Mobile Homes

[Mike 64]

There are 2 mobile home parks here in the local area that I plan to door hang and paper with flyers this spring for power washing. I am hoping to get a good response and maybe pick up some add-on jobs (driveways, sidewalks, etc) while I'm cleaning the mobile homes. I have driven around the 2 neighborhoods and it looks like alot of home owners could use my service there.

Is there anyone that has alot of experience with mobile home parks who might be able to offer some advice, tips or tricks? Thanks.

Mike

hoosiermike@hotmail.com

[RyanH 14]

Talk to the super...sometimes they have neighborbood covenants requiring certain standards to be maintained (even in mobile home communities, where on wouldn't normally expect it). I spoke with a guy who owned three parks in Florida and he had a requirement that all property dwellers had to maintain a clean appearance, and dirt/green stuff was included. I think he had a contracted company to take care of the properties at a discount to the renters. Perhaps you could see if this particular one has similar circumstances.

[Celeste 341]

Something else to consider in mobile home parks (at least we have to watch out here) - some don't have squat for water & you might have to haul your own. I'm with Ryan though about the parks liking the HO's to keep their spots nice - You could offer a "special" for booking within one particular day or week (or however long you want to be in the area) - will cut down enough on travel time to save you whatever you might cut off the price to get bulk houses.

Celeste

[Mike 64]

You could offer a "special" for booking within one particular day or week (or however long you want to be in the area) - will cut down enough on travel time to save you whatever you might cut off the price to get bulk houses.

Celeste

Thats kinda what I was leaning towards, setting up 1 or 2 days a week during a month long period that I would be in the area, and hopefully be able to book my jobs so I could be out there all day. I was thinking mobile homes normally dont take long to clean since they are much smaller then a regular home and I could offer a discount if I were to go out there 1 or 2 days because it would save me a little money as well.

As far as the water goes alot of the homes I saw did have water hoses so water may not be to bad of a problem, I'll have to check again.

I'll also have to check with what Ryan mention and see if there is a Super or a Property manager that I may need to talk to first.

Thanks for the info, keep it comin! :banana:

Mike

[RyanH 14]

Something else...

if the homes have metal siding, you will have to be careful with your pressure so as not to wash the paint away. This stuff is generally pretty thin (especially on older ones) and can come off without too much effort. A 24" or 36" wide broom with soft bristles can make quick work of one of these things. I'm guessing that, neglecting windows, doors, decks, and possible lattice work, you should be able to get a double-wide done in less than 20 minutes.

[Cleveland Mobile 14]

Seems most in mobile homes dont have any money. I've never had luck getting a great nbr of mobile homes in one park

Andy

[CCPC 26]

Andy is right, in most cases mobile home communites are not great places to look for potential jobs. Allthough, I have done quite a few, including the one I did today. First off, not all manufactured homes are neccesarily small its more of the simple rectangular shape and the, usually, vinyle exterior that makes them easy to clean.

Celeste, when you said that they don't have sqaute for water, what did you mean by that? Did you mean then don't have very good access to water, or that the water pressure is crap. The reason I ask is it seems that frequently, includeing today, I have problems with inadaquete water pressure and gpm to run my machine. Just curious if this is a coincidence, or a common desise for mobile homes.

[Mike 64]

Seems most in mobile homes dont have any money. I've never had luck getting a great nbr of mobile homes in one park

Andy

I wouldnt say they dont have money. I've seen a few nice mobile home parks & I've also seen some old run down poor "regular" home neighborhoods and vice versa. But I also think everyone for the most part everyone wants to have clean things. I was going to run a special, one day a week and book as many as possible during that one day a week, discount the price, and hopefully stay busy all day?

[Celeste 341]

Lack of water pressure primarily, but we have some pretty pathetic parks here that have limited water supplies as well.

[RyanH 14]

Okay, this will probably **** some people off and offend others, but this is brutally true and honest and I don't think anyone can dispute it.

Drive throught he mobile home lot and look at 1.) the cars and 2.) the yard.

If the cars are multi-colored and one of those colors looks remarkably like Bondo, it might be a money waster. If the cars have body parts held on by old wire hangars, rope, stretch cables, plastic tie offs, it might be a money waster. Excessive rust spots, old, peeling window tint, failing and falling roof liner (inside) also indicate a potential lack of interest in having clean things.

If you see toys or car parts strung over the lot in a haphazard manner, you might wanna pass. If the grass is mid-calf high, or has more dirt than grass on what is supposed to be a lawn, you might wanna pass. Also, if temps are regularly in the 50's or less and you still see one of those blue plastic 20" deep pools you can grab at Walmart for $9.99 on the ground that's also an indicator.

You can tell alot about people's desire to maintain their property by how the easy stuff is maintained. Why would someone put $150+ into washing their home when they don't take the 15 minutes to pick up the yard or cut the grass?

Again, the PC thing to do in this emotionally softened and sheltered culture is to never profile, but in business you have to. The same statements above can just as easily be made for homes or apartments. Now, in neighborhoods where these conditions are dominant, you will likely find a diamond in the rough who does want a clean home...I've encountered plenty of them and the owners are more than willing to pay for high quality, but the neighbor with the algae-infested roof and whose siding is a breeding ground for 8 new types of green stuff wouldn't give any more consideration to having their's done than a politician would to telling the truth. But, Mike does have a point in that if you discount your price in hopes to stay busy in the same area all day, you may have a decent shot.

[squirtgun 122]

We offered $100 washes to a mobile home community where did a freebie for an older lady who was having health problems.All of the homes were close together and we could have worked on 2 at the same time and not one single home owner wanted theirs cleaned.These aren't the type homes Ryan described above,these all have well kept yards with the exception of the mulitple layer of green funk and mold.

Some people don't care no matter how good of a deal they could get.I know we have also encountered the same type issues in subdivisions of $200k and up house.It's a matter of personal pride,you either have it or you don't.

[RyanH 14]

Yep (on the matter of pride). what I put was kind of a spoof on the "You might be a redneck if...." line by Foxworthy. But I sill think there were some valid points (evidence of bias?). It is aggravating when the person for whom you are cleaning truly wants a clean house and the neighbors let their's go to waste. I've also been in a subdivision where the homes ran about $400 k (I wouldn't have given half that for them, but that's another story)...customers wanted their patios cleaned, but completely ignored the black streaked gutters and greenies on the walls. It's crazy man.

[PATZPW 14]

.............................................................................

[RyanH 14]

patzpw,

dOES tHE tERM "tONGUE iN cHEEK" mEAN aNYTHING tO yOU? bESIDES, iF yOU dO eNCOUNTER tHESE sITUATIONS, iN aNY aREA, tHE pOINT rEMAINS vALID.

[Mike 64]

Drive throught he mobile home lot and look at 1.) the cars and 2.) the yard.

If the cars are multi-colored and one of those colors looks remarkably like Bondo, it might be a money waster. If the cars have body parts held on by old wire hangars, rope, stretch cables, plastic tie offs, it might be a money waster. Excessive rust spots, old, peeling window tint, failing and falling roof liner (inside) also indicate a potential lack of interest in having clean things.

If you see toys or car parts strung over the lot in a haphazard manner, you might wanna pass. If the grass is mid-calf high, or has more dirt than grass on what is supposed to be a lawn, you might wanna pass. Also, if temps are regularly in the 50's or less and you still see one of those blue plastic 20" deep pools you can grab at Walmart for $9.99 on the ground that's also an indicator.

I was just saying that that can be said of any area, no matter how much money you paid for your home. You cant really control your neighbors habits. I guess I just dont jump on the "Trailer Trash" band wagon. Yes alot of mobile home parks look like crap, but there are some really nice ones also. Alot of elderly people live in mobile homes, even more down south that may not be able to get out and wash thier house down and need some help? It was just an idea, I think I'll give it a try after winter and see how it works. I do respect everyones opinion on this and I look foward to reading more on this.

:soapbox: Mike

[PATZPW 14]

mike

i feel the same way, i just couldn't express it the same way you did. That's why i edited my reply. i've washed a few Manufactured Homes and i charged $55.00 for singles and $75.00 for doubles. In my opinion that's cheap for them and not a bad take for an hours work or so.

[Celeste 341]

Well, I guess I missed the post that made reference to "trailer trash"......let me make an observation on that one.......IT'S A SOUTHERN THING......I'm pretty sure that "manufactured housing" up north is vastly different than "trailers" down here. We have trailers here that folks have lived in for the past 40 years....since they pulled them into N.C. with their bondo encrusted picky up trucks. It's sad, but true and still a southern thing.

No offense intended.

Celeste

[Mathew Johnson 123]

Same think up here in Upstate NY.....

[Aplus 525]

You know how you can tell if the "trailer trash" is successfull?

They have two cars up on blocks in the drive....:)

[paul-uk 500]

I've also been in a subdivision where the homes ran about $400 k (I wouldn't have given half that for them, but that's another story)...customers wanted their patios cleaned, but completely ignored the black streaked gutters and greenies on the walls. It's crazy man.

part of ryan's post.....i have come across this attitude here and from what i have gleaned i a freindly way is that....is that when they look out of the window when the patio and drive are clean and the garden is cut...the world they see is all rosy as that is all they see most of the time....if they had to sit in thier car for a hour a day and look at thier house they would see the green walls the black gutters and roof...they are very 2 dimentional.....what we need is people who see the world in 3D...LIKE WE DO

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

Then again, I have met some very wealthy people who don't really want to spend on upkeep and seem to feel that any amount of money is too much money (not all, just some). Sometimes those with less to spend, spend more on certain items. Look at income vs. charitable donations. It may not be the same thing, but to make the point...people who can least afford to give often give more than those who can afford to give.

Go figure...

Beth

[Mike Williamson 198]

I guess I just dont jump on the "Trailer Trash" band wagon. Yes alot of mobile home parks look like crap, but there are some really nice ones also. Alot of elderly people live in mobile homes, even more down south that may not be able to get out and wash thier house down and need some help?

Nothing wrong with giving it a shot, and in the right area, you might do well. Here, there are just too many folks doing "$30.00 and up trailer washes". The first thing I tell them when they say they have a trailer is that I have a $100.00 minimum, and it may very well be more than that.

There's a reason many folks live in trailers...that's what they can afford, and often paying to heave the exterior cleaned isn't in their budget. Most of these folks are hoping this week's paycheck will cover the groceries AND the light bill. That doesn't make them trailer trash, it just makes them not a likely candidate for a customer.

I agree, there ARE some nicer areas with trailer. Most that I've encountered that were willing to pay a decent rate for a wash weren't in parks, they were in rural areas on acreage.

[CCPC 26]

Well said Mike. That's been my experience around here as well. Come to thank of it, I've never done one in a trailer park.

[the_GUNN_man 14]

I will do mobile home washes now for $50 a piece but I get them to have all theirs done in one day. The last mobile home I did this year I washed it in less then 30 minutes. I take a Shur Flo and spray on the chems and my other guy comes right behind me rinsing it off. No high pressure. Use soap tip to rinse. If they schedule a wash other then during my special time it is $85. I don't haggle with different prices for singles and doubles. Here is the way it works here. Typical single wide is 16 x 72 = 176 linear feet. Typical double wide is 28 x 56 = 168 linear feet. Most cases double wides will wash faster then singles. Very rare are doubles wides more then 56 feet long and if so 64 feet is max. Not many people have the 28 x 80 homes. charge one flat price and be done with it. The extra feet take me less then 5 minutes more to wash. Most houses now take me less then 2 hours to wash. I remember when I would take over 2 hours to wash a mobile home. I used to think you guys were full of it when you said you would do houses that fast(less then 2 hours). It is all in the chems and proper equipment. High Pressure? Save that for concrete or heavy equipment. I still hate decks though. It is hard to make fast time on decks. Spindals should be illegal. Especially since that new regulation about them being needed to be placed so close together.

[Mike Williamson 198]

I still hate decks though. It is hard to make fast time on decks. Spindals should be illegal. Especially since that new regulation about them being needed to be placed so close together.

I very rarely get a deck here. People seem happy with their bare wood PT decks, or they paint them. I've given several deck bids, but gotten only one of those. Most don't want to pay the price to have it done right, they just want someone to come throw some bleach on it and blast away.

[Nigel 14]

...........

Some people don't care no matter how good of a deal they could get.I know we have also encountered the same type issues in subdivisions of $200k and up house.It's a matter of personal pride,you either have it or you don't.

Yup, see it all the time.