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easy clean

  • Posts: 570
Honest opinions please!
« on: March 08, 2016, 11:07:24 am »
Hi guys, I've already got a generator and decent wet vac from omnipole when I bought all my pressure washing equipment so all I would need is some carbon poles really.

Guys that do it is it really worth the hassle and how well does it earn In comparison to window cleaning?

Thanks in advance

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2016, 11:29:48 am »
Not as well as Windows I use it as an add on,once a year isn't as good as once every 6 weeks is it. You have to have a minimum charge to weed out the idiots if your pricing highish it will be more worth your while but even with a vac it's messy and harder to earn than cleaning windows with gloves on.

SeanK

Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2016, 03:01:21 pm »
It will all depend on what you can charge, the biggest problem with using a gutter vac is the roofs tiles can sit out too far
which stops the nozzle getting into the gutter, you can either push/force the nozzle in risking damaging the tiles and guttering or
get a smaller nozzle which in my opinion is next to useless.
I tend to avoid them now as more often than not it will still require some ladder work to get the job done.

johnny bravo

  • Posts: 2697
Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2016, 03:26:08 pm »
it is not regular work,       you may have to go and look for the work

Perfect Windows

  • Posts: 4178
Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2016, 04:03:25 pm »
Hi guys, I've already got a generator and decent wet vac from omnipole when I bought all my pressure washing equipment so all I would need is some carbon poles really.

Guys that do it is it really worth the hassle and how well does it earn In comparison to window cleaning?

Thanks in advance

Did it and it significantly lowered our hourly rate so we dropped it.

Vin

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2016, 04:07:14 pm »
I agree with Vin you have to charge a lot it's almost a favour as you can earn more on the glass.

Tony dunmall

Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2016, 05:15:00 pm »
Depends how you chose to run it

I've a friend who does nothing but gutter cleaning

He has 2-3canvassers 2 staff  and they contact every new customer year later
He turns on average about 3-3.5 k a week all year round

Down side he covers a very large area

Not a bad income, just having a small business on the consent run

ascjim

Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #7 on: March 08, 2016, 06:17:55 pm »
You will make more money clearing gutters for the day then cleaning windows.

Windows are regular, this isn't. So you need to get the work in and do more quoting.

I'm not sure how long you have been doing this for, but I would become an expect at window cleaning first (having a good round and everything is running  like clockwork) before adding another service to your business.

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2016, 07:02:39 pm »
Depends how you chose to run it

I've a friend who does nothing but gutter cleaning

He has 2-3canvassers 2 staff  and they contact every new customer year later
He turns on average about 3-3.5 k a week all year round

Down side he covers a very large area

Not a bad income, just having a small business on the consent run
Do you know what he charges for an average detached house.

windowswashed

  • Posts: 2574
Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2016, 07:32:29 pm »
Emptying gutters aint regular work so pri ce higher to make it worthwhile. I use to price it ridiculous and still get.....hated doing it but the money was good. Use to concentrate on getting repeat contracts with commercial properties but gave it up for health reasons.

8weekly

Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #10 on: March 08, 2016, 07:40:37 pm »
You will make more money clearing gutters for the day then cleaning windows.

Windows are regular, this isn't. So you need to get the work in and do more quoting.

I'm not sure how long you have been doing this for, but I would become an expect at window cleaning first (having a good round and everything is running  like clockwork) before adding another service to your business.
I'd have thought if you're going to offer this service you'd be better offering it from the start to fill your day rather than waiting until you've filled your day and then offering it?

Tony dunmall

Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #11 on: March 08, 2016, 08:02:36 pm »
Depends how you chose to run it

I've a friend who does nothing but gutter cleaning

He has 2-3canvassers 2 staff  and they contact every new customer year later
He turns on average about 3-3.5 k a week all year round

Down side he covers a very large area

Not a bad income, just having a small business on the consent run
Do you know what he charges for an average detached house.

No idea what he charges, on average detached house I'm about £115 upwards, more if its facia washing but I'm way to  busy with Windows to have that much time to give to extras,  I take one off cleans on Windows as there really good earners as no one seems to want to do them this way

easy clean

  • Posts: 570
Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2016, 02:08:25 am »
James purewash

Not sure if I'm quite an expert yet, but maybe you can answer that for me!

I started out in 2005 on my own with no customers I now have just under 2000 domestic customers that we clean every 4 weeks, I have 3 vans on the road full time with a full time canvasser and a part time office staff.  I personally don't have to do anything as the business does run itself. Tell a lie, the only thing I do have to do is take just under a six figure salary, but 2016/17 it will finally become six figures, the reason I am looking at other things now is believe it or not I'm not happy with 100k a year, I now have set myself a target for 250k within the next 10 years!

So again I ask, does this make me an expert yet or not?

tlwcs

  • Posts: 2087
Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2016, 07:30:45 am »
James purewash

Not sure if I'm quite an expert yet, but maybe you can answer that for me!

I started out in 2005 on my own with no customers I now have just under 2000 domestic customers that we clean every 4 weeks, I have 3 vans on the road full time with a full time canvasser and a part time office staff.  I personally don't have to do anything as the business does run itself. Tell a lie, the only thing I do have to do is take just under a six figure salary, but 2016/17 it will finally become six figures, the reason I am looking at other things now is believe it or not I'm not happy with 100k a year, I now have set myself a target for 250k within the next 10 years!

So again I ask, does this make me an expert yet or not?

Go to bed.

Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2016, 07:45:46 am »
James purewash

Not sure if I'm quite an expert yet, but maybe you can answer that for me!

I started out in 2005 on my own with no customers I now have just under 2000 domestic customers that we clean every 4 weeks, I have 3 vans on the road full time with a full time canvasser and a part time office staff.  I personally don't have to do anything as the business does run itself. Tell a lie, the only thing I do have to do is take just under a six figure salary, but 2016/17 it will finally become six figures, the reason I am looking at other things now is believe it or not I'm not happy with 100k a year, I now have set myself a target for 250k within the next 10 years!

So again I ask, does this make me an expert yet or not?

Sounds to me like your an expert , so wtf are doing on here

easy clean

  • Posts: 570
Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #15 on: March 09, 2016, 08:30:37 am »
I was on here asking a question about an area that I'm not familiar with!

I like others would post and learned a lot of information from this site in the beginning but since being reinstated I've remained very quiet but still continue to read and learn from others.
 I did not start this post to boast or start an argument but that seems to always happen no matter what you post here.
Oh well, thanks guys for the decent replies, I suppose you'll always get a few exceptions.

Perfect Windows

  • Posts: 4178
Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #16 on: March 09, 2016, 05:33:48 pm »
Didn't realise you employed.

If you're employing, my advice may not be as relevant.  If you're self-employed as a sole trader (as our franchisees are) then the limit on your annual earnings is your hourly rate; you can't add hours to your working year, so you need to maximise the cash you take for each one.  So, for us and anyone self-employed (the majority on here), the hourly rate is key.  Gutter vaccing cut our hourly rate by a big chunk so we now spend that time cleaning windows instead.

However, if you're able to grow by employing, you just need to be making more per hour than you're paying.  So my advice about its being a bad idea for us might not be relevant to you. 

HTH,

Vin

the king

  • Posts: 1437
Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #17 on: March 09, 2016, 05:57:57 pm »
It will all depend on what you can charge, the biggest problem with using a gutter vac is the roofs tiles can sit out too far
which stops the nozzle getting into the gutter, you can either push/force the nozzle in risking damaging the tiles and guttering or
get a smaller nozzle which in my opinion is next to useless.
I tend to avoid them now as more often than not it will still require some ladder work to get the job done.
i gota say ive just got in to gutter cleaning with a vac and not had a prop with the fin nosel yet geting in tite areas  also i thault it suckes very well i was unshore at first as it looked to fin but ive not had a issue yet early days tho as ive only done like 25 jobs with it so far my 3tear is sat colecting dust lol ;D

Tony dunmall

Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #18 on: March 09, 2016, 07:46:49 pm »
Hi easy clean sorry don't know your name

I would look at carbon poles from  Grippa, Or same ones from  gardeners , Oliver is also very helpful with advice in that area he also has fairly good attachments which I like

Gutter cleaning can earn similar to window cleaning but it's harder work in my opinion and dirtier work

I would say though a dedicated member of staff would probably work well with some training  and get used to  set up  on site to increase speed and efficiency

It would seem you already have structure to bring on board gutter cleaning,  ie canvassers, I would say it can earn well but the person doing work needs to be  methodical,  I find it works better two people together but whtether that's cost effective not sure

Down this way 4 cleans a day starting at £115 is not a long day and easily done , to be fair a 9-5 and if close enough  to each other 5-6 cleans would be attainable for 2 men

Hope that helps

Hope that helps,

8weekly

Re: Honest opinions please!
« Reply #19 on: March 09, 2016, 08:01:26 pm »
James purewash

Not sure if I'm quite an expert yet, but maybe you can answer that for me!

I started out in 2005 on my own with no customers I now have just under 2000 domestic customers that we clean every 4 weeks, I have 3 vans on the road full time with a full time canvasser and a part time office staff.  I personally don't have to do anything as the business does run itself. Tell a lie, the only thing I do have to do is take just under a six figure salary, but 2016/17 it will finally become six figures, the reason I am looking at other things now is believe it or not I'm not happy with 100k a year, I now have set myself a target for 250k within the next 10 years!

So again I ask, does this make me an expert yet or not?
Good going. I'm guessing they are two man vans as that's 33 houses per van per day?