[Philip Hanson]

This idea started on the other board, but I think it merited its own topic:

We often get people asking how to price houses, so here's a chance to help.  

Have a look at these houses, and tell us how much you would charge for them.  Also, let us know where in the UK you are.

 

House 1  .     .     .     .     .     .      .      .      House 2

   
House 3    .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .    .  House 4


House 5


          House 6                     House 7                 House 8

Lets assume there are no conservatories, the work is monthly, and access to all of the windows is possible.

At the end of it, I'll do a little average for each area of the UK, and we'll hopefully end up with a definitive price guide.

To get us started, I'll tell you how we would price them for BRISTOL

House 1 : £9.00
House 2 : £13.00
House 3 : £12.00
House 4 : £15.00
House 5 : £10.00
House 6 : £25.00
House 7 : £18.00
House 8 : £14.00

Philip

[Philip Hanson]

VGC (Plymouth) Writes:

We charge about half that
anymore and we would be told to get stuffed!!!

Whats the secret of getting at that price  

because if i went around at those prices i would get much work
ok i know the work i would have would be worth more but i still dont think it would be enogh to warrent a months woth>


house 5 is what i would agree with though
and maybe house 1
and 6, 7 , and 8

so i suppose im not that much different

[Philip Hanson]

FEZ (Yorkshire) Writes

Wow! Nice test!

Here we go (prices off the top of my head if there were no conservatories at the rear).

No 1  £8
No 2  £9
No 3  £9
No 4  £8.50
No 5  £9
No 6  £20 - 22
No 7  £20
No 8  £15

I may have priced too cheaply but I probably do anyway.

[sham33]

does that include the dorma windows?

[Philip Hanson]

If you'd normally be able to do them, yes.

House 5 has an awkward looking one, we'd probably miss that and not adjust the price.

[sham33]

Ok, prices not including dormas   would be..

1 £7

2 £12

3 £8

4 £8

5 £10

6 £20

7 £15

8 £13

I'll be trying to put my prices up this year but thats a honest price list for what i would charge now.

I live in the south east. (Kent)

[simonb]

If this was 'Another forum' there might be a prize in it LOL

[WavieDavie]

Simon,

Like most folk here, you use more than one board. Like most folk here, you use them to gain information and use other folk's experience. Like most folk here, you don't mind giving the benefit of your knowledge to others. That's what these boards are all about.

At present, I'm helping/giving something back to this board, but contribute to many. I don't care who runs them, I'm just glad the facilities are there.

I also used to be on a board which had nothing to do with window cleaning, but there was a split from it and the end result was two ruined boards.

This board is rather obviously sponsored by Express Cleaning Supplies - they maybe think they've done enough by setting up the boards - and I can't see other suppliers wishing to donate goods to be given away under the auspices of Express - would you?

I'm fully supportive of another forum, but talk of the "other" board/forum is divisive, I've seen good boards ruined by this sort of stuff and don't want it to happen to any boards I value.

Let's just nip it in the bud please.

All the best,

Davie
(not in moderator mode, just as a user)

[Rick]

you get £12 for cleaning that?! seems very expensive. though maybe there are more windows at the back *faint*

[Philip Hanson]

What would you charge for these houses Rick (and where is that)?

Remember there will be notable regional variations.  I'd be interested to know what a Londonner would charge for these too,  anyone?

Phil

[magpie]

I am only planning to start up in this business at present. Please forgive my ignorance but do you require special tools to reach the following windows:

House 2   Top windows
House 3   Top right window
House 5   Top left window

These look very difficult to reach?

Also what does Dorma mean?

Thanks

[Rick]

What would you charge for these houses Rick (and where is that)?

i dunno. i don't really do any house like that. mine are all 2 up-2 down terraced. i guess that would be around £4-5 in the machester/lancashire area. i mean, how long does it take you to clean that house, 10-15 mins? that would mean you could earn at least £48 an hour, £336 a day, £1680 a week. if you worked about 7 hours a day, 5 days a week!

[Jeff Brimble]

Rural N.Wales town pop.5000 dorms by wfp, assume 1 patio to rear.
1   7
2  8.8
3  7.5
4  9.5
5  10
6  21
7  15.5
8  14
   £93.3 total
   £11.66 Average  

[sham33]

Dorma windows are the window that extend from the roof. I never clean them.

[brownie]

my word,i cannot belive some of the prices that you lot quoted.
where am i going wrong? no wonder i drive round in a crappy car. Theres no way my custumers would pay that to have their windows cleaned up here in chorley.lancs
i was going to put my prices on ,but i dont think i will now cause im a bit embarrassed......underpaid and overworked obviously.

might start getting tougher and put prices up.i must stop being a soft touch.

cheesed off now,  brownie.

p.s.....sorry about the language.

[Philip Hanson]

Please, don't anyone be embarassed about whatever they charge.  This is a learning exercise, nobody is boasting.  We'll do a little tally up at the end, and perhaps any new work you get you can feel a bit more justified in pricing highly.

Remember, the cost of living is vastly different at one end of the country to another.  This affects the prices of everything.

Magpie

House 2   Top windows
House 3   Top right window
House 5   Top left window

These look very difficult to reach?

Maybe not as difficult as it would seem, House 2 and 3 could probably be reached easily enough with a ladder (Perhaps set up to land above the window, rather than on the sill)  House 5 I would probably not do.

how long does it take you to clean that house, 10-15 mins?

(house 3)

Probably more like 20-25 minutes > about £28 per hour.  Perhaps £12 is a bit much there, maybe £10 instead.

This is going really well, anyone not yet contributed?  What are you waiting for!

Philip

[Slatercleaners]

How would you access the 1st floor windows on house 2? Would you just steepen the angle?

There are a lot of houses with windows set back on the roof slope by about a metre or 2 up here. How do you get them? extension pole? eg far left window house 5.

I wouldn't bother with the last 3 as the wee windows would be too much of a pane!!
I reckon I would be half of all the prices that you quoted Phillip

[WINDYCLEANER]

great topic
I live in Humberside

1   £5
2   £8
3   £6
4   £6
5   £8

i wouldn't do the other house's way to high for me ...i don't like heights

[Philip Hanson]

How would you access the 1st floor windows on house 2? Would you just steepen the angle?

That one's not too bad, I'd probably set the ladders so that the top end leaned above the window and then lean across.  If the tiles were in good shape and not slippery, it might even be possible to step onto that little roof and grip the window sill, though it looks just too steep for that.

eg far left window house 5

 
I'd probably miss that one

i wouldn't do the other house's way to high for me ...i don't like heights

Hi Windycleaner, you'd definately need 3 section ladders for these, then they would be easy enough.  We have some that look exactly like House 7.  More and more houses have 3 storeys nowadays, as land gets scarce, building companies know its cheaper to build UPWARDS.

I wouldn't bother with the last 3 as the wee windows would be too much of a pane!!

Yes, I don't think these are actually Georgian.  Most new houses have uPVC criss-crossess inbetween the panes of glass (to give a georgian "effect") but as outside is just one sheet of glass, you can do the whole window in one go.  To me this looks like its that type.

[simonb]

There's a big difference in pricing any house wherever u are in the country example:
1.They ask you in the street
2. U have been reccomended
3. U canvass

If they ask u in the street a £10 house could be £11

If you get a recco u could charge £12

If u canvass u have to be competitive so a £10 house might be £8 or£9