Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Window Cleaners Everywhere

very true steve, some one could also turn up In your area,sign written van & tops & dramatically undercut you.this is the way its going.dog eat dog & all that!!!

 
very true steve, some one could also turn up In your area,sign written van & tops & dramatically undercut you.this is the way its going.dog eat dog & all that!!!
I mostly clean houses that are owned by very rich people. We are reliable and good, so rich people aren't interested in some doughnut offering to do it for a couple of quid less. I've never had a problem

 
anyway im not on about rich people im talkin in a general sense.we don't all have that luxury

 
In my postcode there are 18'000 houses alone, there must be at least 15 window cleaners I see around from swank vans to fiesta with ladder on that is still some 1200 houses per window cleaner, that is 60 cleans per day based on a 20 day month.

First you got full timers like me, I do 20 per day, can manage 30 at a haul and I have just around 500 customers (and yes that's solo with some part time help from Mrs Green) then you got at least 3 old boys, 80ish that still potter along perhaps 10 per day keeping their game going as retirement does not suit. then perhaps 5 more like me perhaps with a helper so that leaves 7 window cleaners, these are the tattered old estate cars, part timing it when the weather suits, that brag about not needing to do too much as they get this benefit and that.

Then there's the window cleaner sitting in the pub, every pub has one, 'I had the biggest round in the world, had 500 lads working full time, used to do Buckingham Palace, the Taj Mahal and NASA used to have us do the windows on the Shuttles as well as 1000'00000 council houses per month' ho hum :rolleyes:

And that is just in my immediate postcode, I happen to work in three postcodes with a total house population of around 70'000 homes and its the same 15 window cleaners you see doing the rounds.

Worried? Not a chance.

I have reasonable knowledge of Bromley ass granny lives round the corner in St Marys Cray, massive residential populations so I wouldn't be sweating about seeing another window cleaner out there.

Maybe for you lads working small villages but then it is all on you as these small villages are stitched up on reputation not prices so if you don't sort out your reputation for being the window cleaner to have in the village then dont cry about it as it is on you.

I started my first ever round on an island 8 miles long 4 miles wide, EVERYONE said you will get no where as there's at least 5 other window cleaners on the island, 2 years later I sold 3 vans with six crew at the time the second largest firm on the island for window cleaning.

The one thing not to forget is we are window cleaners for one reason or another but mainly cause we live in a free market economy - but just close your eyes and think back to the first week up your ladder and all the other window cleaners driving past you 'Look Dave, another w@nker thinks he can clean windows!'

 
Spanish Pedro, a question (if not too intrusive senior)

Back in the day you had a sizable business, was that mostly residential, mostly contract commercial or an even split would you say?

Did you start out just knocking the doors or was their a bigger plan afoot?

I would be very interested to here the history of the original company if I am not being too cheeky.

Cheers

 
But on a serious note I am in Nottingham. We have a rather sizable round and the wife has a domestic cleaning business as well and we also do a lot of builders and end of tenancy work.

However we have been formulating our next 5 year plan so we are going back to Asia in September next year for six weeks so I will be selling the business before we go and when we come back we are relocating to south London.

Gonna target the areas where you get at least one parking ticket per day but the value of the jobs makes that look like pay and display up here.

It is all mentality, I come to London every couple of months to visit friends go past houses saying, 'wow they must pay the window cleaner a few quid!'

Well to be honest I am tired of the same old run of the mill homes up here, hoping to find a bit more of a challenge there next year.

 
In my postcode there are 18'000 houses alone, there must be at least 15 window cleaners I see around from swank vans to fiesta with ladder on that is still some 1200 houses per window cleaner, that is 60 cleans per day based on a 20 day month.
First you got full timers like me, I do 20 per day, can manage 30 at a haul and I have just around 500 customers (and yes that's solo with some part time help from Mrs Green) then you got at least 3 old boys, 80ish that still potter along perhaps 10 per day keeping their game going as retirement does not suit. then perhaps 5 more like me perhaps with a helper so that leaves 7 window cleaners, these are the tattered old estate cars, part timing it when the weather suits, that brag about not needing to do too much as they get this benefit and that.

Then there's the window cleaner sitting in the pub, every pub has one, 'I had the biggest round in the world, had 500 lads working full time, used to do Buckingham Palace, the Taj Mahal and NASA used to have us do the windows on the Shuttles as well as 1000'00000 council houses per month' ho hum :rolleyes:

500 thats a lot green! How do u manage that lot? Im currently on almost 300 and find i get exhausted here and there but think i can do more, i was thinking i can go to 400 but 500, i bet your pockets are heavy

I started out working for one of the pub windies and when i think back to how he used to work its amazing as he was really bad at the job but hes still going with a helper, he uses tea towels and does a lot of wet cloth dry cloth

And he always goes to the pub at 10am for two pints and then Back to work, i can remember it feels really hard working after two pints early in the morning, its much better to wait until 11am if u want my advice (dont take it)

 
  1. its all about the money-people with money don't like to part with money.
     
    But on a serious note I am in Nottingham. We have a rather sizable round and the wife has a domestic cleaning business as well and we also do a lot of builders and end of tenancy work.
     
    However we have been formulating our next 5 year plan so we are going back to Asia in September next year for six weeks so I will be selling the business before we go and when we come back we are relocating to south London.
     
    Gonna target the areas where you get at least one parking ticket per day but the value of the jobs makes that look like pay and display up here.
     
    It is all mentality, I come to London every couple of months to visit friends go past houses saying, 'wow they must pay the window cleaner a few quid!'
     
    Well to be honest I am tired of the same old run of the mill homes up here, hoping to find a bit more of a challenge there next year.
  2. The downside of this is trying to get money out of the tight barstewards
  3. For example before i sold up and moved from london i had 2 houses in the bishops avenue north london where millionaires are not rich enough to live there
  4. Call for your money and the maid or cleaner will say they hadn't left it for them to give you
  5. No matter what time of day you call it will never be them who answer and it is a constant headache with customers who owe more than a hundred quid swinging the lead
  6. And don't ask why the bullet points as i am on my phone and can't turn them off somehow..bit of a blonde moment

 
In london i used to nip to pub for lunch and meet another windie mate regular as clockwork

Then on the ladders after..oh to be young and stupid again

 
No Paul my pockets are not heavy but the wife hires to world champion power lifters to carry her purse!

500 breaks down over a 20 day month to just 25 a day, I am all WFP these days, the ladder is only there for nostalgia.

I have loads in batches, some days I only move the van 4 or 5 times. I start at 8 and usually out by 2pm, repetition and planning are the key mate.

A quick bite and then perhaps a guttering job or a builders clean if I am feeling game.

 
Back
Top