Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Jago on October 26, 2007, 11:28:26 am

Title: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Jago on October 26, 2007, 11:28:26 am
Hi all this is a burning question from me and I know there are many varients but
here goes

How many houses can you do say if .......

1) all in same area maybe 1 or 2 short car trips apart ie 5 mins away from another amount of work
2) you have to drive to each road where you have say 2 - 4 houses in also journeys with in 5 - 10 mins apart
3) If you have to get in iout in out your car all day and drive to each job

All based on 3-4 bed semi or detached

Just want to see if it equates to what i have been doing as I just seen a figure from an old feed and p1ssed my pants
I am now nice and warm but unsettled lol

Regards J
County Window Cleaning
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Ian_Giles on October 26, 2007, 12:11:30 pm
Well an average house done trad is roughly 20 minutes, and with WFP it'll be about 12 or 15 minutes.
But if you have a dozen small-ish houses next to each other in a street...maybe no more than 10 windows per house, done trad you would get through 4 an hour, WFP perhaps 6.
But it really isn't about how many you can do in a day.

Some can be fast, way faster than the average, but you should base prices on what the average cleaner  can do, this way, if you are fast then your earnings will be high.
Base your prices on how fast YOU are and you may be quite a bit cheaper than the guy over the road, but he will only have to do 20 in a day to make £200 and you will have to do 30!

If you have lots of drive betweens, whether trad or WFP then you have to price accordingly.

I am just off for instance to do a £65 house (in & out) have to travel a few miles to get there, the outside will take 20 minutes (tops) and the inside about an hour (minimum :'()
If I'm lucky I'll be out of there in an hour and a half....except this customer has more chops than a flock of sheep and I end out losing at least an hour because of her incessant talking!
But it is still well priced, if I had to do several of these I'd only get 3 or 4 done in a day, that hits my £200 target for a days work, so as far as I'm concerned its well priced...I don't care that I could only do 3 of them in a day.
Were they all next door to each other I'd probably get 4 or 5 of them done, ergo my price would then be lower, but as this kind of work always means a lot of travelling it is priced accordingly...

Ian
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: simon knight on October 26, 2007, 12:28:09 pm
16 (trad)

Totally knackered at the end.

Never again.

Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Alistair@AWC on October 26, 2007, 02:12:15 pm
Simon is that in a day  ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Helen on October 26, 2007, 02:54:41 pm
As Ian says "target" per day.... so it could be 4 houses per £70 each which would probably be spread out or it could be 20 houses at £14 each in one area. As we keep saying to staff, DO NOT count the number of houses, a days work is a days work and if scheduled correctly will bring about the same revenue or near as dam each day :)
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Kwackers on October 26, 2007, 03:59:09 pm
My First Day i did 8 10.40-5, farrrr to slow.
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: simon knight on October 26, 2007, 05:55:55 pm

10 mins per house?
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Tosh on October 26, 2007, 05:59:33 pm
My First Day i did 8 10.40-5, farrrr to slow.

New cleans take longer to do; you'll be quicker next time round.

You'll also be far quicker the twelth time round too.  By the time you've done them about 60 times, you'll be flying round them and will remember back to when you first did them with a smile.

I cleaned a house this week that was the very first house I ever cleaned; only five years ago.  It took me about two-hours (? a long time anyway) and I was knackered after it (it was immaculate though).

Now I can knock it out in about fifteen minutes; on a slow day.

Stick at it; if it was an easy job there'd be loads more window cleaners out there.
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Terry_Burrows on October 26, 2007, 07:31:41 pm
as many as we can until the police catches us ;D :o ::)
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Village Gleam on October 26, 2007, 08:14:05 pm
You know those man versus horse races, or horse versus train. How about a trad man versus a WfP operator race.
That sould be worth a few column inches given the topicality of the hose pipe ban and our options.
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: mark dew on October 26, 2007, 08:18:04 pm
You know those man versus horse races, or horse versus train. How about a trad man versus a WfP operator race.
That sould be worth a few column inches given the topicality of the hose pipe ban and our options.


there was 1 on, i think it was newsnight a year or 2 back. ionics versus a trad bloke. I think the trad bloke won. There was an egg stained window too.
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Wayne Thomas on October 26, 2007, 09:29:28 pm
small 3 bed houses: 31 on a good day.
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: windowwashers on October 26, 2007, 09:33:48 pm
You know those man versus horse races, or horse versus train. How about a trad man versus a WfP operator race.
That sould be worth a few column inches given the topicality of the hose pipe ban and our options.

At the mo trad I could win hands down I used to fly through my work and all to a very high quality.
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Village Gleam on October 26, 2007, 09:41:17 pm
If you want some free publicity your local paper would run you as a story if you said you had just invested heavily to comply with H&E regs and provide a better service- only to be met with this kick in the teeth hose pipe ban.

You use both methods, are very reliable. and are always looking for new work etc.

Somewhere towards the end you could work the webiste thing in ;).
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: windowwashers on October 26, 2007, 09:43:57 pm
If you want some free publicity your local paper would run you as a story if you said you had just invested heavily to comply with H&E regs and provide a better service- only to be met with this kick in the teeth hose pipe ban.

You use both methods, are very reliable. and are always looking for new work etc.

Somewhere towards the end you could work the webiste thing in ;).
I may just do that, and you can bet I will include my van on the article, logo is my website address  ;D
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Village Gleam on October 26, 2007, 09:56:43 pm
Press are very good. They love characters- human interest- be honest with them you want some free publicity but you do have a good topical story. Speak to a deputy ed or above, the reporters are bit thick and can drop you in it, but If you get it sorted out above it's fine.
Remember you took a big loan out etc etc.

I've had a lot of fun with the press.
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: ok cleaning on October 27, 2007, 04:03:41 pm
 i do 20 houses a day
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Kwackers on October 27, 2007, 04:16:58 pm
i'd be well and truly laughing if i could do that, i think in the future, aswell as my speed being the main drawdown, as i gather more customers and the distance between houses isn't so far, i'm increase my work load further
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: jdemarco on October 27, 2007, 06:14:08 pm
Hi all this is a burning question from me and I know there are many varients but
here goes

How many houses can you do say if .......

1) all in same area maybe 1 or 2 short car trips apart ie 5 mins away from another amount of work
2) you have to drive to each road where you have say 2 - 4 houses in also journeys with in 5 - 10 mins apart
3) If you have to get in iout in out your car all day and drive to each job

All based on 3-4 bed semi or detached

Just want to see if it equates to what i have been doing as I just seen a figure from an old feed and p1ssed my pants
I am now nice and warm but unsettled lol

Regards J
County Window Cleaning

Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: jdemarco on October 27, 2007, 06:23:10 pm
Hi all this is a burning question from me and I know there are many varients but
here goes

How many houses can you do say if .......

1) all in same area maybe 1 or 2 short car trips apart ie 5 mins away from another amount of work
2) you have to drive to each road where you have say 2 - 4 houses in also journeys with in 5 - 10 mins apart
3) If you have to get in iout in out your car all day and drive to each job

All based on 3-4 bed semi or detached

Just want to see if it equates to what i have been doing as I just seen a figure from an old feed and p1ssed my pants
I am now nice and warm but unsettled lol

Regards J
County Window Cleaning

i never work off how many houses more how much earnings in a day but ive counted through a typical day with the sort of houses you mentioned and its between 50 or 60 but i do normally have a big range of properties. But try basing it on monetry figures it will drive you to earn more and more and try and beat it each month.
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: FUN on October 28, 2007, 12:55:35 pm
Window cleaning isn't a competition to see who can do the most in a day. Not for me anyway. You only have to do enough work to make the amount of money you need in a year......and make sure you can walk before you run.
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: FUN on October 28, 2007, 12:59:39 pm
jdemarco reckons he does 50 to 60 3 bedroom houses in a day. lmao
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Sir Squeaky on October 28, 2007, 01:00:47 pm
 ;D
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Kwackers on October 28, 2007, 01:07:27 pm
jdemarco reckons he does 50 to 60 3 bedroom houses in a day. lmao


and thats with one hand
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: jdemarco on October 28, 2007, 01:20:32 pm
jdemarco reckons he does 50 to 60 3 bedroom houses in a day. lmao

I dont reckon anything it is me and another lad not just on my own. I havnt worked on my own for a while so i wouldnt know. Whats the point of working on your own when you can almost double your earnings with someone else and pay them a standard rate. Like ive said before im in it to make a successful business not to just make ends meet!
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: windowwashers on October 28, 2007, 01:40:26 pm
jdemarco reckons he does 50 to 60 3 bedroom houses in a day. lmao

I dont see why that is so hard to believe, I used to knock out 20 odd in 4 hours on my own, if hes working 8 hours and has  another person that could be easy, and JDE you must be getting lazy do 70 in 8 hours  :P
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: xxmattyxx on October 28, 2007, 01:56:09 pm
I dont reckon anything it is me and another lad not just on my own. I havnt worked on my own for a while so i wouldnt know. Whats the point of working on your own when you can almost double your earnings with someone else and pay them a standard rate. Like ive said before im in it to make a successful business not to just make ends meet!

Thing is monsignor DeMarco, you dont actually say 'we', you say 'I', think you'll find thats the case in post of your postings.


Therefore people on here will assume you, as in singular, alone, by yourself, without others assistance.......
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: xxmattyxx on October 28, 2007, 02:02:22 pm
I make more than my dad and 2 brothers combined and im the youngest............



i never work off how many houses more how much earnings in a day but ive counted through a typical day with the sort of houses you mentioned and its between 50 or 60 but i do normally have a big range of properties. But try basing it on monetry figures it will drive you to earn more and more and try and beat it each month.


well it must be the amount of work im getting through in a day. i average 550 pounds a day and still on first cleans wfp. i was also told it would be twice as fast.


I started this handy little trick to increase my earnings about 6 months ago with no complaints so far. Maybe you do it , idont know, But its this. 95% of my work is.............


By the way, mind if I ask how old you are?

How long were you trad before you went over to WFP?

Thanks Matt
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: NWH on October 28, 2007, 02:19:20 pm
You wont do double the work with an assistant,in most cases you can do the same on your own if not more on your own.
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: windowwashers on October 28, 2007, 03:03:27 pm
You wont do double the work with an assistant,in most cases you can do the same on your own if not more on your own.
that woould depend on who you employ m8, I have a guy now thats fantastic is work is quality ( i trained him from scratch fro day one he produced very high standard work, and now is nearly as quick as me (no quite though  ;)
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: NWH on October 28, 2007, 06:45:39 pm
I`ve also had guys with me in the past that were quick and efficient but you still don`t double your workload,you would think in theory that you would but you don`t.The best way to double your output is to put someone out on there own,if there as quick as you then on there own they should earn the same therefore doubling your workload.
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Ian Lancaster on October 28, 2007, 06:49:54 pm
jdemarco reckons he does 50 to 60 3 bedroom houses in a day. lmao


and thats with one hand

Standing on his head, in a hammock ;D
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: windowwashers on October 28, 2007, 07:04:03 pm
I`ve also had guys with me in the past that were quick and efficient but you still don`t double your workload,you would think in theory that you would but you don`t.The best way to double your output is to put someone out on there own,if there as quick as you then on there own they should earn the same therefore doubling your workload.
true it does not double workload thats a myth, 3/4 maybe
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: jdemarco on October 28, 2007, 10:28:25 pm
I make more than my dad and 2 brothers combined and im the youngest............



i never work off how many houses more how much earnings in a day but ive counted through a typical day with the sort of houses you mentioned and its between 50 or 60 but i do normally have a big range of properties. But try basing it on monetry figures it will drive you to earn more and more and try and beat it each month.


well it must be the amount of work im getting through in a day. i average 550 pounds a day and still on first cleans wfp. i was also told it would be twice as fast.


I started this handy little trick to increase my earnings about 6 months ago with no complaints so far. Maybe you do it , idont know, But its this. 95% of my work is.............


By the way, mind if I ask how old you are?

How long were you trad before you went over to WFP?

Thanks Matt
Wellthanks for bringing that to my attention matt, ill watch my p's and q's in future.
Im 27 years old and ive been trad since i left school mostly working for other window cleaners and setting up my own business about 4 years ago. Been wfp for 2 months. Anything else?
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: jdemarco on October 28, 2007, 10:37:08 pm
You wont do double the work with an assistant,in most cases you can do the same on your own if not more on your own.
Yeh thats right i said almost double you earnings. Lads that work for me always earn 4 times there wage. Somethings not right if theres 2 of you and you do the same when your on your own. They see me working hard and try and keep up and if they dont ill tell them. But it is difficult to find a good worker. Few and far between.
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: xxmattyxx on October 29, 2007, 07:21:52 am
 ;D

Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: bluez on October 29, 2007, 12:02:38 pm
I calculate our rounds in monetry terms not number of houses but if we get a run of estate type 3/4 beds I would expect a fully trained member of staff to achieve 10/ 12 houses in an eight hour day. There are many things that can impact on that figure like weather, awkard customers, friendly customers who want a chat, changes in work requested like having to do a partial inside, running out of deisel, hangover etc. My price range seems to be a little different in ireland working off a target of €30/ 35 per unit.

Hope this helps
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Ian_Giles on October 29, 2007, 02:41:42 pm
I`ve also had guys with me in the past that were quick and efficient but you still don`t double your workload,you would think in theory that you would but you don`t.The best way to double your output is to put someone out on there own,if there as quick as you then on there own they should earn the same therefore doubling your workload.

completly agree.
Been there, bought the book, worn the t-shirt and commisioned the film!

Two people working together are nothing like as efficient as two people working independantly.

If you are concerned at how fast or slow you are, you simply need to know what an average time is per house.

A moderate, 12 window house with ordinary windows will take a reasonably adept and skilful window cleaner about 20 minutes, from getting out the van/car to getting back in it again.
I'm talking trad here by the way, that really needs to be the benchmark you look at, and also the benchmark for pricing.
WFP users, once up to a reasonable speed should so the same property in about 15 minutes, from getting out the vehicle to getting back in it again.

If you are taking 30 minutes plus to do a house such as just described then you are far too slow, but at least you know a reasonable target time to aim for.
And in 20 minutes you should also be able to detail and wipe the sills down easily.
If you are a WFP newbie, initially aim for a similar time, then get yourself up to speed over time.
Will you bang out 6 of these an hour?
No, you won't, not even if you are incredibly quick and can do them in 10 minutes flat, you still have to move between accounts, collect money off customers, talk with them, write out invoices and so on and so on.

A race between WFP and trad? A no brainer, under race type conditions trad will win hand over fist.
A standard window, (an opening light, an upright opening pane below that one and a sigle pane to the one side) will take approx 90 seconds trad.
And 30 or 40 seconds WFP (easily demonstratable too)
But if you build yourself to racing speed, that same window could be done in 15 or 20 seconds trad.
And as for sheer speed, well, you only have to watch Turbo Terry Burrows to see just how fast trad can be at race speed.

however...no one works at racing speed...too many variables!!!!

Ian
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Jago on October 29, 2007, 03:20:36 pm
cheers guys
I can do 15 if all close by each other have been aiming to get to 20 in a day in time as I know in my mind what I want to earn in a day

I have also been spreading my work out as instead of banging them all into one day
I have been plodding in the same area over the course of a few days.
This has actually got me a couple of extra customers so quite happy to do it and have put them ono the same day for the next month
also not knackered and still have energie to go out canvessing after the work

also slipped of a roof on friday bit wet with moss
thank god only went up there as it was off a flat roof still makes you think huh
especially as I am getting my WFP from pure freedom this week


Cheers for all your reply's
Jago
County Window Cleaning
Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: Kwackers on October 29, 2007, 03:44:14 pm
My first day i averaged 48 minutes per house.

I'm hoping to bring this down to 32 minutes per house.

In the 48 minutes bear in mind, it was my first day cleaning, all first cleans, my round is fairly wide spread at the moment.

This would give me 'on an average day'  15 houses, which is what i'm aiming for.

Title: Re: How many houses can you do???
Post by: windowwashers on October 29, 2007, 04:24:57 pm
cheers guys
I can do 15 if all close by each other have been aiming to get to 20 in a day in time as I know in my mind what I want to earn in a day

I have also been spreading my work out as instead of banging them all into one day
I have been plodding in the same area over the course of a few days.
This has actually got me a couple of extra customers so quite happy to do it and have put them ono the same day for the next month
also not knackered and still have energie to go out canvessing after the work

also slipped of a roof on friday bit wet with moss
thank god only went up there as it was off a flat roof still makes you think huh
especially as I am getting my WFP from pure freedom this week


Cheers for all your reply's
Jago
County Window Cleaning

If your going there to have it fitted take something or someone with you, you could always get a day bus ticket like i did and sleep on the bus. Pure freedom are class IMO