Sydney, March 25: Millions of Australians are increasingly turning to paid services to manage their homes, according to new research by Finder, Australia’s most visited comparison site.
A Finder survey of 1,029 respondents revealed that one in three Australians (31 per cent)—equivalent to 6.5 million people—have outsourced household chores in the past 12 months.
The average Australian spent $952 on hired help, contributing to a national total of more than $6 billion spent annually on outsourced housework.
The research found that 15 per cent of Australians hired a cleaner, while 13 per cent sought help for gardening and other outdoor tasks. Painting (7 per cent), household maintenance (6 per cent), and babysitting (4 per cent) were also common tasks outsourced.
Rebecca Pike, money expert at Finder, said a growing number of households are bringing in outside help.
“The trend is part of a wider social shift to dual employed households becoming the norm.
“Many people are weighing up the cost of their own time versus the price of outsourcing, and for some, it’s a no-brainer to pay for help.”
Cleaning services accounted for an average spend of $716 per household, adding up to a national total of $2.2 billion. Painting projects were the most expensive, with Australians spending an average of $1,825 in the past year.
Pike said people value their limited free time and prefer to spend it on leisure or family rather than chores.
“With busy schedules and the rise of the ‘convenience economy,’ hiring someone to take care of household tasks is becoming more of a necessity than a luxury for many Australians.”
In 2021, nearly a third (31 per cent) of Australian families had both parents working full-time, up from 22 per cent in 2009, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
Pike advised those feeling the financial strain of outsourcing to explore more cost-effective solutions.
“Splitting up chores can significantly reduce the burden, so if you are in the position to do so, consider asking a housemate or a family member to divide and conquer the load.
“If you’re looking to hire someone, get multiple quotes and compare prices.
“There are plenty of free tutorials on YouTube that can save money hiring people for small jobs, so use this to your advantage,” Pike said.
The survey also found that men (33 per cent) were slightly more likely than women (29 per cent) to pay for hired help.
Household Chores Outsourced in the Past Year
A Finder survey asked respondents whether they had paid someone outside their family to complete household chores in the past 12 months. The results showed that 15 per cent had hired a cleaner, 13 per cent paid for gardening or outdoor work such as staining a deck, 7 per cent outsourced painting, 6 per cent sought help for household maintenance tasks like hanging curtains or assembling furniture, and 4 per cent hired a babysitter. An additional 4 per cent planned to hire help soon, while 69 per cent had not outsourced any chores.
Methodology
Finder’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 respondents. Figures in this release are based on 1,029 respondents from February 2024. The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics. The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.
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