finally......112 apartment units

[Bigreds]

Lately I have been calling everyone and their mothers, stopping in everywhere, doing anything and everything to generate business. I recentely began to even second guess staying in this business due to lack of business. I never thought it would be this hard starting out. And just when I start to think about giving it up to work full time elsewhere. I get a call from a good friends mother who wants me to clean 112 apartment units and stairs and halls. Wow, what a relief! These apartments are two story, Vinyl and brick. Pressure treated wood stair cases. 8 units to each building. So I figure thats 14 buildings. She wants me to stop in monday and discuss it more thoroughly and go over a price. although, it seems she wants me to be the one to do them. I don't want to over charge and lose her for any future jobs (she has many more buildings). If anyone has any suggestions Please let me know. I want this business to work out, and I have ate, drank, and slept it since I started. I do not want to go through as hard as times as I have been. Hopefully this is the turn around......

------------------

 

[Mike Hughes]

I hope so too.

Dont give her an estimate the day you measure it. Take a look at the place, take the measurements, take lots of notes, maybe even a couple of pictures, then sit down somewhere quiet and think about it. Don't rush to give her a price.

Perhaps after you know more about it, some of us on the board can offer more suggestions price-wise.

These type of jobs are always the hardest to bid on, because you don't know if you should discount, etc.
Make sure you don't do it for too cheap, otherwise you are going to be stuck working for this lady for cheap for a long time to come......

Good luck with it and keep in touch.



------------------
Mike Hughes
Everclear
Souderton, PA

 

[Wild Man]

I agree with Mike Hughes, Don't give her a bid right away measure it take along look at it and if we can help their are plenty of great guys & gals on here to help! Good Luck!!!!!!!!!! WILD MAN.......



------------------

 

[Kevin]

I know how you feel about hard times. Im in the same boat with two children and a pregnant wife to feed. I have several bids out with 0 results, and my prices are reasonable. Right now Im on my last $7.50 until I clean a neighbors carpet Friday morning. I'm having to sell off things to pay bills. I went outside last night late and asked the Good Lord to help me and my family make it, so hopefully he answers. I'm not one to be giving advice but I would find out EXACTLY what is to be done and maybe do a test to see how long and then figure. Also how often do they want them clean. You might have to move your rig around alot and be fighting being in the way of the tenants, be sure to have plenty of safety markers around your equipment. Hope that helps. Be sure to thank the Man upstairs for the opportunity to bid on this job.

Kevin

------------------

 

[countryboync]

Thats really good advice Kevin. I thank the man upstairs everday.

------------------

 

[Bigreds]

I did a walk through the apts. with the property manager. Most of the apts. just need the spider webs and dirt cleaned from stairways. quite a few needed the fronts cleaned. There were some spots on the sides with algae, bugs, grease from grills here and there. She wants me to clean only what needs cleans besides all the stairways. She said the people she always had do it before charged per apt. but I do not see that being convienent considering, Some needed hardly any cleaning and some needing quite a bit. She said she would compare the quality and price to the past contractor, for the remaining 600 units she has elsewhere. I believe the best way to bid it would probably be hourly, but I would like to come out somewhere close to the previous contractor. There will be two of us working and I was thinking about $50 an hour. Is that a good price considering she will have Much much more work to keep us busy through fall?

------------------

 

[Bigreds]

Oh yea thanks for the earlier replies, they were helpful. I even did a little talking to the man upstairs and it helped....Thanks

------------------

 

[Scootermannn]

Hello from Portland!

I too know the feeling of pressure to bring in business and pray that we will be lucky. We've been blessed today with $1300.00 in new business. Whew!! I'm calling, stopping in and visiting everyone possible to get our name out! The secret I've found in the past with sales is GET A QUOTE OUT! Even if it's too high, you can always follow up and negotiate a price change.

Anyway..regarding apartments..
I've found what works for me is: Quote $65.00 per building. This is for a "medium" sized apartment. I quote all concrete flatwork to include the pads, stairs , landings and concrete walkways that connect each building I get to the other. I always include a "washdown" of the entryways to get rid of the cobwebs, leaves, bugs & grime. I plastic tarp the doors with 2 mil plastic tarping. I do this so no water leaks into doors and gets peoples apartments wet. Concrete sealing is included (Cascade dishwashing liquid with water, sprayed from a hand pump sprayer). This works great as is provides "sheeting action!"

I found this price is a good deal for the apartment complex and I also make money. There's usually not too much concrete to do and it's relatively easy and fun to do. The tenants think you're a god, the property managers think you're nice and you have fun cleaning!




------------------
brian donaldson

 

[Scootermannn]

Here's another trick we use...

When cleaning apartment entryways, we use a portable air compressor (Home Depot special on sale for $99.00 last week I saw).. This thing works great!! You need to get electrical cord (plug it in from a apartment deck outlet) and also buy a trigger gun for the air compressor hose (about $7.00).. What we do is carry it up to the top of the stairs (it's pretty light) and then shoot the top of the stairway with compressed air. This help us get the cobwebs, bugs, leaves, etc off the lights near the apartment doors. This is usually where the biggest mess is.

The compressor doesn't weigh much, costs little, works awesome, is really fun to use and sounds & looks cool to anyone watching you use it! Try it out! It's so worth the investment!!

------------------
brian donaldson

[This message has been edited by Scootermannn (edited September 13, 2000).]