Property maintenance on behalf of estate agents
Discussion
There are 3 properties for sale within around 50 yards of me and they are all sitting empty and starting to look unkempt. All 3 were previously occupied by tenants and now the landlords have decided to sell. Two of them are owned by people no longer in the area, so can understand it's not easy to pop back and keep it tidy themselves/meet a contractor at the property. One property was even listed with images showing the grass up to the arches of the estate agents car on the drive 
If there are 3 within a small area, I suspect it's a wider thing.
Unsurprising due to the weather the grass is high, the hedges are out of shape and it made me think - whereas a year or so ago you could sell a house in an instant and not have to worry so much about first impressions etc, surely with the slow down in the market and prices no longer rising at the rate they did - you need to [i]sell[/] the house once more. Tired looking gardens etc don't make a good first impression in my book.
Is this possibly a reasonable business opportunity?
For those in the industry, is it common for estate agents to offer maintenance 'packages' to clients via their own pool of contractor(s)? Or maybe estate agents don't like to get involved and maybe make referrals and suggest it may be wise to have someone smarten it up whilst on the market if they want to be best placed.
Appreciate this would essentially be a handyman/gardening business with leads coming from an EA, but regular work via that route could be a nice little niche. Or perhaps this is just a standard offering I wasn't aware of, and the market is saturated with people trying to get leads this way.
If there are 3 within a small area, I suspect it's a wider thing.
Unsurprising due to the weather the grass is high, the hedges are out of shape and it made me think - whereas a year or so ago you could sell a house in an instant and not have to worry so much about first impressions etc, surely with the slow down in the market and prices no longer rising at the rate they did - you need to [i]sell[/] the house once more. Tired looking gardens etc don't make a good first impression in my book.
Is this possibly a reasonable business opportunity?
For those in the industry, is it common for estate agents to offer maintenance 'packages' to clients via their own pool of contractor(s)? Or maybe estate agents don't like to get involved and maybe make referrals and suggest it may be wise to have someone smarten it up whilst on the market if they want to be best placed.
Appreciate this would essentially be a handyman/gardening business with leads coming from an EA, but regular work via that route could be a nice little niche. Or perhaps this is just a standard offering I wasn't aware of, and the market is saturated with people trying to get leads this way.
I’ve been a handyman solely with agents for 15 years.
It’s lucrative. Don’t know about packages though. I’ve tried the 1 hour charge for a home check over but the agents have that covered in their checkout reports.
Just go see them and let them know what you do. The more they use you then the more they will ask you to do other things.
It’s lucrative. Don’t know about packages though. I’ve tried the 1 hour charge for a home check over but the agents have that covered in their checkout reports.
Just go see them and let them know what you do. The more they use you then the more they will ask you to do other things.
If the agent can get the clients to pay for it, maybe.
If it has to come out of the agent's pocket, no chance.
Dependiing on the area + state of property, a better idea could be to offer to Airbnb it, split the management fee between you and the agent. And of course the owner gets some income.
Much more full-on and more headaches of course.
If it has to come out of the agent's pocket, no chance.
Dependiing on the area + state of property, a better idea could be to offer to Airbnb it, split the management fee between you and the agent. And of course the owner gets some income.
Much more full-on and more headaches of course.
Better off just advertising your services to renting agencies and big local landlords
If you can work a painbrush, fix a toilet and be polite there is demand....
As for lawns.....Everyone on FB near me is posting "can someone cut my grass etc" ...Ive no doubt most want it done in FOUR MINUTES TIME FOR FOUR POUNDS - but there will be a fair few who will pay the rate and be decent - Ive started doing my elderly neighbours for he as she cant get anyone for love nor money
If you can work a painbrush, fix a toilet and be polite there is demand....
As for lawns.....Everyone on FB near me is posting "can someone cut my grass etc" ...Ive no doubt most want it done in FOUR MINUTES TIME FOR FOUR POUNDS - but there will be a fair few who will pay the rate and be decent - Ive started doing my elderly neighbours for he as she cant get anyone for love nor money
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