[Tim Rose]

Well what about being told that if it was £20 they would have them done?!!!!

2 hour job = £20 - I don't think so.

[Grafters Cleaning Services]

tell them to get a ladder and do it themselves, either that or tell them to invest in a gutter vac ££££

[Londoner]

Not this weather. I wouldn't do it for any money.
Changing the subject a bit but still very much on the subject of hourly rates, I was doing an inside clean on a lady's house this week pre Christmas. The windows are cleaned regularly by Molly Maids but she said this time she wanted them done "properly".

In the course of the discussion I found she had Molly Maids in on a regular basis but she said all they do is run the hoover around and do a bit of dusting. They do give the windows a clean inside if she asks but its a spray and wipe portholes job.
When I asked what they charged she said it was £60+ for an hour and a half. I asked her do they move the funiture etc she said  not really.

Now I don't think thats bad money for a bit of housework and a lot easier than cleaning gutters and windows in the cold. Maybe we should be branching out a bit.

[steve m]

thats from the main office and cleaned by franchisees, I'm not sure but I think the head office does the billing and sends the payments down the line

[windowwashers]

Well what about being told that if it was £20 they would have them done?!!!!

2 hour job = £20 - I don't think so.

if they said that to me I would reply looks like they are not getting emptied then. But you can rent a ladder from me to do it yourself 

[Londoner]

thats from the main office and cleaned by franchisees, I'm not sure but I think the head office does the billing and sends the payments down the line

Yes I think your right, there are a few middle men taking their cut but we could eliminate the extra layers and still do well. Many of us on here are looking for ways to branch out or expand into other areas of work similar to what we do at the moment but not so dependant on the weather etc

[johnny_h]

i quoted for a job and the husband went nuts at my price and said he would do them himself .....4 months on still not done and she asks me every month to do them

[windowwashers]

£60 for cleaning 

I have asked a few cleaners in Cambridge what they get per hour and they get from min wage to £10.

now I dont mind cleaning windows and gutters ect, but cleaning someones toilet for me is a no no.

[Tim Rose]

What I can't understand is why they are happy to pay £17.50 to have thier windows cleaned every month, but they won't pay £50 to have the gutters done once. Actually I think the woman is ok with it, but the husband is living in the dark ages.

[windowwashers]

What I can't understand is why they are happy to pay £17.50 to have thier windows cleaned every month, but they won't pay £50 to have the gutters done once. Actually I think the woman is ok with it, but the husband is living in the dark ages.

£50 is a fair amount to pay,

[Sir Squeaky]

I've cleared out gutters for £20 before, but then I've never had it take more than 30-40 minutes.

Thank god I can't do the horrible job any more.

[mark dew]

I've cleared out gutters for £20 before, but then I've never had it take more than 30-40 minutes.
Thank god I can't do the horrible job any more.

 
yep it's a job i avoid as well. People happpy to pay a tenner for 10 minutes of cleaning windows but expect to pay the same for an hour of cleaning gutters.

[chrismroberts]

Tis a HORRIBLE job Everytime I do it I promise myself next time I'll either say "no, I dont clean out gutters, I just wash them" or hike the price up massively! I would say to clean out gutters, £50 should be a minimum charge!

[Tim Rose]

I did one the other day where one side of the house (bungalow) was about two feet from the next bungalow (silly extension), the gap was filled with builders rubble just been dumped, old wire fence, pieces of wood etc... the gutter was so full of crap I had to take it apart and take it down and then put it back up. That alone took 3/4 hour, before even looking at the rest of the house.  I charged £65 for that one, it took best part of three hours so really it should have been more like £80, minimum.

[Count Phil]

I decided I hate it. Charge loads.

Sometimes you win though, you get up and the're empty. Then all you do is stay up there pretending to fill a black sack. Those ones make it worth the while!

[xxmattyxx]

For a gutter to be priced in at £50.00 IMO it has to be a very basic setup, just a single run of guttering on two sides of the property, nothing else, and that'd be just to clean it out, not clean it off.

IMO gutter jobs need to be good earners, its a dirty, dangerous job, thers no way Id do it for the same rate as windows.

I had one custy want me to do a dangerous gutter clean for him, I explained the dangers of the unsafe ladder angle and position therefore it wasnt safe to do, his response was 'well you're flyers say you clean gutters, so you either clean gutters or you dont' I suggested (and it was honestly meant to be a constructive suggestion) that he could get a ladder and do it himself. Not a happy bunny, wasnt required to do his windows anymore after that. I think his gutters remain dirty 3 years after that conversation.

[Tim Rose]

How is anyone meant to clean out a gutter that has a gap of one inch between the gutter edge and the tiles?  You won't do it with your fingers or a trowell.

[Helen]

Not this weather. I wouldn't do it for any money.
Changing the subject a bit but still very much on the subject of hourly rates, I was doing an inside clean on a lady's house this week pre Christmas. The windows are cleaned regularly by Molly Maids but she said this time she wanted them done "properly".

In the course of the discussion I found she had Molly Maids in on a regular basis but she said all they do is run the hoover around and do a bit of dusting. They do give the windows a clean inside if she asks but its a spray and wipe portholes job.
When I asked what they charged she said it was £60+ for an hour and a half. I asked her do they move the funiture etc she said  not really.

Now I don't think thats bad money for a bit of housework and a lot easier than cleaning gutters and windows in the cold. Maybe we should be branching out a bit.

It appears to be good money, but again it really is down to the customer expectations and service offered. We have been plagued with calls for domestic cleaning on a regular basis and we say no to every one. We do end of tenancy and move in cleans which you can charge more for as they are one offs. Regular dom cleaning leaves it wide open to abuse by the customer of not bothering in between cleaning times and complaints of a little bit of dust left here and there. Personally this one paying £60 for 1.5 hours doesn't sound too bothered at the standard, so must have £££ to waste. If I were to hire a cleaner I certainly wouldn't pay £40 per hour for just vacuuming and dusting. The going rate round here, dependant on business or just someone doing it for themselves ranges from £10 per hour to £16.00 per hour. By the way "furniture" moving is a no no, due to health and safety!!!!!!!!!!

[elite mike]

Well what about being told that if it was £20 they would have them done?!!!!

2 hour job = £20 - I don't think so.

if they said that to me I would reply looks like they are not getting emptied then. But you can rent a ladder from me to do it yourself 

i think that if you rent or lend a ladder out to anyone ,
if they have an accident you can be liable? not quite sure on that one regards
mike

[Mike_G]

No