[David Kent @ KentKleen]

I never said it couldnt be achieved, if you where to come up here and canvassed every AVERAGE size bungalow for a tenner YOU WOULD be out of business!!!!!
I think spruce has summed it up very nicely.
My original post was about 'OLDIES' killing the job.
I was highlighting that alot of long well established windies CAN cause the same problems as underpriced 'newbies'.
I AM still a newbie, this week is the first week of my second year back window cleaning after a long break from it. (wish i had never gone)
Looking on George my overall rounds average is £9.50 which for where i live is good enough for me!
If your prices are alot higher down south then thats good for you, with your higher cost of living.
I also have all my round within 2 miles of my home (with the exception of a handfull) so again I am not travelling miles from job to job.
Have a good day everyone   

[Londoner]

Don't think the southerners realize how grim it is up north at time, and doleies and scroungers still doing it at Margaret Thatcher prices, thats early 80's . in good parts of middlesbrough typical 3 bedroom semis done for £2.50, they do 20 a day and get £50 cash in hand and think they are millionares, the dole or familly tax credit keeps them going. One lad I know has 680 houses a month at £3 each, declares £96 a week and and gets £320 a week of tax credits and fiddles over  £1600 a month and takes home the equivalent of £800 a week.
and he wont get undercut at £3 a house.
Whats the solution ?


idealrob

Report him, I would. I hate people who are on the fiddle because in the end its ME who's paying their benefits. There seems to be a culture in some parts that this is acceptable behaviour, even a bit Robin Hood like but not to me. They are scum and should be shown up for what they really are.

[barry mallett]

am i an oldie im 45

[Londoner]

My mate John lived in a house about a mile from me. He was there for 14 years. When he went there the window cleaner charged £4, when he left (two years ago )the same window cleaner was still charging £4. Typical price today £14-15

[suds window service]

Hi Suds,

there are some real rundown Council Estates in Stockton, especially heading toward Norton.

Judging by the state of the place, I don't believe many would even bother with window cleaning.

So the only way one could get better pricing is to look to cleaning in better, more up market areas.

We have a fair bit of work in Skelton, and the problem we face is the perception among the public is that a 3 bed semi is £6 to £6.50 to clean. Cleaning in Guisborough is better priced, but the place is teaming with window cleaners.

Hourly rate is not always what you charge per house. I have been told of a window cleaner who only does the fronts of a couple of streets of town houses. 1 upstairs window, 1 downstairs window and door for £2.00. But he does most of the houses, ie about 40 and finishes them in a couple of hours. That's a magic hourly rate for up here. Not worth canvassing that area - one would pick up a couple but not worth the effort.

that's mostly a misconception Stockton has its share of larger council estates like any other town . however it has large sweeps of private suburban housing estates like hartburn and fairfield and others.
ingleby barwick on the out skirts is the largest new estate in Europe.
i find its a fantastic place to run a window cleaning business in fact 100k turnover on domestic cleaning is achievable no problem.

[window11]

Where i live its around £7.50 but houses are starting at £9.50.

Iv heard that some people clean for £4.00 a house. thats pathetic.

[David Kent @ KentKleen]

took me all day to clean the £2.50 bungalow today 

[oliver collins]

HI David

Good post

I do belive that pricing is in general more of our problem in our mind than the customers.

When i give a price i take a step back giving the impression that i dont need the work, i dont so i am in the postion to pick and choose the work i want.

Dont work hard work smart 

Regards Oliver Rise & Shine Cleaning

[richard jagger]

Pricing has a lot to do with self worth. Some guys just do not believe they are worth the fee they could charge. The fear to tell a customers about you price increase just proves this fact. Its a poor self image. I am been brash again but the facts need to be faced up to and lets not girl thingyfoot around it. "Fear will rob you of your worth"one needs balls to be in business.Many of us have no business we are just self employed.

[Johnny B]

Pricing has a lot to do with self worth. Some guys just do not believe they are worth the fee they could charge. The fear to tell a customers about you price increase just proves this fact. Its a poor self image. I am been brash again but the facts need to be faced up to and lets not girl thingyfoot around it. "Fear will rob you of your worth"one needs balls to be in business.Many of us have no business we are just self employed.

I agree with you completely here. I struggle with self-confidence, and as such, even after almost 14 years in the game, still find it very difficult to increase my prices for fear of losing good customers. This year I have resolved to increase my lowest priced work to what it should be. I do so with some trepidation nevertheless.

John. 

[geoffreyspecht]

God how many 'old' windies are way behind with there prices!!!!!
Bungalows £2.50
I charge £6.00
Whats going on lads, get your prices sorted your killing it for us newbies!!
; 

yu have got it wrong mate  iys the new window cleaners that r under pricing jobs

[mikecam]

Interesting post this. Grass up everyone  who is supspected being on the fiddle, get everyone to price similar. Then, when everyones on an equal footing, report the miserable cleaners to the attitude police !!! There'll be more ways to rid of competition i'm sure 

[Klean07]

I'm 52, but look and think like 42. I have houses that are £25 and ones that are £10. I even have a few that are over £50. But as I said earlier in the post my min charge is £6. If your over 65 and semi-retired then I would imagine charging a bit less is fine.

[windowswashed]

Get a mortgage on your own and you definitely won't be working for peanut prices or you'll go bust, simple

[Richard iSparkle]

Putting your prices up is brilliant.  you just need to be brave.

if you clean 100 houses at £10 each you make £1000.

put your price up by £1 a house you make £1100.

even if you lost 10% of your customers, you'd still bring in £990, but have 10% more time, and make more profit as you're doing less work and lower overheads.  in your spare time you can canvas for more clients at your new prices.

in reality, you wont loose anything like 10% of your clients.  you may loose a couple, but they are likely to be the customers who are a pain anyhow.  the ones who defer cleans, or are complainers.

also, once your customers are used to you raising prices you can do it every year.

just need to have the balls to do it... 

[richard jagger]

I feel all prices should not all be the same but the difference between the highest and the lowest is too vast. The problem with the window cleaning industry is the big difference in business knowledge and understanding. Every one wants there say and opinion which they are entitled too. But it’s not always correct. This forum could be a great tool to educate our industry if this could only been seen in this light. Due to mistrust and suspicion this forum will never reach its full potential
Some fellow on this forum share knowledge happily.
Some do share at all.
Some shear bad knowledge purposefully as the do not want to help anybody as the feel threatened by others.
The problem is knowing which is which.
 : :

[Window Washers]

I think the under pricing is an inbuilt protection system in the unsure window cleaner (also the contented one)

Dai's post was a great one.

Steve Cm please put up your prices as they are to cheap.

Matt B I thought £1 was per pane not window, opps

Used to live up north and some of the prices are wildly under priced, but that is the same as down south, there will always be cheap window cleaners everywhere, I guess we get to choose which type we want to be.