[jonah]

Window washers, Ian,

Not overpricing at all, I dont price up any different from doing
council house or a £1m house.

Ewan 

Do you clean either ?

[jonah]

Good post

[Jimmy1]

Ive just started out after months of reading the forums. Got my van and equipment last week and  having the van sign written on Wednesday. Already just through word of mouth (as I havent canvessed yet)  Ive done 4 jobs in the past few days. So Im pleased as I can afford to take time doing them and make a really good job + impression. However, Pricing is my biggest concern. I think you can only price what an area is prepared to pay, as with everything there is always an upper limit. I know I'm pricing slightly more than trad in my area and I feel I can justify this. I'm sure I'm going to make mistakes pricing, but at the end of the day hopefully it will all come good. I think this forum is the best one (I visit 4 in all) and the help and information I get has helped me no end - thanks guys.

[Davo]

Window washers, Ian,

Not overpricing at all, I dont price up any different from doing
council house or a £1m house.

Ewan 

Do you clean either ?

I will clean any windows. I set my price and go from there.
I price up my jobs on my time, not on the buildings. this is the best way
I found to do it. I made lots of mistakes in the past year, but I always try to
learn from them. if you dont you will go round in circles.

I read on here lots, about some who are charging to little. Then get excited
about a big building. It makes no difference to me I set my price on the smaller
property and the large, it allways comes down to time it takes nothing more.

Ewan 

Ewan the point i was making is that if they havent got the money you cant take it off them. Someone who has £3 a wek left over after paying his bills aint gonna spend £20 they havent got on anything, let alone their windows.



Mark

[frames to panes]

That's the most sensible comment i've seen for weeks! 

[Tosh]

Chepstow is a fairly affluent place; there's almost no council estates here; most council houses have been bought; there's a severe lack of social accommodation in these parts and anyone who can't buy generally privately rents.

But I clean many of the ex-council houses; terraced and semi.

No-one here will get £20 for one of these unless there's a big extension and a conservatory; or it's Georgian or leaded windows.

People who live in these houses aren't stupid; they talk to neighbors and family; they'll probably pay over the going rate (I now charge a tenner for a semi; and that's good round here; but most of mine are around the £8.50/9.00 mark), but there's no way they'd pay £20.

And even if a window cleaner whose smart, professional and looks like George Clooney; with the right 'patter'; tries to charge that, they just won't pay!  They're not stupid; most of 'em anyway!

Full Stop.

[NWH]

Chepstow is a fairly affluent place; there's almost no council estates here; most council houses have been bought; there's a severe lack of social accommodation in these parts and anyone who can't buy generally privately rents.

But I clean many of the ex-council houses; terraced and semi.

No-one here will get £20 for one of these unless there's a big extension and a conservatory; or it's Georgian or leaded windows.

People who live in these houses aren't stupid; they talk to neighbors and family; they'll probably pay over the going rate (I now charge a tenner for a semi; and that's good round here; but most of mine are around the £8.50/9.00 mark), but there's no way they'd pay £20.

And even if a window cleaner whose smart, professional and looks like George Clooney; with the right 'patter'; tries to charge that, they just won't pay!  They're not stupid; most of 'em anyway!

Full Stop.

What George clooney a grey haired old looking bloke,no i wouldn`t want him doing my windows either.

[dai]

I do some ex council houses where I live, I charge £6 and I have lost a few to a guy who charges £4.50.
I'm not at all bothered if he takes them all. They are the worst payers on my round. Dai

[frames to panes]

I've got a few, not many because i don't want them (my choice) and they are good for me because i overpriced them deliberately to avoid them but still i got them.

[dai]

Usually, when I put my prices up, I tell them in September that there will be a price increase next year.
This works OK because next year is 3 months away, and by the time it comes round they have got used to the idea.
Putting up my prices in April was a bad move, the O.A.P's are angry with their tiny pension increases, and the budget gave nothing away did it?
In future I will revert to telling them in September " there will be an increase next year".
Just after the budget is not a good time. Dai

[macmac]

Window washers, Ian,

Not overpricing at all, I dont price up any different from doing
council house or a £1m house.

Ewan 

Do you clean either ?

I will clean any windows. I set my price and go from there.
I price up my jobs on my time, not on the buildings. this is the best way
I found to do it. I made lots of mistakes in the past year, but I always try to
learn from them. if you dont you will go round in circles.

I read on here lots, about some who are charging to little. Then get excited
about a big building. It makes no difference to me I set my price on the smaller
property and the large, it allways comes down to time it takes nothing more.

Ewan 

Ewan the point i was making is that if they havent got the money you cant take it off them. Someone who has £3 a wek left over after paying his bills aint gonna spend £20 they havent got on anything, let alone their windows.



Mark

Davo

You've got me all confused again, what, exactly is your point

Tony

[Davo]

Davo

Maybe you are right whilst growing your business, but as soon as you have a full round you soon learn the error of your ways.

As for £20 for a council house, maybe you could get it, but not often and not for a regular clean. If you are talking every 6 months ? well i really wouldnt want to know. I would much prefer to have 500 quality customers on monthly than 3000 doing them 6 monthly.

With council houses i charge £10 a house on a take it or leave it attitude, if they hum and ha, i dont want them, if they want anything other than monthly i dont want them.
When we are out working i know exactly where i am going without looking at my list, i dont want to get bogged down with "Is this one this month or next" type thing, it drives you insane. Even now i am looking to sacking my every other monthlys which i let slip into my domestic rounds.

Once you get to a certain size, administration becomes a nightmare and lots of little irregular jobs will overwhelm you.

Dave

Dave the simple answer to the £20 a council house is..you cant get it, forget it and move onto somewhere where you have a chance of obtaining that rate. You cant get blood out of a stone

Theres no cut and dried rule, its just about giving yourself the best chance of obtaining the best rate you can. But one thing is for sure, if you dont ask for it you definately wont get it.


Mark

Mark your wrong about the council house for £20 you can get it and more!
It,s a lot easy than getting blood out of a stone. The fact that you compare the
it to that, shows you have not done it, or cannot get those prices yourself.

Once you are able to get these prices and more for council house, you can go
to any house with confidence.

Pricing has nothing to do with your social status at all.

Ewan  

Mac Mac in response to ewans post, I wanted to emphasise the point if they havent got it to spend you cant take it off them. As it happens low dem housing are good spenders IF you can find a way to make it affordable for them.


Mark

The topic has meandered, nothing new, my original point seems to have got lost.

[jonah]

Mark have you thought of building rounds for w/cs ?