[afssm123]

Just starting out, I had already decided WFP was the way to go for me - but as I am still getting my gear together I thought this weekend I would clean 3 of my neighbours houses the traditional way. They are average sized 4 bed detached houses and one had a conservatory

My reason for this is that I wanted to do the insides of the houses as well and the conservatory and wanted to see how long it took so when I go quoting I would a good idea of what to price.

Well all I can say is - you trad boys must be very fit - It took me almost 7 hours to do the houses inside and out and I was absolutely knackered! - the weather didn't help either - it was roasting!

I read on here that WFP can be quite hard work, but surely it cant be as hard as traditional.

[Blue Frog Systems]

If your just starting out, your not going to be up to speed straight away. Internals always take longer too I find.

[dazmond]

a 4 bedroom house would take me about half an hour even with a conservatory trad or wfp outside only.

if i was cleaning insides as well an hour for that tops so 90 mins altogether.

also i would charge £15(£20 if a large conny on the back)for outside and £30-£40 for the insides as they always take longer.

i avoid inside work unless i charge double the outsides.most refuse which is fine by me as i dont particularly like doing them!

7 hours?!!!that really is a ridiculous amount of time for cleaning inside and out even for a newbie.

how did you clean the insides by the way?mop/squeegee and spray bottle?or just wet scrim/dry scrim?

[dazmond]

sorry mate a didnt realise you said you d cleaned 3 HOUSES IN 7 HOURS!!only 2 and a half hours behind me if you cleaned both insides and outs!!

best wishes(and youll get faster!!)

regards

dazmond

[Steven Shoreditch]

 

[david watts]

just trip over a gnome

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

Just starting out, I had already decided WFP was the way to go for me - but as I am still getting my gear together I thought this weekend I would clean 3 of my neighbours houses the traditional way. They are average sized 4 bed detached houses and one had a conservatory

My reason for this is that I wanted to do the insides of the houses as well and the conservatory and wanted to see how long it took so when I go quoting I would a good idea of what to price.

Well all I can say is - you trad boys must be very fit - It took me almost 7 hours to do the houses inside and out and I was absolutely knackered! - the weather didn't help either - it was roasting!

I read on here that WFP can be quite hard work, but surely it cant be as hard as traditional.

If it takes you 3 hours to do those 3 houses that isn't a problem as long as the price is right. For example if the houses are £15.00 outside prices plus double for the inside then thats £45.00 per house £135 for you 7 hours not bad!

however if you charge £5 pre house and £10 for inside then £45 for 7 hours doesn't fit well.

My advice is to work at a regular speed and charge accordingly rather than fix a price and rush to make a good rate.

[afssm123]

Thanks for the comments - I charged my neighbours half price as I explained it was a new venture and I needed to get some practise in.

As they were 4 bed houses I charged £10 (normally £20) and the one with the conservatory i charged £15 (normally £30) - that included the roof.

I also did the insides which I charged "normal prices for" -  £10 and again £15 for the house with the conservatory - so made £50 when it should be £100

My conclusions are this - but please tell me if I am wrong ....

Firstly, I will be cleaning in future WFP - two reasons 1. I think it will be quicker and 2. I am not to keen on running up and down ladders!

secondly - I think the charge for cleaning the outside only at £20 is a bit high - thats my neighbours feedback - they feel a charge of £14 is more realistic and more in tone with other window cleaners

thirdly - I think my charge for cleaning inside should be higher - perhaps £15 for the insides as this was obviously done traditional way.

lastly - the conservatory - now this was minging and had not been cleaned ever according to my neighbour - this was about 12 x 8ft size. To clean just the glass I am thinking of charging an additional £10 - but for the roof I feel I could justify £40 each time its cleaned

Hopefully with a proper WFP system and a bit more experience I think I could clean a house inside and out in about an hour - Am I being realistic on my thoughts?

[Sunshine/Cleaning]

Thanks for the comments - I charged my neighbours half price as I explained it was a new venture and I needed to get some practise in.

As they were 4 bed houses I charged £10 (normally £20) and the one with the conservatory i charged £15 (normally £30) - that included the roof.

I also did the insides which I charged "normal prices for" -  £10 and again £15 for the house with the conservatory - so made £50 when it should be £100

My conclusions are this - but please tell me if I am wrong ....

Firstly, I will be cleaning in future WFP - two reasons 1. I think it will be quicker and 2. I am not to keen on running up and down ladders!
True but it is good to know how to clean trad, if a place is really bad then a hand scrub may be needed

secondly - I think the charge for cleaning the outside only at £20 is a bit high - thats my neighbours feedback - they feel a charge of £14 is more realistic and more in tone with other window cleaners
I think £1.20 a litre for fuel is a bit high but I pay it as that is what the petrol station charges. Customers will always think the price is a bit high! Do a spot on job and charge as high as you can get, even if this means doing them every at longer intervals

thirdly - I think my charge for cleaning inside should be higher - perhaps £15 for the insides as this was obviously done traditional way.
£20 outside and at least 1.5x for insides that would have earnt you £50 for that property.
lastly - the conservatory - now this was minging and had not been cleaned ever according to my neighbour - this was about 12 x 8ft size. To clean just the glass I am thinking of charging an additional £10 - but for the roof I feel I could justify £40 each time its cleaned
Sounds ok the roof if as bad as you say could be charged at a higher rate.

Hopefully with a proper WFP system and a bit more experience I think I could clean a house inside and out in about an hour - Am I being realistic on my thoughts?
Depends on the size, some work fast and charge low some work slow and charge high. All houses will be different. WFP costs a lot more to run as you cant simply do it out of an existing car too well

[Richard Neal]

Ive been cleaning about 5 years trad and have just started using a wfp trolley as well and wfp is not any easier i my opinion! if your doing small windows (georgian style) then yes saves loads of time and is a lot safer but my arms are knackered more with a pole and getting the hose sorted than carrying ladders around! the con roof you cleaned i would have charged at least 40-£50 just because theyre a pain and customers expect to pay more. The insides i always charge more and will only do them if the customer has moved everything off of the window sills, and if theyre new customers make sure they come round with you one of my mates did an inside and the woman accused him of stealing some money he phoned the police himself and when they arrived she admitted she was lying.
Richard

[dazmond]

SSWC wfp is defo NOT harder than trad IMO!

ive been trad for 16 years and even though ive done a full month of 1st cleans wfp i noticed i could work longer and harder without being as tired as i wasnt running up and down ladders 100+ times a day.

im not saying window cleaning is not hard work if you want to make it pay but i dont think wfp is harder work!

[Steven Shoreditch]

 

[Dave Willis]

Sometimes I need both hands to lift my wallet up!

[james44]

they feel a charge of £14 is more realistic and more in tone with other window cleaners

Could it be that the others only charge £14 because they only clean the glass and miss out the frames, this was common on a lot of trad cleaners, and i have noticed it is Happening with wfp as well some are doing glass and frames on the first clean then are just doing the glass, if that is the case and you are doing frames as well charge your £20

[afssm123]

To be honest I dont know the answer to that - as i will be cleaning WFP I had always had it in my mind to do the frames as well.

Its one of the reasons I decided to get into this business - I had a window cleaner (a lovely guy) who cleaned the trad way - after a few months I began to notice I had nice clean glass but my UPVC frames were very dirty.

On one of his visits I asked him if he could wipe the frames for me and let me know if there was an extra charge - he point blank refused to clean the frames even for an extra payment! - this was the last straw for me and I told him I would seek another window cleaner - I say this was the last straw because on previous occasions I had asked for a price for my fascia and soffits to be cleaned and my gutters which were supposed to be white but were not!

He just was not interested!

Perhaps I was one of his accounts he wanted to lose!

[bobby p]

like most things in life,its hard at first till you get your savvy. i found after the first 3 or 4 months ladderwork i was smiling and i would only want to do the job with ladders . some prefer using the w/f/p and some the ladders .

[dazmond]

believe me bobby after 16 years on the ladders climbing them 100+times a day im glad im wfp mainly now!


regards

dazmond

[bobby p]

believe me bobby after 16 years on the ladders climbing them 100+times a day im glad im wfp mainly now!


regards

dazmond

yes at 16 years u have defo done your apprenticeship dazmond

[tws]

you dont see many fat window cleaners using ladders they are all using wfp 

[gary999]

wfp is definately easier on the body not that is
always a good thing ive put on 2stone in the last
21/2 years.

maintaining equipment with trad is generally easier
and unless your prepared wfp in winter can be a right
pain in the backside..keeping yourt ank from freezing up,
hose freezing when working etc.

now doubt as the year wears on you will get the usual
doom and gloom merchants who will be posting about
our amazingly bad winters : but reading between these
posts you will get some good advice about types of heaters
taking backpacks inside etc.

equipment wise their is a steep learning curve when it comes
to your equipment dont get ripped off by overpriced systems
and people selling so called bespoke trolley systems

in the short term when you use it you may think what a
pain in the arse it is but inthe long term its well worth the effort