Gutter cleaning - very exciting thread!

[JohnnyDeppsfuturewife]

Hi

I live in one of those 'naice' areas where so many people are getting home improvements that getting traders to even visit your house to quote is impossible never mind them actually turning up to do the work.

With that in mind I have tried to arrange a couple of of companies to quote to clean my gutters and not even got anyone to return a phonecall. My window cleaners won't do it because one gutter is three floors high.

So today I got a knock on the door from a passing trader and a quote to do it for the incredibly cheap price of £45. I have friends in similar sized houses (but only two floors) who have paid a couple of hundred pounds. I was under the impression I needed someone with scaffolding and would be prepared to pay a couple of hundred because we've never had it done in the ten years we've been in the house and it does need doing.

I took his card and said I would think about it. He had a high camera and said he would be able to hoover up the leaves, from the ground, while looking with the camera and said often people on ladders might damage the gutters.

Normally I would NEVER give work to a cold caller but he sounded plausible. His card also says his work is 'fully insured' (but even a scammer would say that wouldn't they?)

Has anyone else had this done? Would I be making a mistake getting him to do it? Is it just a scam?

Thank you.

Ps need to pop out to do some shopping so might not reply for a while but I will be back.

[wooooofudge]

There is a gutter cleaning 'system' which uses equipment that sucks the muck out. Where are you? We could do with your bloke to clear ours!

[FrickOnAStick]

My window cleaner* does mine (he has the sucky system). We live in a tall house which means we can't access the gutters ourselves. They are done twice a year because we have tall trees and they blow all manner of crap into the gutter (protected so can't do anything about them beyond general maintenance). It costs about £50 a time and he takes bin bags full of crap away .

*he is a commercial window cleaner too so has the equipment & insurance for up high.

[JohnnyDeppsfuturewife]

Thanks for replying.

I guess these guys have a 'sucky system'. I assumed people used brushes and got on scaffolding for the high bits - like when we have the outside painted.

In Kent wooooofudge

[wooooofudge]

Derbyshire futurewife so a bit far away!

They'll probably show you what they've removed. Ime getting rubbish removed is almost as expensive as the work much of the time.

[Palomb]

I think it's called a sky vac or something. Why don't you ask to see his insurance certificates and take it from there? It does sound like a bit of a bargain!

I watched a documentary once that said all our
gutters were full of micro meteorites that could be collected with a very strong magnet.. I've always fancied having a go at finding those! Might be complete bullshit but sounds exciting!

[wooooofudge]

That's one way to make gutter cleaning seem more interesting!

[thenewaveragebear1983]

That sounds about right, even a good deal. We paid £55 to do our a few weeks ago, no 'sucky system' just good old fashioned handfuls of muck and a ladder. Considering they aren't coming into your house, I can't imagine there's anything wrong with taking someone on who'd cold called- they don't need to be particularly reputable or trustworthy to do that job really do they? I say go for it.

[TheCrowFromBelow]

My gutters have vegetation growing in them
I had a quote for £250!
Yours sound like a bargain