How those Selling Sunset mega-mansions in LA stay looking pristine, even when empty – the legions of workers behind the scenes
- Running these prized properties can require huge teams of staff, and whenever they surface for sale, many dozen more workers enter the fray
- Even when unoccupied, The One – a US$141 million, 105,000-square-foot behemoth – clocked up a monthly bill of US$40,000 for its maintenance team
In Southern California, a mansion is a micro-economy.
To run these places – to have the guests greeted, drinks poured, floors polished, windows washed, cupboards stocked, the perimeter secured, meals cooked, children supervised, lawns manicured, ponds algaecided – typically requires a staff akin to a modern-day Downton Abbey.
And whenever these prized properties surface for sale, many dozen more workers enter the fray – tasked with elevating the home to its most beautiful state, keeping it in pristine condition in hopes of luring a buyer willing to spend a fortune to acquire it.
They include maids, gardeners, handymen, pool techs, interior designers, limestone specialists and aquarium cleaners. They work behind the scenes, sweating through hot summers to ensure that every crack is cleaned, every leaf is trimmed and every pool has the perfect PH balance.
In the end, the developer gets the profits, the agent gets the TV show and the rich person gets the house. But these workers – critical cogs in Southern California’s rarefied lifestyles and its extraordinary real estate market – make it all happen.