Landlord the Lawnmower Man

[Aceyducey]

Glenn,

I worked on average 3 days a week - more in winter when there was less daylight. Made over $30 per hour (this was late 80s) and cleared around $25 of this....so without having any of the business's figures anymore I'd estimate at least $500 per week.

Of course, most of it went on uni lifestyle & it funded two trips o/s for me, plus at least a dozen conferences round aus

I sold the bus for $10K ish when finishing uni cause my goal was to work for someone for a change....

Cheers,

Aceyducey

 

[geoffw]

Aceyducey,

On the other hand, you could have set up a franchise instead- the famous Jim's, or the slighly less famous http://www.marksmowing.com/franchises.htm

 

[Aceyducey]

Originally posted by geoffw
Aceyducey,

On the other hand, you could have set up a franchise instead- the famous Jim's, or the slighly less famous http://www.marksmowing.com/franchises.htm

Geoff,

I wish I had.

I did think about it briefly, but at the time I'd just finished 3 years of uni indoctrination & was focused on working for a Proctor & Gamble or the like.

Big mistake!

Aceyducey's Mowing has quite a ring doesn't it

Cheers,

Aceyducey

 

[Jakk]

Originally posted by geoffw
Aceyducey,

On the other hand, you could have set up a franchise instead- the famous Jim's, or the slighly less famous http://www.marksmowing.com/franchises.htm

just had a quick bo peep at marks website, was very impressed with his guarantees:

From marks website...

My Price Guarantee. If within 90 days of the date of commencement you find someone who is able to provide you with the same service at a cheaper price, I wont just refund you the difference, I'll refund you DOUBLE the difference. I'll always be your cheapest quote - guaranteed!

The job will be completed on time or I will give you $100 for every day I work beyond the agreed completion date.

My Quality Guarantee. If you find a problem with my work either during construction or during the guarantee period, if I can't address the problem within 4 hours I'll give you $100.


**Now that's confidence in your service**

regards

 

[geoffw]

The guarantee for the franchise is also excellent- though it's not stated in the website, only in the ad I read in the WealthCreator magazine.

 

[Dose]

I'd have to query Mark's claim about making $600 a day mowing lawns on his own.
We've run our own lawin mowing & gardening business for nine years and unless your charging mega bucks to mow a lawn I doubt you could make that much money. $250 is more like it and you would be working like a dog every day.
If you charge too much there is always someone willing to undercut you.

 

[JPM]

I think its a great idea.

I'm not interested in it as a career as such, BUT if I can get paid to mow my own properties then it might just enable me to retire that little bit earlier than first thought.

Plus I could do with the exercise!!!


Jason

 

[Ross Sneddon]

Hi

Are missing the point?

Do we want to create a lawn mowing etc., business or do we want a way to regularly inspect the property, legally without any tenant fuss or perhaps knowledge to ensure the property is being looked after to your satisfaction?

If you engage the services of a lawn mower person and pay them the going rate each fortnight or less often in winter, you can drop in as a supervisor of the lawn mowing business as required and inspect the property whilst inspecting the garden. The cost of the lawn mowing balances the additional cost the tenant is mostly prepared to pay each week.

Get the lawnmower person on side and they will inspect the property for you and report to you on a regular basis without your presence.

Surely it is the property we want to care for.

Regards

Ross

 

[Aceyducey]

Ross,

If I were going to create a lawn mowing business to check on my IPs, I'd make sure I was also making a profit

It's just as easy to make a profit as a loss, so why lose money?

Cheers,

Aceyducey

 

[gecho1]

Thats right Ace,
and to that point too, the whole idea of IP's is to establish a passive income, so that you don't have to work etc etc etc. But you may still get bored and decide to kill two birds with one stone, and start looking after your properties yourself. Another good point is that tenants sometimes have great ideas for renos in the property that they reside in. these renos can potentialy increase the equity in said property. Listen to your tenants. They're not all bad.

Gecho

 

[Ross Sneddon]

Hi Aceyducey

My comment:

"The cost of the lawn mowing balances the additional cost the tenant is mostly prepared to pay each week."

That means that the lawnmowing runs at a profit or breaks even, not at a loss. "Surely it is the property we want to care for."

Regards

Ross