How to Start a Foreclosure Cleanup Business "On the Cheap"

There are some definite costs to starting a foreclosure cleanup business. It’s not one you can start with no money – and don’t believe anyone who tells you otherwise. But, costs can be mitigated. Following are some concrete suggestions on how to start a foreclosure cleaning business “on the cheap.”

3 Concrete Suggestions for How to Business Cleaning Foreclosures Cheaply

Rent Equipment: While it’s ideal to have your own equipment when you own a foreclosure cleanup business, you can rent almost everything you need until you can afford to outright purchase it.

For example, a trailer and a dumpster. Most jobs will require these, as you will have to clean and remove trash and debris from a property. But this equipment can be rented very reasonably.

Equipment Tip: Familiarize Yourself with Costs before You Start Marketing

To start to get an idea of the costs of things you will be renting often (eg, ladders, lawn equipment (in warm seasons); tools, etc., visit your local Home Depot or Lowe’s. As these are built-in costs for your business, you should have an idea of how much it will cost to rent these things for your foreclosure clean out business until you can afford to buy them.

Subcontract: Another way to start a foreclosure cleanup business on the cheap is to subcontract out as much as you can. Cleaning, you can handle yourself. But, if there are jobs that you’re not equipped to handle because you either don’t know how, or don’t have the proper tools, outsource – eg, painting, plumbing, electric, window repairs, etc.

Just build the cost of hiring contractors into your estimate.

Market Online: One of the biggest costs most new businesses face is marketing. Luckily, a foreclosure cleanup business is one where marketing can be done on the cheap. Why? Because your primary customer base (eg, realtors, bankers and investors) are all online.

And, they are easy to find. So use email marketing. It’s free. Add a couple of vehicle signs to this (every foreclosure cleanup business should have vehicle signs) and this is all the marketing you’ll need to do to get business flowing in initially.

While there are legitimate startup costs you can’t get around when you start a foreclosure cleanup business (eg, insurance, vehicle, phone), everything else can be done “on the cheap” until you start bringing in business.

Learn more of what you need to know to start a successful foreclosure cleaning business.