As most professional services do, I will give you an estimate based on the amount and type of work you wish to have done and will leave when the work is completed. I am very time-conscious and am constantly in "production mode" while I am cleaning, working at a moderately brisk pace. The advantage this way is that there is no time clock involved. As such, I don't leave until the work is adequately done and you, in turn, will have the surety of knowing you are getting what you're paying for!
Will I Pay An Extra Fee for One-Time Initial Cleaning?
There are no hidden costs to my quote. I quote per the amount of time and work that your home will generally produce on a regular basis, and I incorporate detail work as I go. After a basic phase of familiarizing myself with your home and habits and catching it up to par (generally by my fourth visit), I will typically be stabilized within a general time frame. So a one-time initial cleaning fee is not obligatory. However, if your home is in need of special care (if you've been without help for a lengthy period), you may decide that an initial "fine tuning" is necessary. In that case, I can make a special visit just for that purpose and can bring it closer to a "par" state much quicker. Whether that state is reached early on or several visits in, the decision is yours, and I will work according to your preferences.
Is My Rate Set In Stone?
Typically, yes, but this depends on your habits. Generally, my visits are anticipated, and I am met with a well picked-up and orderly house so that I may start my work immediately upon arrival. Per the exception that my visits find me routinely picking up and putting away clothing, random articles, dishes, debris, etc., left throughout the home in order to attend to my work list and make good on my end of the line, it may be necessary to make a corresponding adjustment within a few weeks in order to compensate for the time this takes. While I am happy to attend to such tasks, this is not something I can anticipate, and I never filter the possibility of such into my original estimate--as this would not be fair to those whose homes are in ideal condition when I arrive.
For How Long Will My Rate Apply?
The estimate you receive will apply for a generous 18 months at a minimum. Periodically, I will reassess per current industry rates, keeping pace with fellow competitors and commercial rivals. Any increase applied reflects a small percentage of the base price and, again, will hold for a minimum of 18 months as a courtesy to my established clients.
What Happens If We Must Cancel A Visit?
Sometimes situations arise beyond our control. You may have an illness in your family, I may need to cancel due to illness myself (although very rarely) or a vacation, or inclement weather may prevent the appointment altogether. In such a situation, I will do my best to reschedule within the week or, at the latest, the following week; and thereafter we would simply resume our routine on the next date that falls in line with our regular schedule. If for some reason a make-up date will not work for either of our schedules and we must skip the appointment altogether, and in the event this forces a gap of four weeks or more between visits, I would simply apply my once-a-month nominal fee to the next regularly-scheduled visit. An absence of an entire month in your home (on a normally bi-monthly routine) will see twice the kitchen/bath build-up and dust throughout the home as I normally incur and will take me longer to attend--thus the nominal surcharge. (This is typically $40.)
I am a meticulous, detail-oriented person who truly loves to clean, organize, and beautify my surroundings. Nothing is more pleasant than not only knowing your home has been cleaned but being able to feel that clean. I don't barrel through with "hit-and-run" mentality in a race against the clock; conversely, I truly believe in utilizing the years of knowledge, experience, and acumen that I've gained in this field and combining them all to give you my very best. My objective is to be as fully in tune with your tastes and the particulars of your home as I can be, and this is something I steadily ascertain from week to week and never lose sight of. Additionally, you are afforded the comfort of a more quaint and personable exchange with your household help rather than having an indifferent medley of workers cycling in and out of your home who may not have your best interest at heart. Nothing is more important to the self-employed than the complete satisfaction of his/her clientele, and I don't take your satisfaction lightly.
How Will Home Remodeling Projects Come Into Play?
Home-remodeling projects often introduce excessive amounts of dust/debris and may completely "undo" the level of maintenance that I will have accomplished throughout the home by that time--both where detail work is concerned as well as routine cleaning procedures from room to room. Contained areas or entire homes may find every décor item covered with chalky dust, which may take weeks to systematically remove as it filters through ventilation systems and is stirred up repeatedly per general living habits. This will inevitably affect my ability to produce the same results per my guarantee immediately upon and following such projects, as the effect is often comparable to cleaning a house which hasn't been attended in months or even years. In such cases, I will: (A) accomplish as much work as I am able on a week-to-week basis per the general time frame that your home typically incurs and then leave at that point (understandably foregoing lesser important/designated areas until the surplus dust has been eliminated) or: (B) propose an additional fee per your mutual agreement so that I may attend the excess sooner and restore the home to its pre-remodeling maintenance level as quickly as possible. This would entail my staying later for a number of visits in order to obtain this result. Either way, the choice will be yours, and I will happily accommodate your needs within my agenda as well as I am able.
Will You Work Afternoons/Evenings?
I generally work during business hours and prefer to start as early as able, but if your schedule is as such that you need cleaning of a late afternoon or evening, I will be happy to accommodate.
What Happens If We Accidentally Lock You Out?
Generally, I am given a spare house key in order to gain entry to the home. Alternatively, I may simply use a keypad code to enter through an interior garage door entrance that has been left unlocked in anticipation of my arrival. In the event that I have no house key, that the designated entry door is unintentionally locked, and I that I must consequently reschedule my visit, I do ask for a $50 lock-out fee (similar to a company service call fee) to compensate for my commute time and gas expense for a trip that will have resulted in no income and which may prompt an alteration of my normal agenda. If you are able to accommodate my entry that day and if I have no secondary appointment that will prevent my staying, I will either propose a nominal fee consistent with the time that I will have waited for your arrival (or alternative means of entry), or I will give you the option of my skipping some task(s) in the home commensurate with the time that I will have lost during my wait.