Quote advice

[Dave B]

We do 4 bigger houses with more Juliet balconies, 4, on each property in a gated estate that takes me between 1 hour 50 minutes and 2 hours. As for comparing my business model to Tango's, We, my son and I, turned over £5150 last week cleaning residential windows for a PM company and we were finished working at 9.30 on the Friday. I could post pictures on here of jobs we do and the timescales we do them in but as I can't prove it you'd probably shout bull at them as well.
There are members on here that know some of the jobs we do and are surprised how quickly we can do them. We have got this work because we are very reliable and don't cut corners. When you have a 48 hour call back in the contract you don't want to be driving from Sunderland to Portsmouth because we've cut corners and a resident has complained about their windows.
Newbies fail because they don't earn enough money, not because they're busy fools.

I have met mr part timer and there is a reason he’s down this way when he lives hours away
It’s because he knows what he is doing
Why are we even having this argument with someone who doesn’t get it?
@Chris34 you just don’t understand

 

[Chris34]

I have met mr part timer and there is a reason he’s down this way when he lives hours away
It’s because he knows what he is doing
Why are we even having this argument with someone who doesn’t get it?
@Chris34 you just don’t understand

I think it's the experienced established ones on here that don't understand. If you have been going for 10+ years well the game of starting up has probably changed since you started. The reality is that it's very hard to get rows of houses and until you have rows of houses you can't contemplate doing 3 an hour let alone attempt it.

I can't be doing that bad to hit hourly rates that well established businesses get, so I'm passing on what I've found to others new to the game. If I'm earning £40 to £60 per hour, what am I doing wrong? That seems good to me and I have plenty of scope to expand.

 

[AndyD]

Going back to the OP , if it’s a half hour job and you’ve quoted £35. That’s pricing work at £70 an hour.
If your pricing all work at that rate, and at the end of the year all you have 30 customers , your in debt up to your eyeballs, and your hiding behind the sofa when there’s a knock at the door ,because you haven’t got enough work , then clearly your far too pricey.

Pricing sky high when you have plenty of work makes sense, it doesn’t when your trying to feed a family.

Going back to the OP , if it’s a half hour job and you’ve quoted £35. That’s pricing work at £70 an hour.
If your pricing all work at that rate, and at the end of the year all you have 30 customers , your in debt up to your eyeballs, and your hiding behind the sofa when there’s a knock at the door ,because you haven’t got enough work , then clearly your far too pricey.

Pricing sky high when you have plenty of work makes sense, it doesn’t when your trying to feed a family.

I suppose that’s one of the pro’s of being part time is that I can build slow and steady with decent prices, rather than trying to get as many as possible in a short space of time at a lower rate in order to fill a round as quickly as possible if I was going full time.

I quoted two 4bed detached houses at £17 on Friday and got them both (both £25 for first clean), the one guy told me he was getting 2 other quotes and I told him there and then that I don’t quote competitively, you get what you pay for.

My neighbour has an established windie and he charges £15 for their 4 bed detached so I think I’m on the right track.

With regards to the house on the original photos, you guys might be able to do it in 20mins but there’s no chance I could after only 4weeks in, it would take me over an hour easily hence my price at £35. So if I don’t get it, no skin off my nose but if I do, bonus, as I’ll only get quicker each time i do it which in turn increases my hourly rate.

And if I have only got 30 customers by the end of the year at least I know they’ll all be at decent prices. I certainly won’t be cowering behind any sofa by the end of the year though that’s for sure.

 

[Part Timer]

The reality is that it's very hard to get rows of houses and until you have rows of houses you can't contemplate doing 3 an hour let alone attempt it.

And how do you start getting compact work? By starting off with 1 house and building from there. If you don't get a foothold you can't start building. My area is saturated with, still, traditional cleaners and I don't have that much compact work, in fact I probably only have around 140 residential customers. I wouldn't have a quarter of this total if I quoted crazy prices because I didn't have another house in the street.

 

[Dave B]

I did a road with 9 houses with 1 van move today but all smaller houses so only £12-£14 per house and easy (near London so better prices) did 4 roads in total for £247 between 9 and 2.30.
Tomorrow I have big houses in a local village and have to drive about a mile between jobs
Won’t stop me doing 3 an hour though so not really a valid argument is it @Chris34
You can’t tell me I’m wrong when it’s my job and I do it every day
You may be experienced at cleaning but wait until you’ve done this job long enough before you start saying we are chatting bollxx
If you stopped worrying about your “perfect job” each time and done some proper work you may be able to compete with us old timers??

 

[Dave B]

Only works out to 44 ph but had a chat with some customers and had time to eat my curry goat for lunch I made yesterday
No rush really
Why the panic about your hourly rate
I work on daily and weekly earnings

 

[kevinc250]

Only works out to 44 ph but had a chat with some customers and had time to eat my curry goat for lunch I made yesterday
No rush really
Why the panic about your hourly rate
I work on daily and weekly earnings

i love goat curry, just don't think i could eat it cold the next day though?, it has been a heated topic i looked at it this way no one is wrong is wrong about the prices per hour or times to complete a job but everyone one is right in doing it the way they do, we are all different with different personalities and personal financial needs and what works for one may not work for another, i have learned in the past to mostly skip past those posts regarding how much per hour etc as there are so many variables which only the poster knows and we cannot see which, in turn leads to misleading comments and, this is where it all starts, as it has now.
this is more about personalities clashing than pricing, we should all learn to disagree on some things or at least keep the disagreement low key and agree to disagree.
anyway trad is better

 

[Dave B]

I have a thermos food flask for my
Curry lol
Homemade as I was taught by a Mates mum from trinidad

 

[kevinc250]

I have a thermos food flask for my
Curry lol
Homemade as I was taught by a Mayes mum from trinidad

why hadn't i thought of that?, heres me in winter with my flask of soup and cold sarnies, sorry to go off topic but, do you scauld the flask first for a few hours/microwave the meal and pop it in the flask?

 

[Dave B]

Put food in microwave and boiling water in flask
Empty water out and put food in
Hot all day

 

[Dave B]

They do these in Asda for a tenner similar to mine

 

[kevinc250]

They do these in Asda for a tenner similar to mine

cheers for that dave, i'll get one on friday as i'll be passing an asda.
could be another topic for a fall out though, which is best? curry or spag bog can you fit a kfc in these?
how do you eat from these though like compo bags or do you go all posh and have a bowl-asking for a friend

 

[scottish cleaning service]

And how do you start getting compact work? By starting off with 1 house and building from there. If you don't get a foothold you can't start building. My area is saturated with, still, traditional cleaners and I don't have that much compact work, in fact I probably only have around 140 residential customers. I wouldn't have a quarter of this total if I quoted crazy prices because I didn't have another house in the street.

That's the reason I got most of my work. Travelled 8 miles to get one customer who inturn got me 4 others because their windy had quit. Its a bit soul destroying travelling a long way for one customer but if you have nothing better to do then you are out and about. Work begets work and if you don't know the price then ask other windies. In the end its common sense.

 

[Dave B]

cheers for that dave, i'll get one on friday as i'll be passing an asda.
could be another topic for a fall out though, which is best? curry or spag bog can you fit a kfc in these?
how do you eat from these though like compo bags or do you go all posh and have a bowl-asking for a friend

I just use my racing spoon lol

 

[Chris34]

Here is an example of my day today and it highlights the problems you get and highlights why you have to be realistic with what’s possible as things regularly don't go to plan. Three of the jobs are due to be increased in total about £12 to £15.



Job 1 £20 – arrive 13:25

3 bed 1950’s semi with small conservatory – Relatively straight forward, slightly under-priced. Finish at 13:55, car gets in the way when trying to turn van around, 1 minute delay.

Job 2 £18 – on same road, under priced overdue an increase, park van 13:58.

3 bed semi with extended back, same as one above but velux windows and no conservatory. Old dear from across the road who I clean who always tries it on saying she hasn’t got any money, comes out claiming the same. 1 minute delay, she then comes back out and when I start the job opposite hers and says she has got the money… blah blah blah another 1 to 2 minute delay. Job itself fine, do it without problems.

Job 3 £20 - opposite (old dear), wheel the trolley over at 14:18.

Crack on, she has already given me the money. She comes to the door several times saying she’s thinking of going for a walk… blah blah blah, it is a distraction but I carry on, maybe slightly knocked me off my rhythm. Finish job then as I’m packing up she comes to the door, starts complaining that water is on the inside of the door, because of all the comings and goings she had not closed the door properly and I didn’t check (distracted), a pool of water is on the inside of the porch carpet, I go over with a microfibre and soak it up while listening to her talking about getting a new carpet (it was a carpet small section over a tiled floor, the carpet was filthy full of bits). I soak up the excess and explain that the rest will just dry off (it was only two puddles about 3 inch by 4 inch on the very edge next to the door), she says don’t worry but keeps going on and on... eventually get away, 3 to 4 minute delay.

Job 4 £30 – next road, on a quite long road on the way to other jobs. Park van 14:48.

1920’s Victorian styal semi. Usually straight forward, today they had workmen there, one doing the garden at the back, one doing the drive at the front, car in front of house in the way, work van in the way, makes it harder to clean the front windows, knocked slightly off the rhythm as a result. Generally get through it ok only for the workmen (both foreign) to start asking me questions about the trolley, this then leads to one of them saying that he’s giving up gardening and wants to do drive way cleaning, pulls out his phone and starts showing me pictures of the kit he is interested in getting. Starts telling me you can make £500 per day… at least 5 minute delay and probably additional 2 minutes because of vehicles in the way. Finish back in van for 15:25

Job 5 £30 – other side of village several roads away. Slightly underpriced. Arrive 15:29

For once there is only one car on the drive which means I get the front done quick. Do the back relatively ok but on finishing owner comes out chatting. 2 to 3 minute delay. Finish 16:06

Job 6 £20 – 1950’s semi, on the next road about 30 houses away. Park van 16:08

Straight forward, car in way of front windows but generally ok, just got to be careful so slows me down slightly. Finish 16:30.

Job 7 and 8 £20 + £20 – Arrive 16:38 1960’s 3 bed council houses both next door to each other but a long way from job 6, in pretty much the next town at least 2 miles away. Both underpriced as due an increase, priced in June 2020 and not increased since.

Both retired, both always chatting, make me brews etc. Job 7 I have a brew and biscuits and and done onto job 8 for 17:08. Job 8 (next door) get through it without problems, finish for the day at 17:28.


Total time from start of job 1 to finish of job 8 = 4 hours 3 minutes



Total water used = 225 litres
Total petrol cost = about £7
Days turnover = £178

Hourly rate = £44

Delays =
car in way - 1 minute
Old dear - 6 minutes
Gardener / workmen - 7 minutes
Job 5 chat – 2 minutes

Total delays = 16 minutes (on the lesser estimate)

Travel between jobs = 19 minutes.

 

[P4dstar]

Here is an example of my day today and it highlights the problems you get and highlights why you have to be realistic with what’s possible as things regularly don't go to plan. Three of the jobs are due to be increased in total about £12 to £15.



Job 1 £20 – arrive 13:25

3 bed 1950’s semi with small conservatory – Relatively straight forward, slightly under-priced. Finish at 13:55, car gets in the way when trying to turn van around, 1 minute delay.

Job 2 £18 – on same road, under priced overdue an increase, park van 13:58.

3 bed semi with extended back, same as one above but velux windows and no conservatory. Old dear from across the road who I clean who always tries it on saying she hasn’t got any money, comes out claiming the same. 1 minute delay, she then comes back out and when I start the job opposite hers and says she has got the money… blah blah blah another 1 to 2 minute delay. Job itself fine, do it without problems.

Job 3 £20 - opposite (old dear), wheel the trolley over at 14:18.

Crack on, she has already given me the money. She comes to the door several times saying she’s thinking of going for a walk… blah blah blah, it is a distraction but I carry on, maybe slightly knocked me off my rhythm. Finish job then as I’m packing up she comes to the door, starts complaining that water is on the inside of the door, because of all the comings and goings she had not closed the door properly and I didn’t check (distracted), a pool of water is on the inside of the porch carpet, I go over with a microfibre and soak it up while listening to her talking about getting a new carpet (it was a carpet small section over a tiled floor, the carpet was filthy full of bits). I soak up the excess and explain that the rest will just dry off (it was only two puddles about 3 inch by 4 inch on the very edge next to the door), she says don’t worry but keeps going on and on... eventually get away, 3 to 4 minute delay.

Job 4 £30 – next road, on a quite long road on the way to other jobs. Park van 14:48.

1920’s Victorian styal semi. Usually straight forward, today they had workmen there, one doing the garden at the back, one doing the drive at the front, car in front of house in the way, work van in the way, makes it harder to clean the front windows, knocked slightly off the rhythm as a result. Generally get through it ok only for the workmen (both foreign) to start asking me questions about the trolley, this then leads to one of them saying that he’s giving up gardening and wants to do drive way cleaning, pulls out his phone and starts showing me pictures of the kit he is interested in getting. Starts telling me you can make £500 per day… at least 5 minute delay and probably additional 2 minutes because of vehicles in the way. Finish back in van for 15:25

Job 5 £30 – other side of village several roads away. Slightly underpriced. Arrive 15:29

For once there is only one car on the drive which means I get the front done quick. Do the back relatively ok but on finishing owner comes out chatting. 2 to 3 minute delay. Finish 16:06

Job 6 £20 – 1950’s semi, on the next road about 30 houses away. Park van 16:08

Straight forward, car in way of front windows but generally ok, just got to be careful so slows me down slightly. Finish 16:30.

Job 7 and 8 £20 + £20 – Arrive 16:38 1960’s 3 bed council houses both next door to each other but a long way from job 6, in pretty much the next town at least 2 miles away. Both underpriced as due an increase, priced in June 2020 and not increased since.

Both retired, both always chatting, make me brews etc. Job 7 I have a brew and biscuits and and done onto job 8 for 17:08. Job 8 (next door) get through it without problems, finish for the day at 17:28.


Total time from start of job 1 to finish of job 8 = 4 hours 3 minutes



Total water used = 225 litres
Total petrol cost = about £7
Days turnover = £178

Hourly rate = £44

Delays =
car in way - 1 minute
Old dear - 6 minutes
Gardener / workmen - 7 minutes
Job 5 chat – 2 minutes

Total delays = 16 minutes (on the lesser estimate)

Travel between jobs = 19 minutes.

Yeah but if you got your ar5e out of bed at a normal hour you wouldn’t have time to waste arguing with people on the internet ? also, if you weren’t writing such a detailed report of each job you may have been quicker ???

 

[steve garwood]

God I miss this forum from a few years back ???

 

[Dave B]

God I miss this forum from a few years back ???

Bring back cheapncheerful and Kevin smiths?

 

[Dave B]

I have longer delays than that by stopping for a smoke lol
Why so obsessed with time?
End of the day you only worked 4 hrs

 

[Markyboy 50]

Bring back cheapncheerful and Kevin smiths?

Might even be ok to have pro green back( or whatever he was called) ?

 

[kevinc250]

Might even be ok to have pro green back( or whatever he was called) ?

or smurf?