[Marc Stock]

Just a question. I started window cleaning back in 2002. Back then professional window cleaners were alot rarer, most chaps used old bangers and ladders i know this because i started with ladders and a banger. It wasn't until a year later that i bought a van and a year again went by and i bought a brodex e compact and started out on wfp.

Id say that between 2004-2008 were the golden years of wfp earnings . I was picking up commercial jobs left right and centre,  as many others were too. Those were the days of another forum when it existed and momentum really picked up. Some people were earning in excess of £500  an hour doing massive blocks of flats  or offices in a morning, when guys on cradles would take 4 or 5 days including all the health and saftey bs and wfp would sweep the work out from under thier feet.

Now it seems the opposite. Eveyone i have seen enter into windowcleaning do so thinking they are going to make a fortune, and in reality prices have fallen and become less lucrative. Plus so many people seem to be jumping into the window cleaning bandwagon thinking its easy money. But in reality its pushing prices down and reducing lucrative work. Im beginning to think that window cleaning is going to see a turndown as it saturates with more and more 'professional' kitted out vans and i have noticed that its getting harder to pick up regular customers as the customer base is getting younger and they just dont have the spare cash.

Whats your thoughts chaps?

[8weekly]

Only £500 an hour?

[Tosh]

Depends what your market is. I picked up a one off 4 bed townhouse this week, in and out £270.

Just this afternoon a barn conversion in and out £315.

It keeps getting better IMO.

[Tom-01]

I think there's definitely a lot more people doing it, and that's in just the 5 years I've been going. I was in Wokingham the other day (not working) and I saw 5 different window cleaners within one hour.

As Edward Evans said it depends on your market. I priced 3 jobs yesterday total of over £1k and got them all. If they had shopped around they would have got cheaper, but they don't want cheaper.

[Phil J]

There is quality work out there, you just have to offer a premium service with an eye for detail and the work comes in, we pick it up all the time via recommendation and website traffic.

[Tosh]

An attractive, presentable, professional looking website is vital IMO to picking up lucrative work. The job is most of the way in the bag if that's the case. They've pretty much made up their mind. So long as you don't fart when you tell them the price your likely to be home dry.

[Bungle]

I think there's definitely a lot more people doing it, and that's in just the 5 years I've been going. I was in Wokingham the other day (not working) and I saw 5 different window cleaners within one hour.

As Edward Evans said it depends on your market. I priced 3 jobs yesterday total of over £1k and got them all. If they had shopped around they would have got cheaper, but they don't want cheaper.

What are the 3 jobs you got?

[Og]

Here the going is good.

[Clever Forum Name]

There is more competition and I asked this very question elsewhere. (Another forum)

Thing is they will soon realise how hard it is to get the work. Without being established. 

New WFP vans are hammering new estates and new builds and going crazy on prices. Already lower than a snakes belly.

Picked up a new customer today on a new build as the new guy didn't have a clue why it was streaking. As soon a I turned up i spotted the drains on the upvc Windows.

Today picked up a 3 bed semi. 8 weekly. £45 first clean. £25 8 weekly.

Would be happy with about £15-18 for it but we are in demand here and recommendations are going through the roof. Taking on another 20 customers then enough is enough I am full.

Work is out there but you need to make sure your USP is better than the next guy.

Building a round from scratch will see most of the guys off before they even start.

I do see a lot more cleaners BUT I never see them for more than 20-30 mins. They do one or two and go.

On Thursday we cleaned 19 houses without moving from a street. Cleaned another 15 in 3 other roads then went home.

[SeanK]

I picked up 5 jobs today £1500 each and had them done by lunch time, another customer threatened to dump me if I didn't up my
price by £100, I'm finding it almost impossible now to pick up any £3 semis which suit me better as I have too much money.
I hate the fact that people don't want cheap and am living in fear of somebody finding out how rich I am.

[elite mike]

I picked up 5 jobs today £1500 each and had them done by lunch time, another customer threatened to dump me if I didn't up my
price by £100, I'm finding it almost impossible now to pick up any £3 semis which suit me better as I have too much money.
I hate the fact that people don't want cheap and am living in fear of somebody finding out how rich I am.

lmao   

[Dave Willis]

Most of the market will get saturated tomorrow onwards. Windy too.

[Shane sharples]

I picked up 5 jobs today £1500 each and had them done by lunch time, another customer threatened to dump me if I didn't up my
price by £100, I'm finding it almost impossible now to pick up any £3 semis which suit me better as I have too much money.
I hate the fact that people don't want cheap and am living in fear of somebody finding out how rich I am.

 

[Shane sharples]

I picked up 3 customers next door to each other today , couldn't believe my luck . 3 bed semis , quick 20 mins each so I charged each one a fiver , fantastic day for the books

[Smurf]

Just a question. I started window cleaning back in 2002. Back then professional window cleaners were alot rarer, most chaps used old bangers and ladders i know this because i started with ladders and a banger. It wasn't until a year later that i bought a van and a year again went by and i bought a brodex e compact and started out on wfp.

Id say that between 2004-2008 were the golden years of wfp earnings . I was picking up commercial jobs left right and centre,  as many others were too. Those were the days of another forum when it existed and momentum really picked up. Some people were earning in excess of £500  an hour doing massive blocks of flats  or offices in a morning, when guys on cradles would take 4 or 5 days including all the health and saftey bs and wfp would sweep the work out from under thier feet.

Now it seems the opposite. Eveyone i have seen enter into windowcleaning do so thinking they are going to make a fortune, and in reality prices have fallen and become less lucrative. Plus so many people seem to be jumping into the window cleaning bandwagon thinking its easy money. But in reality its pushing prices down and reducing lucrative work. Im beginning to think that window cleaning is going to see a turndown as it saturates with more and more 'professional' kitted out vans and i have noticed that its getting harder to pick up regular customers as the customer base is getting younger and they just dont have the spare cash.

Whats your thoughts chaps?

I've spoken to a few old school and they have said much the same. Far to many charging silly low prices is defo not good for anyone.

 

[nathankaye]

With a little upfront cash you could make yourself look the part and many do. They can do the talk but not the walk, lol.

Iv found these ones just simply fade away but the trouble is, theyve done such a bad job people blame the systems we use. When I was trad working and this happened, customers blames the workman. Yet on wfp, they blame the setup and not the worker so its harder to convince these ones to come bk on board

[Smurf]

It took me about 3 months to learn how to wfp properly. Some don't even last that long 

[Blackadder]

I believe you're probably right, I started 3 years ago and since then, 3 people I know have started up but as flooded as the market is, I still believe that if you're professional, reliable and of course do a good job, there's plenty of work out there. I keep saying I'm not going to take on more work and yet still do.

[Stoots]

My city alone has approx 320,000 houses.

I only want 300-400 of them

Think I'll be ok for now unless there's another 800 windys in my area who want 400 each!

[KS Cleaning]

I picked up 5 jobs today £1500 each and had them done by lunch time, another customer threatened to dump me if I didn't up my
price by £100, I'm finding it almost impossible now to pick up any £3 semis which suit me better as I have too much money.
I hate the fact that people don't want cheap and am living in fear of somebody finding out how rich I am.