[dazmond]

How old are you Viscount if you don't mind me asking ?
Its just you've been out of window cleaning 10 years. If you're starting from scratch again, how many working years do you see yourself having left unless you plan on employing ?
I'm 52 , been going 17 years . I'm still reasonably fit but I won't lie, I do feel the wear and tear of a manual job on my body and am certainly a bit slower than I was 10 years ago.
Through choice and circumstance I'll be working until I drop.
If, however, I had job security, sick and holiday pay plus a good pension such as teaching provides I'd give it serious consideration before jacking it in.

That's a good point 👉

However window cleaning is easier on the body these days with the equipment we can buy to make the job easier(electric reels,6mm hose and hi mod poles)

[Granny]

My missus jacked in teaching to come cleaning windows with me.
She's a million times happier despite the pension loss.
When you add up all the preparation and admin and marking hours the wages are not that great.
She would probably have been on a murder charge if she hadn't.
I've seen her up until midnight doing preparation only for the kids next day to tear it up in front of her and say to her face "I'm not doing that s**t".
She gave one detention and she was followed to her car at the end of the day by a group of pupils threatening her and to vandalise her car.
She got a Christmas card with the message inside "Don't f**k with me, or else" The 'pupil' even had the nerve to put his name in it.
When she took it to head of department they told her "You'll just have to get used to it".
Not allowed to say No, Can't  or Don't or Stop. Only allowed to praise good behaviour when there is very little or none.
The final straw was when she was asked to demonstrate a new teaching method for Ofsted she asked for a volunteer and when one offered she said "Ok you can be our guinea pig" an Asian pupil claimed she had called him a pig.
There was an investigation parents got involved and she was told she needed to go on a Diversity and Inclusion course'!
Don't blame you for wanting to clean windows.
Good Luck.

[tonyoliver]

My advice would be take the pension early 55 is the minimum age and join us if the job your doing is getting you and I mean really getting to you it’s better for your mental well being we all hate our jobs at times  but overall who can beat starting when you want finish when you want stop for a chat or scoot off for the day to the seaside or London for the day who’s going to report me?  It’s cold some days hot on others wear what you want
No tie or ties but that pension boy oh boy sounds good to me at sixty I have a shocking provision for the day I am too old to keep going maxwell stole it !!   Some days are rained off but on others you can make 200 before breakfast other days 200 all day  it’s a job you know but it has changed dramatically since you last worked  a van is the minimum and a decent reliable system is next nothing fancy but a min spend if about 3 to 5 k would be about it for a decent van then picking up jobs will take time  I am glad i am not starting from scratch even knowing what I know now  good luck  read all the posts on here before you decide  and do what’s best for you money ain’t everything

[Stoots]

Probably not much changed other than lighter and better kit.

Lot more competition but then again lot easier to get work via the Internet.

[KS Cleaning]

My wife is Depute Headteacher in a primary  school, yes she gets a decent salary but when you divide that against the hours worked it isn’t that great. Of course the job does come with other benefits, decent holiday entitlement, pension, holiday pay, sick pay etc.
 I’m actually part time window cleaner, part time house husband😄I almost always cook the early evening meal as my wife often isn’t home from work until 6.

[֍Winp®oClean֍]

You couldn't pay me enough to be a teacher or a copper these days! I'd probably end up banged up myself!😬

[DJW]

My advice would be take the pension early 55 is the minimum age and join us if the job your doing is getting you and I mean really getting to you it’s better for your mental well being we all hate our jobs at times  but overall who can beat starting when you want finish when you want stop for a chat or scoot off for the day to the seaside or London for the day who’s going to report me?  It’s cold some days hot on others wear what you want
No tie or ties but that pension boy oh boy sounds good to me at sixty I have a shocking provision for the day I am too old to keep going maxwell stole it !!   Some days are rained off but on others you can make 200 before breakfast other days 200 all day  it’s a job you know but it has changed dramatically since you last worked  a van is the minimum and a decent reliable system is next nothing fancy but a min spend if about 3 to 5 k would be about it for a decent van then picking up jobs will take time  I am glad i am not starting from scratch even knowing what I know now  good luck  read all the posts on here before you decide  and do what’s best for you money ain’t everything

Purnells?

[Viscount]

Thanks for all the comments. Given me lots to think about. I guess it's the stress and the bullpoop.

Someone asked how old I am. Almost 43 in pretty good shape. Always made sure I exercise and eat properly. The poles are so light nowadays. I remember using ionics fibre glass poles back in the day and being knackered at the end of the day. Time carbon ones became cheap enough, the job was a breeze.

[AuRavelling79]

Thanks for all the comments. Given me lots to think about. I guess it's the stress and the bullpoop.

Someone asked how old I am. Almost 43 in pretty good shape. Always made sure I exercise and eat properly. The poles are so light nowadays. I remember using ionics fibre glass poles back in the day and being knackered at the end of the day. Time carbon ones became cheap enough, the job was a breeze.

I'm over 60 and still on the glass - I typically do 4 x 7 hour days including about an hours driving and twenty minutes for lunch. I steer clear of gutters and all but the simplest of conny roofs.

Keep the pension as long as you can before dipping in unless you have to. I have a small private pension pot (untouched) and some modest rental income - if there is one thing I wish I had done better it is having a decent pension. If you have ten years of teaching then that will be waiting for you at the right time.

If you can part time teach as you build up good work you will do well. Also at your age you might think about employing/franchising if you want to take your business that way in say five years time.

Good luck!

[Spruce]

All good points. It's not just the money to be fair. I know teachers whinge, but it's emotionally draining and I don't know how much more I can take. And you can't actually do much with your holidays... You're not paid enough. I keep myself entertained, but you're just off work, not really on holiday. And yes, I work a huge amount of hours. Then you turn up and the same mentally unstable kid needs restraining again (yes, it is like that) and all you want to do is quit.

Anyhow, thanks for the advice. I need to balance everything and think about how long it will take to build a business again.

I know how stressful it can be...I went out with a high school teacher for 5 years...she was constantly working even in the so called holidays,red tape and constant new curriculums plus you couldn't physically hit the kids with the cane,etc....

You have my respect mate,they reckon teaching is one of the most stressful jobs you can do....

Ironically window cleaning is probably one of the least stressful and well paid(for hours worked)

Good luck

That's an interesting take on teaching .....

Darran

In my school days, the cane was another way of opening most kids ears - I speak from personal experience, Darran. 
 
All teachers could use the cane on boys and the ruler on girls in Africa. It was only in later high school years that the school's Headmaster was the one entrusted to cane us lads. He was the one to decide how many strokes you got. Friday afternoon detention was dished out more and more. One lad in our class was booked into detention for the remaining 4 years of his high school attendance. (High school was 5 years in Northern Rhodesia back then.) He was a rather naughty boy.  Back in our day our parents generally supported the school discipline procedure. We didn't dare tell our parents we got "dorks" (the cane) or we would get another hiding from them as well. 

We have a few teachers on the round. They are all finding the job very stressful. Pressure comes from all directions - unruly children, unruly parents and Ofsted.

My advice to Viscount would be to start using the longer daylight hours to start to build a small round while still being a teacher. This is going to take commitment from not only yourself but your family as well and be very exhausting.

I would also be doing some soul-searching and asking myself why I left off window cleaning to become a teacher in the first place. When we look back over our past, we often only remember the good times. Was it having to work outside in all weathers? My wife works in an office, and in winter I frequently wish I could also work all day in a warm environment.

Building a successful round isn't as easy as it was 15 years ago. There is a lot more competition and customer's perception of what window cleaning should cost has changed much in 10 years - or at least that's my experience in our area in the North East.

[markymark]

From next April the pension changes drastically - and I can't see it being an improvement on what it is already. It becomes the public services pension scheme. My wife and a lot of my friends will be affected, and those of a certain age (just about all of them!) are busy making plans to go as soon as possible in case they end up in a pension trap. Where the promise of a decent pension is used to excuse relatively low wages and poor conditions, and then the pension is altered, it doesn't make sense to spend your 50s and 60s hating work when it takes up so much of your waking hours and can damage your health.
I don't envy your position having to make what could be a massive decision, but at least you have previous experience on the glass and know what the game is about. Could you fit tutoring in outside of the normal cleaning hours, just to make the transition easier whilst building the round?

[NWH]

There’s more to life than sticking at the same job waiting for a pittance of a pension 15 years down the line,happiness is the key I know the  average age people get their pension is 65 but you ain’t guaranteed to get there and when you do the chances are you won’t want to be going half way round the world anymore,I hear it all the time if you could manage window cleaning 2 days a week you’d get more from that than you would from a huge pension I know I would or certainly more than a school teachers one.

[Viscount]

Hey Spruce, I've done the soul searching. My family are all very middle class (as am I, I suppose) and always looked down on me and made snide comments. I let it get to me. Basically I became stressed and skint (especially to start with) to please my parents.

No it doesn't make sense. Now I couldn't give a poo what they think about it. I'm the one who has to do it.

[dazmond]

There’s more to life than sticking at the same job waiting for a pittance of a pension 15 years down the line,happiness is the key I know the  average age people get their pension is 65 but you ain’t guaranteed to get there and when you do the chances are you won’t want to be going half way round the world anymore,I hear it all the time if you could manage window cleaning 2 days a week you’d get more from that than you would from a huge pension I know I would or certainly more than a school teachers one.

I could easily live on £600-£700 for 2 days work a week in my 60s/70s....how much would i have to put away every month for decades to get anywhere near that as a pension?(£2400-£2800 per month)after expenses and a few months off a year I'd still be left with around £20k-22k with no mortgage

[dazmond]

Hey Spruce, I've done the soul searching. My family are all very middle class (as am I, I suppose) and always looked down on me and made snide comments. I let it get to me. Basically I became stressed and skint (especially to start with) to please my parents.

No it doesn't make sense. Now I couldn't give a poo what they think about it. I'm the one who has to do it.

The great thing about getting older is you  care less what other people think.....do what you think is right for you.....

Best wishes mate

[deeege]

There’s more to life than sticking at the same job waiting for a pittance of a pension 15 years down the line,happiness is the key I know the  average age people get their pension is 65 but you ain’t guaranteed to get there and when you do the chances are you won’t want to be going half way round the world anymore,I hear it all the time if you could manage window cleaning 2 days a week you’d get more from that than you would from a huge pension I know I would or certainly more than a school teachers one.

I could easily live on £600-£700 for 2 days work a week in my 60s/70s....how much would i have to put away every month for decades to get anywhere near that as a pension?(£2400-£2800 per month)after expenses and a few months off a year I'd still be left with around £20k-22k with no mortgage

Have a play around with a compound interest calculator and see what putting away £200 / £500 / £1000 a month will be worth in 20 years time Daz. Even investing it and averaging a modest 6% a year I’m sure you’ll be surprised at what you could  end up with.

You can also decide to still work a day or two a week even if you have a pension/investments aswell, it’s not either or.

https://www.thecalculatorsite.com/finance/calculators/compoundinterestcalculator.php

[Stoots]

I don't have a pension and don't really see the point in socking a load of money away I'll probably croak it before I get to spend it anyway.

I just figure I'll find a way to make money when I get there. Stick a lad in a van on your round and hey presto passive income 

[NWH]

Put away a 1000 a month for 20 years lol yeah you’d be surprised you still wouldn’t end up with as much as you think from what I hear from people that have done just this,you need a huge pension pot far more than a couple of hundred 1000.
The thought of doing the things I’d like to do now when I’m 65-70 makes me go cold I’m afraid,speak to a pensions advisor that you may know that will give you an honest opinion,it’s a gamble they rely on people dying before they will start getting paid and that’s a fact just like all those big casinos in Vegas don’t get built on winners.

[deeege]

Put away a 1000 a month for 20 years lol yeah you’d be surprised you still wouldn’t end up with as much as you think from what I hear from people that have done just this,you need a huge pension pot far more than a couple of hundred 1000.
The thought of doing the things I’d like to do now when I’m 65-70 makes me go cold I’m afraid,speak to a pensions advisor that you may know that will give you an honest opinion,it’s a gamble they rely on people dying before they will start getting paid and that’s a fact just like all those big casinos in Vegas don’t get built on winners.

Ok mate

[AuRavelling79]

Put away a 1000 a month for 20 years lol yeah you’d be surprised you still wouldn’t end up with as much as you think from what I hear from people that have done just this,you need a huge pension pot far more than a couple of hundred 1000.
The thought of doing the things I’d like to do now when I’m 65-70 makes me go cold I’m afraid,speak to a pensions advisor that you may know that will give you an honest opinion,it’s a gamble they rely on people dying before they will start getting paid and that’s a fact just like all those big casinos in Vegas don’t get built on winners.

If you put away that much Nigel you have £240,000. Without interest/inflation that itself will pay you £1,000 a month for 20 years. Plus state pension. Always worth saving for the future whether you call it a pension or not.