In 1969 when ‘What the Butler Saw’ was first staged at the Queen’s Theatre, London, the comings and goings of owners in a managed home was at the height of comedy, but household staff are far from a joke, today, hosting your helpers can add value to your home.

 

Barton Wyatt, estate agents for the prestigious Wentworth Estate and the surrounding Virginia Water area in Surrey are well acquainted with the extra staffing needs of home buyers. James Wyatt, Senior Partner, insists, “10% of all our customers have specific household staff requirements, the most popular being nannies or au pairs to assist with the children. Housekeepers’ accommodation is also regularly requested especially for foreign owners who aren’t in residence for much of the year, their housekeepers would then in turn managed cleaners and gardeners etc to keep the house immaculate all year round.”

 

Staff quarters or household accommodation ranges from in-house set ups with bedrooms usually at the top of the house, over garage annexes, basement conversions, stand alone cottages in the grounds or off-site accommodation where owners rent a nearby property or indeed own a second home nearby.

 

Wyatt continues, “the over-garage annex is most popular with owners, it tends to be more private for the family whilst being conveniently on-site and there are many cultures that insist on separate quarters. Arabs for example choose annexes or stand alone properties as culturally it isn’t acceptable to have staff above you in a home. In the home, an in-house set up will add the least value to the property too because it isn’t as popular a choice with buyers, without doubt a separate stand alone annex will add the most value, at least 5% to the value of the property. In properties say worth £2 million this equates to an additional £100,000 to the asking price.”

 

“Of course affording extra staff in your home is a costly arrangement with an au pair couple adding £15,000 a year to your household bills including salary, car usage, utilities, heating and water etc. Nanny’s will demand a salary at least £30,000 a year and housekeepers’ salaries can reach £40-50,000.”

 

Employing household help often occurs when families are expatriated overseas, the same applies when people come to live in the UK. Today people tend to spend more hours in the office and so to maximize their time spent at home with the family, staff are taken on to maintain the smooth running of the home and cover the more menial but essential aspects of home ownership.

 

The British are amongst those who choose household assistance, along with Kazakhstanis, Arabs and Russians and their homes tend to demand an asking price of at least £2 million such as Caspian House in Sunningdale. This 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom family home has a triple garage with accommodation over and is set in landscaped gardens of 0.6 acres. It is ideally located close to the Sunningdale golf course as well as village shops and amenities. Caspian House is on the market for £2,595,000.

 

For more information and to discuss your home requirements large or small contact Barton Wyatt on 0134 484 3000 or visit www.bartonwyatt.co.uk.