Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: nathankaye on May 11, 2020, 07:24:28 pm
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So, as you all know, I have left a little trad work for myself which can quite easily be done in a day.my old scrims I would use periodically for the odd bungalow that I trad cleaned sometimes. Mostly to keep the skill up. Yet they are in a bad state as not used much in last 5 yrs and so I have just ordered a couple more.
Hiwever the options on scrims and cloths has greatly increased since I last ordered or looked. So for the ones who still trad, do you still use grade A scrims for the odd detailing or the microfibre / fishscale type ones? Or are they more for wet cloths
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Yellow multi purpose micro fibres from Costco 36 in a pack for sill clothes wiping frames etc and pre washed scrim from window cleaning warehouse for glass detailing they'll work better after a few machine washes.
Good luck with the trad methods rather you than me ;D
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Get a hot system 🤣🤣🤣
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Nathan I do inside work etorre Only tools change blade quick too. Also prewashed scrims for me
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Of course - every customer has a hot tap in the kitchen - even up' north :o
Darran
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Yellow multi purpose micro fibres from Costco 36 in a pack for sill clothes wiping frames etc and pre washed scrim from window cleaning warehouse for glass detailing they'll work better after a few machine washes.
Good luck with the trad methods rather you than me ;D
Cheers. Yep, i used microfibre cloths even for wfp work for the odd wipe down or pink stuff on a frame.
So im right in thinking that scrims are still bmthe best thing to use for detailing around the windows.
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Get a hot system 🤣🤣🤣
Funny enough, back in my former trad days. I used to fill a couple of 25ltr drums with boiling water from the bathroom tap and threw them in the boot with a heavy blanket over the top. Certainly helped with the cold starts etc.
On the plus side, i dont care what the tds is anymore 😂😂
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i find grade a scrims a pain they leve lintles on the glass cant beat microfiber i get mine from wilko
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unger grade A pre washed scrim is what i use...its just the best detailing cloth out there IMO....ive used various microfibre glass cloths too but they are not as absorbent as scrim (esp on a wet day)....
scrim is king for detailing around the windows......
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I've never "detailed", never got the whole idea of it. Wipe up bottom yes, but never edges or tops. So i use the Costco microfibres.
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my trad work is less than 5% of my work these days however i still use scrims everyday for cleaning/wiping dry the top frames/seals of ground floor problem windows on some parts of my round........
i also use the towelling variety of microfibres that you can get from pound /discount shops for cleaning sills,cleaning my hose when im reeling in and cleaning my pole hose when im putting my pole back in the van.....so cloths are still an important part of my everyday cleaning schedule.....
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If u pick up the edges properly why detail?
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Unger microwipes for me for the small bit of trad we do now. Stopped using scrims years ago. Boiling them first and all that.
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On the rubber side I used to swear by Ettore soft but I much prefer the Razor red when it’s a good batch,much much better to use last ages far less lines left as I find them to be the perfect texture.
I’ve had 1 of those rubbers in for months and months and it cleans as well if not better than a new softer rubber.
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On the rubber side I used to swear by Ettore soft but I much prefer the Razor red when it’s a good batch,much much better to use last ages far less lines left as I find them to be the perfect texture.
I’ve had 1 of those rubbers in for months and months and it cleans as well if not better than a new softer rubber.
Ive always used pulex hard rubber and was speaking to lee, who has bought my work as hes trad and he was saying about the red blades. Hes gonna drop me some off to give a try.
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Unger Soft for me.
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Honestly I never thought I’d switch from soft till I tried those Razors 🪒 if you get a good Batch you won’t beat em,give em a go I think you’ll be surprised.
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Also if you must use a liquidator the red razor is the only one to clean with any sense,I don’t know why they put a soft rubber in them they jump about like a hooker that’s been let out of lockdown 🤣🤣
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I use both scrims and microfibre cloths but I generally prefer the scrims as I find they are more absorbent and last a bit longer before getting too wet. I also find them invaluable for the technique I use when cleaning leaded windows. The hassle with them though is that initially you have to wash them/boil them or whatever or have a period of breaking them in if not during which stage they won't be very good. It's also annoying that they come only in such large sizes so I have to cut them down sometimes. Though I generally like them another issue is that in hot sunny weather they can sometimes be prone to leaving fibres or dust particles on the glass so if it's really warm I sometimes giver preference to the mircofibre cloths.
In conclusion maybe mircofibre cloths are better in summer and scrims in winter (as the scrim is more absorbent and better able to handle the bad weather).
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You think how much we used to use hand tools daily-weekly-monthly my goodness,I can go a couple of weeks without using any now when I do the odd few windows trad now I enjoy it.
When you look at it and compare it now it’s almost like we retired and took up another trade really,completely different.
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I use both scrims and microfibre cloths but I generally prefer the scrims as I find they are more absorbent and last a bit longer before getting too wet. I also find them invaluable for the technique I use when cleaning leaded windows. The hassle with them though is that initially you have to wash them/boil them or whatever or have a period of breaking them in if not during which stage they won't be very good. It's also annoying that they come only in such large sizes so I have to cut them down sometimes. Though I generally like them another issue is that in hot sunny weather they can sometimes be prone to leaving fibres or dust particles on the glass so if it's really warm I sometimes giver preference to the mircofibre cloths.
I have 1 job with leaded windows and bevelled glass and use a scrim to dry the glass off but as you say it does leave some lint behind. Some types of micro fibre also leave lint/fluff behind but I have found some good smooth absorbent type.
I clean the frames with a towel, soapy water with a mop, dedicated squeegee only used on leaded as it damages the rubber blade, wipe beading and sill with towel, scrim glass dry.
What technique did you use for cleaning leaded windows?
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Ive made sure I have left myself no leaded windows to do trad, thats for sure. What a faff they are without wfp.
However, when I was trad I started with a wet (slightly damp) scrim and buffed with a clean scrim. Then it went to a quick spray with a tablet which disolved in 2 ltre pop bottles of water from unger. (Forgot the name of them) and that worked really well in a spray bottle and then buff clean with scrim. Yet if they were really dirty it would be a mop n squeegee job and buff to perfection afterwards with a scrim.
Yep, sure glad I aint kept any to do
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Scrim or microfiber rung out in water as hot as you can stand,go over the lead with it then go over it with the same but bone dry for perfect results.
Years ago we used to certain parts of the houses ie not south facing with a rung out 1 most shiners did this,always do a perfect job on the kitchen lounge and main bedroom 🤣🤣🧐
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Why dident you keep backpack resin bottle and have done in half a 😑day
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I have 1 job with leaded windows and bevelled glass and use a scrim to dry the glass off but as you say it does leave some lint behind. Some types of micro fibre also leave lint/fluff behind but I have found some good smooth absorbent type.
I clean the frames with a towel, soapy water with a mop, dedicated squeegee only used on leaded as it damages the rubber blade, wipe beading and sill with towel, scrim glass dry.
What technique did you use for cleaning leaded windows?
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What I usually do is just put the water on as normal with the applicator and squeegee it off as normal (but with a squeegee reserved just for leaded windows as you said). Then I use one of the big scrims to dry it off a fair bit and after that I quickly go over it again with one of the smaller microfibre cloths to get a good finish/remove any fibres etc.
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I can't help but feel you might not be moving in the best direction, Nathan.
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Why dident you keep backpack resin bottle and have done in half a 😑day
Initially its a keep fit reason as to why Im ladders again and Im out this friday for the first day doing so. However, the closer im getting to friday Im thinking I might knock together a new pump box (from all the spares I have) and get a clx 18 pole n brush again and just buy some water as n when I need it. Yet Im trying to hold those thoughts off for now 😁😁 but ask me on saturday when my legs are aching lol
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Who in their right mind would go back to trad? especially when Nathan charged £100 for cleaning a conservatory roof and could do 35 houses per day WFP, it doesn’t make sense! He made a d.i.y trolley, surely that along with a few barrels would have been sufficient? It would have completed whatever work he has left in a fraction of the time compared to trad.
Perhaps he’s only keeping a little work so he can still claim the grant by saying that he intends to trade for the rest of the financial year?
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Who in their right mind would go back to trad? especially when Nathan charged £100 for cleaning a conservatory roof and could do 35 houses per day WFP, it doesn’t make sense! He made a d.i.y trolley, surely that along with a few barrels would have been sufficient? It would have completed whatever work he has left in a fraction of the time compared to trad.
Perhaps he’s only keeping a little work so he can still claim the grant by saying that he intends to trade for the rest of the financial year?
Mate, im not claiming the grant! Sure my business was hit due to covid 19 and isolation etc. But the truth is, i cant be doing with the hassle of it and the taxes. Like I said prior, finances are really tight moving forward by not fully working and being a carer. The extra work im doing will be for kids clothes etc and every penny accounted for. Trust me, this was no easy choice but you do what you need to for family (legally that is). So, after the income from the sale of work and the little to do each month will keep my tax bill very low compared to normal. So claiming what i can on the grant will severely push me over and i would be using a chunk of that to pay my tax bill on account again. So it aint worth the hassle.
Plus the work I have saved is a steady days work which some is a nice drive to get to. So its my little escape and a bit of extra exercise as well using ladders. So all is good.
However, absolutely its hard not to quickly build back up again as Im getting a lot of soft washing jobs coming through and i have asked other shiners in the area and it turns out Im pretty much the only chap who offers the service. So i could quickly build that side back up and yes, i charge good money for my services I offered in Doncaster etc and lettung go of it all is still pretty hard, but hey ho. I prefer to think of the positives
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Who in their right mind would go back to trad? especially when Nathan charged £100 for cleaning a conservatory roof and could do 35 houses per day WFP, it doesn’t make sense! He made a d.i.y trolley, surely that along with a few barrels would have been sufficient? It would have completed whatever work he has left in a fraction of the time compared to trad.
Perhaps he’s only keeping a little work so he can still claim the grant by saying that he intends to trade for the rest of the financial year?
Mate, im not claiming the grant! Sure my business was hit due to covid 19 and isolation etc. But the truth is, i cant be doing with the hassle of it and the taxes. Like I said prior, finances are really tight moving forward by not fully working and being a carer. The extra work im doing will be for kids clothes etc and every penny accounted for. Trust me, this was no easy choice but you do what you need to for family (legally that is). So, after the income from the sale of work and the little to do each month will keep my tax bill very low compared to normal. So claiming what i can on the grant will severely push me over and i would be using a chunk of that to pay my tax bill on account again. So it aint worth the hassle.
Plus the work I have saved is a steady days work which some is a nice drive to get to. So its my little escape and a bit of extra exercise as well using ladders. So all is good.
However, absolutely its hard not to quickly build back up again as Im getting a lot of soft washing jobs coming through and i have asked other shiners in the area and it turns out Im pretty much the only chap who offers the service. So i could quickly build that side back up and yes, i charge good money for my services I offered in Doncaster etc and lettung go of it all is still pretty hard, but hey ho. I prefer to think of the positives
Fair play Nathan. Maybe worth checking if the selling of goodwill is taxable? I know you can’t claim tax relief on buying work.
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Just out of curiosity what did you do with your pressure cleaning equipment Nath?
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Just out of curiosity what did you do with your pressure cleaning equipment Nath?
I ended up renting a machine but I have kept all my hoses and lances etc because I may periodically pick up the odd job here n there or in the future.
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Hi Nathan surely you would be better taking the grant.
Forget about the tax situation if you do simple accounting cash basis (money in / money out) in same tax year.
You can spend the grant on a trolley or backpack and your tax liability is reduced or gone.
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I would buy a trolley and barrels I would never go back to just traditional only,the only way I’d do that was if I had a massive amount of low level-shop work.
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I would buy a trolley and barrels I would never go back to just traditional only,the only way I’d do that was if I had a massive amount of low level-shop work.
NWH, I have seen you make a couple of comments about the Liquidator channel and not liking it, can you tell me which channel you prefer?
I do use a Liquidator for my 10 and 14 inch and a cheap channel for the 4 inch squeegee.
I did not get on with the Moerman rubbers at all (they all left fine line along the entire length of the rubber).
I tried Ettore soft, sometimes from new they would also leave lines, Razor red I found difficult to use, very sticky, I like Unger soft and my favourite at the moment is Black Diamond.
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So mother in law snapped a pic of me shopping with one of the little ones. (The older ones left playing on playstation so easy for wife to listen out for.......quiet time)
As you can see, the exercise of ladders will be an advantage 😂😂😂😂
(http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/1589477078_Screenshot_20200514-182056_Video Player.jpg)
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Lol yeah do you know what you are having yet Nathan I hope twins aren’t in the family 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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I've never "detailed", never got the whole idea of it. Wipe up bottom yes, but never edges or tops. So i use the Costco microfibres.
Better off with quilted Andrex I would have thought.
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You think how much we used to use hand tools daily-weekly-monthly my goodness,I can go a couple of weeks without using any now when I do the odd few windows trad now I enjoy it.
When you look at it and compare it now it’s almost like we retired and took up another trade really,completely different.
What are you smoking ? Its nothing like taking up a different trade , your still washing windows!
If a carpenter starts using an electric drill rather than a hand one ........is that like taking up a new trade? ;D ::)roll
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Ask a carpenter that’s fixing a roof on from new or putting a stud wall up on big projects if he wants to go back to his hammer over his nail gun,many will tell you completely different job these days.
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Wow.
So when i was trad constantly, i knew I was fast. Yes cleaning windows is like riding a bike, you dont forget but I am much slower! I am also amazed and frustrates knowing just how much faster wfp is!
So after today lol I might spend a day rebuilding a trolley system again ;D
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Yeah I would do lol.
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Wow.
So when i was trad constantly, i knew I was fast. Yes cleaning windows is like riding a bike, you dont forget but I am much slower! I am also amazed and frustrates knowing just how much faster wfp is!
So after today lol I might spend a day rebuilding a trolley system again ;D
i dont blame you nathan......
dont forget you not getting any younger and it only takes one slip.......its madness to clean upper windows with a ladder these days.....you could still keep your hand in with the trad for ground floor windows if you need to conserve water....
i use to dread winter on the ladders.....the slippy decking and wet imprinted concrete/gravel driveways!as well as all that climbing on roofs! ::)roll ;D
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The red stinging fingers I was thinking of.
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If I was going back to trad I wouldn't include the frames, just glass only. Even if you doubled the price for cleaning the frames it wouldn't make sense time wise so you'd have to charge high for frames and agree with customer to charge more quarterly or six monthly to include the frames.
Why go back to trad if only working temporary hours, keep WFP gear and buy a small tank instead.
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Why go back to trad if only working temporary hours, keep WFP gear and buy a small tank instead.
Give him time. :D
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I never said goodbye to Nath , and look , he’s halfway back already !
;D WELCOME HOME NATHAN ;D
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They can check out but they can never leave ... ;D
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Still need my escape on here 😁😎
But yes, after working friday on houses which I thought i could get away with just trad on. I forgot about the odd windows and one house where the front garden slopes, so the ladders are not save to use.
So before next month, im putting a trolley together for those houses and I have arranged with a mate round corner from me to fill 4 tubs of water.
So i will be wfp upstairs nntrad down lol
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WELCOME BACK NATH ;D
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WELCOME BACK NATH ;D
;D ;D
Though never said i was actually leaving the forum. Just that i was virtually stopping working. Im down to one day a month lol
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So, its done!
Confirmed with mate about supplying some pure water my way, once a month.
I have the spare parts and pumps to make a new pump box, but require battery, on/off switch, casing and then the issue of a trolley. So ive gone practical, as I dont have much spare time nowadays to make the actual box and secure to a trolley to lift in/out boot of the car. So opted for the gardiners back pack with 15m extra pole hose and.....
Switched from the carbon pole and ordered the clx22, still keeping the 14inch brush brush though but tying fan jets for the first time. Yes i have to go with 4 fan jets though hahah ;D
Although, i did enjoy (from a fitness point of view) using the ladder and so on houses where I dont require wfp, i think i will still trad clean hhhhhmmmm
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So you’re not claiming the grant because you don’t want to deal with the tax liability? I’ve heard it all now.
You were cleaning 30+ houses a day and from what you put on here your prices were decent. Assuming you were declaring your income (?????) you will be entitled to £7500 or very close to it. You could then spend that £7500 on a van and system and your tax liability on that £7500 will be close to zero. Instead you are choosing to knock up a system from bits and pieces and buy water from a mate.
Sorry Nathan, something doesn’t add up here mate.
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So you’re not claiming the grant because you don’t want to deal with the tax liability? I’ve heard it all now.
You were cleaning 30+ houses a day and from what you put on here your prices were decent. Assuming you were declaring your income (?????) you will be entitled to £7500 or very close to it. You could then spend that £7500 on a van and system and your tax liability on that £7500 will be close to zero. Instead you are choosing to knock up a system from bits and pieces and buy water from a mate.
Sorry Nathan, something doesn’t add up here mate.
There's nothing new here, if there's an easy way to do something Nathan will do the opposite. lol
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Im sorry guys, if im not joining the rest scrambling to get my hands on a government grant! Sorry to disapoint!
Ive made good money by selling very good work and having one chap mostly buy all of it (80%) and that will see my income topped up enough to buy clothes etc for my family whikst we adapt to our new way of life.
I am also confident with my own ability to rapidly build my work back up again if in the future my circumstances change again and I also have other cleaning jobs still booked in. For now, I have i will have a steady but low income coming in on a set day. I dont have to worry about tds, my van security or which pole is heavier than the next. Is my work getting behind, have I processed the payments, have I done my books. Is my battery topped up etc etc etc.
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Very hard to get away from this job I’ve known plenty say that’s it I’ve had enough,to easy walking round colouring in windows 🤣🤣🤣 who wants to work for a living.
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Mate, its hard as im still getting alot of enquiries through and having to pass them on. The hard bit is adjusting as its very easy to swing this around and build back up again. Yet saying that, later in the day my wife will become quite ill again and I see why weve made this sacrifice and it suddenly becomes clear again.
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Im sorry guys, if im not joining the rest scrambling to get my hands on a government grant! Sorry to disapoint!
Ive made good money by selling very good work and having one chap mostly buy all of it (80%) and that will see my income topped up enough to buy clothes etc for my family whikst we adapt to our new way of life.
I am also confident with my own ability to rapidly build my work back up again if in the future my circumstances change again and I also have other cleaning jobs still booked in. For now, I have i will have a steady but low income coming in on a set day. I dont have to worry about tds, my van security or which pole is heavier than the next. Is my work getting behind, have I processed the payments, have I done my books. Is my battery topped up etc etc etc.
Scrambling around? It’s a very simple application that can be completed within minutes and assuming you’ve been paying your taxes whilst cleaning 30+ houses a day you’ll get close to £7500 within days.
You have a business that was adversely effected by the coronavirus and a young family to support. If not for you then take the grant and invest it in a trust fund for your children’s future, to give them a head start in life.
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I don’t understand why you aren’t taking the grant Nat?
And remember, the intention to clean the downstairs trad never materialises. As soon as you use WFP, you think ‘sod it, I’m doing the whole house wfp’
😁
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There’s lots of window cleaners not getting anything it’s called the black market the same goes for market traders,if you are dealing in cash all day long what do you reckon they do.
Burger vans are the same all cash,you can’t have it both ways.
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The only thing I can see Nathan is because you have registered as a carer you can't take the grant because of income limits, otherwise is doesn't make sense.
Everyone was telling you to hold out a little while before you sold your work and became a carer.
You could have taken the grant THEN sell your round, then apply to be a carer.
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Of course Nathan I’m not accusing you of working for cash only,just saying as a whole there are lots of window cleaners that are mostly cash only.
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I thought buying a round was not tax deductable so by extension thought that selling one didn't count towards profit
Not talking about vans and equipment.
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Also the idea of putting money into a trust fund for your kids might be affected if part of your brain believes that you are living in the very last of the last days?
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Also the idea of putting money into a trust fund for your kids might be affected if part of your brain believes that you are living in the very last of the last days?
;D ;D
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The only thing I can see Nathan is because you have registered as a carer you can't take the grant because of income limits, otherwise is doesn't make sense.
Everyone was telling you to hold out a little while before you sold your work and became a carer.
You could have taken the grant THEN sell your round, then apply to be a carer.
However, due to the health issues my work was starting on unravel and since I was selling my work for upto 5 cleans worth then i couldnt wait for it to unravel any further. Certainly as the talks of the grant wasnt available until june/july and its only recent have they said that you can apply now in may.
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Also the idea of putting money into a trust fund for your kids might be affected if part of your brain believes that you are living in the very last of the last days?
;D ;D
;)
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Of course Nathan I’m not accusing you of working for cash only,just saying as a whole there are lots of window cleaners that are mostly cash only.
These are the ones cursing at the moment as well by being creative with their taxes ;D ;D
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This is the only time the government are glad not everyone’s declaring 🤣🤣🤣
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Nathan what about bungalows?
A mate of mine fell off his ladders years ago; broke both his ankles. Now, all he does is trad bungalows, not interested in wfp, seems to do ok. He's very chilled and happy with his life; not rich, but very contented.
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So ive completed the work Ive had and to be honest, ive enjoyed using trad tools and actually enjoyed doing the work. Pleasantly suprised.
My ladders have swivel feet and mits at the top end and so they are very stable. If its not safe then the window was skipped until the wfp set up is here for next month.
From my previous trad days, I have learnt to use those foam pipe warmers/protectors on some rungs. This is when you are at the top of the ladder, I normally rest my knee caps on the rung when working. So the foam pads it a little.
I also learnt in the colder months to insulate the rung which I hold with my hand when carrying the ladder and another foam cover sliced on half to stick onto the side of the ladder which rests on the shoulder when carrying it. Lol, it all helps making the ladder more comfortable for use.
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We all enjoy using trad tools m8 but we all have have it in our minds that the old tanks full of water only a short walk away lol,you’ll never convince me in this lifetime I only enjoy using em because it’s not very often and it’s not something I have to do a lot ,🤣 good on ya Nathan but you should have got yourself a trolley and carried on with the pole.