[Moderator David@stives]

I have just had a phone call from a customer who i clean windows for.

he wants me to clean and maintain the property between holiday change overs.

This work would involve a bit of shopping for the guests for their arrival doing laundry ie beds etc and general cleaning.

the trouble is i am that efficient at window cleaning and have got an excellent customer base and can now command At least £25.00 an hour.I dont think they would pay me this amount as general cleaning is usualy done a lot cheaper.

How would you aproach this and what hourly rate would you go for .  I am thinking this could be the start of a little side line even employing cleaners to do the actual work but i dont want all the effort and hassel for pittance.

Thanks

Dave

[CMS]

I presume that the changeover is on a Saturday. I would charge the £25.00 per hour for that.

Someone else on this forum has had some recent experience of this (can't remember who). Hopefully they'll be along soon.

[Art]

I'd go for £25 an hour, as going by what you've said he knows your reliable, so your half way there.

Get an idea of what he wants, then post some of the bits your not sure of and i'm sure some of us will be able to help.
 
Arthur.

[macc]

i would go for £25, if some one wants reliability they have to pay for it. after all, he didnt get where he is working for £5 hr. good luck. macc

[Moderator David@stives]

I have just been informed the changeover day is a friday.

He wants me to give him a price to handle the changeover based on 20 weeks a year.

I have to give a decision and price by tommorrow.

Thanks

Dave

[Art]

David,

Do you mean you have to buy the bedding wash iron, then buy new when needed?
 Assuming you do, i'd charge £350 per clean which would include cleaning the property, the bedding as above and  the wine, teabags etc. but that would be based on a contract stating 20 cleans per year.
You could also suggest a maintenance plan for cleaning the carpets, which would get you a bit more.

Regards Arthur

[Moderator David@stives]

yes i would have to provide the bedding.
also would have to deal with the towels

[Art]

The charge i suggested would cover that aswell.

I'd do a cleaning schedule detailing exactly what the clean will consist of.

Don't forget to try and get the work in the form of a contract.

If you pay 2 cleaners say £60 each to complete as per the schedule.

Nice profit 

[Moderator David@stives]

Just found out they want the gardens maintained as well........

They told me they are paying a lot of money at the moment

I think 4 hours cleaning ? never done it before
           3:::::::::::gardening
           2 hours ironing 
           2 hours laundry
           1 hour shopping
           1 hour emergencies ,call outs etc
   costs shopping £15.00
   bedding + towel purchase £400 for 2 sets of every thing

[Art]

I've sent you an email

[Paul Forster]

David,

 I would price the groundsmaintenace up at around £17 per hour. Employe paid £8.50 per hour. I think the garden would take around 4/5 hours per week depending on specification and size of grounds (from the picture grounds look smalish).



Paul

[CMS]

There is one fly in the ointment that I can think of.

I presume that you will have to see the new arrivals in and hand over keys etc.

What would happen if they arrived late? Would you be hanging around? Would you charge for that?

Being in Cornwall I feel that it's likely.

[Moderator David@stives]

So from what i gather at least one of you would charge £350 + gardening.
Would the client realisticly pay that amount. ?
Have you any experience with clients paying that amount ?.

There will be no key handover as there is a number safe with the key inside.
I would have to check on the guests the next day to see if they require anything.

Thanks

Dave

[Paul Forster]

I would have thought that the 350 plus mark would be fine. This has potential to be quite an onerouse job. The people paying the sort of price for a premium holiday sutch as this will be demanding. Even if the owner is paying 400 ish per change over they will still be making a good profit at the price quoted for the weeks holiday even after taking off the upkeep costs.

If i understand things corectly then the main isue is the reliability of the curent managment firm if this is so then the fact that you are trusted and proven reliable will go a great way even if you are slightly more expensive.

If i was taking this job on I would use staff for the cleaning and gardening but would cary out a personal inspection of the house and ground at the end of each change over and before the new change over. I would also probably do the next day greet myself for the 'personal touch'

[juliet jenkins]

 :)Hi, I clean holiday homes, my change over day is a Saturday, the guests have to be out at 10a.m and the next ones arrive at 2 p.m so I get 4 hours to cleanthe property ( 5 bedrooms of which 4 have en-suites, 1 bathroom, living room, dining room & kitchen) I also launder the linen. I get £10 per hour for the cleaning and £20 for laundering which is a set amount.  I also spring clean the place every so often for £60 ( windows, wash skirting, check for maintenance problems etc).

So: 4 hours @ £10 per hour to clean and change linen.
plus a set amount of £20 to wash, dry and iron linen.

As this is through a holiday home agency, the guests have to collect the keys from the office, so I don't have the problem of handing over keys, but if anything like towels, mattress protectors etc, have to be replaced, I pick them up while I'm out & about and give the receipts in and get the money re-imbursed when I get paid for the job. As for kitting the whole place with linen, I tell the owners and they sort that side of things out as I can't afford to put that sort of money up-front!

Can't help with the gardening side of things as it is done by some-one else!