# Vehicle Valeting



## DROOBY (Aug 5, 2008)

Hi folks,

Was wondering if anyone can let me know if their is much call for vehicle valeting over in the expat communities and when my spanish is good enough the locals. Used to run a valeting and contract cleaning business in uk and i am coming over in a few weeks to look at the market and do some area research. Looking at Murcia/costa blanca direction.
Would be grateful for any info or experiances.

Cheers

Andy


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

Andy - This is from a West madrid standpoint - OK. 

I dont often bother as I can happily clean my own cars (as I have off-road parking) though actually if the truth be known I really only clean the glass. 

But where I park at work, they'll do a COMPLETE INSIDE/OUTSIDE VALETING for €10. Here where we live it's STARTING to become a bit of a "happening" in manned car parks - The owner makes €10 more and still pays the guys the same wage. Good huh! - They do a DAMN FINE JOB btw. 

So much so the "valetting" franchises have simply "gone" from round us. There were a fair few of these water-free wheelie cart services valeting in entertainment complexes/shopping centres - Not seen one for a good 6 months now.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Hi, from the Northern CB viewpoint

I go to the local shopping centre and there is a guy in the car park that offers full valets for very little with the water free system

There are numerous drive through car valets around here, and you just leave your car there and they do it for you

You'd need to pick your area very very carefully


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## SunnySpain (Jul 30, 2008)

Hello Andy - this is from a Picos de Europa viewpoint.

Yes, if you wish to valet our car, I would gladly pay you 10 Euros a throw
and if you did a splendid job I would like to make it a bi-monthly arrangement

Your call - lol


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## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

I use a mobile valet.....it's called a husband!! LOL

Seriously, I would love to see a good, reliable valet company in my local area. When I worked in Dubai, a nice Indian chap used to clean my vehicle every second day (the dust is unbelievable!!) for only 80 Dirhams per month. He did a marvellous job and I always tipped him, after all, I would hate to clean my car in 50c heat!!

If you fancy the Costa Blanca, I'll be your Numero Uno Cliente!


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## DROOBY (Aug 5, 2008)

Pasanada said:


> I use a mobile valet.....it's called a husband!! LOL
> 
> Seriously, I would love to see a good, reliable valet company in my local area. When I worked in Dubai, a nice Indian chap used to clean my vehicle every second day (the dust is unbelievable!!) for only 80 Dirhams per month. He did a marvellous job and I always tipped him, after all, I would hate to clean my car in 50c heat!!
> 
> If you fancy the Costa Blanca, I'll be your Numero Uno Cliente!


Cheers folks i'll hold you to that


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

DROOBY said:


> Cheers folks i'll hold you to that


Errrr ..... why are you posting under two user names drooby?
Thats an offence punishable by death


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## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

Tee hee!


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## stepper19 (Jul 9, 2008)

Hi Andy,

Just thought i'd add my experience of this subject.

I have moved back to the UK now but lived Inland of Alicante for 2 yrs up to Jan this year.

I used to do valeting part-time in the UK before we went and like you had the idea of valeting full time in Spain. We lived in a large expat community and thought it would be a good idea.

I advertised locally and also in the Costa Blanca News etc. I did leaflet drops in all local houses (maybe 1000+). Left leaflets and business cards in businesses and also spoke to garages and car dealers regarding possible work. Also went into Benidorm and other coastal area's leaving flyers etc.
Basically i did as much as i thought i could! 

I did get some work but really not much!! I did a really good job and spent hours doing the cars to hopefully get repeat work and recommendations. 

After many months it was obvious i couldn't make enough money from it to call it anywhere near a full time wage. As the previous members have written, Spanish garages and supermarkets etc do a good job for 10e-20e and i couldn't compete with that! It was costing me more in products than what i got in wages!!! You can't charge anywhere near what you can in the UK. Also to be legal you have to pay around 250e a month if you're self employed. 

Its ok for a bit of extra money to buy shopping or a night out, but don't rely on it being you main source of income.

You may move to an area where the above will be different but its tough!


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## stepper19 (Jul 9, 2008)

Also (as Chris touched upon in the first reply) it is illegal to wash a car on a public road. I think this applies to all of Spain.


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

stepper19 said:


> Also (as Chris touched upon in the first reply) it is illegal to wash a car on a public road. I think this applies to all of Spain.


The word wash is the key one. The reasoning is that washing pushes contaminants into the ground water supply. It's also theoretically illegal IF the water runs into a public drain and is not recycled I believe. 

That said I've heard of people being cautioned cleaning glass etc without water as there was a person/moving vehicle proximity issue.


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## stepper19 (Jul 9, 2008)

That said I've heard of people being cautioned cleaning glass etc without water as there was a person/moving vehicle proximity issue.[/QUOTE]

I can believe that as i was threatened with a fine once by the GC for applying tyre black!! I was outside the car owners house.


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

That could also be the tyre black. It's been used in the past to disguise dodgy s/h tyres by the grey importers.


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