Position: Live-in Domestic Couple
Location: Private Home near Banbury, Oxfordshire
Accommodation: Newly renovated 3-bedroom cottage
Start Date: ASAP

Overview:

A lovely family, based in a private home near Banbury, is seeking an experienced Live-in Domestic Couple. This full-time role offers excellent accommodation in a newly renovated cottage with the opportunity to join a happy, well-run household. The ideal couple will have experience in both household management and grounds maintenance, with a love of animals and a proactive, professional approach to a variety of tasks.

The Family & Household:

• Family of four, including two adult children
• Six family dogs, including four Dachshunds and two additional Labradors on occasion
• Horses on site with a resident groom
• Additional staff include a daily housekeeper, groundsman, security guard, horse groom and gardener

Key Responsibilities:

Housekeeper Duties

• Maintain a high standard of cleanliness throughout the household, working alongside the daily housekeeper
• Laundry, ironing, and wardrobe management
• Food shopping and occasional meal preparation
• Running errands and managing household supply shopping
• Liaising with suppliers, contractors, and service providers
• Assisting when the family is entertaining, ensuring smooth and professional hospitality
• Anticipating household needs and displaying a high level of attention to detail

Groundsman Duties:

• Maintain, care for, and enhance the estate grounds, gardens, and outdoor spaces
• Operate and maintain estate machinery, including tractors, ride-on mowers, and garden equipment and family cars
• Hold appropriate licenses or certificates for machinery operation
• Perform general property maintenance, repairs, and supervise external trades when necessary
• Oversee the security and smooth running of the house and land in the family’s absence
• Ensure all outdoor areas are kept to the highest standard year-round

Animal care responsibilities include:

• Daily walking, exercise, grooming etc. of the dogs, there is a separate, enclosed dog exercise field
• Supporting horse care as needed, including feeding, grooming, mucking out, and turnout/bringing in (riding with the resident groom is possible) covering holidays and days off)
• Monitoring health and wellbeing of all animals
• Coordinating with veterinary services or trainers as required

Driving:

• Airport transfers, station collections, and household errands
• Full, clean driving licences essential

Candidate Requirements:

• Proven experience as a Domestic Couple in a private household or estate
• Experience in groundskeeping/estate maintenance, including machinery operation and possession of relevant licenses/certificates
• Competent in animal care; experience with dogs is essential and horse’s is desirable
• Flexible, proactive, and discreet with a high standard of professionalism
• Strong team players with the ability to integrate seamlessly into a long-standing household staff team
• Attention to detail, reliability, and a positive, can-do attitude

Working Week: 6 days per week. Flexibility required with the working hours and to be discussed further with the principals.

Package

• Circa £75,000+ DOE
• Live-in accommodation: fully renovated 3-bedroom ex-stable cottage 
• Opportunity for a long-term, stable role within a highly regarded household
• Based in a picturesque Hamlet outside Banbury