Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: xpskwindowcleaning on August 30, 2007, 12:15:27 pm
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Hi,
Just about to make my first foray into window cleaning in Oxford (after having a quick practice on my own!). I'm planning on charging the following: -
Ground floor flats £4
Other flats £5
Two floor house £6
Three floor house £8
Insides £3 extra
Conservatories £5 extra
Outside of city £1 extra for flats, £2 extra for houses.
All will be cleaned trad as I live in a first floor flat.
Obviously I'll adapt the prices if the house is massive, but do those sound okay? I don't want to undercut anyone but I've been trying to phone local companies but all go to answerphone with no-one returning my calls (which is partially why I'm going into window cleaning, because I haven't been able to get one for two years!).
Basically I want to be earning £60 on a good day - so say £20 for diesel and equipment should leave 16 houses at an average of £5/house = 1 house every 30 mins for an 8 hour day which sounds doable?
Thanks for your advice.
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im not understanding why you are starting a business if that is your target, dont take me wrong but for that £ a day you surely can get a normal job with a regular paycheck and without all the headaches of insurance, tax, NI, PL, end of year accounts,etc etc etc ??? ??? ???
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Well, the idea was to have that as a target by mid-October, as that's about what I was earning in my previous job. I could then, with experience, work the round and bring it up some more.
I've spent quite a while reading threads on here and I wasn't too sure what the concensus was - for every time people say they're charging £20+ per house there are people saying that it's too much and no-one will pay it.
The reason why I want to start my own business is that I've been running another business (chocolate fountains) which brings in £10,000-ish a year profit, but that's almost exclusively Fri/Sat nights. I really don't like working for other people so have been looking for an opportunity to work days and use my van and window cleaning sounded like an ideal opportunity, as there certainly seems to be a shortage of them in Oxford.
I work hard and I'm sure I can do way more than a house every 30mins, as houses in Oxford are very close together, but I didn't want to set some crazy target and be struggling to beat it every time it rains etc - much rather play it safe while I learn and get the experience.
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I am just down the road from oxford (Deddington) and I personally have a min charge of £10 I aim for £25 per hour.
Dont under price as you will regret it later on
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Two floor house £6
Three floor house £8
This won't work as some houses may have say 8 windows others may have 20 and they could both be two floors.
You need to work out what you want to earn an hour.
we all work at different speeds you work out how long it will take you to clean an average window and work your price's out per window.
And adjust your prices for large windows, leaded lights, georgian type, obstructions, difficult access.
Paul
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id say that you want and try and hit a target of around £20 hr mark. you dont want to be working for a pitance. otherwise in time you will be thinking that you hate doing them for that price.
people dont like price incresses
try and price so you can hit £20 hr
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the prices you have stated are far too low and in oxford?
you should rethink your price structure
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this is how i price my work at the moment soon it will be higher as i wont be needing as much work
top windows on a normal house i price them at £1.50 each, this could consist of three panes of glass and a small opener, or 2panes of glass, basically if its not a bay window and no bigger than three panes £1.50, if it is bigger i double it, do count the windows round the house and then times them by !.50 or for every 2 windows £3, etc etc
down stairs i go on £1 per window and window here is dominated by even thee smallest piece of glass, i.e a front door with glass in it is £1, a window beside it, normal size or 10cm by 10cm that's also £1, for the fronts of an average i am for £5-7
for conservatories i don't really have a price scale, i look at it, and work out how long it will take me, i.e 20mins and then half it, 20mins = £10
also if you are currently employed, don't give up your job yet, go out canvassing leaflet dropping advertising etc, and get yourself a days works, and take a day off work to do it in, or maybe a Saturday, only quit your job at absolutely the last point,
i know in Oxford you can earn in excess of £200 maybe some days a bit less or other days more, if in your current job your earning £1200 after tax you need six full days work every month or 9 full days every size weeks, depends on how often you want to clean the windows, ( i find i can get higher prices if i clean houses every 6 weeks) you can do 4 days worth of work in 4 Saturdays, that's 70% of your work done and you only need to find another 2 days from somewhere.
Hope you can understand it and hope it helps
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You want a job mate????
I'd gladly pay you those rates to do my work. ;D ;D ;D
You're seriously underpricing yourself at £60 a day. Think about the Tax, vat, insurance, equipment and vehicle costs!! Like the guys are saying, £20 an hour is a reasonable place to aim for as a starting point,... but its only a starting point, work upwards from there!
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Hi,
Whats with the chocolate Fountains business, seems a good earner to me.
Kevin WINDOLENE
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I did the same when I first started mate and in turn it slowed my progress. I said to myself that my old boss paid me £200 a week and I wanted £300 for doing it myself. I then started at weekends and used the money to buy equipment then ended up with loads of work that nobody else would touch.
So I had a rethink and worked out window cleaners in the area were charging £15-£30 an hour and decided that I would go in at around £20 an hour. From getting every job I quoted it went down to about 75% saying yes but the money I earn on top of what I would of is a major difference.
I would charge a fair price and do a good job then before you know it you will pick work up purely by referrals!
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Thanks loads for all your help - seems to be a common problem that new window cleaners price themselves at what they'd want to pay rather than be paid. I'm thinking of offering a free clean and quote to get them to bite, hopefully after a few free cleans I'll have a better idea of pricing.
With chocolate fountains: easy money if you ever want to try it, £2000 for a 48" and all the extras, about £80 in materials each time and you can charge £400+ for just standing there for 3 hours or so - there's very few people doing at the moment so if you get your own area the phone seldom stays on the hook. Shame most people only want Fri/Sat!
Thanks loads again for all your help!
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the way to not undercut is this
"do not ask what the existing window cleaner charges "
then price it up with what you want to earn, job done, you will not be undercutting any1, as you dont know what they charge, if your cheaper, then so be it, and with those prices you will be cheaper
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"do not ask what the existing window cleaner charges "
Best tip I've heard in a long time,.. I might add it to my signature! ;D
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I'm sorry but i think the advice to charge £20 per hour is poor when he has no prior experience. It's like paying an apprentice tradesman rates.
He needs to acquire the speed and skill and that won't happen in week 1 or week 21.
If he can get that kind of money as soon as he picks up a scrim then great. But he will struggle to pick up work because he will probably take the best part of an hour to do a 3 bed semi at first.
And people won't pay him £20 while others are charging a tenner and doing it in 20 minutes.
He is by far better off charging per window to give him the ballpark figure and then adding on for awkward or larger windows.
How many of us can truthfully say we were consistently earning that kind of money cleaning traditionally in the 1st few months? Or even the 1st year?
xps, i think you are closer to the mark when you quote the figure of £60 a day and you will hurt in your arms and legs in achieving this in the beginning.
If you charge £1 per window, more for out of town you won't go far wrong.
I think your goals are more realistic initially than what has been posted.
Though i would double or at least charge the outside price plus 50% for doing inside windows as it will take you twice as long to do.
Cleaning the frames will give you a good rep and don't compromise on your price.
After a few months and if you have the work you will naturally progress to be earning more than £60 a day quite easily. Especially if you do most of your work early in the mornings rather than the afternoon when it is much warmer.
Good luck.
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Hi,
Just about to make my first foray into window cleaning in Oxford (after having a quick practice on my own!). I'm planning on charging the following: -
Ground floor flats £4
Other flats £5
Two floor house £6
Three floor house £8
Insides £3 extra
Conservatories £5 extra
Outside of city £1 extra for flats, £2 extra for houses.
All will be cleaned trad as I live in a first floor flat.
Obviously I'll adapt the prices if the house is massive, but do those sound okay? I don't want to undercut anyone but I've been trying to phone local companies but all go to answerphone with no-one returning my calls (which is partially why I'm going into window cleaning, because I haven't been able to get one for two years!).
Basically I want to be earning £60 on a good day - so say £20 for diesel and equipment should leave 16 houses at an average of £5/house = 1 house every 30 mins for an 8 hour day which sounds doable?
Thanks for your advice.
Far too cheap. Do yourself a favour and set a bare minimum of £10 per property - possibly more.
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Thank you loads for all your advice again. Luckily I've got a mate who's been cleaning for a while who has shown me the ropes so hopefully I should pick up speed quite quickly. It was the prices I wasn't sure about as he does a lot of the stuff "off the book" so to speak, which isn't the way I want to go - I'd rather not get a customer then get done by the taxman.
I've set my prices like so: -
http://www.xpsk.com/prices.php
because at first I'm only canvassing my local area, which is all flats or small terraced/semis, with modern windows, so the amount of work per house should be pretty consistent (hopefully!). After I get the ropes I'll move up the road to the huge houses and rack up my price accordingly!
Fingers crossed - I'm going knocking on doors tomorrow while my van is (hopefully) flying through it's MOT.
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How times have changed mate. When i first started about 23 years ago i was getting £7 a day. This was 50% of what i was bringing in.Think houses were between 50p and 70p. Just take your time building up your run. Give it at least 7 months before you are used to windowcleaning. Then people will get to know you and the work will pile in, Just make sure you do a good job as alot of work comes by word of mouth.
Good Luck
Danny
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Great website. Your prices are way too cheap.though.
Danny
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your inside prices are shcoking
some charge 2 X the outside price, some charge the outside price plus 50 %
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If i was you its not about making sure you don't under cut, set your rate & stick to it. I charge more than alot in my area but i know some that charge more.
You need to earn so much per hour to cover yourself a make abit more so thats your aim.
Macc
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Ground floor flats £6 £7
Other flats £7 £8
Houses: two floors £9 £10
Houses: three floors £11 £12
Inside of windows Extra £4 Extra £4
Conservatories Extra £7 Extra £7
There was a good thread about nationwide prices here:
http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=39285.0
Cleaning the insides is the most irritating and time consuming part of this job. Moving everything from the sills, putting everything back after. Being very careful not to splash water. Sticky and stubborn marks (especially with student digs) that will need lots of elbow grease or a chemical to break down. The inside of the window is also much more difficult to leave smear free than the outsides as well. Even at 2X the price you will be earning every penny.
You should try cleaning the outside of your own windows, then clean the insides and time both.
At your prices i suspect you will be working £4 an hour on most of your inside work.
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Couldn't really read the text on the website, background seemed a bit too dark. ??? ???
As has already been said price per window / size of property.
Dont fall into the trap of quoting a job without seeing it first.
Not sure about offering a free clean, reason is if they already have a window cleaner and they turn to you cos of your free clean offer, it could cause you problems with the local competition.
If they dont have a regular cleaner then getting hold of you should be incentive in itself.
You probably wont believe this but some of the best hourly rates are to be made on the lower end side of the housing market, where you can pick up lots of flats / bungs/ in some of the estates, thats cos there is less downtime than driving between the posh clients.
When I first started I was pulling in about £8 an hour. It takes time, not just the cleaning technique but also ladder positioning, handling customers
Welcome to the dark side :) :) :)
regards
Ian
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Just notice on yer website that you are charging VAT?
:-X
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Just notice on yer website that you are charging VAT?
:-X
Sorry, that was a mistake - was using the same web pages as my friend's window cleaning that I did the other week.
I'm also working on a system that you can use from your website to manage customers - sort of like an online George so that I don't need to worry about backups or losing the data. Once it's completed I'll put a copy online if anyone else wants to use it (free of course!). It means I can email my customers automagically informing them of when I'll be cleaning etc to save ringing round for access.
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Hi
My basic pricing is 30-40 pence per glass, I just count all the glass sections around the house and times it by my price.
So one frame with a opener at the top would be e.g 80 pence.
I also find the bigger the house the less you get because they seem to be more tight with their money.
Also i charge more for the front than the back as most times its only fronts we get to clean
Dave