my story

[Underdog]

hi. been lurking for last few weeks. my short intro is this. i started cleaning windows in 1991 in the school hols for my bro in law at 15. soon as i left school i built up my own rounds. i never really enjoyed it in fact i hated working on windows. all through school i wanted to be a carpenter but the lure of good money steered me into windows. i did windows full time until i was 30 but had a chance to go into carpentry and building work. i was still self employed and built a new business and because i hated windows so much i abandoned rounds that had taken 15 yrs to build. so that was 10 yrs ago.iv still worked cleaning occaisonaly through quiet building periods for my bro in law during last 10 yrs but not regular. well finaly i realised the grass isnt greener and im in the proccess of returning to window cleaning. this time wfp which is new to me. traditional i can still do with my eyes closed but this is a new learning curve for me. iv already learned loads from this forum so thanks for that and look forward to contributing my own little knowledge.

thanks

 

[Dave B]

Welcome bud

You started the same year as me

I reckon itnis possible to trad with eyes closed

Just point me at the window

It's all muscle memory..would be automatic

 

[Taxlossloz]

hi. been lurking for last few weeks. my short intro is this. i started cleaning windows in 1991 in the school hols for my bro in law at 15. soon as i left school i built up my own rounds. i never really enjoyed it in fact i hated working on windows. all through school i wanted to be a carpenter but the lure of good money steered me into windows. i did windows full time until i was 30 but had a chance to go into carpentry and building work. i was still self employed and built a new business and because i hated windows so much i abandoned rounds that had taken 15 yrs to build. so that was 10 yrs ago.iv still worked cleaning occaisonaly through quiet building periods for my bro in law during last 10 yrs but not regular. well finaly i realised the grass isnt greener and im in the proccess of returning to window cleaning. this time wfp which is new to me. traditional i can still do with my eyes closed but this is a new learning curve for me. iv already learned loads from this forum so thanks for that and look forward to contributing my own little knowledge.thanks

If you have a creative hand window cleaning can be boring - my old mans a joiner and he would hate cleaning

But ' where there's muck there's brass'

Maybe you can do odd building jobs aswell

 

[Underdog]

i was lucky to have the abiltiy to do carpentry. it stemmed from hobby carpentry for many yrs while still window cleaning. sub contracting to buidling sites was the final nail in the coffin. just got boring and felt like i was employed even though i was subbing. iv still got some carpentry work to do but my motivation is at an all time low. im enjoying coming back to windows. its been a very hard 5 weeks canvassing but my round is 50% of what my final goal is and at the moment its at 75% of what i need to live if that makes sense. a lot seems to have changed in last 10 yrs. wfp is popular now. back then it was this thing id heard off but knew little about and never actually seen anyone using it. also online banking has transformed collecting. i hated friday evenings collecting. plus i have more time for the family now and dont have to get out of bed at 6.30am

 

[mark m]

welcome to the forum underdog I am a plumber by trade , Window cleaning is so much easier less stress ect

 

[steve garwood]

Welcome underdog. I fitted windows, doors and built conservatories before window cleaning. It was more challenging and interesting, but come January, February when people don't like coughing up on big investments, it was worrying. Once your round is big enough in w.c, the work is circular and always there. It can get boring, but most people say that about their jobs

 

[norm]

greetings Underdog :thumbsup:

 

[Dave B]

I love to be doing something creative but now i am back on the windows i can do that in my spare time..

That's how i got the bug for modding all my equipment

As for the windows if you have your earphones on and enjoying yourself how can you get bored

Certainly beats working for a living lol

 

[cheapncheerful]

er no one want to mention the great views we windies get.....

NO YOU BUNCH OF PERVIES NOT THAT TYPE OF VIEW...me never look any ways honest

View attachment 5464

yes I was expecting to step onto a flat roof....

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yes I have posted that bottom one a long while back and got slated off a blue member in exile but....the key to the house the cake the tea the freedom..could I do it in an hour ...well.yes but I never do ...I seen her once..

some custys you gotta love em....now there are some look I didnt put that in there so dont blame me its that bloody tomsk he has hijacked me ..but there are some that er..well I dont clean em so I dont care but..

welcome to the wolf pack underdog...hope you can bark loud...you sound a great guy...

I think we all window cleaners have done other stuff at times I have always done window cleaning and other stuff like paint the double garage door last week when it appears...but ask any tradesmen out there and they all seem great lads to me.....what ever they do and you get...

OH YES i USED TO BE A WINDOWCLEANER..

and peoples live under the misconception that waving a stick and brush at a window is easy peasy.....well how wrong can you be....

still the doggy that liketh to eateth my feeties was too busy skipping about over the new blue pipe and so left me in peace...

 

[TolishAPurd]

Welcome @Underdog, great post. Having other things you can take your hand to will be a great help in the early days whilst building up your round. Best of luck with it all.

 

[TolishAPurd]

I must have missed this thread, anyone got linky linky? Was all that a canyoujust, or did you agree it all beforehand?

 

[cheapncheerful]

oh I did the windows and probs dropped it in the conversation I do opposite and he always leaves the money and buggers off and now got a bungalow on the corner leaves the money out in the morning....for cheapy sweet.

yep it was way way back when some blue dude ruled the roost but now the world is going green me loves all the colours...:rofl:

I mean she probs leaves the same now but nearly always a bottle of wine after I SAID oh your wine at xmas was nice...house to myself car on the drive.....biccys cake...spotless windows...the blue one was laughing at my hourly rate but yep I could do it in an hour easy and thats today...but I dont...cause...of course I park up ...do bungalow whilst out do house opposite whilst out and finish on the cushy one but you can greatly adjust the time by maybe blading or spraying or dusting the clean inside windows....but...WATCH OUT FOR THE FECKIN HAIR SPRAY....dont know if you missed that one but...wow..exploding hair spray not fun.

like a lot of single women on her own she cuts the lawn etc I am just there when they get behind...feckin hated the job of putting the new mower together thats a job I would normally pass to wifey...yes the handle went on wrong yes I DONT read instructions...bloody chinese..but you know my mate fu king is just great...

 

[TolishAPurd]

Remember CnC; No single man is bigger than the forum. The forum is king. The Forum must be obeyed.

...and the forum says that you need a kick up the **** and a poke in the eye for your charityesque prices./emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Jimroot]

Is that a fiver for another couple of hours in the letter CnC? Fiver and cake I suppose

 

[cheapncheerful]

well yeh but me could easy peasy do it in an hour and a cuppa and a cake ...£35 cash yeh very charitable me thinks...lets see..two climbs at the front...a side frosted and one climb if you stretch on the back...cut the hedge with her power and hedge cutter...and time to go the hardest part ...picking up the hedge trimmings with out using a mower....easy in an hour...not so sure about opposite for a fiver but these days I use a big stick and brush so not so slow...:rofl:a cracker bottle of red `14percent...cheers..

 

[Jimroot]

If you're happy sounds good. From the letter sounds like she's trusting and you have a pleasant interaction with the customers . Never been offered cake yet

 

[Dave B]

I used to do one old couples house for years until they emigrated to spain

Would turn up and do in and out monthly

Sometimes they would go out and leave me to it inside their big 4 bed detached house

Always got cuppa and biccies and told help yourself if you want another

Feels weird making a cuppa in someone elses house while they're out though

 

[Danfire]

I've done things the opposite way round...YTS carpenter in 86, five years doing that, Royal Navy 91-95 then back to the carpentry, fire service since 2003 and window cleaning part time since 2012...Can't help myself when I see customers struggling with jammed front doors, rotten window beads, broken panes, sticking locks etc, I need to learn to keep my mouth shut, haven't really got time for the extras.