serious help required with pricing! - General Cleaning Issues

General Cleaning Issues - Floorcare, car valeting, buying and selling businesses, pricing, staffing, market research, etc.

serious help required with pricing!

Posted by martin_606 (martin_606), 4 September 2003

Hi all

New to the cleaning scene and i woukld like some help if you can please.

I need soild answers on pricing?

How much for a one off clean, say 3 hours??

Do i charge per hour or a set price?

I am starting by doing one-off cleans for letting agents and really need a guide to a pricing structure. Obviously the bigger the property the more i must charge.

Also what about the state of said properties??

guys, any and all help is most gratefully appriciated.

Regards

Martin

Posted by David129 (David129), 4 September 2003

Martin

I would charge a set price not a per hour charge break your set price in to property sizes eg 1 2 3 4bedrooms assuming that you meant house letting agents if commercial letting then by sqft in 100's or 1000's but still price by job not by time how you allocate your time on the job is your overhead you must allow for different types of flooring. the key is to try and differentiate yourself in the market. What additional value can you add what makes your company better than or distinct from the rest.

Posted by martin_606 (martin_606), 4 September 2003

Thanks for that david!

I've had a response already on my very first day!

They want my prices and a copy of my public liability. and when i'm on the books they can then use me. so far my costs are £15 and about 3 hours of my time...amazing!

Now of course the real work starts...

can anyone please tell me if possible how lucrative is this business? I know that a few people has become wealthy. But how is everyone doing Huh

Anymore help on pricing would be helpful also.

hope this isn't asking too much Huh

Regards

Martin

Posted by Mike_Boxall (Mike_Boxall), 4 September 2003

Hi Martin
Cleaning can be very lucrative if you're prepared to put in the hard work and look after your customers. There's certainly more money in it than in equipment supplies Sad

but then we do it more for the satisfaction of knowing that we've done our bit for you guys Cheesy

Remember us at Christmas wont you

Posted by martin_606 (martin_606), 4 September 2003

hi mike, thanks for the positive comment.

I will do whatever it takes (legally Cool

) to succeed. I put 20 hours a day to get my high street biz up and running only to lose it 4 months later due to the government withdrawing the funding for the project, went down like the red baron in flames!

I will keep everyone posted on my progress into the cleaning world, scared of over-pricing myself though, this is the only sticking point for me?

Regards

Martin

Posted by tracey (tracey), 13 September 2003

pricing can depend on area you clean we charge £8.00 per hour on weekly cleans two hours min. and one offs vary from a three bed semi at £85.00 this is in midlands area hope might help u a bit

tracey(cleanability)

Posted by Derek (Derek), 14 September 2003

Hi Martin,

Don't get hung up on the pricing thing, its mostly all in the mind...your mind.

Some years ago 'I' had a mental barrier that customers wouldn't pay over a hundred pounds for cleaning.
I have since learnt that if you provide a quality service and give value for money then price ceases to be such an issue.

You will, of course, always have the people who want the cheapest prices... the words 'peanuts' and 'monkeys' spring to mind.

Hope this helps

Derek

Posted by A_to_Z_Clean (A_to_Z_Clean), 17 September 2003

Hi,

I chagarge 7-9 £ per hour for regular cleaning, and for one off is 75£ 2 bed flat, 100£ 3 bed flat. I supply all the materials and equipment. I'm based in London

Adam
A to Z Clean
Manager

Good Luck Grin

Posted by arc_cleaning (arc_cleaning), 24 September 2003

hi martin

im new only found this place on monday. it all depend on were your located im in s/yorkshire i base my quotes on a number of different factors i do contract cleaning first i charge labour, then i take the price of equiptment ie hoover £100. wich i would exspect to last 12 months divide it into 52 weeks is £1.92 then charge pl-el the same way. then transport which i set at £5.00 local then charge for suppervisor £4.50 then charge for fluids black bags sprays ect. then charge flat rate £1.50 uniforms each. lets say 8 hour job cleaning a pub in this case £5.50 ph labour = 44.00 +hoover £1.92 + el/pl £1.80 + consumables 10% of labour £4.40 + transport £5.00 +supp £4.50 + uniform x2 @ £1.50 =£64.62 + 20% profit in this case but u can set whatever =£77.54 people do different ways my friend does 50% mark up on labour hope this helps. im looking for a cleaning fluid called expel if anybody knows were i can buy it in 25 ltr drums plz tell thanks

Posted by Cloverleaf (Cloverleaf), 27 September 2003

Hi Martin,
Take adeep breath, pricing isnt the issue here.
Its when the client walks in and says they are impressed.
I started last year as an axtention to my carpet cleaning.
Invested money in cleaning materials and equipment and hands on knowlege.We now do every rental clean for an indipendant estate agent, (£150 to £300 each time)
Now every time we do a clean our clients are over the moon.
Dont go cheap for your efforts.
I know that some verry influential and big money earners are in this business and it deserves rewards.
Contact me if you need more info john@cloverleafcc.co.uk

Posted by martin_606 (martin_606), 28 September 2003

Guys

Thanks so much for you help.

I have started and done my pricing and i haven't gone cheap. As my mentor (adopted!) has said 'pay cheap,pay twice'! My LA has already questioned my prices and I have told them what is involved and what is being charged around. It they want cheap & nasty then they are more than welcome, they knew my prices before they asked me to do it, plus cheap & nasty won't be pulling ' god knows what' out of the bath plughole, (it wasn't pleasant)

again thanks guys, this forum is helping us new guys immensley

regards

martin

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