House manager checklist: from daily rounds to principal arrivals
A household manager duties checklist for estates and private homes. It covers daily rounds, weekly and monthly upkeep, seasonal work, a principal arrival protocol, departures, a vendor service calendar and par levels, as a free, editable Word file.
Why a written checklist matters in a private home
Most of a house manager’s work is invisible when it goes well: the generator that starts in a storm, the fridge stocked to the family’s list, the gate open as the car turns in. When that knowledge lives in one person’s head, a sick day or a resignation shows how much was never written down.
A checklist makes the standard visible. New staff learn the house faster, a relief manager can cover without guessing, and the principal’s office can see the work is being done without having to ask.
The checklist
Seven sections, each a list of tasks with a short note on what good looks like. The download adds tick boxes, a column for initials, a vendor calendar with suggested timing and a par level sheet to fill in.
House manager checklist
Daily
- Walk the house inside and out
- Check doors, windows, the alarm panel, leaks and lighting before staff start, and note anything out of place.
- Review today’s calendar
- Principal plans, guests, deliveries, vendor visits and staff shifts, so nobody is surprised at the gate.
- Brief the household staff
- Five minutes on priorities, guests, dietary notes and who covers what today.
- Receive and log deliveries
- Check each delivery against the order, note damage, and put away perishables and valuables first.
- Check the kitchen and pantry
- Fresh food dated, fridges at temperature, and anything near its par level added to the order list.
- Close out the day
- Lock up, set the alarm, and write open issues and tomorrow’s first task in the house log.
Weekly
- Plan menus and shopping
- Build the week around the family’s calendar, expected guests and the allergies on file.
- Count stock against par levels
- Count every item on the par sheet and reorder before anything runs out.
- Confirm the next two weeks of vendors
- Cleaners, gardeners, pool service and florist: confirm times, crew names and gate access.
- Inspect the grounds and exterior
- Lighting, irrigation, the pool chemistry log, outdoor furniture, gates and cameras.
- Reconcile household spending
- Match receipts to the house card or petty cash log and flag anything over the agreed limit.
- Send the principal a weekly note
- What was done, what is coming and which decisions you need from them, kept to one screen.
Monthly
- Test the safety systems
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, alarm panel, panic buttons, a generator test run and extinguisher gauges.
- Replace filters and consumables
- HVAC and water filters, light bulbs, and batteries in remotes, locks and sensors.
- Run one deep clean
- Rotate through closets, the wine room, the garage and staff quarters so every area gets a turn.
- Review vendor invoices
- Check charges against agreed rates and note contracts or insurance certificates coming up for renewal.
- Audit keys, codes and access
- Who holds keys, fobs and alarm codes; change codes whenever staff or contractors change.
- Update the house manual
- Add any new appliance, vendor, procedure or family preference while it is fresh.
Seasonal and annual
- Spring: open the outdoors
- Pool opening, irrigation start-up, outdoor furniture out, air conditioning serviced, screens on.
- Summer: ready for guests
- Guest rooms refreshed, outdoor entertaining kit stocked, and the storm plan reviewed where it applies.
- Autumn: prepare for cold weather
- Heating serviced, chimney swept, gutters cleared, irrigation drained and the pool closed.
- Winter: protect the property
- Pipe freeze checks, generator fuel topped up and snow removal confirmed in writing.
- Holidays: book early
- Decor installation and removal dates, gift lists, extra staff and catering reserved well ahead.
- Once a year
- Insurance review, a photographed inventory of art and valuables, appraisal dates and receipts filed.
Pre-arrival and principal arrival protocol
- Seven days out
- Confirm travel times, who is coming (guests, children, pets), the first meal they want and any events planned.
- Three days out
- Book extra staff and vendors, order groceries and flowers to the family’s list, and schedule a deep clean.
- One day out
- Set rooms to their preferences: temperature, bedding, pillows, toiletries, lighting scenes and the bar.
- Two hours out
- Final walk-through, fresh flowers, devices charged, Wi-Fi and TV tested, driveway and entry clear.
- On arrival
- Gates open on time, one staff member at the door, luggage handled, a drink and a light bite ready.
- Welcome note
- One page on the counter: who is on duty, today’s plan and anything changed since the last visit.
Departure and closing the house
- Walk the house within the hour
- Note damage, items left behind and repairs needed, with photos of anything you will report.
- Clear and reset the kitchen
- Donate or discard perishables, restock basics, run the dishwasher and empty every bin.
- Launder and store linens
- Strip the beds, launder and press linens, and reset guest rooms to ready.
- Return the house to empty mode
- Thermostat setback, lights on timers, blinds down, alarm set, water heater on vacation mode.
- Ship or store what was left behind
- Log each item and confirm with the family where it should go.
- Write the visit debrief
- What went well, what to change and any new preference learned, ready for the next arrival.
Vendor service calendar and par levels
- HVAC service
- Twice a year, in spring and autumn, with filter changes on the monthly list.
- Generator
- A monthly test run, an annual service, and fuel checked before each storm season.
- Pool and spa
- Weekly service in season, with opening and closing booked a month ahead.
- Pest control
- Quarterly service plus an annual termite inspection report kept on file.
- Security system and cameras
- An annual inspection, with monitoring contacts and codes reviewed at the same time.
- Chimney, gutters and roof
- An annual sweep and roof inspection in autumn; gutters cleared in spring and autumn.
- Par levels
- For each stocked item: where it lives, the minimum on hand, the reorder quantity and the usual supplier.
How to put it to work
- 1
Fit it to the property
Delete what doesn’t apply, add the property’s own systems (an elevator, a boat lift, wine cellar cooling) and set the seasonal months to your climate.
- 2
Fill in the vendor calendar and par levels once
Spend an hour with last year’s invoices and the stock room. After that you only update dates and counts.
- 3
Print the daily and weekly pages
Keep them on a clipboard in the staff kitchen or open the file on a tablet. Initials make it clear who did what, and when.
- 4
Review it each quarter with the principal’s office
Bring the debriefs from recent visits and change the checklist, not just the house, so the lessons stick.
Tips from running private households
- Write preferences as instructions
- “They like the bedroom cool” becomes “main bedroom at 66°F from 9 pm”. Anyone on the staff can follow the second one.
- Keep sensitive details off the page
- Alarm codes, safe combinations and copies of IDs never belong on a printed checklist. Keep them somewhere with controlled, logged access and refer to it.
- Book seasonal vendors a season early
- Pool openings, chimney sweeps and holiday decorators fill their calendars quickly. Put the date to book, not just the service date, in the calendar.
- Debrief every visit
- Ten minutes after the family leaves captures what they asked for, what they mentioned in passing and what to change before they return.
When a checklist stops being enough
A printed checklist works for one house and one manager. It gets harder when you run several properties, share the work with a family office or a lifestyle manager, or need to show who arranged what, with which vendor, and when.
MyRolodex keeps vendors with their negotiated rates and booking history, the family’s preferences on one shared profile, and every request with an owner, a status and an audit history. The checklist stays your standard; the software keeps the record.
Take the house manager checklist with you
Everything above, in a copy you can edit, share with your team and adapt to the way you work.
House manager checklist: common questions
Anything else, write to hello@myrolodexcrm.com.
What does a household manager do?
A household manager runs the operations of a private home: staff, vendors, maintenance, inventory, budgets and the family’s schedule at the house. In larger estates the role is often called estate manager and may cover several properties.
What is the difference between a house manager and an estate manager?
The titles overlap. An estate manager usually oversees several properties or a large staff and works closely with the family office, while a house manager is often hands-on in one home. This checklist works for both; an estate manager might keep one copy per property.
How often should the checklist be updated?
Review it every quarter and after any long visit. Add new systems and vendors the week they arrive, and adjust par levels whenever the family’s habits change.
Can I share it with the household staff?
Yes. It is written to be printed and shared. Keep alarm codes, safe combinations and personal documents out of it, and store those somewhere with controlled, logged access.
Is the checklist free?
Yes. It is a free, editable Word file. Change anything you like and use it for as many properties as you manage.
Your members expect you to remember. Now your whole team can.
Or write to hello@myrolodexcrm.com