average price for a semi detached house

[Dave B]

Also it's not all about speeding up. Think about where can I put the ladder (safely) where maybe I can reach more windows in one climb. Steps for the big windows instead of getting the a frame out. Mod yer squeegee to do less detailing. When its not so hot wet up more windows then squeegee. Little things like that help.

That is how i work fast posh

Not going at it like a bull in a china shop but making good decisions and using my time efficiently

Things like a big patio door with a lot of muck on i would take 2 seconds to quickly soap it up and then do another window so it gets a good soak

Now when you soap the door again after the muck comes off and the scraper stays in the pouch saving time

Or using trad pole on a high bottom window to save messing about with steps etc

Or 0° over a bush to save climbing into it or stretching over it

All little things which make life a touch easier and faster

The trick is to recognise these things straight away when you look at the job

 

[captainzoom]

That's the way to do it. Currently I am in the process of learning to use all the tools well, so I can choose the most efficient for the task. Not there yet though..

 

[Dave B]

It takes time mate

Once you have tried a trick and found that it works you will find yourself looking for those opportunities to do it aagain when you turn up at another job

Soon build a little arsenal of clever little tips and tricks of your own

 

[captainzoom]

Yeah. So I've noticed. Pretty easy to learn the basics. But a lot harder to do it well , consistently. Not to mention, in an efficient manner. But getting there slowly. Trial and error. /emoticons/smile.png

 

[Mendys]

After 3 years (2 years solo) I have got a good speed. I see how I make more a day even though I haven't raised prices that much.

And for you captainzoom, I now every bit about those old window types, I'm also from Sweden. But I have started to like them, good paid ;-) were do you clean?

 

[captainzoom]

Good to hear that I'm not alone @Mendys. /emoticons/smile.png

I clean in Västeras. Currently part time. But I really enjoy trad work. Where do you clean?

 

[Mendys]

In Växjö.

I get 24 £ for a semi detached house in Sweden, sure it doesn't say much with our costs and expenses here. I do them in 20-30 min trad. 12 weekly.

 

[captainzoom]

@Mendys I guess that is for a follow up clean and only outsides?

(I'm afraid to tell you how much time I spent on a first clean on a semi D.... LoL)

And that price does not have RUT deducted? (Swedish thing)

 

[Smurf]

how does RUT work then?

 

[Mendys]

Yes you are right.

Haha RUT is a wired thing in Sweden. The government pays half the price for the customer. This is for all kinds of cleaning och gardening. So there is almost none (what is it called when someone is working but don't pay taxes?). So they pay 12, I get 24.

 

[Smurf]

Thanks...wow! just thinking how I could smurf my prices up over their then /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[captainzoom]

@Smurf I bet you would. /emoticons/biggrin.png

(And smurf all the way to the bank...)

 

[rugbywolf]

80% of my jobs are semi detached with bay windows almost all are £10 and i average 3 every two hours of ladders.
I bought this round last year and am thinking of a price rise

what id like to know is what you guys charge for a semi detached home

i think £12 of ladders with frames wiped is more appropriate

what do you think?

It seems to be a long time to clean three, you should be looking at 20 to 30 minutes. Are they unusually large semis? I have some double bayed, five panes, take me about twenty minutes.

 

[Neil nowdownunder]

Blimey, I'd better not tell you what I can get for cleaning windows over here! ;-)

 

[Jacob]

Guess I need to speed up as well...
But since I am a beginner. I rather spend a bit too much time and get happy custys. Speed will come in time. I hope...=)

I've found that for me the bottleneck is that here in Sweden. Many people still have "old style" windows with internal blinds, that you have to open up and clean in between (not the blinds though). That part slows me down considerably. Especially since it is done from the inside and you have to take care not to drip and such. Often in tight quarters.

If you are cleaning the old style internal windows (have them here in Denmark too) you will have to charge 4 times the pane because you now got 4 times more work than just outside, you have to keep that in mine.

If i myself is going to price old style internal and i qoute at 10 outside then 20 outside inside and with internals 40 intotal because 4 times more work than just outside if you get me..

 

[OutlaneWC]

Go on neil, tell them I've recently started workin in oz for someone and I can't believe the prices some days!

Blimey, I'd better not tell you what I can get for cleaning windows over here! ;-)

,

 

[rugbywolf]

80% of my jobs are semi detached with bay windows almost all are £10 and i average 3 every two hours of ladders.
I bought this round last year and am thinking of a price rise

what id like to know is what you guys charge for a semi detached home

i think £12 of ladders with frames wiped is more appropriate

what do you think?

It's not 'normal' to wash round the frames unless you are asked specifically to do so, in which case you would charge more. I have one that I do, a three bed detached, no conservatory, for that I charge £19, and usually takes about 40 minutes. otherwise, these houses you are showing should take about 20 minutes at most, and for £10 is good work. So did the previous guy wash the frames? I doubt it, but if he did then you have got yourself into a difficult position, because it will be hard to stop doing the frames, and hard to get the prices up to a realistic level. Myself, I would just stop, and if asked say that it has been an 'awful mistake' by the previous bloke!!!

 

[Dave B]

I always do the frames but for a maintenance clean it takes seconds

Soap up glass

wipe round frames quickly with sill cloth

Blade glass

Wipe sill

Taken maybe 10 seconds lomger per window unit so 1 minute 10 - 1 minute 30 extra per house

I'm sure we could all swallow that for happy customers

So you would have to do 40 houses to lose an hour of your day..no biggie imo

 

[rugbywolf]

I always do the frames but for a maintenance clean it takes secondsSoap up glass

wipe round frames quickly with sill cloth

Blade glass

Wipe sill

Taken maybe 10 seconds lomger per window unit so 1 minute 10 - 1 minute 30 extra per house

I'm sure we could all swallow that for happy customers

So you would have to do 40 houses to lose an hour of your day..no biggie imo

It doesn't take much longer I'll admit, but more than seconds, This house I mentioned would probably take about half an hour without doing the frames. Also, some people ask me now and again if I can 'wipe round the frames', and I will refuse because I have learnt by my own experience that you really have to wash frames if you are going to do them properly.

 

[Dave B]

If they are really dirty i will chuck a wet cloth with a little ubik/water on in one of my small pouches..it really does take seconds

First cleans are different and that's what they pay for but maintenance cleans do honestly take a few seconds to clean the frames

 

[Neil nowdownunder]

OK John, I got into it because a friend of mine had his windows cleaned for an average 3 bedroom one storey (bungalow) in and out and was charged A$300 (about 150 pounds!). I do the same sized properties for $180 in and out. Admittedly the house sizes are bigger here and so is the glazing, but was gobsmacked what you can charge here. Not that I'm complaining. After redundancy and a year with no income its nice to see the $$$ trickling back in. I average $100 per hour (50 pounds).