Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: dazmond on June 02, 2022, 06:50:53 pm
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Seen 4 of them over the last few days including 2 this morning.....cheap too ....
I really didn't think there were window cleaners charging a fiver a house on a frequency of 2 weekly....but I was wrong!
Still plenty about!one of them has been window cleaning for 18 years(he's 38 now)and charging very very little.... ::)roll
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Maybe he lives near you & only pays £300 rent also?🤣
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I’ve seen more trad cleaners about over the last couple of months than I’ve seen in years,a few younger guys working in pairs and an old boy on his own.
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Let them crack on. I’ll never go back to trad.
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Sounds like you got some competition Dazmondo ;D
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When I speak to customers they much prefer the fact that they are being washed and not rubbed over and the fact you can clean the hard to reach stuff that only maybe got cleaned when going inside,yeah I’d never go back sod that.
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Sounds like you got some competition Dazmondo ;D
These window cleaners don't work near me mate...I'm not working this week and have been at my missus house helping her with gardening jobs and a bit of painting,etc...
I'm still quite shocked that some guys are still working for peanuts on ladders in 2022!😲
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Probably just doing it to earn a bit of extra cash m8 at those prices you aren’t earning a living.
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Maybe he lives near you & only pays £300 rent also?🤣
It doesn't matter whether he's paying low rent either....charging a fiver for a full house is very cheap in this day and age IMO...
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Same around here dazmond I'm noticing a few more small cars with ladders on ;D it's probably just the spring brigade.
I was contacted by a friend of one of our customers who had just moved to a village that we don't cover. The place is a bit further than we travel but only by a couple of miles so I thought Google earth it and have a look.
I priced her property at £15 - £20 but said that I would have to get more of her neighbours to clean to make it worth my time.
She let me know that after she got talking to her new neighbours that the village has a window cleaner who turns up now and then.
The price he would do her window cleaning for was £4 :o
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Trad wc has always been and probably always will be one of the cheapest business set ups there is combined with being fairly low skill, means we will always be up against the beer money boys. Its just annoying when people compare prices and accuse us of being expensive. Hasn't stopped us all making successful business out of shining, it's just an irratant we have to work along side.
To people on benefits or with part time or zero hours contracts, a few £5 cash jobs on the side is probably an attractive proposition.
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Any customer wanting cheap trad. nowadays isn't worth having.
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Probably just doing it to earn a bit of extra cash m8 at those prices you aren’t earning a living.
One of the guys has been window cleaning for 18 years
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Any customer wanting cheap trad. nowadays isn't worth having.
Over the last 12 years of wfp a fair few customers have switched BECAUSE i use wfp....
I also know a guy that wfp tops with a backpack,trads the ground floor and he use to charge my missus £4-50 for her 4 bed house!she used to keep him on out of pity but eventually sacked him as I used to have to clean them too because he never cleaned the frames and missed the side upper window
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Of course they’ll be loads of people wanting their windows cleaned for very little but I have heard customers say in the past I wouldn’t have anyone for that small price what kind of job will they do for that,it can work against you being too cheap if you run it like a business and that shows people will be prepared to pay you a better price.
Most people would soon get fed up cleaning a 40 quid job for 20 especially when they became busy and that’s one of the reasons if you go to a new job they say he just stopped coming the last guy,he started off being cheap got enough work and started charging the same as the rest.
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Of course they’ll be loads of people wanting their windows cleaned for very little but I have heard customers say in the past I wouldn’t have anyone for that small price what kind of job will they do for that,it can work against you being too cheap if you run it like a business and that shows people will be prepared to pay you a better price.
Most people would soon get fed up cleaning a 40 quid job for 20 especially when they became busy and that’s one of the reasons if you go to a new job they say he just stopped coming the last guy,he started off being cheap got enough work and started charging the same as the rest.
That’s exactly the way I think , any new customers that come to me and say their old window cleaner just vanished , I tell them straight away that there’s usually 3 reasons why a window cleaner stops going -
• dog poo
•bad access
•underpriced the job
At least then they know where they went wrong if it’s point one or two and they are prepared for a higher price if it’s point 3.
I’m still amazed when they tell me ‘he used to just charge me £7’ for a bungalow and small conservatory.
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Why would you clean a job for a 1/4 of the price you’re either just after a bit of cash in hand or looking to build a round quick and then increase the prices once you have enough to fall back on,this has been done for years.
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Just let them crack on. None of my business what they charge or why IMO. I don’t care.
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Seen 4 of them over the last few days including 2 this morning.....cheap too ....
I really didn't think there were window cleaners charging a fiver a house on a frequency of 2 weekly....but I was wrong!
Still plenty about!one of them has been window cleaning for 18 years(he's 38 now)and charging very very little.... ::)roll
It’s crazy if you factor in just tax / national insurance without expenses. £5 minus around 30% tax / national insurance = £3.50 before expenses.
Better off getting a job driving for Royal Mail , they’re on at least £20 an hour + benefits
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I would think in a lot of cases it’s pre arranged it’s cash only for such small prices 5-10£ I think even the customer would prefer to pay cash.
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A lot of customers don't even possess cash nowadays out in the rural areas as so many banks have closed down that it's electronic payments nowadays or put up with a cheque which is a PITA.
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Better off getting a job driving for Royal Mail , they’re on at least £20 an hour + benefits
Posties are on £20 an hour? Really?
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Better off getting a job driving for Royal Mail , they’re on at least £20 an hour + benefits
Posties are on £20 an hour? Really?
Drivers are , I used to be a postie and my wife still works there. One of my mates past his lorry test last year , he’s now on 40k+ a year
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Postman are not on good money for a basic week they have to work as much overtime as they can to make their money up,no way 20 an hour 160 a day for an 8 hour day I don’t think so.
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You can easily earn £400-£500 a week working for Royal Mail , I worked there for 17 years
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Postman are not on good money for a basic week they have to work as much overtime as they can to make their money up,no way 20 an hour 160 a day for an 8 hour day I don’t think so.
I said driving for Royal Mail
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My mrs is on around £15 an hour just working in the sorting office
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A friend of mine started window cleaning in his forties and is trad only. He and his wife clean mostly bungalows and seem to do very well out of it. It appears that there's still a specific market down here in the Wild West.
His brother in law is trad in South Wales and seems to do equally well, although he does still use ladders and has just turned 66.
All of them decent, hard working folk but personally I'd never go back.
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I’d never go back but if all the work you did was shops and bungalows it would be easy trad.
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A customer of mine was complaining i charge her a price of £12 on a local fb group. 3 bed semi. i was shocked at how many people commented saying they paid 6 or 7 quid.
She said i did a good job but was definitely open to dumping me when someone cheaper came along ;D
And she said he doesnt even do it by hand 😄
6 quid trad lol there's no way they are paying tax on that is there.
To be fair I don't know whos more stupid sometimes i know of loads of window cleaners that make a mint doing half of their work cash. One told me has 2 lads full time and they can do 3k week, he's not vat registered.....
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They do 3k a week and not Vat registered yeah I’ve seen him riding around on his unicorn 🦄 lol,3k a week takes some doing even with top priced work so I would say you could take that as a load of 💩.
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They do 3k a week and not Vat registered yeah I’ve seen him riding around on his unicorn 🦄 lol,3k a week takes some doing even with top priced work so I would say you could take that as a load of 💩.
Two people doing 30 + hours each on the glass could do 3k no problem, it only equates to around £50 per hour.
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Yeah the numbers add up but I don’t think it could be done in reality day in day out.
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Yeah the numbers add up but I don’t think it could be done in reality day in day out.
Why not?
I've seen a guy before and he was on an estate and he had 2 lads with them. All 3 of them using a backpack each, filling up from an ibc tank in the van. These lads were banging out houses left right and centre. I know for a fact they were doing £500-£600 a day and they had a solid round like 1200 customers or more. Cash only no bacs.
Now that i think of it, guy was probably making a fortune not paying tax on most of the money lads paid in cash etc..
Each to their own.
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My response was after reading Stoots post cleaning “Trad”.
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Earning loads of cash is pointless unless you have a house that’s paid for and don’t fancy having or needing any credit,they’ve made it a waste of time almost having pockets filled with cash as a younger person starting out what are you going to do live at home with mum and dad or live in a council house all you’re life and be the best off in the street.
Saying that you can spot em the odd house with newish cars and everything done on the house lol and next door with the old leather sofa on the lawn.
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You need to show earnings for employing buying vehicles equipment etc we all like a bit of cash but I wouldn’t want it all cash you’d be a fool putting it in the bank,you could earn 5k a week cash if you don’t show it you’re credits no better than someone claiming benefits.
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You need to show earnings for employing buying vehicles equipment etc we all like a bit of cash but I wouldn’t want it all cash you’d be a fool putting it in the bank,you could earn 5k a week cash if you don’t show it you’re credits no better than someone claiming benefits.
Apart from the buying the house part
Why do you need finance to buy a van or equipment ?
150k a year 50k declared rest in cash paying 2 lads maybe 15k a year each bet theres loads doing similar.
3k a week aint hard with 3 of them
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Lol you’ve got to get that house van car and have all the holidays first m8 before you downgrade to 50k,if you want to see anyone that earns mainly cash go round to the local council estate and see which house looks like it doesn’t belong and you’ve found him.
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Lol you’ve got to get that house van car and have all the holidays first m8 before you downgrade to 50k,if you want to see anyone that earns mainly cash go round to the local council estate and see which house looks like it doesn’t belong and you’ve found him.
Lol , there’s a lot of people who have full time jobs and live on council estates. It doesn’t mean they’re doing something dodgy because they look after they’re house. I know a couple who live on a council estate , the blokes works on cranes and his mrs works at an accountancy firm , they’ve done they’re house up really nice. Plus , after living there for 10 years (I think) , they get to buy it (right to buy scheme) for what it was valued at when they first moved in
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Lol you’ve got to get that house van car and have all the holidays first m8 before you downgrade to 50k,if you want to see anyone that earns mainly cash go round to the local council estate and see which house looks like it doesn’t belong and you’ve found him.
Can easily buy a house on 50k. I've just got a mortgage last year on combined income of 40k, I'm up north though....
You don't need to be financed up to the nuts no need for credit at all apart from a house.
I think people spend money on their house whether they do or don't pay tax 🤔
Infact if anything those living in a rented council house with a range rover on the drive are more likely to be in massive credit card and loan debt rather than earning loads of undeclared cash, it's much easier to borrow money than it is to go out and work for it.
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The thing is Stoots if it’s all cash you won’t get that Range m8 unless you pay cash for a 15-20 year old one,a cash business is better suited to someone that has no mortgage doesn’t have the need for credit to a greater degree.
Honestly I’ve known people that run a cash business and they are stuck m8 they all wish they started declaring more money but the temptation of cash has always stopped them,they have fantastic holidays cash on tap but they rent and have no assets a lot of people wouldn’t value a cash business as worth buying.
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The thing is Stoots if it’s all cash you won’t get that Range m8 unless you pay cash for a 15-20 year old one,a cash business is better suited to someone that has no mortgage doesn’t have the need for credit to a greater degree.
Honestly I’ve known people that run a cash business and they are stuck m8 they all wish they started declaring more money but the temptation of cash has always stopped them,they have fantastic holidays cash on tap but they rent and have no assets a lot of people wouldn’t value a cash business as worth buying.
That's what I've just said those with a range rover have it on finance.
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Who wants a Range Rover , horrible things always breaking down cost a fortune to run .
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The thing is Stoots if it’s all cash you won’t get that Range m8 unless you pay cash for a 15-20 year old one,a cash business is better suited to someone that has no mortgage doesn’t have the need for credit to a greater degree.
Honestly I’ve known people that run a cash business and they are stuck m8 they all wish they started declaring more money but the temptation of cash has always stopped them,they have fantastic holidays cash on tap but they rent and have no assets a lot of people wouldn’t value a cash business as worth buying.
That's what I've just said those with a range rover have it on finance.
If they have a business that’s cash only they won’t be getting finance on it will they Stoots,and as said load of rubbish the newer ones always in the garage.
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They do 3k a week and not Vat registered yeah I’ve seen him riding around on his unicorn 🦄 lol,3k a week takes some doing even with top priced work so I would say you could take that as a load of 💩.
Two people doing 30 + hours each on the glass could do 3k no problem, it only equates to around £50 per hour.
30 x 50=1500 not 300
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They do 3k a week and not Vat registered yeah I’ve seen him riding around on his unicorn 🦄 lol,3k a week takes some doing even with top priced work so I would say you could take that as a load of 💩.
Two people doing 30 + hours each on the glass could do 3k no problem, it only equates to around £50 per hour.
30 x 50=1500 not 300
30hrs X £50 = £1500
£1500 X 2 people = £3000
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£50 an hour at £6 a pop doing trad ? Wow
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£50 an hour at £6 a pop doing trad ? Wow
Yeh but you gotta remember this is clean it up🤣
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£50 an hour at £6 a pop doing trad ? Wow
Who said such a thing?
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£50 an hour at £6 a pop doing trad ? Wow
Who said such a thing?
A customer of mine was complaining i charge her a price of £12 on a local fb group. 3 bed semi. i was shocked at how many people commented saying they paid 6 or 7 quid.
She said i did a good job but was definitely open to dumping me when someone cheaper came along ;D
And she said he doesnt even do it by hand 😄
6 quid trad lol there's no way they are paying tax on that is there.
To be fair I don't know whos more stupid sometimes i know of loads of window cleaners that make a mint doing half of their work cash. One told me has 2 lads full time and they can do 3k week, he's not vat registered.....
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£50 an hour at £6 a pop doing trad ? Wow
Who said such a thing?
A customer of mine was complaining i charge her a price of £12 on a local fb group. 3 bed semi. i was shocked at how many people commented saying they paid 6 or 7 quid.
She said i did a good job but was definitely open to dumping me when someone cheaper came along ;D
And she said he doesnt even do it by hand 😄
6 quid trad lol there's no way they are paying tax on that is there.
To be fair I don't know whos more stupid sometimes i know of loads of window cleaners that make a mint doing half of their work cash. One told me has 2 lads full time and they can do 3k week, he's not vat registered.....
I said a cleaner told me he does 3k a week with 2 lads so thats a grand each.
Of course i dont know it to be true but doesnt seem too far fetched if they work 8 hours a day its only 25 quid an hour each not 50. but i would suspect they can do more than 25 an hour each so probably dont work that long.
even at 6 quid if the works compact enough i can believe it
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Would you honestly want to get up every morning and be faced with an Everest of houses to clean I know I wouldn’t,I’m not saying it’s not possible to do but you wouldn’t want to do that week in week out life in a Russian prison seems an equivalent option they are running cleaning houses that cheap.
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Would you honestly want to get up every morning and be faced with an Everest of houses to clean I know I wouldn’t,I’m not saying it’s not possible to do but you wouldn’t want to do that week in week out life in a Russian prison seems an equivalent option they are running cleaning houses that cheap.
The houses are 29,000ft high? Russian prisons have improved since Soviet times?
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They haven’t improved that much not a lot more than a dog kennel hands and feet cuffed and bent over when being taken anywhere lol,you know what I mean who would want to be faced with that number of jobs every day if you did that for a few years you’d being doing the London Marathon in under 2 hours.
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They haven’t improved that much not a lot more than a dog kennel hands and feet cuffed and bent over when being taken anywhere lol,you know what I mean who would want to be faced with that number of jobs every day if you did that for a few years you’d being doing the London Marathon in under 2 hours.
much prefer doing 15 jobs a day than larger ones.
far easier physically.
use less water.
all on my doorstep.
I hate doing larger jobs , always have done
also here is the thing NWH
I am aloud to have an opinion , and I am aloud to enjoy the jobs I want to do, just as I am aloud to dislike doing larger jobs .
ITS OK FOR ALL HUMANS TO BE DIFFERENT AND HAVE THEIR OWN OPINIONS
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Allowed.
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Allowed.
He was talking aloud at the end :D
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Allowed.
You know things are getting bad when Nigel is correcting your grammar.
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Yeah and I’ve just Hirt my finger 🤣🤣🤣
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Been sacked off on an £7 front clean,new trad guy £5🤔...canvassed the whole street (that I do about 7/8
Fronts in )🥴🥴 seen a few newbies lately...sign of things to come ...
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Been sacked off on an £7 front clean,new trad guy £5🤔...canvassed the whole street (that I do about 7/8
Fronts in )🥴🥴 seen a few newbies lately...sign of things to come ...
Read the doom and gloom on this thread: http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=151398.msg1252745#msg1252745
Note the date.
Vin
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Yeah and I’ve just Hirt my finger 🤣🤣🤣
THANK YOU for the correction. ;D
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Been sacked off on an £7 front clean,new trad guy £5🤔...canvassed the whole street (that I do about 7/8
Fronts in )🥴🥴 seen a few newbies lately...sign of things to come ...
You won't lose all of them though if you do a good job....
I've lost around 5 jobs in 29 years due to cheaper window cleaners. It simply doesn't happen often enough to worry about mate.....🙂👍
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No tbh I’ve lost a handful over the years due to price as well,it helps if you have a half decent relationship with them I find.
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I lose around 6 jobs a month , but gain upto 16 a month . Have done for years , my customers usually who leave usually last around 3 years. It’s not something I worry about having analysed the figures month in month out , I know what to expect.
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Depends how you pick work up door knocked you’re lucky if they last more than a couple of cleans in a lot of cases.
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Customers just ring me , iv not canvassed for many years
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I lose around 6 jobs a month , but gain upto 16 a month . Have done for years , my customers usually who leave usually last around 3 years. It’s not something I worry about having analysed the figures month in month out , I know what to expect.
Losing 6 a month is a lot, but then gaining 16 a month wothout advertising is impressive I would be lucky to pick up a couple a month organically.
Is that just word of mouth or do you have a website
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I’m top end of the pricing in my area from what iv heard so I guess customers go elsewhere after a few years, iv had about 40 move house in the last 9 months.
Iv got a website/Facebook but rarely get anything from either. People just see me around or it’s recommendations as I live and work within a 5 mile radius from my house