What Is A House Manager? Duties, Cost, And How To Hire One

On average, Americans spend about 2.5 hours per day on household tasks, not including time spent taking care of kids or other household members. From cleaning to organizing, staying on top of maintenance and repairs, filling out paperwork, and taking care of pets, the time and mental energy spent on running a household can really add up.

That’s where a house manager comes in. House managers are there to ensure the home is running smoothly and to take care of the day-to-day tasks. What that means in practice can vary a lot by household, depending on their needs and budget.

“I consider a house manager a modern-day Mary Poppins,” says Kelly Hubbell with Sage Haus, which helps families hire house managers. “They're responsible for managing household operations and helping to create and implement systems in your home, like laundry, meal planning, grocery shopping, car maintenance, and other stuff like that.” 

Below, we break down what a house manager is today (no, you don't need to own an estate to have one), the tasks they can take on, how much they cost, and how to hire one.

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What Is A House Manager?

Short Answer: A house manager oversees the day-to-day operations of a household so everything runs smoothly. Their responsibilities vary by family, but typically include managing vendors, coordinating schedules, handling errands, and keeping the home organized and stocked.

Traditionally, a house manager has strong project management, leadership, and communication skills. They manage other household employees like nannies, housecleaners, gardeners, or personal chefs, coordinate with vendors for house maintenance and upkeep, and oversee the household budget. They notice when things need to get done, then source all the vendors themselves, and complete the project without much family involvement. 

While these types of traditional house manager positions still exist, the role has also shifted to adapt to the needs of modern, middle-class families — it's no longer reserved solely for high-net-worth families with multiple household employees.  The lines between a “family assistant” and “house manager” are becoming more blurred and are often used interchangeably, especially as many families look for hybrid positions that best fit their household. 

“It's a role that's really customized to the needs of a family,” says Hubbell, whose family’s house manager tackles everything from preschool drop-offs to unloading the dishwasher, walking the dog, tidying the house, and babysitting once a week for date night. 

In our household, our nannies’ roles are a combination of a nanny/family assistant/house manager. A large part of their responsibilities is still to support the kids, but they also perform errands that help the whole family thrive outside of childcare-related assignments. Some of their responsibilities, like coordinating with vendors for home repairs and keeping household basics stocked, are tasks commonly associated with house managers. As our kids continue to grow up, I envision our nannies’ roles shifting even more toward household management duties and less on babysitting and childcare. 

All that is to say that you can make a house manager role what you want it to be to best fit and support your family. Screw titles. Define the role you want based on what you need help with and hire someone willing to take on those tasks.  

For tips on converting your nanny into a hybrid house manager/family assistant, check out my free guide: 6 Steps To Promoting Your Nanny Into A Family Assistant.

What Does a House Manager Do? (Typical Duties)

As I said above, the duties of a house manager can be defined as you see fit. The position is all about freeing up the time and mental load that goes along with managing a household. Just make sure to be extremely clear about the duties and responsibilities you want your house manager to take on before hiring so that everyone is on the same page and there aren’t any surprises down the road.

When defining your house manager’s duties, think about what tasks deplete your time and energy and go from there. Below are examples of tasks you can delegate to your house manager. For even more ideas, download our free guide: 99 Tasks You Can Delegate Today.

If you’re not sure which household tasks are actually worth delegating, that’s totally normal. Many families struggle to identify which responsibilities take up the most of their time and mental energy. Take our Mental Load Audit, and we’ll help you quickly determine what types of household support would have the biggest impact for your family.

Meals & Kitchen

• Take inventory of the refrigerator and pantry and add needed items to the shopping list
• Order groceries online and schedule a time when someone (other than you) will be there to receive the order
• Bring groceries inside, unload them, and put them away in the appropriate places
• Keep the refrigerator organized & fresh by restocking drinks, removing old items weekly, and wiping down and cleaning the inside when needed

Lawncare & Outdoors

• Test pool equipment and ensure it's serviced and maintained as needed 
• Remove leaves from the pool & gutter
• Schedule the pest control quarterly service
• Coordinate property requests with gardener

Vendor & Home Maintenance

• Track, coordinate, and schedule maintenance for appliances
• Walk around the property to identify any areas in need of maintenance or repair
• Research vendors and get quotes for the service needed (i.e., plumbing, electrical, pest control)
• Small-level handyman duties (e.g., WD-40, batteries, light bulbs, etc.)
• Contact and coordinate payment for home vendors (i.e., flower delivery, car detail, pest control service, etc.)
• Build, re-adjust, and clean out equipment as needed (e.g., car seat, stroller, toys, play structures, standing tower, baby gates, etc.)
• Take care of the family pet (i.e., feed, walk, clean food bowl, fill water bowl)

Household Supplies

• Take inventory of household supplies (e.g., toilet paper, Kleenex, and soap) and add to the current shopping list
• Coordinate with housekeeping staff about what cleaning items are needed or low (e.g., detergent, disinfectant, and filters)
• Order household and housekeeping supplies as needed 
• Bring in packages, open them, and put items away
• Break down boxes and put them in the recycling bin
• Bring mail inside the house 
• Tackle larger organization projects (i.e., organize bookshelves and pantry)

Keep House Fresh

• Empty and run the dishwasher
• Take out trash and recycling bins on designated pick-up days
• Bleach, clean, and sterilize specialty appliances when needed (i.e. sinks, humidifiers, iPads, dishwasher, coffee maker, etc.)

Events, Parties & Seasonal Decor

• Research tablescape ideas, costume ideas, and themes for a party
• Decorate the tablescape and set the table with china and silver
• Schedule the installation & removal of holiday lights
• Research, order, and wrap gifts
• Send packages
• Create and send invitations

Appointment Scheduling & Paperwork 

• Fill out paperwork when needed (i.e., school, doctor, dentist, etc.)
• Research & sign family members up for classes, memberships, and activities
• Schedule doctor appointments 
• Manage household calendar
• Manage the household budget, including paying bills, managing expenses, and keeping financial records
• Schedule auto service appointments; including driving the car to the dealership 
• Assist with travel arrangements (e.g., spa reservations, car rentals) by logging in with your credentials or calling on your behalf

Errands

• Mail returns for all online purchase items 
• In-store returns
• Go to the bank or ATM to get cash, and drop off deposits
• Dry cleaning drop off and pick up

How Much Does A House Manager Cost?

The cost of a house manager can vary wildly, depending on the exact type of experience you’re looking for and the extent of their role. A traditional, full-time house manager can cost about $150K/year, whereas a more hybrid family assistant/house manager role can range from $25-$55/hr, depending on location and responsibilities. House managers can also work full-time or as little as 5 hours a week.  

How To Hire A House Manager

Many of you can actually turn your current nanny into a house manager — that’s what we did.  To learn how to add house managing duties to your nanny’s workload, download my guide: 6 Steps To Promoting Your Nanny Into A Family Assistant. 

However, if you don’t have an existing nanny, then there are a few different ways to hire a house manager. Here are the ones we recommend for finding both full and part-time house managers:

1. Use A Staffing Agency

A staffing agency is another great way to hire a house manager, since they will save you a ton of time when it comes to writing the job description, screening resumes, doing initial interviews, and then following up with all of the needed human resources paperwork.

Investment Cost: $9,800 minimum placement fee (or $7,800 with Proxy pricing) + $55/hour house manager

Time Saved: 40 hours, including time spent writing the job description, screening resumes, doing initial interviews, and completing the necessary human resources paperwork, including background checks and reference checks 

2. Use a Recruiting Service

Recruiting or consulting services are less expensive than staffing agencies, but they don’t necessarily guarantee the placement of your candidate, meaning that there is no insurance policy if the person you hire doesn’t work out after 90 days.

With that said, the goal of working with a recruiter is to find the right fit and outsource most of the work required to hire at home, such as creating the job description, posting the job, and screening the initial candidates. Proxy subscribers can get a 20% discount on Sage Haus’ house manager recruiting service for full and part-time house managers.

Investment Cost: $4,000 recruiting fee (or $3,200 with Proxy pricing) + $35+/hour house manager 

Time Saved: 24 hours, including time spent on writing the job description, screening resumes, doing initial interviews, and completing the necessary human resources paperwork

3. Consider A Virtual House Manager

There are also companies that offer virtual house managers. While they can’t help with in-person tasks, I used a virtual house manager to find and book a contractor to fix my backyard fence, and found it very helpful. Proxy subscribers get preferred pricing and access to our vetted virtual house manager recommendations.

Investment Cost: $80/hr virtual house manager (only $40/hr for Proxy subscribers)

Time Saved: 15 hours sourcing the best virtual service to use — we’ve done that for you. 

4. Use An On-Demand House Manager Service

There are companies that offer on-demand, pay-as-you-go house managers. You can book them in 2-hour chunks and they can meet vendors on site, run errands, etc. The downside is that you don't establish a relationship with one person over time. And the hourly rate is often higher than if you hire someone on a regular basis. But it's a great way to test out what hiring a house manager can do for you, or to get extra help during an especially busy period of time, like the holidays.

Investment Cost: $50-$80/hr (or $40-$50/hr with Proxy pricing)

Time Saved: 15 hours sourcing the best on-demand house manager service to use — we’ve done that for you. 

Still deciding what makes sense for your household? Take our 4-minute Mental Load Audit, and we’ll show you what you can afford to outsource — and what will have the biggest impact on your time and energy.

House Manager FAQs

Below are quick answers to some of the most common questions we get from families about whether a house manager is right for them.

Have another question we didn't answer? Text Proxy — (820) 732-2625 — and we'll respond in minutes. Proxy is your thinking partner for home life. Anything you are overthinking, wondering about, debating with your partner, or about to Google or research yourself, you can ask Proxy instead.