You take the plunge... you leave the seemingly 'safe' shores of South Africa to head off to a new country. You are excited, filled with anticipation, anxiety and perhaps a bit of angst.

Two months later - the excitement has passed; you are fully into the swing of things and are now regretting that you couldn't pack that faithful family maid into the container with you.

Labour in South Africa is cheap, so most families are accustomed to having a full-time (or part-time) maid looking after the domestic duties. As a reference, we were paying approximately R60 per day (equates to AU$12) for someone to come in 2 days a week.

So, do you want the good news or the bad news?
I'll start with the good: There are a large number of companies offering domestic cleaning services in Sydney (as there are in Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne...) They are professionals, you don't have to worry about unions, minimum wage issues or political sensitivity about employing your own domestic. You are dealing with an established business that has to operate under the same laws and regulations as all other business in the country. If you don't like something, you can lodge a complaint with Customer Care - there are no emotional issues to deal with (except your own, but more on that later). 

What do these companies offer? This varies from company to company, but their duties may include (but are not limited to): Dusting, Vacuuming, Mopping, Ironing, Washing, Cupboards, Ovens, Changing bed linen, Skirting Boards and Patio Area’s. “Ah!” I hear a sigh already - no baby sitting? No windows? Feeding the pets? The contracts are usually quite explicit: "Duties may be changed, added to or deleted as you direct." and what's this going to set you back? ... Are you sitting? .... Suggest you grab a scotch whilst you're getting that chair!

A once off (general clean that will most likely exclude any laundry duties) will set you back anywhere from $50-$130. This once off clean will also probably last no more than 2hrs, and don't think you'll be able to stand there and direct traffic. You want the curtains taken off the rails to be washed? That's an extra $x. Did you say polish the silverware? Sorry, that's an extra $x. So, you want to live in a REALLY big house (more than the average match box apartment) - sorry, that's an extra $x per room!! I assume you get my point?

The up side is, that if you contract one of these companies to come in on a regular basis (once a week or fortnight) - Yes, most Australians get their places cleaned once a fortnight!!! The hourly rate is usually decreased (marginally) and you can stipulate the exact tasks that will be undertaken during this time (did I hear you mumble bathrooms and ironing ;-)

So, we've taken care of the domestics, what about the garden (if you have one)? That's the same ball game. Find a company and get a quote (for a weekly, fortnightly or monthly service). More $$$.

Baby sitting: The going rate is about $12-$15 per hour. The best option is to go on recommendations or use a friend's teenage daughter (you usually pay a lower rate and you know where the money is going to, AND or where to find them!) Otherwise, you'll need to phone an agency.

You'll soon start to feel like a project manager on a construction site. Different companies, different contractors, a list of phone numbers and a pile of business cards. Back up emergency numbers (in case the baby sitter cancels), alternate cleaners (ones that friends recommended), the details of the 'authentic' Aussie gardener - whose accent you can barely understand.... and then, you wake up, realise it’s Saturday morning and that Elizabeth is probably cleaning someone else's house back in SA. Housework awaits you with the excited anticipation only it can bring to your otherwise boring life.

You'll probably find that this is one area that you'll initially try and save money on. The more you can do yourself, the more money you can save for other things. Sydney recently jumped into the top 10 most expensive cities (worldwide) to live in. Other AU cities also leaped between 30-46 spots. So where possible, most families start to limit, or totally cut out some of the luxury services/treats they were accustomed to.

So if you're going to take the plunge, you'll need a couple of tips:

1. Get the right tools (there is no point in scrubbing the bathroom with a toothbrush and soap), you'll be there for hours. Either go on recommendation or test a couple of products out. As always, the better products tend to cost a bit more, but ask yourself what your personal time is worth - hmmm... thought so. 2. Train the family. If they were brought up in a typical SA household, you'll have a few world wars until the kids learn to pick up after themselves and perform their share of the tasks. • Dirty laundry needs to be taken to the laundry room (if you have the luxury of space, get two baskets: one for the dark and one light clothes). Train the mob to separate their own laundry. • A roster should identify who is responsible for packing or unpacking the dishwasher and for taking out and sorting the rubbish (general, paper, glass and plastics are separated in different bins). These are typically tasks that the kids can learn to do. • Teach everyone to put things back once they're used (I may be stating the obvious, but small things like this reduce your petty housework time tremendously!) • Have a family meeting. Tell everyone that you're not a maid whose life's ambition is to pick up after them. It is everyone's responsibility to pick up after themselves and that they all need to contribute to keeping the house/unit in a fit state. You are not a slave to the vacuum cleaner! • Lay down your terms for what chores need to happen on a daily basis (making the bed, packing the school bags away, etc...). Help your kids get into a routine (if they are old enough). It becomes less of a pain if they get into the habit of getting up and making the bed before they do anything else.  • Identify what you consider to be a 'reasonable' standard. For your teenage kids, a pile of dirty clothes in the corner of the room may be of no issue, but as they're living in your house, and being fed and looked after through your hard work and labours - then xyz needs to happen.  3. A friend of ours took a course in packing and organising once they settled in Melbourne. These courses may sometimes be teaching to the converted, but they also provide you with a number of useful tips that will save you countless of hours further down the line. (You can also find a lot of tips on websites such as www.lifestylechannel.com.au). 4. Wear gloves. It may look daft, but in the long run it protects those beautiful hands. Trust me on the gloves.

When it comes to domestic work, there are two scientific principles that you need to be aware of:

1. The law of entropy (the measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system): Everything (and I mean everything) moves toward a higher state of entropy (chaos). It’s a scientific law of nature and you’re constantly fighting a loosing battle. 2. “A rolling stone gathers no moss” has an opposite axiom: “A free standing ornament will always gather dust.” If you are a collector of bits and bobs and love displaying little goodies on shelves, you’ll need to accept one of two possibilities (you’ll either be dusting till the cows come home, or that you need to get packing. Items that are packed away in cupboards or containers don’t need dusting).

This doesn’t mean that we’re doomed to a minimalist existence! All I want to say is be pragmatic. Identify what is more important to you and then respect those decisions. 

So, it's not all gloom and doom. The madam can survive without her Eve... and Moses....

Signing out,
Organiser Girl (a.k.a. Alice)

Resources and other legal information: 1. You cannot bring your trusty maid into Australia. Unless she is willing to come out on a working visa in which case you will need to setup your own company to act as her sponsor. As a sponsor you are required to pay her a minimum wage of around $36,000.00 per annum, be responsible for her as an employee (9% contribution to superannuation, PAYE, payroll tax, etc.) This is a lot more complicated than you think and has a lot of legal implications. You would be responsible for any legal and monetary support that may come up. Medical as a non-resident is also terribly expensive. Unless you’re Donald Trump I don’t think this is an option to pursue. 2. You probably won’t get away with hiring a Chinese or Asian immigrant to clean your house for a pittance (I know how those mind’s are working overtime!). They are usually cheaper in their rates, but unless they are recommended, I would say go with an established company – if all else fails, you can at least sue them! Some reference sites (domestic services): www.absolutedomestics.com.au www.abbieshousework.com.au www.bebrite.com.au www.houseproud.com.au www.viphomeservices.com Storage Ideas: www.lifestylechannel.com.au www.ikea.com.au

* Disclaimer: Please note that the views and comments expressed in this article are solely my own and are by no means representative of South Africans (or any other nationalities for that matter) as a whole. Everyone's experience is different.