13th Hustle: Lean Mean Garage-Cleaning Machine
***This post has been updated, please see the information at the end of the article.***
You’ve seen the horror, you’ve seen the mess, you’ve even seen the sighs as people lament coming home and parking their car.
Yes, I’m referring to the unclean and cluttered garage!
Just about every garage in the United States could use a cleaning. Some are in desperate need of a complete overhaul. If you are brave enough to delve into the remote areas of the nether region, you can offer this service to homeowners in your community. You can set your own hours and prices depending on the work load, and you can even hire people once you have a system in place.
Summertime is a great time for this hustle, as people take to the roads and want to dig out their bicycles and play equipment for use in the parks and recreational areas. Since you’ll primarily be working outside, it’s best to do it when you don’t have to wear a coat and gloves. Also, this service isn’t necessarily dependent on the homeowner being present, because you won’t be going inside of the home in most cases. You can also make extra money if the homeowner wants you to haul away their trash instead of using their herbie curbie. However, because you will be working in a dirty environment, make sure you have protective equipment such as work gloves, old clothes and a dust mask. In addition, be aware that there will be little critters in the dark corners, so be prepared to moonlight as a part-time Orkin man.
The market for garage cleaning is…what’s the word…HUGE!! If you’ve never thought about it, then here’s a question for you: how many homes don’t need their garage cleaned? When is the last time you saw a pristine or squeaky clean garage, and the homeowner was living there for more than one week? Clean garages are like $2 bills — you hear about them and know they exist, but it can be really hard to spot one. One of the great things about this hustle is it’s ‘repeat customer’ factor: once you get all the garages cleaned and straightened up, it will be time to start all over again. In addition, if you are really handy you can offer additional services, such as stain removal, painting, building shelves, garage door opener installation, etc. Again, the only limits are your imagination.
Do your part in helping the environment by helping others help themselves to a cleaner future. You’ll both be glad you did!
***UPDATE: A good way to market your services would be to use signs that are placed across the street from the entrance of any subdivision. You may have to check with your local ordinances to make sure it is legal, but you could hit everyone that lives there with only one well-placed targeted display. The residents are virtually guaranteed to see it, and it beats direct mail marketing!
Also, establish a relationship with homeowners associations and see if you can place an ad in the newsletter they have. The association doesn’t have a newsletter? Great! Create one for them with your ad in place, and instantly you get your exposure and another stream of income.
At The Bottom
I don’t need someone to clean my garage, I need someone to clean my attic!
Nice idea, simple labor, but the only thing I wouldn’t like is having someone hovering over your shoulder telling you what to keep, and what goes where.
cooliojones
I totally understand, I prefer the people who let you chunk almost anything that is in there! (even the cars in some cases, lol)
greygoose
if i had a garage i’d have one every weekend
chrisblogging.com
Love this idea. In fact, I have seen a few ads in my local paper for this…
One Man - OneYearGoal.com
I hope those weren’t pics of your own garage! You could use some help there yourself!
http://www.OneYearGoal.com
$100,000 in one year online– how will he do it?
cooliojones
LOL!! One of them isn’t mine but I know the person that owns it. I hope they won’t be mad @ me.
Balinese
That’s awful pics.
dcr
I’d be more worried about big and dangerous critters than little ones. A cockroach or two, meh. Spiders, yawn. Centipedes, hohum. A poisonous snake curled up under that deflated old tire… Count me out!
cooliojones
Snakes and spiders do it for me. Well, the big juicy spiders, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in person, just in the movies. Any snakes, I stop the job and won’t be coming back!
mahdi yusuf
thats just too much!! honestly i dont think i even owe that much stuff!
Over The Web
Wow.. what an unorgonized garage :O
Too much stuff as was said before..
Richard Osborn
And I thought my garage was bad!! WOW!
Good idea, for the garage cleaning service, this is also a great way for younger adults or teens to make money over the summer and they can post their ads on Craigs List for free.
A.J. - IAmFacingMillions.com
Interesting idea. Not sure I could stand to hire someone to go through my stuff. Then again, my garage doesn’t look like that. Oh wait, I don’t have a garage, just covered parking.
yeoq
i was making money offline; rephrase saving money offline. I purchased a used bike for 15 bucks and would ride it 1.5 miles to and from work instead of catching the bus. I was saving and getting my daily exercise. Ofcourse i looked like a boy riding to work in a suit but its a free country you do whatever you want right? So i thought. This morning, i sadly found out that last night someone cut my leesh and stole my bike
. I Lost what i saved
chrisblogging.com
I looked into this a bit more last night. It is definitely a business that has legs!