Share your experiences with me please!

[BLewis]

Ok, gearing up for our first official college turn. We usually do 15-20 aparts/houses but have yet to do a big property turn. Looking at 430 areas as of now (smaller property). Met all the contractors today, painters & cleaners. Probably just going to tell regular customers that we are on vacation for a week and manage to keep our restaurants taken care of.

Anything that you have run into out of the ordinary that I can prepare for would be helpful. As of now we will only be doing about 24 areas per day so that's not a lot but I want to be prepared as possible.

-Extra Spotters on hand
-Both trucks ready to go
-Back up solution hoses
-Staff primed and ready (adding one more part time tech)
-We will have a waiting list of customers for this period and I plan on taking care of my 2 property managers during this time
-Back up company (Ashley be ready!)

Shoot!

 

[John Olson]

2 man crews
Run a solution splitter for a second line used only for prespray. Do not run two separate lines you will fight hoses split at the last 50
First man sprays first two apartments while the other moves everything the kids didn't then starts wanding. The first man pulls hoses after spraying second apt
Play leap frog from then on spraying then pulling hoses switching off wanding when needed but the wand does not stop moving until break time once it starts. two man crew should average 12-14 minutes per 3 bedroom and living room apartment. Yes thats cookin' but they work for you so make them work
Prespay, gel spotter and red one are all you should need unless they are paying extra or stain removal that those 3 cant get it within the 12-14 minute time frame.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

24 areas per day? as in rooms? You will get a LOT faster than that. The boys typically do 70+ per day per truck. Brutal.

 

[Steve Toburen]

Met all the contractors today, painters & cleaners...

Congratulations, Billy! Plan for the contractors, painters and cleaners to run behind and/or make a trashed place even worse. Since you logically will be one of the last people in to the unit all those little delays tend to add up and wind up on your plate! So I hope you have a reasonable start date for each section of the project in writing.

You've started out well by meeting all the parties involved. (And using your considerable charm on them!) Stress to everyone (and especially your boss on this project) that you need X number of units side by side. Otherwise you'll be going back and doing onesies and twosies which will destroy your production rates.

It will be good to stay in daily contact with the contractors ahead of you. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. You will want to be flexible and reasonable but not at the expense of a) profitability, b) killing your people or C) your sanity!

Hopefully your contract states what condition the units will be in before you arrive (no construction debris or paint spots, etc.) and you have built in charges for additional work required. Also an extra charge for additional setups caused by the other contractor's tardiness.

Steve

PS I hope you have charged high enough you can pay your employee's a nice bonus at the end plus throw a party for a job well done!

 

[Desk Jockey]

We run a three man crews with two trucks, two guys cleaning one guy running interference for what ever the other two need. The third trades off to give the other two breaks.

Good time for preventive maintenance, oil changes take a look at belts and hoses and thing that might hang you up. Wand valve, shut off valve, take tools if you don't already with some spare QD's.

We usually take a well stocked cooler with water and gatorade too!

Good luck, the anticipation is usually worse than the actual processing.

 

[bob vawter]

yes an' don forget to check yor waste tank filter for used prophylactics frequently.......

 

[knoxclean]

Steve is so right, don't plan on a smooth operation. The painters and cleaning crew will mess up your time table every time. Try to stay in constant contact with the person running the show or you will be doing 1or 2 units in a building and then they will send you on to another building because the other units are not ready yet only to have you come back to the same building to set up again and do the apt right next to where you finished last time. FRUSTRATING!!!!

 

[Lee Stockwell]

We avoid that. Just tell them missed units will be done with an OP machine.

 

[Mikey P]

I've never been involved in any project like this as our only college has it's own truckmounts.


Are you pricing by the hour/day?


would you mind sharing how much (PM)

 

[Shane Deubell]

We are in the middle of one right now actually.
Agree with richard and bring a case of water for the crew.

Main thing is communication between you and whoever is in charge and between you/crew.
Stop every couple hours and make sure you are staying on schedule, troubleshoot all equipment.

Kinda like the tv show Hell's Kitchen, have to force everyone to talk to each other. Usually somewhere in the middle of day people start to get lost, so watch out for it.

 

[BLewis]

24 areas per day? as in rooms? You will get a LOT faster than that. The boys typically do 70+ per day per truck. Brutal.

yeah Lee that's all this complex has for this turn (will average 24 rooms per day) I hope to be done by 12-1 so we can proceed on to our wait list. It will be twice that next year and a possibility of picking up an 900 unit next year. I wanted to start small to get our feet wet.

I figure we can d0 40-50 If needed with no problem at all

 

[Hoody]

Steve is so right, don't plan on a smooth operation. The painters and cleaning crew will mess up your time table every time. Try to stay in constant contact with the person running the show or you will be doing 1or 2 units in a building and then they will send you on to another building because the other units are not ready yet only to have you come back to the same building to set up again and do the apt right next to where you finished last time. FRUSTRATING!!!!

X2 - nothing kills production on these than the painters and cleaning crews not having their crap together. It can really make a break a turn over. I suggest that if you really want to start getting into the apartment side of things that you take a proactive approach and ask to meet with any other vendors that will be at the complex and the property manager on the same day. Get an effective game plan, everyone wants to be productive and not lose money.

My cleaning company here use to do really quick turnovers for a few complexes. We only had from tuesday-friday to turn a set over each week most of the time it was 30-40 units. Most were 4 bedroom(two up, two down) two stairs, two hallways, and living room units and we had to move furniture(all plastic feet). I could slam them out in about 45 minutes a piece by myself and 25-30 with a helper. What we would do is have the painting crews come in and start monday morning to get a jump start. On Tuesday morning our cleaning crews would go in and start with the apartments the painters did on Monday, Tuesday afternoon we would bring the trucks over and play leap frog with our cleaning crews. There were still hiccups but before we had our meeting and got a game plan it was an absolute nightmare.

Get the phone numbers of every vendor and try to check in with them a few times a day and at the end of the day. Effective communicating will make things run more smooth.

 

[Tony Neville]

It sounds like a nice slow turn. Really the only thing I would change on your plan is to take care of your regular clients in the am and do the apts in the afternoon. How good can your guys look/smell if they are busting out apts all morning then showing up on residential jobs. Also this gives you a chance to go by and make sure the properties are indeed ready for the guys to show up with the vans. Use a nice scent in your pre-spray to help with just general people funk. Have fun! Make it as easy for the guys as you can. We will buy lunch for the guys on big days when we are all together rather then having them pull off site to go get lunch it's nice for them and it's cheaper then losing an hour in wages.

Tony
Definitely make sure they are drinking enough! We provide Gatorade and water for the guys as well.

 

[dealtimeman]

All the above are good experiences on how to do the job.

I can show and share with you how to spend the money you will be making off these jobs. Give me a call as I am really good at spending money, some people have called me an expert/ money spending guru!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Just as long as its not to buy those designer soccer shoes you wear!

 

[JS41035]

Velcro straps for your hoses. On 4 story complexes you don't want hoses pulling down stairs.Also get an extra jug or 2 for your hydro force. Mix a couple up at a time. On nasties Enzall with dwell time is the best I've found.
I agree with tracking your production rates early on.Don't let it get away from you
Buy the office people a cooler of red bull or those Starbucks coffees. Also get the maintenance guys on your side. Remember that they are super stressed.
Try to never seem overwhelmed or behind. Part of accepting the big turn stuff is giving up some small jobs that come in.



....

 

[Russ T.]

End of July is a virtual nightmare for a small biz like mine. My brother and another guy were on my Cleanco last year while I rocked the Chem Tex solo. We turned away hundreds of jobs last year.

Streamline as much as possible. Limit the spotters, no fans in the way, murder folk if they don't vacuum. We are pre pay ONLY at the end of July so all we need is access. My wife warns them that we will not wait around. We guarantee a day but not a time for cleaning. We call when on the way and "it better be open". This is the one time of year when our service rivals that of a jail warden.

Prices are higher than normal because demand is through the roof. Try to have some fun with it. So far I'm planning on doing it alone (I'll probably have a hose puller). Mel will book no more than 10 apartments for me each day...and that will be it. I'm doing way better with residential now so I'm not losing my head over it this year.

The last 2 years, we took off to Myrtle beach @ August 3rd when it was over. Not this year. I'm staying put until January. Too much $ to be made in August. Thinking about taking the month of January off and getting the heck out of Iowa!


The Clean Machine

 

[Mike Draper]

I live in a college town. Generally 2 weeks at the end if May and two weeks in August we work non stop. With 1 truck we average about 2k a day. Lots and lots of apartments. I always make sure all maintenance Is done, the truck is completely stocked with chemicals and my employee knows there is no days off or set amount of hours. We just work till it's done. During the bidding process we let the manager know that we have to have everything out of our way and ready for us as our schedule has no room for hiccups during this time period. We've never had a problem so far. Biggest thing is making sure all equipment is in perfect working order.

 

[BradFenstermaker]

Billy I strongly suggest a good note pad for a Lead Tech on the 2nd crew to take note's on units completed and the ones not ready. I have helped Gargan on a few of these back in the day. If you don't keep track yourself, you will find yourself lost like the Property Manager is.

Helps to document so a list can be passed for those completed. Nothing like pulling up to a finished unit for the 2nd time.

Good Luck, it's kind of fun and not stairing at the youngin's walking around.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Jason and Justin take pictures of the work orders.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Good Luck, it's kind of fun and not stairing at the youngin's walking around.

You kiddin'??


"want some candy little girl?"






dirty ole man on meAt's computer



Billy, redundant gear on trucks so no stoppages to clear jets, rebuild wand valves, monkey with QDs, sprayer hicups, etc.

We used to do two large accounts (lost them due to management change)
anyway, the work load/time frame was tough for one TM and a porty.
I let the porty guy do his own thing by himself and ran the TM two shifts with two 2 man crews .
I covered breaks and lunches and otherwise coordinated/facilitated the smooth and orderly flow of production by doing whatever needed done to stay ahead



..L.T.A.

 

[Dolly Llama]

John Olson" data-source="post: 4297795" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

two man crew should average 12-14 minutes per 3 bedroom and living room apartment.

That would be 600-750sf here

Yes thats cookin'

12-14 minutes for 700sf isn't cookin...it's blowing dust off while making carpets wet


..L.T.A.

 

[John Olson]

I posted pictures awhile back ill post them again. Powertrike with energy and All Fiber Deep Clean running a TI wand at 12 flow the biggest hurdle is coordination but with a good team not hard at all but your sweatin'

 

[BLewis]

Thanks everyone, a great list to work from, the complex is supplying the complete work order. I have ask them to make us copies. This particular turn has 4 days extra so that should help when the other subs get behind. We have a final vendors meeting July 14th and these suggestions will certainly help for that meeting and ordering extra supplies. My biggest problem with the PC 650 has been in the supply pump and had a back up Flo Jet just go out 2 nights ago after installing only a couple months ago. So I will have a spare on hand. Need to get the V out and do a few jobs with her to make sure she's good to go in the event I need her.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Have a couple of garden hoses on the truck so you can hook direct, should your transfer pump go down on the job. It would be a pain but at least production would be survivable until you can switch pumps.

 

[roro]

No one has mentioned the 24" or 30" wand you need to achieve some of the production rates claimed here

 

[tmdry]

10-15 minutes for a 3 bedroom and living/dining apt???? Damm I'm so behind times! No wonder some of you can do 5-7 jobs in a day!

 

[JS41035]

I like to write down the list for the building we are in. Then take a picture of the list with my iphone and make that pic my phone screen background. You don't even have to unlock your phone to get a view of the list and what you need to do next. Have everyone on the crew do that so they aren't pulling a crumpled sheet of paper out of there pocket


....

 

[Desk Jockey]

No one has mentioned the 24" or 30" wand you need to achieve some of the production rates claimed here

All spray no sucky right?

 

[Tony Neville]

Something else, take care of the paper work up front. Each state is different I'm sure, but we do a w-9, certified firm certificate, and insurance certificate.
Plus whatever else they want/require.
Really this is your chance to shine have fun, make a friend, and get it done!
Tony