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Precautions and formalities when buying work.

Masons

Well-known member
Messages
1,504
I have bought 3 rounds in my time, along with my business partner when we first started out, and all those were bought when I was ages 16-18, and my partner did most of the checks etc when buying.

I want to buy some work, I've found a bloke selling his round and am contacting him at the moment as regards purchasing it.

The only thing I am asking you guys is, what do you do when buying work, do you ask to pick a couple of customers on his sheets randomly to see if he really cleans their windows or do you drive round the work with them, what?

Thanks for all advice in advance.

 
In the past I've always arranged to work it with them, and split the money. If this isn't possible for all if it, then at least for some. You'll get an idea of how genuine he is & if he really wants to sell it, he won't have a problem.

That's what Ive done.

 
work with him mate anyone can make a round up these days have you ever watched the real hustle?/emoticons/biggrin.png

 
I don't hand over a penny until I have seen the sheet and completed one month, either with them and split the money or on my own. If anyone is trying it on, that will send them running, I also agree not to canvass that area for at least one year if they show me there sheets, and will never quote a lower price, than the price listed on the sheets, if I do canvass that area a year down the line.

 
I bought work before cash up front but it was off a reliable source.. If I was buying from a stranger I would want at least to have him take me around the run and introduce me to all the customers and make sure the customers know that I was the new window cleaner..

I personally wouldn't buy work unless it was off a friend.. Just too much can go wrong.

 
I bought work before cash up front but it was off a reliable source.. If I was buying from a stranger I would want at least to have him take me around the run and introduce me to all the customers and make sure the customers know that I was the new window cleaner..

I personally wouldn't buy work unless it was off a friend.. Just too much can go wrong.
I've asked a similar question before and the answer seems to be that its better to just post flyers/knock doors etc in order to build a round up unless,as Belfastcleaning says, your buying from a reliable source.You could part with your money and have very little to show for it for a number of reasons.Custies might not like the idea of a new cleaner and find another one.New cleaner then canvasses area, taking a large percentage of your new round and remaining custies don't like you or the service that your offering - whats left - bugga all !!

At the end of the day, your only buying the goodwill of the custies as there's no contractual obligation to use the services that your offering.For more experienced windies, buying business might not be a bad thing but not really for the newbie or faint heartened !!

 
Well I'll change the game here by saying the round I'm looking to purchase is going for 1.5 times the monthly income, so would take 2months to pay back.

It also is very close to home, and the average price of the houses is £8.50 so depending on what they look like it could be a very profitable purchase.

 
at that price, id say buy it, ask him to take you with him for 1 weeks cleaning, you'll get a good idea of how established it is by how the custies interact with him. but gift-horses like that dont come up to often, 1.5x is rediculously cheap, so very little risk

 
there has to be a reason for selling at that price when you can easily ask 3x. I recently turned down work for sale for 1 month takings :-0
They must be bad of they only wanting 1 month rent! The first and only bit of work I bought for £100 and it paid £70 odd every 2 weeks. That was my first bit of work, still doing them 5 years later

 
I guess you can have a look,but as others have said - 1.5x monthly monies is cheap as windies would expect to pay around the x 3/4 the monthly rate and considerably more if the round has commercial work, possibly x 10 monthly rate or more, see below!

Region: Midlands

Location: Derby And Surrounding Areas

Type: Domestic and commercial

Monthly Avg Value : £5,500 + Per Month

Established For: 10 years

Comments: Established business for sale due to relocation abroad. I am selling this business as a job lot to include : professionally sign written van, 2 Brodex stainless steel 850 litre systems costing £7,500 each,poles 0800 number, staff uniforms, website and database. Whoever buys this business for 70k will get their money back in one and half years. This business took me over 10 years to establish and build an outstanding reputation.

Asking Price : £70,000 job lot

 
at the end of the day if hes willing to take you round you will be able to make a decent judgement, it might not be established but that doesnt mean the customers dont want a window cleaner, could be a good add-on to a round

 
agree with all of above. have bought work off people I kind of knew, and trusted, all was ok. paid 2.5 times, paid deposit and gave him half of X amount of cleans when I did them.

best to do the round with him, let him keep money towards part payment, and can meet customers, see how pricing is, etc.

but at that rate can't really go wrong, even if poorly priced. we put prices up as our round was under priced and never lost a customer. and that round has multiplied in size many times now. best thing we did.

 
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