It’s been awhile now that I was thinking of hiring somebody to clean our house thoroughly. Yeah we have help here in the house, but she is so tide up with catering the needs of our kids that sometimes the house is not really maintain the way Bob and I want it to be. A few months ago while riding the taxi on my way home I saw a janitorial place not far from our house. So finally yesterday I told my niece to call the janitorial place and inquire from them how much would they usually charge for a house cleaning. Later my niece told me that she talked to one of the people at the cleaning place and they told her that somebody will be coming over to our house to see and make an estimate of how much are they going to charge me.
Like 2- 3 hours later the lady showed up at our house, my niece eagerly showed her the whole house. Few minutes later I talked to this lady and asked her right away how much they usually charge for cleaning a house like ours? She immediately said Php20,000.00. I asked her again I thought I just misheard her. She told me the price again the 20k. I told her wow, that’s a lot of money. She then told me to call up her boss, that the boss will reduce the price a little bit. I thought to myself yeah she will lower it at the most 2k. I am not paying that kind of money just for cleaning my house. I will just hire some extra people here and I will oversee what they are doing for just 1/4 or less of the price they quoted me.
I will tell more of our house though. It has three good size room, 2 living rooms and a big eating area and a kitchen. 2 bathroom upstairs and one downstairs of course the hallway. The living room downstairs which we turn into the play and computer area for the kids has a vaulted ceiling. Really all in all for me it didn’t think that cleaning this space I have to pay 20k for it. I’m pretty sure that some friends that came here and saw our house would agree with me on that.
I told my nieces and nephew what the janitorial lady quoted me for cleaning our house, they told me right away that we will just clean our house ourselves. Today my nephew and my brother-in-law started climbing the ladder and cleaning our walls and ceiling. I think that’s a good start for us. Few days ago I already started cleaning my good dishes (china) and my crystals. I have to handle it myself because my people are scared to handle it, that they might break it. They just wanted to assist me on that. They know that we have some china that was given to Bob by his grandparents and of course his parents.I also have some good china collections myself over the years of living in the States.
The lady even told my niece that we don’t really need them because our house is already clean anyway. My gosh, how much more are they going to charge me if our house was really so filthy? Really I was in shocked for the whole day yesterday. You can call me cheap, but I would rather spend my money on the important stuff. Me and my people will just have to work more time in cleaning now. Wow, double time. It’s okay though. 😉
Hi Feyma I am new in to your website. And I agree with you even though I didn't see your house. What a big money they ask for hehehe.
Hi Feyma! 20thou sure is a big amount of money. I have a before-New Year ritual to thorough clean the house. I just get extra help for a day or two since my house is small. I guess they charged that much because the house is nice. hehe
Hi Feyma, when I read your article, I thought, the amount 20k was wrong typed! My goodness. Since long time we got help in such things from our own family. Of course, we pay them, because it's also their additional income. 😆
Whew! Who do they usually work for that they think they can get that much? But they did you a good service for free! They made you feel good about hiring a few extra people and saving a whole lot of money, while getting the house cleaned as well! I am sure that in the end, you will much much more satisfied with the results!
Maybe she saw Bob and figured you have dollars 😆 Is the 20K really just for a day or two of cleaning? If I were in Davao, I'd clean your house for 80% off. Tee hee.
Hi razielle – Nope, I wasn't around when the lady came here, so she didn't see me.
Hi Flor – Welcome to our web magazine. Totally, very expensive.
Hi Cathy – I like to clean the house good before I put my Christmas decor. I like to put my big Christmas tree and my Dickens Village.
Honestly it's kind of ridiculous that they had to charge me big by looking at WHO was occupying the house and seeing we have nice stuff inside. It's annoying.
Hi Klaus – Yeah I didn't type it wrong its true its really 20k. I agree with you just hire the family to help out for them to earn too.
Thank you for the nice lesson today.
Hi AmericanLola – She mention some of her clients, don't know if its true though. I doubt those clients will pay that much. I'm happy to let my nephew and brother-in-law started working yesterday and today I hire one more person to help. My labandera and her daughter help out today. I think we are okay now. I'm happy with the result right now with the work of my people.
Hi Razielle – I am not sure if she saw the our family pictures on the stairway. I would be shock if she didn't see it.
Yeah, for the 20k she said they will work 1-2 days work. I am not sure how many people are going to work for that. I didn't really get much more details because I know for sure I'm not using them.
>>If I were in Davao, I’d clean your house for 80% off. Tee hee.<<
SAYANG you're not here in Davao. 😆
Good gracious!.. That is indeed a rediculous expensive charge. It's good Feyma that you didn't succumb into this racket. That price is a rip off. You can get a help arround the neighboorhood with lesser fee. I agree with Kalus, relatives love to have that extra allowance they earn from janitorial, farm, carpentry and so on sidelines.
Opppsss sorry about the name spelling I mean Klaus…
Hi Mady – That's for sure. I hope that the lady that came to do the estimate learn her lesson. I don't know how they stay in business.
I know my family would want to help out. Just that they are a few hours away from us. I could have them come here for the price I was quoted.
Hi Feyma – HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU & FAMILY!
I really loved your website, Very informative to all.
I come home often in Digos and Sta. Maria Dvo. del sur.I also own a house there and had it clean, and its really good if your relative are the one whos cleaning your house.
1. They have xtra income
2. You know you can trust them.
Same thing, in my house my family members are the one whos doing it of course with the pay. They love it!!
I really thinks that the lady that came in your house saw your family pictures. Thats how she priced you. Its not right but, some people when they knew that you have money they will over price you.
And if you dont like the price, they will lower their price until you agree.
Thats how they do business ( Most of them).
And of course by that time , that is actually their charges to their customers.
Its really bad!
Im glad you did not go for it.
By the way, Are you going to cook Turkey? For me, I baked a 15 lbs.
How do you prepare Turkey?
For me I'm still using(Bisaya) Filipino style( Tanglad- lemon grass-, onion leaves,salt, pepper, cabbage & basil) its really smell good.
Thank you for having this site, & God Bless you & your family.
Tess McClung in Kansas
Hi Tess McClung – I can't agree you more.
Yeah we actually have 2 turkey to prepare tomorrow. We move our Thanksgiving celebration tomorrow because Thursday here the kids had school. So we will have it tomorrow. I will have my turkey roasted(lechon) by somebody here that owns and sells lechon baboy. I used to bake my turkey too, but the lechon is way better in taste for us anyway. I will prepare the turkey, clean it and put butter, salt & pepper and lemon grass before my nephew take it to the lechon place. I'm cooking my pumpkin pies right now.
Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
Hi Mady, no probs with thte spelling. I also agree with your comments.
Hi Feyma, you're very welcome, I really hope, you enjoy the German tutorials. Take care.
Hello Feyma! Totally agree with you….its too much, and i guess by cleaning the house (by area/room per schedulle) house will be clean as we wish it to be……..
Here we cant afford to hire a housemaid, so we have a schedule to clean each room/area..
You did what's d best….
Hi Feyma, komusta ka diha, Klaro lagi, pagabut sa babaye sa inyo, nakitan niya nga langyaw ang imong bana , mao na mahal kaayo ang iyahang gipangayo!
All the best to you and Bob, hope to see you in December
Malcolm (UK)
Hi Marygrace – I'm with you on that scheduling thing. I used to do that when we were still in the States. I did it myself and I'm proud to say that my house was really clean.
That's one thing I like it here having helpers, if sometimes I would like to be lazy for a day at least my helpers will do the housework for me.
Hi Malcolm – Okay lang mi dinhi. Ikaw kumusta dinha? Taga Davao ka?
I think so she saw Bob's photo on our stairway. Its really sad that she has to charge me high just because my husband is a foreigner.
Anyway, hope to see you in December then.
Hi Feyma
Langyaw pod man ko, taga England, pero Dabawenya ang akong asawa! Hinaut unta nga magkita ta pagkabakasyon namo sa akong asawa karong December.Basta naghangyo si Jen ( ang Asawa ko) sa mga tindahan, dili nako ipakita ang akong nawong, kay basig musamot ug mahal ang mga gamit!
Sige
Pag ayo ayo diha, regards kang Bob
Malcolm
Wow! Taht certainly was an eye opener, Feyma. I would have thought a service like that would have been less exspensive than individual workers.
As a benchmark, here in the outskirts of Manila, day help for cleaning is averaging 400 pesos per day and we include brekafast, morning and afternoon merienda and a cooked lunch (they seldom eat much), so figure not more than 500 per day if you gave them money to eat outside as well.
A typical day includes vacuuming all the ceiling corners for cobwebs, washing all walls ceiling to floor, scrubbing the kitchen and dirty kitechen floors. paste wax on all floors, let dry and then making bunot and walise (polishing the floors by hand(foor) with a coconut shell and then sweeping up everywhere)… while the wax is drying the bathroom gets ceiling to floor scrub with soap and bleaching the floor, toilet, shower … There's more that she does (usually brings a daughter to help) but that's the gist of a cleaning here … usually we have her come part day every week for Pplancha (ironing) and a 'quick clean" and do a deep clean once every month.
Our house is smaller than yours … so perhasp two days for a "deep clean" in your bigger home … still under a thousand …
Your prices dpwn there in the southland are way too sobrang mahal for me … I'd have to get a *job* to pay those sorts of prices. 😉
Hi Dave Starr – When I was planning to hire someone to clean our house I was already thinking that the pay would be 300pesos at the most since we are in the province. I never thought somebody asked or paid 20k for cleaning houses here in the Philippines.
You are right its sobrang mahal. Me too I might have to get a job somewhere else to pay for them. 😆
Ha ha ha, they might think we are crazy enough to pay for that expensive service. Well too bad for them because I will never pay that kind of money.
OMG! Overpricing!
20k to clean your house, she must be nuts.
Even my friend in the US only pays $80 for a cleaning lady to come into her house and help her clean and do laundry.
Hi Cheryll Ann – Yeah she's dreaming. I don't know how they could really stay in business.