
Ideal qualities of a Houseman:
- Proficiency in a second language could be advantageous if serving an international clientele or working with staff members whose native language is not English
- Excellent organizational skills
- Good communication skills and manners
- Ability to stay on their feet for much of the day and able to lift heavy objects such as furniture or luggage.
- Ability to handle the daily duties in a residence, and ensure the smooth and orderly running of a residency
- Must be able to think freely and make decisions on own about job responsibility
- Able to perform duties without great supervision
- Ability to keep calm, responsive, and friendly under pressure
Riveter Consulting Group seeks out and retains exceptional individuals with a proven track record of managing large, high-profile households.
Housemen assist with all housekeeping duties, maintenance (interior and exterior), and dealing with all facilities (swimming pools, tennis courts, saunas) to ensure everything runs smoothly in your home.
If you want to hire a Houseman for your household and don’t know exactly where to get started, get started by filling out our contact page, or, call us at 1 855-444-2515 to tell us more about your needs and get advice about the next steps from one of our friendly staffing experts.
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