Hey Chaps, Well, the old guy what I work with is packing it all in soonish, he is 65 now. Well, I am too young to work for the company on the cards and drive the van as the insurance on the van is for over 25's. So I am going self employed as a subbie soon, any tips? Going to cost a arm and a leg for a van and insurance and all that? Is going self employed beneficial? Should I go on the meterage, or should I ask for a day rate? What van should I go for, looking for a small one? Need one what would be extremely cheep on insurance as I am 18. Cheers fella's!
depends who you subbie too shops and other fitters day rate if like me builders and kitchen fitters then meterage.van wise if funds are tight get a transit or vivaro with a rack if you do carpets.
It would prob be one shop what I subbie with, the one what I am at currently. I don't really get many privates, the shop only pays rubbish money. £2.50 for carpets and vinyls, but at the end of the day its work. So I have to bite the bullet. Would be happy with 50 - 60 m2 a day, what they said they can do. Then I can just plod along on my own. Looked at the ford transits and the insurance for me is rediculious, £6000+. Looked at the ford escort vans, they was the cheapest on insurance for me, £4500.
They do it all on postcode aswell, because I am in a high crime area close to town and all they decide they want to bump it up. Just got a quote from my old address in East Kilbride in Glasgow and it has gone from £5500 to £1860.18. Lol.
If I was you i would ring up all local and non local shops to ask for work( the worst they can say is no),but as a fitter to go out with a experienced fitter with van,forget about a van for now,if they are asking £6000 insurance it ain't worth you getting one yet,I got a nephew who's 22 he gets a train into London everyday to work out of a shop in Battersea,he ain't got a van yet but he's looking for a transit connect,for any small privates he gets.
@advanedflooringuk - That seems good in my eyes. Lol. @Kevin0722 - Done all that mate, they all ask whether I have a van and I say no and then they say I need one to get work with them. @coolevilangel - You lucky devil you!
Yes I think so too i I meant your price is a rip off feel sorry for the lads a bit younger then me so hard getting insurance ans lessons etc and they wonder why a lot of younger people are unemployed they can't all work on there doorsteps
If I were you I'd make sure you have secured somewhere to work for before getting a van, you don't want to spend all that money then have no work. Thing you have to think about is when your a subby you don't get paid when your not working so best not to keep your eggs all in 1 basket and try and work for numerous people
Can you get a parent to do the insurance and you be a named driver? that would bring the cost down to something approaching reasonable although you wouldnt build any no claims, that or can you double up with another fitter? me and a mate work together and it works quite well if you can get in with someone that has alot of work.
My mum lives in Scotland and I will be using her address. Cuts my insurance cost by over 50% from my postcode what I have in west london. I am done with working with other fitters if I am honest. Just had a bad stray of them. Cheers for your input matey! Much appreciated.
