Pricing please help

[Iron Giant]

Honestly guys, I don't know how you live on some of those prices. I rreally feel for you. I can only assume you top your money up with Universal Credit - which I would understand and don't blame you. I'm too embarrased to tell you what I charge for a 3 bed semi.

I think it's laughable that you have piped all high and mighty because of the prices you charge and also thrown a cheap insult.

I'm pretty sure I found you with a quick web search. The average house price in your neck of the woods over the last year was £343,231. Where I work, the average house price is £ 144,837. That's a difference of almost 200k.

So what I wrote earlier in this thread I believe is relevant to the difference in pricing.

"I'm also aware of the fact that down the country quite a number are a 6 weekly frequency so factor this in plus higher rents and mortgage costs to cover outside of business costing then without doing the maths £20 compared to our £10-12 pricing on a 4-week frequency then the pricing I'd guess is almost comparable."

I'd be very surprised that your normal cleaning schedule is every 4 weeks, but please do enlighten us, statements compared to facts are two different things just like turnover and profit.

I bumped into a lad a few days ago who always claimed he was charging the same prices as me and had 100's more houses than I did, 6 months ago he sold his business his prices turned out to be 50% less than mine, he is now claiming that a cleaning business that his wife has always operated as a sole trader was in fact always his business and they have multiple big contracts with very big companies,

Some people will say owt, but I don't believe everything

 

[spruce]

I worked in York 25 years ago for 3 years. There is a big financial difference between the classes of have and have nots.

25 years ago the price of property was increasing at the phenomenical rate due to the number of people from London buying 'cheap' property and commuting to London every day on the train.

Leeds was also a similar commuting city back in the day.

The back streets of York were full of families struggling with the rising cost of living.

When you visit York you see a vibrant tourist city destination, but you don't see the poverty behind the fascard.

So my guess is that the prices you charge as a window cleaner would depend on your customer base.

This is just my opinion though.

We have some good paying cleans in better areas, but we also have a lot of work in not so affluent areas which don't pay as much. But they are loyal customers and I can live with that. This work is also much more compact.

 

[spruce]

Years back, a local windie walked away from all his work in Skelton (near Saltburn) because he couldn't get the prices up to where he wanted them.

 

[Chris Ashurst]

I think it's laughable that you have piped all high and mighty because of the prices you charge and also thrown a cheap insult.

I'm pretty sure I found you with a quick web search. The average house price in your neck of the woods over the last year was £343,231. Where I work, the average house price is £ 144,837. That's a difference of almost 200k.

So what I wrote earlier in this thread I believe is relevant to the difference in pricing.

"I'm also aware of the fact that down the country quite a number are a 6 weekly frequency so factor this in plus higher rents and mortgage costs to cover outside of business costing then without doing the maths £20 compared to our £10-12 pricing on a 4-week frequency then the pricing I'd guess is almost comparable."

I'd be very surprised that your normal cleaning schedule is every 4 weeks, but please do enlighten us, statements compared to facts are two different things just like turnover and profit.

I bumped into a lad a few days ago who always claimed he was charging the same prices as me and had 100's more houses than I did, 6 months ago he sold his business his prices turned out to be 50% less than mine, he is now claiming that a cleaning business that his wife has always operated as a sole trader was in fact always his business and they have multiple big contracts with very big companies,

Some people will say owt, but I don't believe everything

Where I work in Lancashire 4 /5 bed properties with conservatory costing 400k - 600k struggling to get £20. Too many trad with 80's pricing. Went to give a quote last week on a detached property and before I could give her the quote she said that she just used to pop a fiver under the watering can in the greenhouse for her previous window cleaner and said that she'd be happy for that to continue. Went next door to give her neighbour a quote and she said that she leaves a fiver in the birdbox for her window cleaner but not in the springtime as the Bluetits use it
Both these properties had 23 windows each and large conservatory! Can you imagine cleaning 46 windows and two large conservatories for a tenner!

 

[ched999uk]

Where I work in Lancashire 4 /5 bed properties with conservatory costing 400k - 600k struggling to get £20. Too many trad with 80's pricing. Went to give a quote last week on a detached property and before I could give her the quote she said that she just used to pop a fiver under the watering can in the greenhouse for her previous window cleaner and said that she'd be happy for that to continue. Went next door to give her neighbour a quote and she said that she leaves a fiver in the birdbox for her window cleaner but not in the springtime as the Bluetits use it
Both these properties had 23 windows each and large conservatory! Can you imagine cleaning 46 windows and two large conservatories for a tenner!

If prices are that low it might be worth driving a little to a better priced area, ok so you have a few miles to drive before you start work but it might well pay better overall.
I assume you look like you are going to provide a quality service? i.e. company name on uniform, sign written van and look smart, be polite, explain glass, frames and sills etc?

 

[Jaygti]

Even here in the affluent south east , certain towns are difficult to get decent prices on.

Also there’s lots of new build estates where there is lots of competition, and the prices aren’t great either.

But there’s still plenty of places where you can get much better prices.

For what it’s worth I’d currently charge £20 for a 3 bed estate semi. 3 windows and a door at the front, 4 windows at the back including patio doors, and 1 or 2 at the side, and if it was near to something I already have.

I’d expect to get 40-50% of the houses I quote for.

If I have to travel it would be more as I’m not that bothered.
But when I was building a round it would have been less.

Remember everything has gone up 20-25% in the last few years, so if you used to earn £300 a day, you’ll need to be earning £350+ just to keep pace.

 

[spruce]

Even here in the affluent south east , certain towns are difficult to get decent prices on.

Also there’s lots of new build estates where there is lots of competition, and the prices aren’t great either.

But there’s still plenty of places where you can get much better prices.

For what it’s worth I’d currently charge £20 for a 3 bed estate semi. 3 windows and a door at the front, 4 windows at the back including patio doors, and 1 or 2 at the side, and if it was near to something I already have.

I’d expect to get 40-50% of the houses I quote for.

If I have to travel it would be more as I’m not that bothered.
But when I was building a round it would have been less.

Remember everything has gone up 20-25% in the last few years, so if you used to earn £300 a day, you’ll need to be earning £350+ just to keep pace.

When they need a plumber, an electrician or a roofer urgently, they can't afford to waste time shopping around for a cheaper price. Window cleaning is different. The only time we are needed urgently is just before Christmas when the last storm made them filthy.

A couple of years ago, the wind dislodged 2 ridge tiles on my son's roof. £250 for half an hour's work re-bedding them. He used the old ridge tiles as they weren't broken.

The problem is that new estates are window cleaner magnets and prices aren't good, in our area anyway.

 

[Iron Giant]

Even here in the affluent south east , certain towns are difficult to get decent prices on.

Also there’s lots of new build estates where there is lots of competition, and the prices aren’t great either.

But there’s still plenty of places where you can get much better prices.

For what it’s worth I’d currently charge £20 for a 3 bed estate semi. 3 windows and a door at the front, 4 windows at the back including patio doors, and 1 or 2 at the side, and if it was near to something I already have.

I’d expect to get 40-50% of the houses I quote for.

If I have to travel it would be more as I’m not that bothered.
But when I was building a round it would have been less.

Remember everything has gone up 20-25% in the last few years, so if you used to earn £300 a day, you’ll need to be earning £350+ just to keep pace.

Thanks for your openness . Are you cleaning every 4 weeks or on 6-8 weekly schedules?

 

[Iron Giant]

Where I work in Lancashire 4 /5 bed properties with conservatory costing 400k - 600k struggling to get £20. Too many trad with 80's pricing. Went to give a quote last week on a detached property and before I could give her the quote she said that she just used to pop a fiver under the watering can in the greenhouse for her previous window cleaner and said that she'd be happy for that to continue. Went next door to give her neighbour a quote and she said that she leaves a fiver in the birdbox for her window cleaner but not in the springtime as the Bluetits use it
Both these properties had 23 windows each and large conservatory! Can you imagine cleaning 46 windows and two large conservatories for a tenner!

It's not that bad where I am near Durham, lads are charging low prices though but they are getting somewhere near but it's still low pricing charging £6-7 for a small modern 3-bed semi and £10 for a 4-bed detached, low pricing is something I have battled against for almost 25 years in business,

I won't travel beyond the town I have covered for almost 24 years it's not the biggest of towns at all so I have no issues with travel, it's something I have never been prepared to do as I never saw the value in travelling too much but this was long before online payments etc and I just stuck with it, could have been determination more likely a bit too lazy, things are very different these days and travelling does pay off, I'm fortunate not to need to.

 

[Gadgetfox]

I think it's laughable that you have piped all high and mighty because of the prices you charge and also thrown a cheap insult.

I'm pretty sure I found you with a quick web search. The average house price in your neck of the woods over the last year was £343,231. Where I work, the average house price is £ 144,837. That's a difference of almost 200k.

So what I wrote earlier in this thread I believe is relevant to the difference in pricing.

"I'm also aware of the fact that down the country quite a number are a 6 weekly frequency so factor this in plus higher rents and mortgage costs to cover outside of business costing then without doing the maths £20 compared to our £10-12 pricing on a 4-week frequency then the pricing I'd guess is almost comparable."

I'd be very surprised that your normal cleaning schedule is every 4 weeks, but please do enlighten us, statements compared to facts are two different things just like turnover and profit.

I bumped into a lad a few days ago who always claimed he was charging the same prices as me and had 100's more houses than I did, 6 months ago he sold his business his prices turned out to be 50% less than mine, he is now claiming that a cleaning business that his wife has always operated as a sole trader was in fact always his business and they have multiple big contracts with very big companies,

Some people will say owt, but I don't believe everything

Ouch! First of all let me apologise to everyone who felt insulted or offended, that was not my intentin. I'm sorry you got the impression I was being 'high and mighty', I really meant what I said about feeling for you guys. I moved from South Wales to London and tripled my income. Not because I am anyone special or talented or a great businessman but purly because the average prices are higher. There is an unfare divide in the country. I wish the prices were the same everywhere but they are not.

At the ripe old age of 61 years old I feel no need to justify myself or my pricing to you Iron Giant even though I could prove it. Not sure how you found me seeing as I don't have a website or use social media. But who cares, there is plenty of work to go around and plenty of money in North London should anyone wish to travel.

That said again I apologise if my comment was insensitive I wish every window cleaner in the country a good a profitable 2025...

 

[Gadgetfox]

20 houses a day at a tenner a house is £1000 a week, gross. 48 weeks a year so £48k, roughly £40k after expenses and roughly £33k after tax. Doubt you'd get any benefits earning that amount

See your point. I sometimes forget most of you guys a young an fit. I'm 61 and full of Arthritis so 10 houses per day is my maximum. I wish I was fit enough to clean 20 houses...

 

[Part Timer]

See your point. I sometimes forget most of you guys a young an fit. I'm 61 and full of Arthritis so 10 houses per day is my maximum. I wish I was fit enough to clean 20 houses...

I'm 61 and anything but physically fit, I am however still strong in the shoulders and arms. How much longer god only knows

 

[spruce]

Where I work in Lancashire 4 /5 bed properties with conservatory costing 400k - 600k struggling to get £20. Too many trad with 80's pricing. Went to give a quote last week on a detached property and before I could give her the quote she said that she just used to pop a fiver under the watering can in the greenhouse for her previous window cleaner and said that she'd be happy for that to continue. Went next door to give her neighbour a quote and she said that she leaves a fiver in the birdbox for her window cleaner but not in the springtime as the Bluetits use it
Both these properties had 23 windows each and large conservatory! Can you imagine cleaning 46 windows and two large conservatories for a tenner!

We have had a few newbie window cleaners starting up over the past couple of years offering very cheap cleans. They have since disappeared, but their old customer looking for a new window cleaner still perceive the price they paid as the going rate.

Every now and again, someone on our local Facebook page starts a thread regarding window cleaning prices. Some of the prices paid are a joke if the posters are being truthful.
I commented on one of the threads and got blasted for being part of the'rip-off Britain' brigade. I haven't wasted my time commenting since.

 

[Part Timer]

plenty of money in North London should anyone wish to travel.

We do work every month in the South and some of the prices we get are considerably more than we can get in the NE.
We can, on some jobs, earn more in a morning than we can in 2 days back home

 

[Iron Giant]

Ouch! First of all let me apologise to everyone who felt insulted or offended, that was not my intentin. I'm sorry you got the impression I was being 'high and mighty', I really meant what I said about feeling for you guys. I moved from South Wales to London and tripled my income. Not because I am anyone special or talented or a great businessman but purly because the average prices are higher. There is an unfare divide in the country. I wish the prices were the same everywhere but they are not.

At the ripe old age of 61 years old I feel no need to justify myself or my pricing to you Iron Giant even though I could prove it. Not sure how you found me seeing as I don't have a website or use social media. But who cares, there is plenty of work to go around and plenty of money in North London should anyone wish to travel.

That said again I apologise if my comment was insensitive I wish every window cleaner in the country a good a profitable 2025...

Thanks for this, no need for anyone to justify themselves to me.

It's likely not you who I found, I googled your company name and got a hit so made an assumption, just like you assumed that me working in the North East of England I'd be on universal credit

All the best

 

[Jaygti]

Thanks for your openness . Are you cleaning every 4 weeks or on 6-8 weekly schedules?

Used to be 4 weekly, but I’ve stretched it out to 5-6. My aim is to do just regular commercial work and (more profitable) add ons on the 5th week and have some time off, but the weather often gets in way , so it doesn’t always work out.

 

[Gadgetfox]

We do work every month in the South and some of the prices we get are considerably more than we can get in the NE.
We can, on some jobs, earn more in a morning than we can in 2 days back home

Nice!

 

[Gadgetfox]

Thanks for this, no need for anyone to justify themselves to me.

It's likely not you who I found, I googled your company name and got a hit so made an assumption, just like you assumed that me working in the North East of England I'd be on universal credit

All the best

No worries. We good?