Spring Cleaning

[tk4454]

So a lady called with a house for sale we both acknowledged that grass still isnt growing around here, but she needs her yard cleaned up after the winter, i mowed my own lawn it looked good needed to rake up some leaves and pine needles the mower missed, but it got me thinking what should i charge her if i have to rake a bunch of stuff my mower wont pick up, and what services should I include in a spring cleaning, was thinking maybee power raking, or gutter cleaning, something to upsell the value of why I want to charge so much. Thanks in advance for your input, Ive heard of alot of companies around here charging alot more for there first time out, like 4x the amount for a normal mowing. so I'm thinking of telling her a 100 for the spring cleaning, then 25.00 weekly for mowing depending on the size of her yard im yet to see.

[SNethercutt]

Lawn care business tips

Leaves everywhere. Blow off the roof, clean the gutters and blow out the flowerbeds. That's where all the leaves that don't end up in the yard go. Trim any trees that are due to be trimmed at this time depending on your area. Trim the bushes, usually doesn't get done in the winter. Cracks in drive way probably have something growing in them as well as the sidewalk. A fertilization?

[tk4454]

thanks for your input so far, i'm taking notes

[SECTLANDSCAPING]

everyone has their own idea what a spring clean up is. The majority of time its someone who didnt have a leaf clean up done. With business its cleaning up the property and getting it read for mulch.

I went to go look at a Drs office and house today. I expected leaves everywhere. After looking I have no idea what they want done. The amount of leaves in the beds could be mulched up. The bushes were cutback in the winter. Ill be calling tomorrow to find out what they heck they want.

[SNethercutt]

And doing the 4x mowing thing, that may work if you mowed it for the last 2 years. But in my experience, you have people who call and say I want my yard mowed, then they want their spring cleanup done when you mention it. You give them a decent deal (4x mowing price) and do the clean up and mow while your there. Then they call you three days later and drop you just because they wanted a deal.

You must think to do a proper spring cleaning you ( assuming you don't do many already because your asking) you need more than a mower trimmer and blower. You need a ladder, hedge trimmers, trash bags, a rake possibly a chainsaw. You gotta spend the time blowing off the roof. Then cleaning or blowing out the gutters. Next your blowing out the flower beds. Then your bagging it up with a push bower. Then your raking up what's left. Is $100 worth it to do all of that?

[tk4454]

i suppose a hundred would be worth it if it only took 4 hours between 2 people, although id like to make a little more, what would you charge for an average size house cleaning roof, gutters, flower beds, then mowing and raking lawn?

[SNethercutt]

Most of the time I won't touch gutters for less that $85. That is the most hated job by a home owner next to pulling weeds. If they just have gutters over the front porch $25 to $35. You gotta think for $25 is someone gonna get their ladder out, get trash bags, climb up the ladderand stick their hand into somewhere they dodon't know what's inside? No, typically not. Average home with gutters, your looking at 15 mins to blow off the roof, 20 minutes to do a good job blowing out flowerbeds, 85 to do gutters if there around most of the house could be more, and the 45 to mow and bag( with a lot of leaves you will be emptying bag often) Then you spend another 30 mins to an hour to rake the leaves left over. At $70 an hour, your looking at 110 plus the 85 to do gutters. Easy way to do gutters, use your blower. You gotta blow the beds out anyways.

[tk4454]

gonna go bid this job in about 2 hours, im hoping she wants her gutters done because i plan to charge aboujt a dollar per foot, i hope she isnt shocked when i tell her 230.00 for everything, but she can either say yes or no, and im hoping she says yes

[SNethercutt]

I always shoot 10% higher than what I have to have. That way when they say well, that's high I can make them feel like they are getting a steal.

[tk4454]

well the bidding didnt go as planned cause she didnt want her rain gutters cleaned but i did land the deal for 200 a month for about a half acre of upkeep. she did weasel some free services out of me which i should of said would cost extra, but im just learning how to bid so it was a good learning experience. thanks for the helpfull advice