More people have domestic staff in 2014 than in the era of Downton Abbey, with well-off working families beginning to run 'Victorian households' again, with generations living together.
The Ideal Home Show Census shows 728,000 people now live in homes with three or more generations living together, compared to 608,000 in the Victorian era, though the population was a third smaller.
The survey showed how dependent Britain had become on help at home, with more than one in four Brits hiring cleaners, gardeners and nannies. In Victorian times, it was one in six.
Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary in a scene from season four of the ITV series, Downton Abbey
Lee Newton, chief executive officer of Media 10, which owns the Ideal Home Show brand, said: “Some might be shocked to see our research showing a return to the number of multigenerational homes and levels of servants seen in the Victorian era.
“While having a number under one roof could be seen as a bad thing, in fact, many households are now turning the situation to their advantage and designing specifically tailored homes.”
A Victorian housemaid would be likely to earn £12-25 a year, the equivalent of £1,000, with room and board included.
The Housekeeper Company suggests a minimum wage of £361 a month, around £18,700 a year, with room and board.