For many households these days it is taken for granted that they clean the house themselves and maintain the garden. Others cannot imagine life without a reliable domestic worker or gardener.
This was clear from the responses to Nuusflits 's recent Facebook question about house and garden workers. Readers were asked whether they employed help, how they found that person and what determined their decision.
The comments showed that safety, cost and trust are important considerations for many people when they decide whether to hire someone.
Safety and trust play a role
Several readers said they prefer to do their own work because they do not feel comfortable letting strangers into their homes or on their property.
"Very protective of my privacy and safety. Nobody knows what is in my house or property," Babsie du Toit wrote.
Alida Adlem simply said: "Do everything myself. Cannot trust anyone anymore."
Other readers shared that after negative experiences they decided not to hire anyone again. Although these experiences are personal, they show how strongly trust and safety can influence people's decisions.
The cost of help
For some households it is not necessarily a matter of preference, but rather affordability.
"Life is just too expensive to pay someone else," Sanet Pretorius said.
Ria de Beer also referred to the additional expenses that come with an employee, such as transport, food and other obligations.
For people who work full-time, however, the extra workload can become heavy. Chantelle Esterhuizen shared that after a full work day she still has to cook and do housework, while weekends are devoted to laundry, cleaning and garden work.
"Some days I feel I just cannot do it anymore, my body will not cooperate," she wrote.
For others a reliable worker is worth its weight in gold
Not everyone prefers to do everything themselves. Some readers told of long-term working relationships in which mutual trust and good cooperation play an important role.
Rita Blom Smith shared about a worker who has been with her for 14 years and performs various tasks in and around the house.
"He works most days in the garden, but he also regularly cleans the house's floors. And if something breaks, he fixes it for me," she wrote.
Nandie Begrie Terblanche also shared that her domestic worker comes every Friday and has been working for her for 14 years. A friend initially recommended the person.
Other readers said they use garden or cleaning services recommended by acquaintances. For them the right person or service provider makes the difference.
Every household's circumstances differ
The comments show that there is no one answer to the question. Some people enjoy doing their own work, others do not have the budget for help, and for many safety is an important consideration.
There are also households that rely on long-term working relationships and emphasise the value of a reliable worker.
Ultimately it appears that the decision to hire someone or do the work yourself depends on much more than just the amount of work that needs to be done.
Source: Nuusflits Facebook readers
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
