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Thread: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

  1. #16
    Member VJinTownsville's Avatar
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    Default Re: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

    Yea I always carry round up in the rig now. So I can do spraying as soon as I'm successful with the quote on big jobs. then come back at the latest possible to smack the whole job minus the pesty weeds.

  2. #17
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

    A back pack spray full of round up is an essential piece of kit. It makes it easy for you at your regs to knock over any weeds as soon as they pop their heads up. Plus it earns you extra dollars.
    Cheers

    Bluey
    Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
    http://www.ahgs.com.au


    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

  3. #18
    Senior Member Countrymile's Avatar
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    Default Re: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

    We use two methods.

    A- Quote the whole job......Use your hourly rate + cost per ute/trailer load to the tip and cost of any materials; to quote the whole job. Try to estimate number of hours by breaking the property into smaller areas in your head, and then add it all up. You may want to add 20% to this....
    For eg.

    Pool area - 2 hours @ $60= $120
    Front Garden - 2 hours @ $60 = $120
    Back Paddock - 4 hours @ $60 = $240
    Tree trimming- 2 hours @ $60 = $120
    Green Waste- 2 trailer loads @ $50= $100
    Tea Tree Mulch 1 cubic metre @ $70cm installed= $70

    = $770 +20%
    = Quote to customer $925 ( quote details only items to be carried out, not hourly rates.)

    B- Get a budget off your customer - eg. Say to them that your hourly rate is $60 per hour and it will be $50 per trailer load of waste etc. etc. What do they want to spend....they may say, well do enough work up to $600........

    You will know when you speak with them which method is better.

    Regards
    Shannon
    Shannon & Darren- Country Mile Mowing Maintenance- www.cmmm.com.au

  4. #19
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

    Agree with the asking budget CM. I do this on most of my big ones when I am talking to the client first up. It lets you know immediately if they are worthwhile taking on. For example if you have a job that is worth $600 and their budget is $300 then you say to them they wont get what they want for that price. This is when I offer them an hourly rate as an alternative. I say to them our hourly rate is $X and would you like me to perform X amount of hours to fit in with their budget. This usually get me the job and when we have finished that they normally look at their budget and get us back again when they can afford it.
    Cheers

    Bluey
    Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
    http://www.ahgs.com.au


    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

  5. #20
    Member Andy B's Avatar
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    Default Re: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

    Nice one Country Mile!

  6. #21
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

    Never thought of asking the customer what their budget is before. Great Idea.

  7. #22
    member Christine Wharton's Avatar
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    Default Re: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

    Go as low as you can go...
    I like to physically take out large weeds and vines at the root if possible/practical. Otherwise go over it with a brushcutter (with disc c.f. line), then rake it, if it needs to be left tidy. Poison as required to stop reinfestation of weeds in garden beds etc.
    Ciao for now ~ Christine
    senior partner ~ Townsville Lawn Care
    http://townsvillelawncare.webs.com

  8. #23
    Member of Forum Stripes's Avatar
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    Default Re: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

    I have just registered the domain gardencleanups.com.au to do these cleanups. Mainly for Winter work when the irrigation dies but I'll see how I go with that and subbie it out if need be when I am too busy, but just oversee it and do what I can. I am doing a big one at the moment and like doing these one off jobs that are filthy, but you go in and weave your magic and the place looks a million times better in a short time. The site is not active at the moment but I will probably do it over the next few weeks.

  9. #24
    Member Andy B's Avatar
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    Default Re: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

    I've been experimenting with edges and not having an edger it's been a bit hit and miss. I have however worked out a method which has worked for feral ones that have the grass growing down into the gutter and 30+ cm onto the paths:

    1:Cut the grass back off the gutters in an anti clock wise direction with your whipper (standing on the grass side) throwing most of the stuff onto the nature strip.

    2: Drop the mower as low as it goes and go along the path edge.

    3: Now that you can almost see the edge or at least where it may be, cut the edge with a straight edge shovel or a hand and foot edger, run the whipper back over the edges and walla!

    4: Rake the cuttings up and run the mower over the path then mow nature strip at suitable height then blow.

    For me it's faster than slogging it out with the snipper, gives a better finish and you use heaps less chord and reduces your risk of hitting passing cars etc. If the path doesn't look straight or clean drop the mower down again and clean up the edge with the front wheel and the base of the mower.

    And if all else fails... buy an edger.

  10. #25
    Member of Forum starmow's Avatar
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    Default Re: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

    Quote Originally Posted by Andy B View Post
    I've been experimenting with edges and not having an edger it's been a bit hit and miss. I have however worked out a method which has worked for feral ones that have the grass growing down into the gutter and 30+ cm onto the paths:

    1:Cut the grass back off the gutters in an anti clock wise direction with your whipper (standing on the grass side) throwing most of the stuff onto the nature strip.

    2: Drop the mower as low as it goes and go along the path edge.

    3: Now that you can almost see the edge or at least where it may be, cut the edge with a straight edge shovel or a hand and foot edger, run the whipper back over the edges and walla!

    4: Rake the cuttings up and run the mower over the path then mow nature strip at suitable height then blow.

    For me it's faster than slogging it out with the snipper, gives a better finish and you use heaps less chord and reduces your risk of hitting passing cars etc. If the path doesn't look straight or clean drop the mower down again and clean up the edge with the front wheel and the base of the mower.

    And if all else fails... buy an edger.
    ATOM, ATOM Andy easy way

  11. #26
    Senior Member geoff's Avatar
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    Default Re: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

    probably one must have item if you can the atom edger or similar , but depends on the funds but if you can afford it seems a good choice...new customers love looking at those perfect straight edges when they see the end product of your work..its amazing how many people comment on those nice edges and can bring in new work

  12. #27
    Member of Forum starmow's Avatar
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    Default Re: Guide to Feral/Jungle Clean Ups (Please add tips)

    Quote Originally Posted by geoff View Post
    probably one must have item if you can the atom edger or similar , but depends on the funds but if you can afford it seems a good choice...new customers love looking at those perfect straight edges when they see the end product of your work..its amazing how many people comment on those nice edges and can bring in new work
    I have few, they love perfect edges

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