Estate Household Manual

One of the most important aspects of estate management is having a comprehensive estate household manual. This document outlines the specific needs and expectations of the estate team for the family office and household management. In order to create an effective estate house manual, there are important things an estate staffing agency or manager needs to consider.

Let’s first define what a proper household manual is before we get to the details.

What is a Household Manual For Estates?

A household manual for estates is a document outlining responsibilities while providing resources for the estate staff. This includes:

With a proper manual, management and their respective team members understand the important details about roles and responsibilities. While there are plenty of household manual templates, in order to create an effective household manual, a personalized plan is required. We should create the house manual in partnership with an Estate staffing consultant, estate managers, executive teams, and of course, the estate family.

Why is a Household Manual Important For Your Estate?

The point of having an estate team is so that operations run smoothly for the estate and family. Without a house manual, the potential for errors and overall stress increases. With the estate manual in place, job satisfaction increases, as does the satisfaction of the estate owners. This manual acts as a living document that changes when necessary. It becomes a safe place to document any important considerations and provides the entire team with a record of your expectations.

A household manual is important for several reasons. First, it ensures that everyone who lives or works in the household is aware of the specific expectations and protocols the estate has set forth that. Second, it can help to avoid confusion and conflict among family members, staff and/or contractors who might work on the estate. And last, it can help to ensure that they carry all aspects of household management out in a consistent and efficient manner.

What Should Be Included In Your Estate Household Manual?

How you choose to present your manual may determine what is included. There are more options and ways to connect a digital manual but a printed version can also be helpful so consider having both available for your estate team. There are many things that we can include in an estate household manual. However, some of the most important topics include:

Household Staff Policies & Procedures
Guidelines for Daily Living & Activities
Maintenance & Repair Procedures
Food & Beverage Requirements
Guest Protocols
Security Protocols

We will discuss these topics, but we want to make sure you understand exactly how a household manual can help.

The Benefits of a Household Manual

The benefits of a household manual go beyond the specific function they serve. These documents help household management run their operations smoothly, both in tasks performed and in team relations.

1. Minimize the need for the executive team to repeat themselves about policies and procedures.

2. Creates transparency and agreement between the family and their estate staff.

3. Creates a timeline and understanding of how much effort we need for any responsibility.

4. Keeps record of expectations to protect the family against any disagreements that could cause unnecessary legal action.

5. Becomes a training tool for new household staff, reducing the amount of training time needed.

6. Can help to resolve disputes among household staff who are unclear about whose responsibilities are whose.

7. Serves as a valuable marketing asset when a family sells or rent the property.

What does an Estate Household Manual Include?

A house manual includes a majority of the categories mentioned below. But we should note that an effective household manual can have categories not on this list, since each estate is personal. What we guarantee is that every estate manual we’ve developed includes more than general information.

Contact List

The house manual becomes a centralized location where your staff can find a list, including names and phone numbers for people to contact. This includes vendors, family members, and other personal staff members.

Anyone who may receive phone calls from within the estate has a place on this contact list. The contact list can also include details about the contact, such as days and times when they can receive phone calls.

Schedules

Including the estate schedule into the manual makes it easy for everyone to understand what to expect and plan as needed. The schedule includes events, appointments, project start and completion times, or anything else you wish to include.

Family Needs

The household manual is a great place to keep all medical information and dietary information so that each staff member is aware of the estate family needs. Documenting important information about each family member keeps the staff aware of anything they need to watch for or address.

Arrival Checklist

A critical part of guest satisfaction is exceeding their expectations. Without an arrival checklist, many mistakes happen, which removes the possibility of complete guest satisfaction. An arrival checklist for the staff ensures everything is ready for the family or guests when they enter the property. Having it as a part of your house manual keeps everyone aware of what is being expected.

Departure Checklist

Like the arrival checklist, the departure checklist is vital and should be a part of your estate manual. Not only for the satisfaction of future guests, but so that every room on the estate remains in pristine condition.

Property Operations

Much of the inside property operations are the responsibility of the housekeeper. But it’s important that the entire estate staff be aware and understand the property manual. Having this operations manual also covers responsibilities for nannies, chefs, personal assistants, and security guards.

Maintenance Manual

A maintenance manual is required to keep the estate running smoothly. Making sure the inside and grounds of the property receive regular maintenance prevents bigger issues down the road. Keeping a schedule and list of tasks for gardeners, the houseman, and contractors prevents things from being left undone.

A maintenance manual is a welcomed addition to your estate manual.

Resources and Important Documents

Your estate manual also includes a list of resources where the estate staff member can view important documents you have given them access to. This includes forms, estate maps, budgets, expense reports, and anything else you wish to include.

Inventory List

Keeping an inventory list within your estate manual makes it easy for the entire staff to identify the items within a household.

Emergency Protocols

Perhaps the most important part about the estate manual is documenting all emergency protocols. Having an injury preparedness list of first aid, medical procedures, and natural disaster procedures is critical to the safety of your estate staff and family.