Help at Hand In Unexpected Ways

Daily chores may be manageable, but as we grow older, or become bogged down with the needs of teens, getting through the bigger tasks can become a burden. For many of us, employing help isn’t always an option we can afford, so just how do we get through chores such as window cleaning, washing walls, water-blasting paths, and stacking firewood? The answer may lie in connecting with those who wish to swap their labour for temporary board, keep, and company! Below, you’ll find how to make those connections, and just what’s entailed in hosting the help!

Platforms

Several online organisations link hosts with helpers. Depending on what kind of jobs you have lined up, you’ll find a ‘platform’ to suit. If you have gardening or self-sufficiency-related tasks, and you’re organically minded, head to WWOOF NZ. It’s here you’ll find young (and, occasionally older) folk who can lend a hand. If you have general tasks requiring attention, such as spring cleaning or painting, take a look at Helpx, a site aimed to give visitors to our country an opportunity to exchange labour for an authentic, home-based, cultural Kiwi experience. Workaway offers a similar trade-off, including pet-sitting.

Profile

Connecting with helpers requires digital effort on your part, and the more authentic and attractive you can make your online profile, the better chance you’ll have of attracting helpers who  ‘gel’ with your lifestyle. If you’re not a digital person, ask a family member to help set you up online with the sort of information and photos that showcase your home and property in a realistic and inviting way. Be sure to learn how to monitor your connections and manage online correspondence. Above all, always consider your own security by checking helper reviews, and keeping trusted friends and family informed about when you will have helpers staying in your home.

From here to there!

Not all helpers have vehicles, and not all hosts are reachable by public transport. Before you engage a helper, discuss how they will reach your home, and how they plan to leave again. Even if you are in a remote location and do not drive, with plenty of advance notice, it may be possible to arrange a lift for your helper with someone from your community.

Preparing

Hosting helpers can at first seem like the easiest and most economical way to get through tasks, but it pays to remember it’s a two-way street. While you may not have to carry out the chores yourself, there will certainly be costs involved, and tasks required of you. Hosting a helper involves providing a warm, comfortable space for them to sleep. Some hosts ask helpers to bring sleeping bags instead of supplying bed linen, but for a traveller, clean sheets are always appreciated! You’ll need to budget for stocking up the pantry, being sure to ask your helpers, in advance, if they have any special dietary requirements (although you can stipulate in your profile you only cater for those who eat similarly to you). While you’re free to ask helpers to assist with meal preparation, let them know this ahead of time, and factor it into their working hours (which are pre-agreed and usually amount to 4 to 5 hours a day, 5 days a week). Above all, be aware being a good host involves socialising. This means allowing extra time in your day to chat, and to answer and ask questions about cultural differences. Some helpers request the opportunity to practise their English language. If you think you’ll find this too tiring, choose helpers whose first language is (or who are fluent in) your own language.

Signing off

Helpers, as well as hosts, depend on reviews and recommendations. Once your helpers leave your home, it’s expected you’ll provide them with an online review. Take the time to do this thoroughly, accurately, and sensitively. Ask your helpers, in advance, if they are happy for you to post photos of them from your time together.

Help is just a click away – and provided you are well informed about what’s required to obtain it, you can hop online and start the process. Just remember: hosting and helping is a reciprocal arrangement. Nothing is entirely free, and the more you give, the more you can hope to receive.