Opinions please. New website. 12 May 2010 at 9:22PM in UK armed forces MoneySaving 12 replies 884 views

marchouts

Hi,
I have just joined. Im new!
I know this is cheeky but If you dont ask and all that!!
After spending many years working on the housing side of things, I have finally decided to try and go it alone. I truly believe you guys and your families deserve a better standard of, well everything really.
You move into unclean houses, you put up with shoddy workmanship, you wait weeks for repairs and get little support from the officials.
I have seen and heard some horror stories as I am sure many of you have.
Anyway, inbetween working and homelife I have managed to put together my own basic website to advertise my march out cleaning services.
It wont appear on google or yahoo for ages and Im a bit disheartened so far.
Please can I have some opinions, Im not here touting for work, I will advertise and work my way towards that.
I have bags of experience and will enjoy it, if it ever works!
Anyway here we go

march-out-cleaning

OOh it wont let me submit thread with a website link in!!

the above but with co.uk at the end.

Many thanks

Marchouts

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Although I love your enthusiasm, MHS currently have march out contacts that they recommend tenants go through when moving. These companies have to clean to march out standard. So there is already a service out there that does what you want to do.

So my advise for you is to look at those companies (each area has different contact I think) look at their prices and what services they do provide etc and look at being more competitive than them?

Good luck.

marchouts

Hi,
There are large companies who have the contract to clean to march out standard. But the reality is they dont. Standards have slipped dramatically in recent years and I have been at handback of quaters in a shocking state. These companies dont suffer the same scrutiny as you guys, that I know.
I enjoy meeting occupants, listening over a cup of tea and I really want to provide an honest service for a fair price.
I meet the current cleaners (above companies) most days and they get less than 1 day for a team of 2 per marchout. We all know it takes longer than that.

Marker_2

If the recommended company don't clean to the standard and you've paid them then MHS make them do it to the standard. A rep from the company is usually present at march out, anything that is brought up that needs doing then its the company who do it ... even if you move onto your next posting.

If you choose a company to clean your house that is not one of MHS' recommendations then it falls onto the occupant, but if it is a recommendation then MHS make them clean to standard.

I'm sure there are documents on MHS/DE Housing and AFF backing up this.

marchouts

What happens now is the occupant pays in advance for their clean when they vacate the property. Cleaning company come along, clean. Its not officially handed back as may not be re allocated yet, sits empty then DE pay for a wipe over when re allocated. Then they take it back as is because they got the wipe over they paid for. Either that or they put the occupant paid clean off until the next occupant moves in thus saving them the cost of the wipe over clean. That's why they are so keen on the pre paid thing.

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http://www.tiptopcontractcleaning.co.uk/forces-march-out-cleaning.php

http://www.aff.org.uk/linkedfiles/aff/housing/article__pre_payment_cleaning_scheme__external_june_091.pdf

Marker_2

The pre payment scheme is pretty new and not all residents have taken it up yet so its unfair to put it down just yet.

Qutoed from AFF "

The cleaning is [FONT=Arial,Arial][FONT=Arial,Arial]guaranteed [/FONT][/FONT]to meet the move out standard and the property will be cleaned once you have moved out; therefore the occupant is free to walk-away once
the keys have been handed over to the Housing Officer."

Sounds good to me.

marchouts

Hi,
I've no problem with guaranteeing my cleans and I am present at any I have done. I won't leave and won't expect to be paid in full until the house passes. I'm sure many others are the same. I have spent my life in houses and cleaning/maintenance and just want to do a proper job. I have 3 jobs at the minute and think I can make this work. And I'm a man!!

Marker_2

Ok I understand all that (not sure what being a man has to do with it??), but as stated in my first reply to your thread, you are suggesting a service which is ALREADY available for tenants of Military housing. What you need to do is look at the companies already offering this service for qtrs in your area and introduce a more competitive price.

You will have to go on the list as a recommendation.

Do some research.

marchouts

Hi.
As far as I am aware there are few companies offering the cleaning, gardens decorating and any repairs necessary. I hold at least 1 qualification in each area. I have been self employed before and know the pit falls. Confident in what I do yes, confident in my website not really.
And the pre pay scheme may be guaranteed but only for the person paying for it. If de move the next occupant into a house which is dirty, de tell them not to worry too much when they vacate. De can't snag it because they have only paid for a wipe.

Marker_2

I'm not really following you. If a new tenant moves into a house which was pre-pay cleaned by the first tenant then surely the house will be clean on march in?

Repairs are also already done by MHS.

Seriously mate, your best bet is to do some research on the march in/out process and what the companies who do guaranteed march out scheme offer. Knowing your competiton is half the battle.

Good luck.