Empty apartment cleaning pricing

brianeboatman

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Jun 23, 2011
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I'm a police officer who cleans carpets in Apts on the side after hours. I charge the following prices and wonder if you all think I'm a genius or a moron for charging what I do.

Studio...$35.00
1 bedroom...$70.00
2 bedroom...$80.00
3 bedroom...$90.00

If there are really bad stains, I charge an additional $10 to $20.
 

Bob Foster

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Oct 8, 2006
Messages
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Studio might be too low in relation to the other prices. Maybe it should be 59. The price range is dependent on many factors related to your property managers and market.

If you are advertising to the general public say 59, 69, 79, 89

or

1 bedrooms apartments from just 69 + 10 for each extra area.
 

John Buxton

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Oct 18, 2006
Messages
710
Apartments usually tell you what they will pay. I just quit one that wouldn't pay me .10 a SF, they insisted on $55.00 for a 2 bedroom. There's no way to make money on those especially if they're on the third floor.
 

ACE

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Mike Hughes
There are two ways of pricing rentals:

#1. A fair flat price for whatever the job takes.

#2. A loss leader price for prespray and extraction then nickel and dime the for all the extras: Vacuuming, prescrub, spot and stains, odor, repair. I guess Grooming just got added to the list.
You will have a much easer time getting in the door with the big property managers with the second pricing strategy. Is all they care about is your base price. If you charge extra for the nasty’s they just take it out of a deposit.

The customer is very happy with the second option and I have a blank check for what the job is worth.
 

XTREME1

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Ma
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Greg Crowley
Studio...$35.00 $50
1 bedroom...$70.00 $50-75 depending on halls and living room
2 bedroom...$80.00 75-95
3 bedroom...$90.00 95-120
 

joe harper

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brian boatman said:
I'm a police officer who cleans carpets in Apts on the side after hours. I charge the following prices and wonder if you all think I'm a genius or a moron for charging what I do.

Studio...$35.00
1 bedroom...$70.00
2 bedroom...$80.00
3 bedroom...$90.00

If there are really bad stains, I charge an additional $10 to $20.


Brian,

Why not just average all the apartments & and offer ONE PRICE.... :idea: "we do"

Example: 70.00*80.00*90.00*.......240.00 divided by 3 = $80.00 "1 price"

We have found that many "groups" would rather have ONE PRICE for all units...!
We found that we made much more PROFIT...with this pricing... !gotcha!
Studio's & 1 bedrooms...very rarely complete or extend their lease...MORE CLEANINGS... :idea:

Two & Three bedrooms are not as likely to MOVE..."hense"...LESS CLEANINGS...shiteatinggrin

ps...Addition charges DO apply for animal damage & dye related stains...PER QUOTE..
and of course water damage situations... :!:

pss. If you want to add the "STUDIO'S"...into the equation...the ONE PRICE would be $75.00..
STUDIO'S...should be "$60.00"...strictly due to START-UP cost... :idea:
 

ACE

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Mike Hughes
HARPER said:
brian boatman said:
I'm a police officer who cleans carpets in Apts on the side after hours. I charge the following prices and wonder if you all think I'm a genius or a moron for charging what I do.

Studio...$35.00
1 bedroom...$70.00
2 bedroom...$80.00
3 bedroom...$90.00

If there are really bad stains, I charge an additional $10 to $20.


Brian,

Why not just average all the apartments & and offer ONE PRICE.... :idea: "we do"

Example: 70.00*80.00*90.00*.......240.00 divided by 3 = $80.00 "1 price"

We have found that many "groups" would rather have ONE PRICE for all units...!
We found that we made much more PROFIT...with this pricing... !gotcha!
Studio's & 1 bedrooms...very rarely complete or extend their lease...MORE CLEANINGS... :idea:

Two & Three bedrooms are not as likely to MOVE..."hense"...LESS CLEANINGS...shiteatinggrin

ps...Addition charges DO apply for animal damage & dye related stains...PER QUOTE..
and of course water damage situations... :!:

pss. If you want to add the "STUDIO'S"...into the equation...the ONE PRICE would be $75.00..
STUDIO'S...should be "$60.00"...strictly due to START-UP cost... :idea:

If I did that some of my customers would only call me for the trashed three bdrms. If there is a way to take advantage of you, your customer will find it.
 

John Watson

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Oct 7, 2006
Messages
2,885
What would you chrge if it was your only job? Is what you are charging now enough to cover your and your familys health ins? retrement?

Not trying to be an asshole(comes naturly)
 

Ken Snow

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Bingham Farms MI
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Ken Snow
danielc said:
Don't apartments charge a security deposit?

That would make me charge more.

The security deposit is for damage done to the unit Daniel, not for carpet cleaning. Sometimes apartments have separate cleaning charges but it is not part of a sec dep.
 

ACE

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Lawrence, KS
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Mike Hughes
Ken Snow said:
danielc said:
Don't apartments charge a security deposit?

That would make me charge more.

The security deposit is for damage done to the unit Daniel, not for carpet cleaning. Sometimes apartments have separate cleaning charges but it is not part of a sec dep.

Dead on Ken. That's why you want to give them a cheep price for cleaning and make up for it on the extras that should come out of a deposit. like this:

1 BDRM Apt $55.00
1 BDRM with Stairs $65.00
2 BDRM Apt/ Town Home $75.00
2 BDRM Apt /Town Home w/ Stairs $80.00
3 BDRM Apt / Town Home $90.00
3 BDRM Apt/Town Home w/Stairs $95.00


Additional Services:
Difficult Stain Removal $10.00 and up
Machine Agitation for Removal of Heavy Soiling 50%-100 of Standard Service Price
Repairs, Patches, Re-Stretch $35.00 and up
Topically applied Odor Treatment $50%-100% of Standard Service Price
Sub-Surface Pet Urine Extraction and Odor Treatment Varies
Pad Replacement, Sealing of Sub Floors Varies
Emergency Water Extraction and Restorative Drying Varies
Application of Antimicrobial $.25 Sq ft.
 

joe harper

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Messages
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florida
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ACE said:
HARPER said:
brian boatman said:
I'm a police officer who cleans carpets in Apts on the side after hours. I charge the following prices and wonder if you all think I'm a genius or a moron for charging what I do.

Studio...$35.00
1 bedroom...$70.00
2 bedroom...$80.00
3 bedroom...$90.00

If there are really bad stains, I charge an additional $10 to $20.


Brian,

Why not just average all the apartments & and offer ONE PRICE.... :idea: "we do"

Example: 70.00*80.00*90.00*.......240.00 divided by 3 = $80.00 "1 price"

We have found that many "groups" would rather have ONE PRICE for all units...!
We found that we made much more PROFIT...with this pricing... !gotcha!
Studio's & 1 bedrooms...very rarely complete or extend their lease...MORE CLEANINGS... :idea:

Two & Three bedrooms are not as likely to MOVE..."hense"...LESS CLEANINGS...shiteatinggrin

ps...Addition charges DO apply for animal damage & dye related stains...PER QUOTE..
and of course water damage situations... :!:

pss. If you want to add the "STUDIO'S"...into the equation...the ONE PRICE would be $75.00..
STUDIO'S...should be "$60.00"...strictly due to START-UP cost... :idea:

If I did that some of my customers would only call me for the trashed three bdrms. If there is a way to take advantage of you, your customer will find it.




DAh........ :roll:

You get them "ALL".....or ...... YOU DO NONE... !gotcha!

Our minimum is $150.00...so we don't do many apts ..ANYMORE... :idea:
However....we do get TOP DOLLAR....after you $55.00 guys HacK them out... :mrgreen: j/k
 

ACE

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HARPER said:
Our minimum is $150.00...so we don't do many apts ..ANYMORE... :idea:
However....we do get TOP DOLLAR....after you $55.00 guys HacK them out... :mrgreen: j/k

I see you don't follow your own pricing advice. -Smart :lol:

Apt work = zero advertising cost. You just have to know how to play their game.
 

joe harper

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ACE said:
HARPER said:
Our minimum is $150.00...so we don't do many apts ..ANYMORE... :idea:
However....we do get TOP DOLLAR....after you $55.00 guys HacK them out... :mrgreen: j/k

I see you don't follow your own pricing advice. -Smart :lol:

Apt work = zero advertising cost. You just have to know how to play their game.

I was trying to help with HIS pricing... !gotcha!

I like your website...CLEAN...SIMPLE.... 8)

We are "sQuAre-fOoTerS"....NO ROOM PRICES OFFERED... :idea:
 

ACE

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Thanks Harp. Compliments are rare here.

Another good tip is to make damn sure you get a signed work order detailing everything you do.
 

Shane Deubell

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Joined
Jun 30, 2011
Messages
4,052
ACE said:
HARPER said:
Our minimum is $150.00...so we don't do many apts ..ANYMORE... :idea:
However....we do get TOP DOLLAR....after you $55.00 guys HacK them out... :mrgreen: j/k

I see you don't follow your own pricing advice. -Smart :lol:

Apt work = zero advertising cost. You just have to know how to play their game.

Yes i agree, no marketing cost and also labor is less expensive. This is strictly a labor job, the cost to recruit,hire,train,supervise a tech to deal with homeowners is a lot different then a part-time tech to go and clean empty apartments all day.

Although we do not clean apartments, commercial work is same way.
 

brianeboatman

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Joined
Jun 23, 2011
Messages
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I do like the idea of charging a flat fee since set up and take down take so much time. I almost feel like I'm doing the studio's for free.
 

floorguy

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I am getting ready to bid on one...this is interesting stuff....

this place owns 170 properties, dunno if its units or buildings with multiple units, but it is a mix of condos, apts, houses, business....

Its my workers landlord, happened to be talking to her, and she brought up the other cleaner was getting worn out or something...soooooooooo with that in mind

I am going into it with a firm but fair price and explain this is what i do A,B,C,D, you will be happy and i wont be burned out because i will be making enough....take it or leave it 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)


lets hope it works out as well in real life as it does my head shiteatinggrin shiteatinggrin shiteatinggrin shiteatinggrin shiteatinggrin
 

Brian R

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Harper....What's the ratio of 1bds to 2bd to 3bd apts?

The average thing works if the spread is equal.

I would imagine that most apts ARE 2 bds.....So you're probably right.

There probably isn't very many studios in a regular apt building....but it's been a while since I've done that type of work.
 
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You could always get a contract with a price list for extra services and you personally focus on the bigger ticket jobs. Then sub the basic cleanings out to a local hack. That way you are not losing money. If you do 2 bedrooms for 50,60, 70 or whatever, you will lose money or kill yourself to barely make a profit.

I would be happy to let someone else do all the 60 dollar jobs so I could do the 200 plus dollar jobs.
 

ACE

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I just did a 2 bdrm town home. Base price was $65.00 (Pre-spray and extract) There happened to be a strong pet dander odor and heavy soiling there. We prevaced $32.00, Prescrubbed $55.00, Deodorized $55.00 and took out a coffee stain $10.00. The job took 1hr 15min with a 2 man crew. The job total was $217.00
 

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