After a little guidance…

[pxlkid]

Hi all, I’m looking to increase the range of services I offer. Currently I do water fed pole window cleaning and the occasional gutter, soffit fascia job.

What would you suggest is the next best thing to do as an add on? Gutter emptying was my first thought but it doesn’t seem to be a huge earner and the gutter vacs are so expensive!

So I started looking at pressure washing, doing a bit of research you can get a decent 15lpm pw for roughly same as a gutter vac but it seems to be a potentially higher earner?

From experience which would you go for?

 

[THL4KEL]

Both

 

[ched999uk]

You can get a GVS Panther with 36ft of ali poles for £774. Where can you get a 15lpm pressure washer, hoses, lances etc for that?
Costs aside, pressure washing needs a fair amount of space in your van for the machine, hoses, buffer tank, petrol etc but from a customers point of view a nice clean patio or driveway is something they can see and admire! An empty gutter is a maintenance job to protect the fabric of their property.

I would say this time of year it might be better to invest in a gutter vac as pressure washing seems to kick off in the spring.

 

[Deleted member 5762]

@pxlkid I don't have a pressure washer as I don't have the space to store and transport it, but I did purchase a gutter sucker junior earlier this year. It was £570 with 20 foot of carbon poles, storage bag, gutter tools, 2 different silicone necks. I've been very pleased with it. It might not earn millions but it's another string to your bow and helps if your window cleaning diary is a bit quiet.

 

[pxlkid]

Where are you guys getting these gutter vacs for such low prices!?

 

[Deleted member 5762]

@pxlkid I bought mine directly from gutter sucker themselves. I've just checked and it's still £570. I have the standard push fit 44mm poles. Mine is absolutely fine for regular/standard sized houses.

 

[DeLaCruz]

You can get a GVS Panther with 36ft of ali poles for £774. Where can you get a 15lpm pressure washer, hoses, lances etc for that?

Jetmac do a Loncin 15L machine that is decent entry level machine well made and does the job. Comes with all the bits needed just need a bowser. I use an eBay fold up canvas garden water storage container for that they cost 30-40£.

 

[ched999uk]

Where are you guys getting these gutter vacs for such low prices!?

Gutter Vacuum Systems sell the Panther and 36ft of ali poles for £774 - standard price (cheaper with shorter poles and no bag, I bought one a couple of weeks ago. Only used it twice, once on my own house and once for a customer. It was only wet moss and dirt but worked well and quite quick to do.
I did also buy the camera and phone mounts from GVS - they work fine but would like a bit more swivel of phone mount. I had a camera but that was reassigned to fish health checks for our pond, so I bought an Akaso V50 Elite camera as it has good resolutions, image stabilisation, and remote control. Seems to work well so far with just a slight +1EV tweak.
Not sure how to market it yet just trying to get some practice in before Autumn.

 

[Chris34]

Hi all, I’m looking to increase the range of services I offer. Currently I do water fed pole window cleaning and the occasional gutter, soffit fascia job.

What would you suggest is the next best thing to do as an add on? Gutter emptying was my first thought but it doesn’t seem to be a huge earner and the gutter vacs are so expensive!

So I started looking at pressure washing, doing a bit of research you can get a decent 15lpm pw for roughly same as a gutter vac but it seems to be a potentially higher earner?

From experience which would you go for?

I've never been turned down for a gutter clear quotation, I price decent not cheap but I still get every single quote accepted. Just did a quote today, large semi, three sides and conservatory £130, doing it next week. If you think you're not earning enough you need to up your price, people are prepared to pay for gutter clearing, I don't know why they do... but I think I could get higher, I try and be fair though, so it's good fair money, don't want to be taking the mick but it has to be more than window cleaning or else there isn't any point.

Gutter clearing you can get £80 an hour if you're well organised, potentially more depending on how far you want to push it.

 

[Pjj]

Gutter vaccing and softwashing are the best add ons for us

 

[pxlkid]

Gutter vaccing and softwashing are the best add ons for us

Soft washing is something I’ve been looking at but seems a harder sell to customers?

 

[Mooghy]

Hi all, I’m looking to increase the range of services I offer. Currently I do water fed pole window cleaning and the occasional gutter, soffit fascia job.

What would you suggest is the next best thing to do as an add on? Gutter emptying was my first thought but it doesn’t seem to be a huge earner and the gutter vacs are so expensive!

So I started looking at pressure washing, doing a bit of research you can get a decent 15lpm pw for roughly same as a gutter vac but it seems to be a potentially higher earner?

From experience which would you go for?

I was in the same boat, I said to my self I want to add gutter cleaning so need a gutter vac, first of I got a wet dry vac from toolstation for £80 then got a 20m hose and used that see how I got on on the ladders, went well gutter cleaning dose pick up in the wetter seasons, I eventually wanted a much better system so I said sod it and advertised for roof cleaning done 1 job at £700 and used that to pay for my panther gutter vac and poles, it's paid for its self, pressure washing Is a good earner, and so is roof cleaning, get a scraper kit and hire a scaffold from HSS, I'd go gutter cleaning first even if you do it by hand set a minimum charge you'd be surprised how much people are willing to pay

 

[Pjj]

Soft washing is something I’ve been looking at but seems a harder sell to customers?

I think this might be area related down here very few have roofs cleaned it’s not viewed as needed or important, but in other parts of the country it’s very popular, Gutter vaccing is very popular and we have loads of annual repeat jobs now for over 15 years and each year it gets busier . Softwashing many years ago ones would phone and say they wanted there houses pressure washed usually it needed softwashing not pw , we explained the differences and most were softwashEd ones phone and ask for softwashing and know what it is , again each year we are getting busier with it , we don’t have any trouble selling it to the customers and it’s an expensive service , obviously you get the odd ones that think it’s going to be £70 when it’s £700 plus but that’s just life . Explain what’s involved, usually they don’t need to re paint saving a lot of money so it’s more cost effective for them anyway .

 

[pxlkid]

Really appreciate all these comments, think a gutter sucker vac could be on the cards ??

 

[ched999uk]

Really appreciate all these comments, think a gutter sucker vac could be on the cards ??

Be careful with the gutter sicker as although they say it's 51mm it reduces to about 35mm where it connects to the drum. I think SMOUT on YouTube did a vid on the restrictions!

 

[Iron Giant]

I'd advise working out the level of demand for the add-on services you want to offer, I don't offer any as such far too many around my way offering everything that's window cleaners, gipsies etc some are charging prices I was charging over 15 years ago.

A mate of mine has a very good reputation so add-on enquiries for services I don't offer or jobs I don't want to do get passed on to him.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I am looking at just putting 3 services on my new van. Window cleaning, PVC & roof cleaning and Gutter repairs & cleaning. I am really busy up here and when I was listening to Reflections saying plenty of work but few workers willing to undertake the work. It seems to be the same up here so very hard not to do well. Sometimes one just lands lucky where there is alot of work and not many workers, this means you don't even need to advertise. Doing two roof cleans on a relatively new estate tomorrow (one is for my brother) and I'm expecting plenty of interest when residents see the results.

 

[Pjj]

Really appreciate all these comments, think a gutter sucker vac could be on the cards ??

If it’s in your budget look at GVS I think there’s would be a better option

 

[Gav222222]

Gutter Vacuum Systems sell the Panther and 36ft of ali poles for £774 - standard price (cheaper with shorter poles and no bag, I bought one a couple of weeks ago. Only used it twice, once on my own house and once for a customer. It was only wet moss and dirt but worked well and quite quick to do.
I did also buy the camera and phone mounts from GVS - they work fine but would like a bit more swivel of phone mount. I had a camera but that was reassigned to fish health checks for our pond, so I bought an Akaso V50 Elite camera as it has good resolutions, image stabilisation, and remote control. Seems to work well so far with just a slight +1EV tweak.
Not sure how to market it yet just trying to get some practice in before Autumn.

I spent £1000s with this company and the customer support is dreadful , never again

 

[Pjj]

I spent £1000s with this company and the customer support is dreadful , never again

That’s unusual @GVS Julia Martin has a good reputation with being very helpful

 

[ched999uk]

I spent £1000s with this company and the customer support is dreadful , never again

On your first post you post negative stuff???? Care to elaborate?

That's the first time I have heard anyone say gvs customer service isn't amazing. @GVS Julia Martin was on a live vid with smout the other day saying the she has even responded to help people when on holiday and over Christmas.