# Heres a question.......can you earn decent money as a Valeter/Detailer



## Gwedo (Apr 13, 2009)

I know there isn't one answer for this as it depends on so many factors but as im looking into doing this full time and putting my all into it i wouldn't mind some inside knowledge from people actually doing it!

My plan is to go part time self employed as a mobile valeter and still do my 9 - 5 job, then eventually go part time at my 9 - 5 and slowly build a customer base/business. 

Due to having a family and having bills i have to be careful. Im just after a ball park figure really, i would want to be taking a wage of roughly 30k eventually i know this will take some time but if you dont try you dont get!.

I will be offering full vallets and minor detailing but not paint correction to start with. One day i would like to get a unit etc but you got to start somewhere!:thumb:


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## PETER @ ECLIPSE (Apr 19, 2006)

biggest killer is the winter months , youll see all sorts of threads popping up now the weather is improving , peeps spending huge amounts of money on kit , then come november its all up for sale at a big loss .
ok for the youngsters on here , but seriously do your homework on this or it could end going the shape of the pear .
dont want to sound negative , there was a thread the other day and consensus was dont do it .
the valeting side of things has been hit hard in the last few years , and thats where you will have to start tbh , even harder to jump in at the top end as you will get found out quite quickly , due to lack of experience .
anyway whatever you decide good luck


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## Concho (Jan 11, 2011)

I'm struggling to build up base now, it's bloody hard to the point where I'm looking for a job to do what you're planning (I was laid off in December so decided to start a business in valeting and domestic protective coatings). It's very slow and hard work at the beginning, and I keep hearing how the Turkish & Polish £5 car "valets" are cheaper etc etc. It's hard to compete with that when Joe Public just sees price and thinks all washes and valets are the same.


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## PETER @ ECLIPSE (Apr 19, 2006)

i touched on that in my first post , here in not so sunny swansea there is a £5 wash in every old petrol station , on the verge of saturation .
phone call today asking for prices on a full job on an octavia , i priced him he then quotes the local splash and dash .
so i just told him to go there then, two minutes later he booked , some do some dont , but ill never justify my prices to anyone if they want the service ill do it


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## kempe (Jan 9, 2011)

I've been doing a few valeting jobs here and there for the last 18 months started off my own car then the other halfs sister then her friends then my bosses cars now the otherhalfs friends at work. I do about 15 to 20 cars in the month :thumb: I have been told I should start a small business and because I have some kit (for self use) It's not to bad. I don't charge alot to do there cars but I make enough to buy more kit and have some beer money left over.
I have been toying with the idea of doing a mobile service going to my other halfs work place and doing there cars there as I could have 5 cars to do in a day. And I have built up a good customer base so far


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## nicp2007 (Apr 25, 2007)

have you ever valeted before????

if the answer in NO, then do not even think of starting up imo,

you will find a lot of the more successful detailers out there started off life as a valeter at a main dealer many years ago and so they know the ins and outs of the job and just how hard it can be on you both mentally and physically, they will also know the real pain that the winter months put you through,

a lot of people see us on here in out nice warm units working on nice cars all day and think it is a great job but believe me it aint all that,

when you start out you will be out in the wind and rain cleaning dog hairs off a 7 seater for peanuts because you will be competing with the cheap hand car wash down the road for the business, 


you you answer yes to the first question then i would say go for it :thumb:

you know the draw backs you don't have to start with the real crappy jobs and you can charge a nice price for your skills,


there is money to be made in this game but it sure don't come easy


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## kempe (Jan 9, 2011)

Pride & Performance said:


> have you ever valeted before????
> 
> if the answer in NO, then do not even think of starting up imo,
> 
> ...


Yep I agree :thumb:


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## 888-Dave (Jul 30, 2010)

My input would be... yes, 30k a year is well within reach but oh my do you have to work some to get beyond that level.

There's so much to do in regards to starting up and for quite a while you will question yourself wether it's for you. 

A huge ammount of hard graft is the key and is definitely not for one thinking that it's an easy way to make a quick buck (not for 1 minute saying that's you) but it takes time to get to the level of the pro's on here and not everyone can deal with the "tougher" times.

Another thing is that it's all well and good keeping your job and just doing it part time but really you need to put 100% in to get the best out of it.

When I took the jump from employment to running my own, I pooped myself bigtime! Kids, Mrs, rent etc etc all had to be covered so I had to make it work
10 years later and it was by far the best thing I ever did.

Still took a good 2-3 years to get a decent amount of regular clients to feel slightly comfortable with things though.

All my own experiences mind, and others will of course differ.

What ever you decide... good luck with it :thumb:


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## chrisw87 (Feb 6, 2011)

I wouldn't rely on it as a main income unless you had alot of regular customers already, I am doing some valeting and detailing for friends, now friends of friends and other select third party referrals from those friends in my spare time from my day-job. 

I'm not charging that much at all, I really enjoy it, and its great to see someone beaming because their car looks as close to as good as new, or better, saying that though, right now I probably earn about half of what a minimum wage job for a 17 year old would pay per month because i only get a chance to schedule 2-3 in a month at the moment (understaffed at the day job, too much overtime). 

I'd say if I stay dedicated, I could have a good customer base in 1-2 years, sounds like a long time? its realistic.


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## Gwedo (Apr 13, 2009)

888-Dave said:


> My input would be... yes, 30k a year is well within reach but oh my do you have to work some to get beyond that level.
> 
> There's so much to do in regards to starting up and for quite a while you will question yourself wether it's for you.
> 
> ...


Thanks everyone, its not something i am jumping into but its better to try and fail than not try at all and wonder what if.

Im going to build it up over time and learn, as you said the winter months are a killer but as my current job is flexable i can work more hours over christmas etc and when the snow/ice hits, this works in the short term anyway!

The pros are im in a rich ish area, there is money to be had but yes its going to be hard to get a slice of the market but ive simply had enough of working for someome else and this is something i have loved doing. To begin with it can bring in some extra cash to cover nappies i can learn and then ill take it from there

If its not right for me then ill sell the kit on and move on but you dont know until you try. 

I just wanted to see what people were taking home, if i can make enough to be comfortable and have a more flexable working hours (take kids to school etc) then thats just as important. Working a 9 - 5 has its perks but the major downer with a 9 - 5 is most things i need to do fall in those hours!:wall:


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## CraigQQ (Jan 20, 2011)

ive been thinking of doing this aswell over the course of next few years (saving enough to get a van, kit ect. then going part time at my work) 
due to the nature of my job(chef) i can always get work in december (and maybe november) due to the run up to christmas and new year its a busy period..

january and feb usually quiet in my line of work. 

so its always an option to make a bit of money working back in the kitchen over christmas and new year to keep the funds up


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## David (Apr 6, 2006)

put it this way - no one sensible is going to boast about their income, especially a business on here.

5,000 - 100,000 is possible, it depends how much work you can rack up and how many vans you get on the road.

you probably won't make 30k a year just valeting with 1 van without any decent contracts in place, too many variables like weather, cancelations, the economy, outgoings

a suicidal move if you have a family who depend upon your income


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

I'd hate to try and make a living from detailing. For me, like Kempe, it's great beer money and funding to support the habbit.


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## kempe (Jan 9, 2011)

type[r]+ said:


> I'd hate to try and make a living from detailing. For me, like Kempe, it's great beer money and funding to support the habbit.


Yeah I have a list as long as my arm (and that's long) of stuff I need :lol: ok ok Want!!!! You will find if you do it that way people will find out who you are and what your work is like


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## ryanuk (Jun 22, 2007)

Yeah you can make good money but its not easy money!!! Its took me 3 years to get to how busy i am now,it dont happen over night.

For me its not about the money its about loving my job.


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## tjclark92 (Feb 10, 2011)

Ive only been going for about 4 - 5 months. Average, I'm on about 250 a week. Sometimes i earn 120+ in a day but thats on a very, very good day!

The only problem is, you can always guarantee the money (weather, no bookings, cancellations, etc-), need a second more stable job really.


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## 888-Dave (Jul 30, 2010)

ryanuk said:


> Yeah you can make good money but its not easy money!!! Its took me 3 years to get to how busy i am now,it dont happen over night.
> 
> For me its *not about the money its about loving my job*.


Thats the work attitude that leads to success :thumb:


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## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

You can make good money doing anything, it just depends how well you do it. 

What you need to take in to consideration if you have not worked for your self before is, turn over and profit are two different beasts, and turning over 75,000 a year is where you will need to aim at as a one or two man band to see a decent wage from it, if you plan to do it properly. 

Now go away look at what you want/can charge, and how many cars realistically you can do (you wont be busy every day 9-5 5 days a week) and then work out just how many cars you would have to wash, clean, polish, wax, to turn that over that amount (and to be fair that aint much for a business)

There is alot of work involved, and if you you aint moving you aint earning in this game, that reminds me i best get up and do something


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## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

Haven't you asked this already? http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=204190


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## walker1967 (Sep 12, 2010)

I started up in November lol ( thanks to the business gateway taking so long to deposit my money in my account ) but i financed myself a 57 plate caddy with affordable monthly payments and got all my valeting / detailing kit etc. Obviously business was few and far between at that time of year especiallly cause of the brutal winter we had ( still having it in scotland  ) but I done freelance courier work, it certainly rakes in the dough and always a good option for the winter months as this definately is a seasonal job unless your in nice warm unit but even then very few people ar likely wanting ther car valeted or detailed whilst its minus 15 outside lol.


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## David (Apr 6, 2006)

james b said:


> What you need to take in to consideration if you have not worked for your self before is, turn over and profit are two different beasts, and turning over 75,000 a year is where you will need to aim at as a one or two man band to see a decent wage from it, if you plan to do it properly.
> )


wise words, although i think the top line also depends where you are from, based where you are - you are going to need to turn over more than me, from Glasgow as living costs are greatly increased.

I'd try and stick income to just under the VAT threshold if possible too, as soon as you become VAT Reg'd it brings its own complications etc


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## Gwedo (Apr 13, 2009)

Thats everyone and sorry if it sounded like a repost i dont want to spam the forum! 

The job i have a the moment is retail and Christmas/Jan and Feb are very busy and i would be able to get work then. 

Bottom line is you dont know unless you try.

This forum really is very helpfull, i have been on various car forums for years but on here you get great help and no attitude :thiunb:


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## rgDetail (Jul 16, 2009)

Agreed you don't know unless you try, but if you do try, be preprared to bend over backwards for what feels like absolutley nothing before you even get the faintest sight of a profit, let alone a weekly wage after outgoings for the business and general expenses in life. It's not easy at all and as others have said, give it some serious thought if your wage currently goes a long way in the monthly out-goings at home. 

Again, give it some serious thought and if you do go ahead, all the best with your potential new venture  if not, enjoy it as a hobby and a very fun one at that, before it turns into a job :lol:


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## rich1880 (May 26, 2010)

Absolutely go for it 100%. If you are dedicated and want to make a living out of it and earn 30k per year then if you put your mind to it then you will !! I helped a friend set up a while ago, he got a lot of advice saying start out washing cars and work up to detailing, he decided to practice like mad and went straight into machine polishing and is doing very very well and has built up a great reputation, this has set him in a different league than the cheap polish washes for a fiver. It worked for him but many have started as a vateter and worked up so both ways are worth looking at!!

Another thing he learn't, if your cheap then many people are put off, charge a little more and people think theyre getting something with a little more attention to detail.


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