How many times have you wished you had another pair of hands or could clone yourself to get everything done around the house and garden?
Assuming you have the money to get that help, there are a lot of other things to consider: Whom do you call? Will you feel confident about letting someone into your yard or your house? How do you know if these helpers are reputable?
"You do your homework," answers Erika Hoppe of Fresno, Calif., who could write the book on how to hire help.
Her hiring experience includes a weekly house cleaner, a weekly gardener, a quarterly window washer, a monthly pest-control service, an occasional arborist and a biennial carpet cleaner and janitorial service.
Hoppe says she's been pleased with the hires, except for the person employed to service her swimming pool. "We've had about seven pool services, none of which we liked, so my husband is taking care of the pool," she says.
Hoppe says she prepares before she interviews prospective hires. She writes down what she needs, her expectations and priorities. She is a corporate-events planner, so tending to the details and setting priorities come naturally.
She works out of her home office and uses the services of a nanny three days a week for her two small children.
"First off, I interview by word of mouth," Hoppe says. "I ask others who they have, what they do and how they like them. I figure if you can get recommendations from colleagues or friends, it saves time. If you get references from a prospective hire, call at least three people on the list. Be wary if you call numbers that are no longer in service."
Hoppe says it is important to check on insurance coverage and liability. "Talk to your insurance agent and see if you have coverage for people who work at your house," she says. "You may need to include your domestic help in a special policy."
She says some service workers have their own liability insurance and are bonded, but the homeowner needs to ask about those details. "Expect to pay more for the services of people who have it," she adds.
One area that may prompt trepidation from people seeking to hire work done at home is how to go about terminating someone's services. Hoppe suggests people say, "I no longer need your services."
She adds, "Very often when it doesn't work out for you, it's not working out for the other person, either. You have to go with your gut feeling."
Hoppe gives her hires a list of her expectations before they start. "Be specific," she suggests. "Some service providers will have their own lists of services. If you want things they do not routinely do, you may be charged more."
Before hiring, you should ask questions about what methods are used, what equipment is used, what products, what chemicals, if any, and how long will it take.
"Bigger companies do not necessarily provide better service, she says. "Some individually owned businesses provide excellent service. And it doesn't matter how long someone has been in business. Some just starting out are good, too." Most will have business license numbers on their business cards, she says.
Does she check them? "Sometimes I call the Better Business Bureau or log onto the Web site." And when she was hiring a nanny, she had the prospective hire fingerprinted and ordered an FBI background check, which cost $89.
Doug Broten, president of the Better Business Bureau of the San Joaquin Valley in California, says not everyone is required to have a license. His agency can tell you if someone is licensed and if one is required for the work that person does.
He says homeowners also should make sure they have workers compensation insurance along with their homeowners insurance. He says workers should be bonded in case something turns up missing, and should have references available if requested.
"Most people are honest and if they tell you they have insurance or are bonded, they probably do," he says, adding that you can ask for proof of coverage.
"If you are suspicious, and if your gut tells you you shouldn't hire someone, then don't. Try someone else."
Often, information regarding licenses, insurance and bonding is noted on a business card or telephone book listing. "Business owners are usually very careful when they hire workers," he says. "They know that their business reputation depends on honest, good workers."