Managing a high end home is typically a full-time, year-round job. But, things may slow down for your household staff when you travel. That’s why summer is often the perfect time of year for your household manager or personal assistant to address home maintenance projects.
I’ve curated a categorized list of projects you and your assistant may want to consider below. My Summer Projects list, pictured above, can be downloaded here.
Administrative Projects
Keeping files, manuals, and miscellaneous paperwork organized can sometimes fall to the wayside in favor of addressing more urgent needs. So, if things are going to be a bit slow for your assistant this summer, he may want to update:
Estate manuals
Emergency and fire safety preparedness plans
Professional contact lists
Organizational Projects
If you have just finished watching Marie Kondo’s show on Netflix or reading her book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, you might ask your assistant to purge a closet or clean out the attic. Here are some other ideas:
Go “Marie Kondo”
Clean out the garage, basement or attic
Inventory storage units
Prepare donations
Maintenance Projects
Moving furniture or removing items from the home for professional cleaning can be a bit of a headache. So, why not have your assistant manage these tasks while you’re away? He might tackle projects like:
Clean antique rugs
Restore artwork
Polish silver
Servicing Heating/Ventilation/AIr Conditioning (HVAC) Systems
Schedule evaluation/updates to security systems
Schedule a deep cleaning (inside cabinets, ovens, closets, etc.)
Renovations
Renovations can, of course, be even more disruptive than maintenance work. If you’ve been putting off updates to parts of your home, like painting or flooring installation, summer may be the perfect time to get these larger projects done. For example, you may ask your assistant to oversee renovations like:
Resurface the pool
Install new flooring
Interior or exterior painting
Install a new security system
Take Stock
Sometimes, in a large home, it can be easy to forget what you have and where things are kept (even more so if you own multiple properties). Asking your PA to inventory and catalog your belongings to get a handle on what goes where:
Inventory the wine cellar
Appraise antiques
Catalog butler’s pantry
Inventory fine china and silverware
Catalog jewelry and artwork
Imagine returning to a home that’s been deep cleaned, reorganized, or renovated. Perhaps that security system you’ve been longing for is finally up and running or the painting you’ve been meaning to have restored is now in pristine condition. What a lovely treat to come back to!
No big travel plans for the rest of this summer? You can always circle back to this list for project inspiration later in the year. No matter when you travel, asking your HM or PA to tend to larger organizational, maintenance, or renovation projects while you’re out of town can be a great way to make the most of your time away.
Enjoy your final weeks of summer!