The Caretaker Gazette Estate and Household Employees Compensation Survey

The Caretaker Gazette would like to thank the 151 individuals and agencies who participated in the first annual Estate and Household Employees Compensation Survey. We are gratified to have realized this high level of interest and participation. Participants included property caretakers, major domos, estate managers, household managers, personal assistants, and butlers.

The summary tables detail much of the compensation data. Data include salary, benefits, responsibilities, and regional data correlation. Data were analyzed from the 151 individuals and agencies who participated in the survey. In order to accomplish the completion of the survey, we gathered data from The Caretaker Gazette subscribers as well as from the readers of The International Guild of Professional Butlers' newsletter.

© The Caretaker Gazette. Compensation Survey researched and compiled by The Caretaker Gazette, 3 Estancia Lane, Boerne, TX 78006 830-755-2300 www.caretaker.org

The Caretaker Gazette Estate and Household Employees Compensation Survey Demographic Data

• 98% of respondents hold full-time positions and 2% are part-time staff.
• 81% of respondents are responsible for multiple properties (e.g., vacation homes).
• 68% of respondents are employed in the U.S. while 32% are employed in Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and Europe.
• 51% of respondents are male while 49% are female.
• 73% of respondents work with other domestic staff (e.g., maids, chefs, gardeners, nannies) while 27% are the sole household employee.
• 49% of respondents work as a couple, with a spouse or significant other.
• The mean educational level is that of some college courses completed.
• The mean number of years of experience is between 16 and 23 years.
• The respondents described their settings as:
• 98% private homes and estates, 1% yacht, 1% resort property

The Caretaker Gazette Estate and Household Employees Compensation Survey: Salary Data

(per annum, in U.S. dollars)

• Under $20,000 = 1%
• $21,000 - $30,000 = 2%
• $31,000 - $40,000 = 11%
• $41,000 - $50,000 = 13%
• $51,000 - $60, 000 = 16%
• $61,000 - $70,000 = 24%
• $71,000 - $80,000 = 14%
• $81,000 - $90,000 = 9%
• $91,000 - $100,000 = 7%
• Over $100,000 = 3%

The Caretaker Gazette Estate and Household Employees Compensation Survey: Average Hours per Week Worked

• Under 40 hours per week = 4%
• 41 - 50 hours per week = 28%
• 51 - 60 hours per week = 33%
• 61 - 70 hours per week = 16%
• 71 - 80 hours per week = 13%
• 81 - 90 hours per week = 4%
• 91 - 100 hours per week = 1%
• Over 100 hours per week = 1%

The Caretaker Gazette Estate and Household Employees Compensation Survey: Benefits Data

• Housing or housing allowance = 99%
• Comp time/Overtime = 91%
• Cell phone = 89%
• Pager = 88%
• Home computer = 79%
• Funds for professional memberships = 39%
• Funds for training classes = 29%
• Travel funds = 82%
• Medical plan (incl. Health, vision, dental) = 91%
• Life insurance = 89%
• Retirement plan (e.g., IRA) = 94%
• Savings plan = 57%
• Automobile (use, reimbursement) = 93%
• Vacation (1 - 4 weeks annually) = 98%
• Sick pay = 90%
• Annual bonus = 93%
• Tuition reimbursement = 17%
• Annual cost of living increase = 29%
• Incentive compensation plan = 7%
• Merit increase = 61%
• Clothing allowance (includes Uniforms) = 77%
• Internet access = 90%

The Caretaker Gazette Estate and Household Employees Compensation Survey: Areas of Responsibility

• Hiring and management of staff = 61%
• Housekeeping = 93%
• Butler duties = 89%
• Chef duties = 48%
• Vendor and contract management = 68%
• In-house systems management = 96%
• Concierge, guest care = 92%
• Contractor = 94%
• Antiques care = 35%
• Care of house pets = 42%
• Care of horses = 19%
• Indoor plant care = 27%
• Care of gardens = 22%
• Accounting = 52%
• Budgeting = 48%
• Event planning = 70%
• Security = 94%
• Travel arrangements = 71%
• Automobile care = 47%
• Entertaining = 64%
• Food service = 48%
• Grocery and supply shopping = 54%

© The Caretaker Gazette. Compensation Survey researched and compiled by The Caretaker Gazette, 3 Estancia Lane, Boerne, TX 78006 830-755-2300 www.caretaker.org

Take it from Glenna and Bernie Fisher, Consummate Caretakers

From the November 2009 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine:

CLICK TO READ:
Take it from Glenna and Bernie Fisher, Consummate Caretakers

Caretaker of the Castle: James Bell

Like the rare flower seeds that bloom after a prairie wildfire, Chicago’s great houses sprang up on the outskirts of the downtown area after the great Chicago fire of 1871. Glorious renaissance palaces of merchant princes and Romanesque strongholds of steel kings dotted the blossoming woodland villages on the edge of the new steel and stone city. Here, high on a hillside, a real-estate baron built a gray-stone medieval home - The Givins Castle.

Robert Givins, while visiting Ireland, had fallen in love with an ancient ivy-covered castle on the banks of the river Dee. The story goes that he built it for his fiancée. Every huge limestone brick had to be quarried and ox-carted from miles away. When it was finally completed, she hated the dark lonely place - they scarcely lived there. So begins the Castle’s saga, slipping from one owner to the next over the next hundred and thirteen years. Ghost stories, like burrs, began to attach themselves as the Castle hiked on through the years. Presently the Irish Castle is in the hands of the Beverly Unitarian Church, and has become a community landmark registered with the Smithsonian Institution as a historical landmark. The ghosts have become local legends.

Castles tend to lend themselves to creative imaginings and the Givens Castle is no exception. Many know the name of Givins and the other families that have called the Castle home, many more in the neighborhood can rattle off the Castle’s ghostly tales - but it is a rare few that remember the caretakers. One caretaker claims to have heard creaking steps and sometimes boisterous voices. The ghost stories, best as Jim can tell, originated with the caretakers - who else would be poking around the Castle’s dungeon trying to find a breaker switch late on a cold stormy night? Jim Bell is the current resident caretaker - the only living occupant of the building. The last caretaker, God rests his soul, dropped dead while waxing the floor, and he was only in his early 30’s! A fact, Jim states, that no one told him until well after he had moved in to the third floor.

The arrangement seems very fair considering the wealthy Chicago neighborhood. For ten hours a week of labor around the Castle, Jim gets the entire top floor apartment with its three towers and flat gravel patio rooftop. That’s over 1,400 square feet of living space, two bedrooms, living room, kitchen, bathroom, great hall and towers - plus two rooms of storage. “I believe in leaving a place better than I found it,” states Jim, referring to the new wood flooring and recent painting that he completed. “I researched historic and environmentally friendly paints, and found a place that makes natural pigment paints used by artists and those doing architectural restoration. I liked using the vibrant earth tone pigments - burnt Italian sienna and French ochre - because they actually refract the light as it changes during the day, not deadening it like modern colors do.” Running his hand along the rough wall he adds, “I even put crushed fine glass beads into the mixture, to give more edges for the light to play off.”

Besides his restoration of the third floor, Jim has witnessed the complete overhaul of the roof, tuckpointing of the towers and walls, and the refitting of the numerous antique windows. All these renovations have occurred only in the last year and half since he started working for the church. The last time such massive work took place was in the 1980’s when the church restored the Castle’s interior to its original 19th century splendor. The Castle now boasts original woodwork and stained glass, with period lighting and décor. There were originally fifteen beautifully furnished rooms decorated with Victorian accents. These include castle turrets, art glass, natural oak woodwork, elaborate tapestries, stained glass windows, elegant chandeliers, copper gaslights, and ceramic tiled fireplaces. A winding, carved oak staircase descends into the sanctuary space. One stained glass window, located on the second floor, bears the motto "Dum Spiro Spero," "While I live I hope." Many have fallen in love with its first floor “ballroom” and second floor “banquet hall”. In fact, the Beverly Unitarian Church survives, in part, from the rentals of the building for parties and weddings.

"The Joys of Housesitting in Costa Rica"

From Caribbean Property Magazine: Caribbean Living and Lifestyles

In the stress-abundant environment of construction management, where I worked for over twenty-five years, I found that I could escape my humdrum life through reading about faraway lands and dreaming of a cool job in an exotic country by strumming through the pages of my Caretaker Gazette...

To read the rest of the article, follow the link below then, under Special Features, click on "The Joys of Housesitting in Costa Rica" and scroll down to find the full article.
"The Joys of Housesitting in Costa Rica"

NBC Today Show: Caring for Beautiful Homes

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Island Caretakers

Lynne Macco and Tim Mount knew the job they were looking for when they subscribed to The Caretaker Gazette three years ago. Tim spent some time sailing along coastal Maine and on one of his trips stopped at Seguin Island, about 2½ miles offshore, near the mouth of the Kennebec River. The island is known for its lighthouse, the only operating 1st order Fresnel lens north of Virginia, and for the panoramic 360 degree views of the area. He went ashore and met that year’s caretakers who stay on the island from Memorial Day to Labor Day. He learned that the caretaker position for the Seguin Island lighthouse is advertised in the Gazette and that’s how the caretakers got it.

Although they weren’t ready to take the summer off, when Lynne and Tim subscribed to the Gazette, they began fantasizing about the worldwide opportunities advertised. Then in a spring issue of the Gazette, the ad for the Seguin caretaker position was was again posted in the Gazette for next year's season and they responded.

The Friends of Seguin were looking for a compatible couple with some boating experience, who would be willing and able to maintain the grounds and buildings, perform repairs and show visitors around the lighthouse. In addition, the caretakers were required to make a presentation at the organization’s annual meeting during the summer. The light and foghorn are maintained by the Coast Guard.



Tim is a college professor and choral conductor and Lynne is a physician and acupuncturist. Tim grew up on a farm and had lots of outdoor experience and Lynne spent time restoring old houses and has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. Newlyweds and avid sailors, they spent a month cruising on their sailboat -- a 32 foot catamaran -- and found it was a good test of their ability to get along in close quarters. They both have their captain’s licenses.

After the application and interview process with the Friends of Seguin, the not-for-profit organization that took over Seguin Island in 1986, Tim and Lynn were selected as caretakers for the season. They downsized and packed up their remaining possessions into a storage container. Lynne doesn’t miss her hectic commute to Manhattan where she worked in a busy medical practice. She loves to knit and cook on the island, including pies made from freshly picked berries.



When they arrived in Bath, Maine for their journey to Seguin, they quickly learned one of the most important things about island living: you may not get to travel as planned. While the weather was beautiful, high seas made the journey in a boat laden with gear unsafe and the start date was pushed back two days. So instead of arriving on a weekend, when there would be volunteers available to help get their belongings up the 136 foot climb to the lighthouse keeper’s quarters, they were assisted by their boat captain and last year’s caretaker, who had gone out to the island to open the house before their arrival, and start the “donkey engine” which powers the only working tram in Maine since the late 1890’s.

Their initial duties included a lot of mowing. There are five breathtaking and varied hiking trails on the island, which need clearing and the grass around all the buildings needs to be cut. The Friends of Seguin have a wish list of projects they would like to see accomplished but give the caretakers discretion to use their creativity. Tim decided to conquer some big projects on the lighthouse tower itself. The 53 foot tall granite tower, built in 1857, had sustained major damage to the entrance doors and an upper window in a storm in 2007 and these had been boarded up since then. They repaired them and now visitors can enter the tower through the main entrance. Tasks abound.

Although the island is offshore, it is actually on the grid because an electric cable runs under the water to the island. The water for washing comes from a well downhill from the house and cisterns in the house need to be kept full. The composting toilets need to be maintained. The well water is not used for drinking and potable water is brought to the island each week when they go ashore to shop and run errands. There is always something that needs to be replaced, repaired, or painted.



Some families who visit the island have had an annual picnic atop the hill for decades and return with new generations of children. Sailboat cruisers like to tuck into the cove and pick up a mooring for the night. The cove composting outhouse, maintained by Lynne and Tim, is known as the finest on the Maine coast. Everyone wants to know if the ghost stories that circulate about Seguin are true.

There is plenty of time to stop and enjoy the island, one of the most beautiful spots on the planet: hiking, picking the bountiful berries, bird watching, boat watching, knitting, baking, reading, and writing. Friends of Seguin limits their caretakers to only one season. Thus Lynne and Tim continue to peruse every issue and email updates of The Caretaker Gazette for that next caretaking opportunity, wherever it may be.

Caretaker Gazette's Interview with an International Property Caretaker

Interested in living rent-free as an international housesitter or property caretaker? Maryanne Lowell is a single woman nearing retirement who recently completed a housesitting assignment in Australia. She shares her experiences as an international property caretaker in a conversation with Gary Dunn, Publisher of The Caretaker Gazette.


Gary: How were you able to get started as an international housesitter?

Maryanne: I opted to take off work for a year and do some volunteering and travel. I knew that now could be just the time to respond to one or more tempting ads in The Caretaker Gazette. The one which truly stood out for me read something like, "An animal lover needed to pet and house sit for a Cranbourne, Australia (Melbourne area) family going on holiday for two weeks." I hadn't really thought of going to Australia, but why not? I immediately replied to the ad. The family, Vic and Kerry, and their daughters, eventually responded with news that I was the person they had chosen for the position. I was to arrive a week or so before their holiday and stay until at least the family returned from holiday and then I could stay as long as I wanted. Between the time of our commitment to each other and the actual trip, we corresponded, emailing info about ourselves and photos, so I felt I already knew the Bennetts.


Gary: What were your next steps?

Maryanne: I found a flight that enabled me to take a side trip to Fiji. I opted to spend three nights on the main island of Viti Levu at a small resort near Korotogu (between Sigatoka and Suva). I flew from Fiji to Melbourne and flew home from Brisbane, allowing for latitude in traveling around Australia. I opted to visit Sydney and Brisbane by train, long but interesting rides. Landing in Melbourne at night, I stayed at a hotel near the airport to make it easy for the Bennett family to find me the next morning. Vic and Kerry Bennett, along with their younger daughter, picked me up in the morning and off to Cranbourne, an hour's drive from Melbourne, we went!


Gary: What was your arrival in Australia like?

Maryanne: I liked the family immediately! I had a week before they went on their holiday to get over any jet lag plus learn where to find stores and the train into Melbourne. Most importantly, I learned what the homeove expected in the way of care for their pets and garden. The Bennetts were great hosts: they took me to the beach and then, on another outing, we went to Phillip Island to watch the Fairy Penquins come in at nightfall to cross the beach and climb the grass-covered dunes to feed their young which are stashed in burrows for safety higher up the dunes. Bonnie and Clyde, the cockatiels, had their own simple routine of care and there wasn't much to do with the goldfish in the small outdoor pond. My only crisis occurred during a bad rainstorm one night. I had gone to bed but decided to check that the goldfish weren't being liberated from an overflowing pond and I got out there just in the nick of time to scoop out water. Kerry's tomatoes and roses required daily watering except for rainy days. Australia has been experiencing a drought and there was a restriction on watering the lawn.

Gary: What were some of the benefits that went along with the housesitting assignment?

Maryanne: The Bennetts graciously allowed me access to the family computer which was convenient for staying in touch with family and friends. I had cable TV plus there were great meals-in-the making in the refrigerator and freezer. A very nice neighbor checked on me periodically. The two weeks went by so quickly. I made trips into Melbourne by local train, caring for my charges early in the morning and again when I got home. Day trips gave me an opportunity to visit museums, the aquarium, the zoo, historic buildings and endless parks. One of my most pleasant memories is of a shimmery blue Superb Fairy Wren, unafraid of my presence, landing down at my feet and nonchalantly pecking the area around me.


Gary: Was their anything interesting that you learning from being able to housesit internationally?

Maryanne: I found that Australians genuinely like Americans. When the Bennetts came back, they brought souvenirs for everyone, including myself. I stayed until they settled in and, after a tearful, difficult goodbye, I traveled on to Sydney and then to Brisbane, to explore on my own. I chose to stay at hotels accessible to tours and sites of interest, visiting every zoo, wild animal sanctuary and aquarium possible. Something I will never forget was the thrill of holding little Damien, a koala, while visiting the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and viewing kangaroos in the bush from the moving train. I also took a tour to Fraser Island and spotted a wild Dingo, right off the road!


Gary: What are your future plans?

Maryanne: Will I go back to Australia? Yes! The Bennetts are having a celebration of milestone birthdays next year and I'll be there. While there, I hope to extend my stay and possibly housesit elsewhere so I can explore more of this distant continent. Thank you, Caretaker Gazette, for making my wonderful trip possible.