PRIVATE FULLTIME LIVE IN HOUSEKEEPER

San Francisco CA

Description

Background and duties: For more than 30 years the homeowner has had a housekeeper, pet sitter and laundress and ironer for a large home now occupied by an active widowed man of 78, sometimes visited by his daughter, son in law and two very young grandchildren (3 & 4). The duties described are those fulfilled in the past and desired but all is negotiable. The housekeeper’s quarters consist of a furnished bedroom, sitting room, bathroom and kitchenette plus closets on the top floor of the house (four stories) served by stairs and an elevator, including TV, cable TV service and internet at no cost. Technically there is no separate entrance but reasonably private access is possible from a side door. Comings and goings are often unobserved; however visitors are limited and indicated in advance. The sitting room usually also serves as the ironing room since the current housekeeper does laundry and ironing for the one occupant of the house, including shirts and bedsheets etc. Ironing could occur elsewhere. Duties have and would continue to include the following: 1) general cleaning of the entire house on a regular and fairly meticulous basis, including care of fine furniture and some not so fine, dusting throughout and cleaning of baths and kitchen regularly as used including front and side stairs and raised decks but not including other exterior areas generally maintained by the gardeners ; 2) weekly laundry and ironing, involving very little clothing and very few linens for the table except after a party, and weekly change of the one bed and the housekeeper’s own clothing or more beds when guests are here and replacement of towels in bathrooms; 3) pet sitting (one dog and one cat), including dog walking nearby in the Presidio when the owner is out of town (amounting to several months in total during a year), both during the normal work week and occasionally on weekends (about six weekends per year since others take the pets many times); 4) No cooking or meal preparation for owner required; occasional help during rare parties for preparation and cleanup (perhaps two or three times a year). Owner likes to cook and does his own and for guests except when large parties are catered (once a year at most); 5) Removal of flowers when dead; occasional silver polishing and floor waxing; and keeping the kitchen clean because it is used a lot. 6) Feeding and help in brushing animals and cleaning out and replenishing cat litter. 7) occasional shopping for cleaning and laundry products nearby but usually purchased by owner on request 8) Receiving packages and mail and maintaining security of house through locks and alarm system 9) Making beds Hours: generally 9-4 except an hour for lunch and/or rest Monday through Friday; option of staying in residence or not for weekends except when staying to do pet sitting due to owner’s travel. Cat requires little. Both pets are very friendly and enjoy attention. Salary and benefits: negotiable; has generally included salary of $2000/month plus health insurance plus social security and relevant employment tax payments; two weeks paid vacation and/or personal /medical leave and all national holidays (generally the Monday holidays and New Years and Christmas and Thanksgiving); also flexible days and hours off in compensation for weekend pet sitting. Housekeeper purchases own food and other items for personal use and keeps in own kitchenette which has range, fridge and sink and other quarters. Microwave could be added. Lots of pots and pans and utensils for use. Adequate room to store food. Owner often purchases extra food. The House: a very large four story Victorian house, involving three floors of active use, although only a small portion is really used by the sole occupant very much – the kitchen, breakfast room, master bedroom and bath, TV-library. The formal living and dining rooms are generally closed off to prevent animal hair because they are only used when there are guests. Mostly hardwood floors with various rugs; carpeted stairs front and back and hallways between. The lowest floor is a playroom only used for parties except for laundry in the rear. There is a laundry chute to drop laundry down and laundry can be moved by elevator. Parking is available in the driveway in front with access to front and side doors for housekeeper and for the owner in the garage below the lowest floor. There are views to the Golden Gate Bridge and a rear garden maintained by weekly gardeners where trash is also stored for Friday pickup by scavengers who enter using keys. Dog walkers have access to gated rear yard and door to get dog each day. Alarm system exists. Very secure. Never had an incident. Exterior and interior window washing is done by contractors each year. A handyman and known plumber and electrician provide necessary repairs. Requirements for Applicant: First and foremost the person must be a nonsmoker (tobacco or otherwise). Complete honesty and truthfulness goes without saying and references will be checked as will credit and any public records. Experience in the care and cleaning of a fine home including some fine furnishings (especially wood), a lot of silverware, dishes and glassware, and linens. Must be demonstrably capable also of good laundry practices and careful ironing of napkins, tablecloths, and clothing (cotton and silk). Ability to sew is appreciated. Must be attentive to what is amiss or requiring attention in terms of cleaning and ordering the house Must be meticulous in cleaning, dusting, vacuuming and arranging furniture and rugs and in away fragile objects. Must be reliable at all times and especially when owner is away traveling. Must be emotionally stable, not needy of constant supervision and not in need of frequent visitors or phone interaction during working hours. Desirous of weekends alone or elsewhere is fine except when owner is travelling when a few hours a day are required for the pets. The owner treasures privacy and is used to it. Would like someone who also likes privacy and to be let alone when not working. When grandchildren are staying helpful if enjoy children but they do not require a lot of attention.