Why buy a round instead of building one
Buying a round gets you paying customers from the first week, instead of months of canvassing. It can be the quickest way to start, or to fill the gaps in a round you already have.
But you're paying up front for customers who never chose you. Some will leave when the cleaner changes, and a round that looks good on paper can turn out to be spread out, underpriced or full of late payers. The checks below help you find out before you hand over any money.
Ask for the full customer list
Before you talk about price, ask the seller for a list of every customer. A serious seller should be happy to share it once you're clearly interested. For each customer you want:
- The address, or at least the street and postcode.
- The price they pay and how often they're cleaned.
- What's included — front and back, frames, conservatory.
- How they pay, and whether they pay on time.
- How long they've been a customer.
Check the customers are real and paying
A list is only as good as the money behind it. Ask to see proof that the customers actually pay — bank statements, invoices or the seller's records showing payments over the last few months.
If you can, go out with the seller for a day or two before you buy. You'll see the houses, meet some of the customers and find out how long the round really takes.
Look at where the houses are
Plot every address on a map. A round where the houses sit close together is worth far more than the same number of customers scattered across several towns, because travel eats into every hour.
Think about how it fits with your existing work too. A round next to your current area adds money with very little extra driving. One an hour away might not be worth having at all.
Check the prices are worth taking on
Rounds often come with customers who haven't had a price rise in years. Work out what the round would earn per hour — total takings for a day divided by the hours from first job to last, travel included — and compare it with what you need to earn.
Underpriced customers aren't always a reason to walk away, but you'll need to raise prices after you take over, and some customers may leave when you do. Factor that in.
How rounds are usually valued
Rounds are commonly priced as a multiple of what the customers pay over a set period — for example, a number of weeks' or months' takings. The multiple is agreed between buyer and seller, and there's no fixed rate.
Things that should push the price down: customers spread over a wide area, low prices, lots of late payers, and customers who've only just joined. Things that support a higher price: tight streets, regular payers and long-standing customers.
Some buyers agree to pay part of the price after a few months, based on how many customers are still with them. It protects you if more leave than expected.
Agree the handover
The handover is when you're most likely to lose customers. Agree with the seller how customers will be told — ideally a message or letter from the seller introducing you by name, before your first visit.
Put what you've agreed in writing, including what happens if customers leave in the first few months and that the seller won't start cleaning the same customers again nearby.
Keep the customers you've paid for
Your first few cleans set the tone. Turn up when the old cleaner did, keep the same price for now, and let customers know how to pay you.
Get every customer into your own records straight away — prices, notes, access details and how they pay — so nothing is lost when the seller's notebook goes with them.
Common questions
Is it worth buying a window cleaning round?
It can be, especially if the round is close to where you already work. The value is in customers who stay and pay on time, so check the list, the payments and the area before you agree a price.
How much does a window cleaning round cost to buy?
There's no set price. Rounds are usually valued as a multiple of their regular takings, and the multiple depends on how tight the round is, how well it's priced and how reliable the customers are.
How many customers will I lose when I take over a round?
Expect some to leave when the cleaner changes — how many depends on the handover. A personal introduction from the seller and turning up on the usual day both help most customers stay.
What should I get in writing when buying a round?
The customer list, the price, how and when you'll pay, what happens if customers leave in the first few months, and an agreement that the seller won't take the customers back.
How PanePal helps
Bought a round? Import the customer list from a spreadsheet, or send PanePal the list — even a photo of the round book — and it's set up for you, with every price, note and payment in one place.
Just starting out? PanePal is free for up to 25 customers — no card and no time limit.
See how Customer Management works →