[clear-view]

For cleaning the windows of the new built houses before anyone moves in who is best to contact the main office of the building company or the show home office

[steve m]

find out from the sit office who has the cleaning contract. the only time the sales office will get involved is once thy have been handed over, and then its normally the cleaning company that did the build cleans

[Tosh]

I did this recently, and this is how it worked for me:

The building company contracted the 'general' cleaning (including window cleaning) out to a cleaning company, and this cleaning company would clean the windows before the scafolding was taken down from each new-build; so no window cleaner was required.

Unfortunately this didn't happen and the scaffolding was taken down before the cleaners got to do the windows, so they hired me.  They paid me directly and then 'claimed' the money from the builders.  (The building manager checked with me how much I was charging since he thought the contracted cleaners were adding some on ).

After three house cleans they said I was too expensive (I was charging £60 a house), tried and failed to get someone else (another window cleaner arranged to quote but failed to turn up), so they asked me to do tops only. 

So I did the first floor windows at £30 a house, but it was only five or six windows; so still a winner.

It's not guaranteed regular work, so go in there with a good price.

So in answer to your question, a window cleaner may not even be required for this job; but a shy child gets nowt, as they say.

I'd phone the builders first; since the show home office will be more concerned with prospective buyers.

[Dean Taberner]

This trade is dead for the time being mate. Nobody is building anything to shout home about at the moment.

It will pick up though.

[steve m]

depends where you are. A lot in our area have closed sites till further notice

[matt]

depends where you are. A lot in our area have closed sites till further notice

same here

ive had 3 phone calls in about 10 days for people looking for carpentry work ( they didnt realise i do this now )

sad times on the building game, but its been on the wall for some time ( in fact i mentioned it a while ago, only for people to scoff at the post )

[alanwilson]

maybe so but those in the building trade have had it far too good for far too long - sorry but they are victims of their own success.

I have family who are builders, they buy sites, develop them, make lots of money etc.

last year they were making on average £200k on every £1mil of property they sold - when you consider that £1 mil doesn't actually buy a lot of property and they sold about £6mil of property last year alone you can see the money they made - now they're complaining they aren't making AS MUCH, but they are still making far more than you or I.

[matt]

maybe so but those in the building trade have had it far too good for far too long - sorry but they are victims of their own success.

I have family who are builders, they buy sites, develop them, make lots of money etc.

last year they were making on average £200k on every £1mil of property they sold - when you consider that £1 mil doesn't actually buy a lot of property and they sold about £6mil of property last year alone you can see the money they made - now they're complaining they aren't making AS MUCH, but they are still making far more than you or I.

oh i agree, the building game has had it good for a long time

though then again, i fell alot of window cleaners are in the same boat, they have it good for now

[Londoner]

maybe so but those in the building trade have had it far too good for far too long - sorry but they are victims of their own success.

I have family who are builders, they buy sites, develop them, make lots of money etc.

last year they were making on average £200k on every £1mil of property they sold - when you consider that £1 mil doesn't actually buy a lot of property and they sold about £6mil of property last year alone you can see the money they made - now they're complaining they aren't making AS MUCH, but they are still making far more than you or I.

oh i agree, the building game has had it good for a long time

though then again, i fell alot of window cleaners are in the same boat, they have it good for now

My mate Gordon has a saying. "If you move one stone on a beach every other stone is affected" this is very true.
Things will get tighter but we are lucky because our work is spread over hundreds of different customers so we don't get the work / no work situation.

I cleaned the house on Monday of a bloke who is a carpenter and he was at home. I didn't ask him why.
Another customer who does signs said his phone has stopped ringing so he is doing work on his house instead.

Now both of those customers are in the work/no work situation but how long before they start to look at making savings? It won't affect me if they put me on hold for a while but if too many do I will start to feel it.

I'm more concerned about talk of 40% increases in gas and electricity. Plus 20% on food and who knows what on diesel. That will affect me.

[Jago]

I was told by one of my customers on a new site (where the building has stopped)
That her Brother was made redundent in Basingstoke as they have kept all the Polish on because they are cheaper, Also when the site manager made one of the Polski redundent the rest downed tools.

This is a sad situation that we went through in the IT industry as there was not enough work to go around for those who wanted it from this country.

I think Worst case situation is that we will be asked to do 2 monthly cycles

Ain't it fun not It will get tougher but I have picked up 20 customers in the last 2 months and all on 4 week cycle. Strange but true

Think positive guys
oh and put sun cream on as I got my sun burn yesterday

[Neil271052]

It's not before time IMO.

Those ridiculous prices that builders were asking for newbuild properties that were certainly nothing special is the main cause.

Although a property owner myself I welcome lower more sensible prices to give youngsters a chance as first time buyers.

Many big builders have seen large falls in their share prices with Barratts losing 50%.

Bloody silly programmes on TV all about property developing instead of just houses to live in has had gullible people being repossessed and losing a lot of money.

At last the fixation on property seems to have subsided for a while.  :

[Helen]

depends where you are. A lot in our area have closed sites till further notice

Same here, they can't sell new houses at the moment.
We find that differnt sites/builders use different methods anyway. Some have it tied up with existing Cleaning companies and use them for sites in a region, others just take someone on when they get a new site. Pain in the proverbial work though, as they don't like high prices, but still want a high standard job done....oh and that emergency one that needs to be done NOW, cos someone is coming to view