[Paul Coleman]

I think the extra you earn with wfp only goes to cancel out the extra expenses
Van
Extra fuel
WFP system
On going maintainance IE resin ,new brushes etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc  it never ends.

The only benefit i get is safety and that is all that interests me apart from the monotomy of ladders all day long ,it is such a pleasure just for me to wave by big pole about and squirt everything.

Ah wheres the skill gone.

Well i aint complaining

Dave

Very honest post Dave.
Pretty much sums up my thoughts on it, but I'm not allowed to suggest that.... :
It is mainly a safety thing.

Refreshing around here with all the wfp boasting.

Squeaky.  I don't think anyone has ever denied the higher expenses associated with WFP.  So far, my experience has been very much as David suggests inasmuch that the any increase in turnover is offset (more so in my case) by higher outgoings.  It's only now that those big outlays have been made and I've had a few months practice that I can see some daylight to a higher profit margin. It's getting to that point that is the difficult bit.  I thought about throwing WFP in several times but I'm so glad I've persevered with it.

[dougster]

This thread was aimed at finding out how much you charge for a single domestic job , not a days rate or a weeks rate

[Ian_Giles]

If you are a relatively slow trad window cleaner then you should expect to boost your speed up considerably.
For instance; If you are taking over 30 minutes for a standard, all UPVC semi you can reasonably expect to double your speed easily.
If you are knocking out a semi in about 15 minutes trad then you should be able to do the same with WFP in about 10 minutes.
If you are one of the rare few that can do a semi with about 12 windows in 10 minutes then you will in all probability be very quick with WFP and will soon do the same property in 8 minutes or so.

today I did a health centre in a local village called Caldicot, I think it was called 'Grays Hill medical centre' (just in case any local guys read this and know the place)

70 windows, all sadolin painted, mostly 3 panes ber window, approx 25 upstairs windows.
First time clean (though they are cleaned regularly by a guy called George (he's on holiday and I'm caretaking a few of his accounts)
Bushes all over the place, it was peeing down with rain and I still completed it in 60 minutes. (plus 3 minutes sat in van during an absolute deluge )
Not that I'll be doing it next month as George is back at the end of the week, but if I did then I would be about 10 minutes faster again.
Were I doing it regularly for about 6 months I would be faster still.

On work of this size you are going to be way quicker than trad, but it is vital you keep your prices up, if you allow them to fall because you are so much quicker then you will be no better off.
Thew problem is as David has said, the running costs are significantly higher than trad.
You may not notice it straight away, from day to day the only thing that will stand out in your mind is that you are faster than before.
Then as time passes you find you are having to replace your poles, your battery, your battery charger, your filters, your membranes, your pump, your hoses  your brushes.
Or you will find you are upgrading regularly, adding this to your system, adding that.
If yo uwant your income to increase then you have to price work correctly.
You will be quicker, but that alone isn't enough, you should be able to squeeze another 40% of work into your round, but you MUST keep in mind that your overheads have also risen steeply by comparison to your trad days.

Dougster,

All topics morph and change slightly as they grow! It's just the nature of things


Ian

[Morph]

I'm sorry Ian, can you say all that again?
I didn't understand a word

[macc]

Squeaky.  I don't think anyone has ever denied the higher expenses associated with WFP.  So far, my experience has been very much as David suggests inasmuch that the any increase in turnover is offset (more so in my case) by higher outgoings.  It's only now that those big outlays have been made and I've had a few months practice that I can see some daylight to a higher profit margin. It's getting to that point that is the difficult bit.  I thought about throwing WFP in several times but I'm so glad I've persevered with it.

Also, what about all them days lost cause of the weather. I would have been lucky to to have done one day this week if i was still trad, im up to date all the time with wfp. What it costs more than pays for itself.

macc

[geoffreyspecht]

cleaned windows for 25 years trad never lost a days work through the weather so u r talking a load of rubbish macc,moving over to wfed now though

[Archy136]

Where have you been living for the last 25 years... Saudi Arabia?

[macc]

cleaned windows for 25 years trad never lost a days work through the weather so u r talking a load of rubbish macc,moving over to wfed now though

Where do you live Jeff, im moving, i live in Sussex & on Wednesday after only 6 houses i called it a day cause of the wind, so if ur trad you must lose days.  . Theres the odd day with wfp i think no way.  :

macc

[Morph]

Where have you been living for the last 25 years... Saudi Arabia?

 

[Johnboyfree]

cleaned windows for 25 years trad never lost a days work through the weather so u r talking a load of rubbish macc,moving over to wfed now though

Where do you live Jeff, im moving, i live in Sussex & on Wednesday after only 6 houses i called it a day cause of the wind, so if ur trad you must lose days. . Theres the odd day with wfp i think no way. :

macc

I take it this was with a pole,I did 1 house and a bungalow trad in 3 hrs and gave up,after watching 3 men take over 45 mins.to put in 1 6ft fence panel,they gave up as well,as they said they dont mind the rain but couldnt compete with the wind,and as me there self employed on price work,according to them I earnt more than all three put together,at last I thought...there is someone who earns less than me even the guy who asked me if I wanted fries with my coffee earnt more in 3 hrs than all 4 of us put together ,but hopefully these days are few and far between

[LSB]

i have some larger houses @ £40 to £50  and some offices in the hundreds but by and large i find i can earn more by doing more normal size houses next door to each other etc  all cleaned by traditional means ( except 2 offices which actually do pay quite well ! )

[Clear Vision]

I'm a undercover tax investigator!

I will be knocking at some of your doors!!!!!!!

My wife works for trading standards.  Expect a visit from her too!!!!!!!!

No one should pay £100 for an hours work cleaning windows.

[carlm]

Own house -15 mins - paid in kind
[/i could do with a couple of them  ;Dquote]

[Paul Coleman]

I'm a undercover tax investigator!

I will be knocking at some of your doors!!!!!!!

My wife works for trading standards.  Expect a visit from her too!!!!!!!!

No one should pay £100 for an hours work cleaning windows.

Yes I know.  It is pretty lousy money isn't it?  How about £200 then?

[jeff1]

Like my old mum used to say to me whenever I asked her a price, I always had the same answer. 2d  3 farthings and a big apple.  (only the older guy's will understand this one)

[Clear Vision]

Look everyone!!!!

I'm not saying you are lying but some of these prices are very hard to believe?

There must be some very stupid & gulable people out there or you are all out & right con men 

You should be ashamed of charging that kind of prices.

Most if not everyone would be happy with a 1/4 of that prices.

Come ashore boy & girls!!!

[trevor perry]

spot on if someone charged me these rates they would get there wfp pole shoved where the sun doesnt shine and therfore i wouldnt charge these rates to others

[JohnL]

  .  .  .  If you are knocking out a semi in about 15 minutes trad   .  .  .

how can you knock out a semi in 15 mins ?

anyone doing that cannot be doing a good job, it may be adequate but not good!

JohnL

[Paul Coleman]

Look everyone!!!!

I'm not saying you are lying but some of these prices are very hard to believe?

There must be some very stupid & gulable people out there or you are all out & right con men 

You should be ashamed of charging that kind of prices.

Most if not everyone would be happy with a 1/4 of that prices.

Come ashore boy & girls!!!

Well I was jesting about the £200 an hour  .
I can't speak for the others though.

[twt]

a semi in 15 minutes is posible to do to a high standard with frames and cill done, this is posible trad or wfp