Beast of a conservatory!

[HWCS]

Id want £350/400 for this am i the only one see the fact that with all the trees and leaves on the ground the gutters will 100% need cleaning out before the cleaning can even start?

 

[ks789]

i would fully expect not to get the job at £190 too.......i very rarely do........im not interested unless i can earn at least £60-£65 an hour on this type of work so i dont care anyway......

most customers are shocked when you give them the price...they dont realise the work thats involved....the work is a lot harder than regular maintenance window cleaning....

Totally. Ive found they balk at the price, and thats even at a lot lower than others ask for. Just so they know, Ive thought of having on my leaflets, houses from £12, with conservatories from £18, including conservatory roof from £100 ( for small ones) Just a rough idea, so any that ask know what to expect and must be interested.

 

[HWCS]

Totally. Ive found they balk at the price, and thats even at a lot lower than others ask for. Just so they know, Ive thought of having on my leaflets, houses from £12, with conservatories from £18, including conservatory roof from £100 ( for small ones) Just a rough idea, so any that ask know what to expect and must be interested.

Dont bother mate, youll have people trying to haggle you down because they know somebody else may be getting it cheaper.

 

[scottish cleaning service]

Totally. Ive found they balk at the price, and thats even at a lot lower than others ask for. Just so they know, Ive thought of having on my leaflets, houses from £12, with conservatories from £18, including conservatory roof from £100 ( for small ones) Just a rough idea, so any that ask know what to expect and must be interested.

I am going to put £8 minimum window clean on my van if I ever get round to it so they know my starting price.

 

[ks789]

Dont bother mate, youll have people trying to haggle you down because they know somebody else may be getting it cheaper.

If they gonna haggle they will regardless, i think ive only dropped a price about once or twice ever, they can take it or leave it.

 

[Mx19]

I’d never put minimum prices anywhere written. Have it in your head and tell people when giving a quote by all means but writing it down ties you in and people have it in their head. 
 

with regards to having it on your van I would advise against that. The vans driving around like leaflets look hugely unprofessional (in my opinion) they scream jack of all trades... A signwriter once said to me “less is more, The majority of people that write everything on their vans are the pikeys, and customers know that”(his words not mine) 

Use your van to portray a professional image and spark interest in your company driving traffic to your phone or website where you can then sell the product more effectively.

 

[wee man]

I am going to put £8 minimum window clean on my van if I ever get round to it so they know my starting price.

The best thing I've done in a while was putting prices from £10 on my flyers.  Anytime anyone rings they know it's going to be at least a tenner.  It cuts out all the ones that want it done for nothing.  Out of about 30 new calls last year only one ended up being a tenner and if was a front and side only, the rest were £12 and up.  The next flyers I get done I'm upping the minimum price to £12.

 

[Davy G]

I’d never put minimum prices anywhere written. Have it in your head and tell people when giving a quote by all means but writing it down ties you in and people have it in their head. 
 

with regards to having it on your van I would advise against that. The vans driving around like leaflets look hugely unprofessional (in my opinion) they scream jack of all trades... A signwriter once said to me “less is more, The majority of people that write everything on their vans are the pikeys, and customers know that”(his words not mine) 

Use your van to portray a professional image and spark interest in your company driving traffic to your phone or website where you can then sell the product more effectively.

Yep! I agree. Our houses range from £12 to £87. Most are in the range of around £15- £25. We wouldn't advertise a minimum price. We wouldn't want to portray ourselves as bargain basemen. We're targeting serious customers at a professional rate, not bargain hunters.

It's important to get it right or you can end up being run ragged chasing pennys at a low hourly rate. Instead of your business cruising with well paid jobs.

 

[ks789]

I know what you mean. I'd never have anything on my van like that. wouldnt it be just great to be psychic and know exactly how high they'd go. Im getting better at my pricing, but bet we all have some where we know it could be better and others where we know its a doddle.

 

[BigFoot]

I’d want £500+ if I got it id be happy if they turned me down I’d be happy ? 

cant stand glass connys!

 

[Chris34]

I've just done this one.  I quoted low and regretted it, I quoted £90 but it was also another £40 for the windows, first clean.  It ended up taking me 6.5 hours, mainly due to the windows having loads of dirt coming out the joins and seals, didn't look bad but as soon as degreaser was on it all this thick sludgy dirt came out of seemingly nowhere.  Luckily the customer was a gent and said I can make an adjustment so I just adjusted the roof to £120, didn't want to take the mick as it was partly my fault for not spending enough time on the quote.

Thing is it doesn't matter what the customer thinks really, it's whether it's worth the effort and time for you.  That conservatory I'd be looking at 2 days work and pricing it at £500+.  It might sound expensive but they always take longer than you expect.  I counted around 60 panels on that roof, that means that even if you're already set up and spent 1 minute per panel then it will take 1 hour.  I allocate 10 minutes per panel and still manage to get it wrong so on that job it's 10 hours plus the sides which I'd say are another 2 hours.  Then you have to factor in it's a one off and no recurring money from it.  

 

[Part Timer]

I don't know how long you've been doing this job but before you started could you imagine that one day you'd be moaning that you only made £160 in a day

 

[Chris34]

I don't know how long you've been doing this job but before you started could you imagine that one day you'd be moaning that you only made £160 in a day

It's not the money it's the effort.  I'm not moaning about it, I know its a lot of money but when you have done the actual work it feels like you have earn't that money even though it is a lot of money for a day compared to your average worker.  If they were all like the one side of that conservatory then it would be easy but then the price would be lower, it's the hard to reach parts that warrant the extra effort and price.  The aches and pains you get... it has to be worth it.

 

[Part Timer]

It's not the money it's the effort.  I'm not moaning about it, I know its a lot of money but when you have done the actual work it feels like you have earn't that money even though it is a lot of money for a day compared to your average worker.  If they were all like the one side of that conservatory then it would be easy but then the price would be lower, it's the hard to reach parts that warrant the extra effort and price.  The aches and pains you get... it has to be worth it.

I know as I've under priced loads, and will probably continue to do so as until you start you won't find out about the unseen things that crop up. It is still a decent days wage, after costs, for a semi skilled labourer. I know for a fact that friends of mine can't believe cleaning windows can generate such numbers. 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

The best thing I've done in a while was putting prices from £10 on my flyers.  Anytime anyone rings they know it's going to be at least a tenner.  It cuts out all the ones that want it done for nothing.  Out of about 30 new calls last year only one ended up being a tenner and if was a front and side only, the rest were £12 and up.  The next flyers I get done I'm upping the minimum price to £12.

I would keep at a tenner because we will be in a deep recession!?

 

[wee man]

I would keep at a tenner because we will be in a deep recession!?

I don't need the work and there will still be loads of money about . 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I don't need the work and there will still be loads of money about . 

I'm going to see a big conny job tomorrow so reading this thread has gave me food for thought. Making hay while the sun shines or silver dollars to be more precise. ?

 

[Incheck]

I’ve got a few conny roofs on the waiting list & i’m waiting until its raining to do them. that way the grime gets a pre-soak and the rain helps with rinsing. I just haven’t got the strength or energy to be doing them in weather like this anymore, they’re hard labour for sure. Whatever you charge it never feels like enough ? hope you gents are keeping well. 

 

[scottish cleaning service]

I use two iron men and a 3m platform which makes the job a lot easier because my arms are higher than the roof. I'm not fighting the tide and scrubbing down hill. Looking at getting a new 2.5m by 0.85m scaffold on wheels soon. This will make these jobs a lot safer and quicker. ?

 

[ks789]

sometimes there appears to be no rhyme or reason to them, as I did one the other day, glass roof as well, and it took less than an hour. I,d have felt like a robber if I'd quoted £300 or so. 

 

[Chris34]

I use two iron men and a 3m platform which makes the job a lot easier because my arms are higher than the roof. I'm not fighting the tide and scrubbing down hill. Looking at getting a new 2.5m by 0.85m scaffold on wheels soon. This will make these jobs a lot safer and quicker. ?

This is what I've wanted to look into, looking down on the conservatory would be a lot easier.  I had a look for platforms but I think the highest I found was about 1.5 meters, have you got any links to the 3m one you use?  

Just did another one today, this one took 3.5 hours but about 45 minutes of that was talking and taking pictures.  Also included a porch hood that was very bad.