Detailing at your own home

G

gregk

New member
I have a full time job other than detailing, and have been doing detailing on my days off. I used to work for a detail shop over 16 years ago during the summer months before getting my full time job and have since done the odd car on the side. The problem is that for the past two years the "on the side" could almost be the full time job. I am now pondering doing detailing full time as I do have a good client base without advertising at all. The problem is that I have been doing most details at my home rather than at a shop or going mobile. My house can't be zoned for this, so should I just try to do more mobile details or try to rent a space. I would rather keep things on a smaller scale as I would like to most of the detailing myself rather than hiring people right away. I have been doing nothing but full paint correction, interior/exterior details on most cars for the last 2 years, and don't want to be rushed thinking I have to put more cars through each day to get ahead.



Any ideas on how some of the fellow smaller scale or mobile detailers got started would the final push I need! Thanks.
 
I'm in the same boat as you, but I dont' intend to make it a job again. I'm keeping my real job and just doing detail work on the side in my spare time.



I'd suggest if you want to go mobile try going to the customers house. Verify they have water/electrical where you'd need it and bring your supplies with you. I have a friend working this way now and he is saving towards a small trailer down the line.
 
You could always build/renovate a garage with professional wash facilities and lighting.



Out of sight out of mind. Neighbours wont know and probably wouldn't care providing you dont have 20 cars turning up each day.



Who does the weekly maintenance washing for the cars you detail?



It might be best to do the full details at your home so you have all the lighting and equipment available so you dont have to carry your equipment with you or have the cost of getting a trailer.



Then for a weekly maintenance washes you could make bookings for saturday mornings and go out and wash their cars as a mobile setup. Stick a 20 gallon water tank in the back of the car and rig up a cheap 12volt fuel/water pump with a 10 metre hose.Just drive up next to the clients car pull the hose out and away you go. Get a decent cordless vacuum cleaner so you can give the interior a quick vacuum.



All you'd need is a couple bottles of product, microfibres and a bucket :xyxthumbs



Weekly maintenance washing is just as important as paint correction. If washed correctly the paint correction wouldn't have been required in the first place. The money is also quite good. It will definitely add a personal touch to your business.



It would be a wise move to also stock decent washing equipment so you can sell these to your customers so the enthusiastic customers can do the maintenance washing themselves. That way you still profit from them and as they buy from you it may stop them from joining a forum like this. Because we all know that once you join autopia you become addicted, so you'd loose that customer.
 
Thats how I run things right now for myself...pick the cars up, take them back to my home...and do work!! When I'm done...take the car back and get paid!! Neighbors never talk around here because my home is pretty sacluded anyway. I have yet to be mobile, or alteast have a mobile unit...if someone wants me to come to their house, I will, no problem, i just ask for a garage, water source, and electric source. No one has had a problem with me using water/electric. I basically tell them, I'm not set up to be mobile, but I would be more than happy to come and do it at your home, only thing I ask is for a water source and electric source.



Simple as that...but just like posted above, stay at your house if you have everything there! And if you not doing2 cars a day, dont bother with a mobile unit...but keep on it!
 
TTWAGN said:
You could always build/renovate a garage with professional wash facilities and lighting.



Out of sight out of mind. Neighbours wont know and probably wouldn't care providing you dont have 20 cars turning up each day.
Click to expand...





Keep it on the side, just make it easier. Unless you "really" hate your job.
 
I'm in the same situation with doing some jobs on the side. My neighbors actually bust my chops (in a good way) about it all the time when we're drinking on weekends. I've actually gotten a little business this way as well. I usually have about one a weekend, so it's no big deal and they know it's usually for friends / family. Also, I have a hard rule of not running the polisher past 10 p.m. no matter what. I have 2 small kids and neighbors have kids, so I respect that.
 
I plan to do one car a day as I am usually doing full details. I have been too busy booking full details so I have not really had the time do just washing, although I do have a few customers that only want me to wash or just do exterior work and I have.



Being a huge car guy, my house has a 3 car garage that I built larger than normal, with hot and cold water with a laundry tub, outdoor weather resistant power outlets, insulated doors, built in speakers and I got the cement guys to really slope the floor towards the driveway so water runs out. So if I had the option of doing all my jobs at home I would, I am just nevous of neighbours being complaining of constant vacuum and buffer noise. I have been doing the details totally inside with the doors closed to keep noise down and lighting has not been a problem. I don't hate my current job, but I really enjoy detailing and I charge enough to make more than my regular job and spend less time doing it. Is there anyone out there that does most jobs at their own address without complaints from anyone?
 
Seems like only noise is a problem.



Thats quite easily fixed. Keep the garaged door closed and possibly try to reduce the vacuum noise by putting ther vacuum in a ventilated box or something similar and just run a longer vacuum hose.



My garage is attached to the house so i plan on moving my vacuum unit under the house with the hose coming through the wall into the garage. That way the hose can retract into the wall when not in use and i'll have a little door that i can open up to empty the vacuum.



Im going to put my pressure washer under the house also and possibly have the hose coming out of the top of the roof on a swivelling pole just like the car wash bays.
 
Thanks for all the ideas! I guess I will try to keep the noise down by doing more in the closed garage and hope nobody complains. I will also try to do more mobile jobs as long as they have a suitable space.
 
Ok not to threadjack, but what do you do for washing their cars if you go mobile? Wash in their driveway in the sun? Or ONR in their garage? But that would get water in their garage, so....
 
I usually do interior work outside as it is easier to see all the nooks and crannies as well as letting carpets and seats dry faster if they are extracted. After the cars interior is mostly done, it is washed outside then I bring the car inside the garage to do drying, polishing and waxing. If it is a hot day, I may move the car into the garage to cool down as I finish up interior work or start on exterior(cleaning engine etc.) jobs. I then pull the car out to wash or just do the whole darn thing inside the garage if it has enough room to fully open all doors and just sweep out the water after I wash.
 
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