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Hi from Spain

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Tim Spain

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Been reading the threads for sometime so thought I'd join and be part of the forum.

Ex fire service retired to Spain, Alicante area. Started cleaning windows back in 1980 with a couple of older guys on my watch and been doing it on and off since.

Bought a place here a few years ago and family moved out 10 years ago, I retired 6 years ago and joined them full time.

Helped a guy out cleaning windows two years ago, first day was 35oC in the shade and wondered what the hell I was doing but carried on till the end of summer. Was paid 7 euro an hour, yeah a joke, especially as he couldn't drive. Jacked it in late Oct then got a few calls and stated on my own last March.

Apart from the heat, the glare and the bars or "rejas" on the windows to keep the robbers out plus the fact a huge amount of properties are holiday homes I've got a little round going and can earn a reasonable amount.

The bad part, no not a joke is the red tape in starting a business, paying you social sercurity, 280 euro before any tax you pay and people expecting to pay 5 euro for a large 4 bed villa couple with a terrace with 10 glass curtains included. So 14 windows, patio doors and the curtains.

Thankfully there are many Scandinavians out here who understand the same as many Brit expats.

Will post stuff if people are interested, price of equipment, tds readings, techniques or any thing else.

Just ask.

Tim

 
Welcome to the forum Mr Spain

I love it over there as i go to murcia a lot to a friends villa

Always hot

I don't think i could work in it but have no problem drinking my bodyweight in beer in that heat

 
Cheers Daveyboy I'm somewhere between Alicante and Murcia airports.

In the summer I have a frozen 2 It bottle of squash and another 2 Lt cold out of the fridge plus a few cups of tea during the day and never need a pee. My sons are gardeners and regularly drink 6 to 8 litres a day.

Having said that a beer refreshes like nothing else.

 
I stay in el valle resort on the main road from alicante to murcia..about 20 minutes from murcia airport

 
Nice place, golf resort. The fairways will love the rain we have recently. Two days in late Dec 9 inches, last week Wednesday 6 inches of rain in 14 hours. Oh and the first snow here for 91 years.

 
Hello pal, We got a place near torrevieja... love it but couldn't imagine working in august!! And the bars on all the windows are a killer, we got a window cleaner and he comes and takes each window panel out from inside and trads them... it's different but he's a cool guy apparently and pretty good, an old English bloke. I heard there were old Spanish people there last week that had never seen snow lol

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Hi, welcome to the forum. Same as the others, I couldnt imagine being a windy in southern Spain. I stayed out in Menorca for the entire summer a few years back. In August it was 40 degrees daytime and 30 degrees night time and I know that I couldnt work in that heat, not even wfp. I didn't really look at the the windows when I stayed out there, but if I remember the buildings were a lot different. Do you get many spanish customers?

 
I was on holiday with the Mrs in Fuengirola. On a morning after breakfast we used to go for a stroll along the seafront and go for a pint. We used the same bar every morning, one morning a barmaid was attempting to clean the windows mop and blade style. She was making a right hash of it, so I gestured to her that I would show her how it was done. She wouldn't let me have a go the ungrateful cow /emoticons/biggrin.png. My Mrs was :rolleyes:

 
Last time I went to Spain I got my Mrs to sneak through customs by shoving my coke up her ar*e.

I felt awful later as I didn't realise you could buy another can in departures /emoticons/biggrin.png

Welcome Mr. Spain

 
Welcome Mr Spain cool to hear what its like over there on the glass. I like the others have spent many a summer in Spain (normally menorca) love it but that's cos I'm eating drinking and sleepingbin the sunworking must be tough. Are you soley trad or wfp aswell?do the locals use window cleaners regular like in Uk? All the best

 
Luca hi I'm in Benimar, Rojales just past Quesada.

As for WFP, just looking into it, some TDS levels are so high it might not be worth it. Spoke to a pool guy and he said just 10km inland the level is around 500. I guess that's why the water tastes like ****.

There are many new properties being build, will send a couple of pics later. Many are square/oblong boxes with huge plate glass windows. One I do has a bedroom with its own private terrace that has a two patio doors on one side and a 30ft x 8ft window on the other. It also has 6 patio doors on the front/side of the house. With two huge plate glass windows above. Most of these new properties are open plan.

Of course dust is the real problem. WFP would be ideal. Having said that many have a nearly flush frame to the facia and the buildings are usually white which shows rain water marks.

Regarding the bars that cover the windows, of course they catch the dust and the customer often asks you to run a cloth over them. All for nothing. You usually say after a few visits, doing a little each time the bars should look ok.

Either that or be honest and say most are rusty and need painting anyway.

 
Been reading the threads for sometime so thought I'd join and be part of the forum.
Ex fire service retired to Spain, Alicante area. Started cleaning windows back in 1980 with a couple of older guys on my watch and been doing it on and off since.
Bought a place here a few years ago and family moved out 10 years ago, I retired 6 years ago and joined them full time.
Helped a guy out cleaning windows two years ago, first day was 35oC in the shade and wondered what the hell I was doing but carried on till the end of summer. Was paid 7 euro an hour, yeah a joke, especially as he couldn't drive. Jacked it in late Oct then got a few calls and stated on my own last March.
Apart from the heat, the glare and the bars or "rejas" on the windows to keep the robbers out plus the fact a huge amount of properties are holiday homes I've got a little round going and can earn a reasonable amount.
The bad part, no not a joke is the red tape in starting a business, paying you social sercurity, 280 euro before any tax you pay and people expecting to pay 5 euro for a large 4 bed villa couple with a terrace with 10 glass curtains included. So 14 windows, patio doors and the curtains.
Thankfully there are many Scandinavians out here who understand the same as many Brit expats.
Will post stuff if people are interested, price of equipment, tds readings, techniques or any thing else.
Just ask.
Tim
Hi mate

I was thinking of driving my van over wfp all fitted ro etc have a place in Campamor what's it like over there working water etc may be I could give u a call when over march 2018 if you are still working it building loads of new builds loads of glass balconies etc

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Hi, sorry for the delay.

I have only seen 2 people using wfp over here, both the unger hydro power water filter system.

Ive just done a test on my water and its 380. Not sure how high that is compared to you.

As i said above the real problem is the dust over here, i imagine running water down it may dirty the fascia.

Send a contact number if you wanna chat.

Tim

Kind of house i do here "trad"

window quesada.jpg

 
Hi there have a place in campamor was thinking of setting up wfp etc any chance you could pm me and in can call you and maybe meet up in Spain march 11th for 9 days back and forth a lot seems loads of glass buildings going up


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my name is troy 48 . From the UK  I have been a window cleaner 20 years plus .. traditional and pole system.. plus . Can put my hands to any job .. I ran my own business for over 10 years . Worked for couple of nation wide companies.  Looking for job abroad . Wondering if you had any job vacancies thankyou troy  Or know of any other companies. Might be setting on thankyou

 
Been reading the threads for sometime so thought I'd join and be part of the forum.

Ex fire service retired to Spain, Alicante area. Started cleaning windows back in 1980 with a couple of older guys on my watch and been doing it on and off since.

Bought a place here a few years ago and family moved out 10 years ago, I retired 6 years ago and joined them full time.

Helped a guy out cleaning windows two years ago, first day was 35oC in the shade and wondered what the hell I was doing but carried on till the end of summer. Was paid 7 euro an hour, yeah a joke, especially as he couldn't drive. Jacked it in late Oct then got a few calls and stated on my own last March.

Apart from the heat, the glare and the bars or "rejas" on the windows to keep the robbers out plus the fact a huge amount of properties are holiday homes I've got a little round going and can earn a reasonable amount.

The bad part, no not a joke is the red tape in starting a business, paying you social sercurity, 280 euro before any tax you pay and people expecting to pay 5 euro for a large 4 bed villa couple with a terrace with 10 glass curtains included. So 14 windows, patio doors and the curtains.

Thankfully there are many Scandinavians out here who understand the same as many Brit expats.

Will post stuff if people are interested, price of equipment, tds readings, techniques or any thing else.

Just ask.

Tim
Morning Tim how’s sunny spain ? We’ve just brought down by Duquesa port was toying with the idea of doing a bit of windying around our area have got a wfp system that I use here but do all sorts driveways soft wash etc any thoughts would be appreciated 

cheers Graham

 
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