With the present financial crisis that the world is experiencing, many businesses have closed down rather than continuously losing money. While others try to stay and just hope that the situation will become better soon. There are also some home-based businesses which start everyday and 50 percent of these do not survive during their first few years.

But with this situation, there are businesses whose activities are related to foreclosure and these are booming. While others are suffering, these businesses are making money out of the bad situation happening all around.

For instance, there are the realtors where they enjoy buying properties with selling prices way below the true market value. From the recent researches, the different businesses which are booming even with a recession are locksmiths, pool services and maintenance, grass painters, trash-outs, board-up professionals and property preservation companies.

Are the businesses mentioned above hard to do? Except may be for realtors, the rest are easy to manage and can be handled by any one else.

Let us take a closer look for each task:

Locksmiths – the locks of foreclosed properties are to be replaced. You can do this basic service or you may add other cleaning activities.

Pool services and maintenance – a foreclosed property with pool needs regular maintenance. There are some realtors and foreclosed companies that prefer to keep the pool drained or covered to avoid accidents and breeding of mosquitoes.

Grass painters – they are tasked to paint the lawns. Foreclosed properties with dying and brown lawns will not attract customers. Therefore the property owner has to maintain it so he needs the service of grass painters.

Trash outs – many of the foreclosed properties have junks and debris which are left by previous owner. To prepare it for the prospective clients, it needs cleaning services to make it ready for maintenance and repairs.

Board-up professionals – this service is important for a house that no one is staying in. They keep the exit and entrance points of the house closed to keep out stray animals and people. With this service, vandalism and squatters will also be avoided.

Property preservation companies – these are one-stop shops for the foreclosure companies. They offer all services pertaining to foreclosure cleaning. They basically conduct a regular maintenance for foreclosed properties.

After knowing the requirements of offering foreclosure cleaning, then you need to make connections with foreclosure companies and realtors. This is a very good strategy for you to have a regular cleaning service job.

When searching for realtors or foreclosure companies, it is important that you give competitive prices. For you to possibly do this, you must be aware with the competition in the market. Thus, you have to know these few things:

1. Who is the foreclosure cleaning provider of the foreclosure company
2. What services are offered by the said service provider
3. How much does the service provider charge for the cleaning services they offer

Tie Up with the Foreclosure Companies and Realtors

The realtors and foreclosure companies are always scouting for cleaning service providers and for the best deals which they can find. Always be reminded that these people are profit oriented and the service of a good cleaning job will further increase their potential income.

After your research, you can pass the following: company profile; services offered; list of your existing clients; and your proposal for the specific need of the foreclosure company. Do not limit yourself in giving a proposal to a single company. Remember, you need to advertise to make your service known in the market.

Your proposal must be well written to make it look professional. With your first attempt to a foreclosure company, your profile is very important to attract your client. You have to pass proposals to both big and small realtors to cover both market ends for a greater opportunity to have cleaning jobs. Bear in mind that the realtors and foreclosure companies need basic cleaning services to increase the value of the property that they are selling.

Be sure you have a complete cleaning list when you are already drafting your proposal including the description of the service that you will do.

Documentation in Cleaning

It very important to indicate in your proposal the details of the scope of cleaning that your business offers. With this, it will become transparent for the billing which reflects a professional attitude with your work.

Here is the sample checklist of different tasks which you may include:

I. House Cleaning

A. in all the areas
• polishing and dusting of the furniture
• cleaning, dusting, and polishing the windows and also the draperies of windows and the floors
• vacuuming all carpeted areas and area rugs
• cleaning all the mounted mirrors
• freshening and deodorizing the area

B. in the Kitchen
• polishing and cleaning all fixtures and appliances
• sanitizing and cleaning the sinks, cabinets, countertops, and cupboards
• polishing and cleaning the floors whether it is made of tiles, vinyl or wood

C. in the Bathrooms
• polishing and cleaning the walls and floors
• sanitizing, de-liming and cleaning the toilets, sinks, shower areas, and bathtubs
• polishing and cleaning the metal fixtures like pipes and faucets
• polishing and cleaning the mirrors

II. Lawn and Pool Area Cleaning

A. in the Lawn
• cutting and watering the lawn edge and maintaining the lawn regularly
• trimming the trees, hedges, flowerbeds, and weeds if needed
• grass painting

B. in the Pool
• draining of the pool
• cleaning and de-liming the tiles
• cleaning, maintaining regularly the filled-up pools, and covering

III. Repairing and Inspecting
• Checking the floors, interior walls, and the other fixtures for some damages or peeling paint
• Repainting
• Checking for cracks on the floors and exterior walls
• Checking the alignment of the gutters
• Checking and cleaning the fireplace and chimney
• Checking and repairing damaged or loose roof shingles
• Checking and changing the locks of doors and windows
• Boarding-up the access points

IV. Storage and De-Cluttering
• Throwing the trash and de-cluttering all the rooms in the house
• Storing excess furniture and other stuff (this commands additional fee)

With these, you can offer also other services like preparing a house for the coming winter, checking and treating termites and pests, or pressure washing,

See: How to start a cleaning business

Since the economic crisis was felt in the United States and around the world, many business establishments have closed and houses acquired on mortgage were foreclosed. There is suddenly a thinner chance of opportunities for many entrepreneurs who lost their investments. But this should not be the case. In life, where many misfortunate events might inevitably turn out, giving up should not be anybody’s choice. In short, there are still a lot of opportunities up for grab! Life never loses chances to offer!

A recent article on real estate posted in the website MSN is a proof to this. The article listed 9 businesses that are becoming in demand in the market because of the recession and 6 of these businesses are under the category of foreclosure cleanup. This goes to say that starting a foreclosure cleaning business could be a very lucrative venture nowadays. This could be a recession-proof business that anyone who has an interest in making good money can start now.

These are the 6 businesses that are booming in the market today which can also be the components of a foreclosure cleaning company providing full-service:

* Grass painter. There are jobs that can transform a wilting grass to seem like a refreshing lush of green. They can make over your becoming ugly residential or commercial landscape that you won’t even like to look at. This is the job of grass painters. They can instantly turn your ugly lawn into a lush of green in just a few minutes. Properties that have been foreclosed need this kind of service to keep its high value when sold. A property that looks abandoned can not sold for a high price. This is the reason why grass painting is needed to appraise the aesthetic worth of a property for resale. Usually, a grass painter charges $100 to $1,000 per pop of paint.

One grass painter featured in the Lifestyle Network program HGTV proved that this business is indeed lucrative and that he has never been very busy before. He even has costumers flying in from other states to get his service and he has been a consultant to many clients who also want to learn how to start the same. This can really be one of the salient services that a foreclosure cleaning company can offer.

* Trash outs. A foreclosed house or business establishment usually leave behind a pile of garbage and debris all over the place. This junk can be well handled by a trash out service offered in foreclosing cleaning business. Garbage or junk haulers can do this job but this can be one of the basic and yet very important services that a foreclosure cleaning company can incorporate into its list of services. If someone needs to hire a foreclosure cleaning service, this is definitely one of the services expected to be done. Proof on how this business can be truly in-demand is that some of the companies offering this kind of service already has their schedule booked all through 2009.

* Pool cleaners or servicers. In most foreclosed properties that has a pool in it; it can be a problem to just leave standing water in it. It can be a haven for mosquitoes and it can pose danger to kids and even pets in the neighbourhood. This is an important cleaning service that many realtors, banks, and investors need to have the work done. Average cost for this service is estimated at $400.

* Professionals in boarding up. These are literally experts in securing the foreclosed property to shut out intruders by securing the access points. In most cases, vandals and even vagrants can damage a foreclosed property that is why access points such as doors and windows should be well shut. Banks, investors, and realtors only trust these professionals in making sure the property is secured until resold.

* Locksmiths. This is a basic but a necessary service that can be provided by a foreclosure cleaning company. Changing the locks of entry points in a property would also mean security. This should be done once the property is vacated by the previous proprietor.

* Property reservation. This business actually operates somewhat like a full-service foreclosure cleaning company. In this business, they can do almost every cleaning service required in a foreclosed property until resold. From fixing broken windows, hauling of garbage and debris, and maintaining the lawn, they can perform almost everything needed to be done in a foreclosed property.

A full-service foreclosure cleaning business may offer all of these services. It is always an advantage to offer a complete line of services in one company as much as possible so that more clients will require your services. Customers will be more delighted to find all the services they wanted in one stop and that would mean more business for that company.

Why the perfect time to open up a foreclosure cleaning business is NOW

Starting a foreclosure cleanings service is an opportunity that anyone who has been affected or not by the economic crisis could start today. Many properties have already closed down and it is expected that more will be adding in to the number based on the current trend in the economy. This is the right opportunity then to grab by many.

With a 7.2 percent unemployment rate at a nationwide scope because of the ongoing economic crisis, many people have gone jobless and many properties are closing down. It is estimated that about 500,000 workers lose their jobs every month since year 2008’s last quarter.

It is a scary scenario for anyone who loses his or her job on how to survive this fast-paced life. Prices are even going up and a jobless status means that it would be very difficult to cope with the everyday needs of this life.

Foreclosure cleaning businesses are becoming a fast-growing franchise in the market. A foreclosure cleaning business that can offer all of the cleaning services needed by a foreclosed property is truly needed in this time of crisis. Yes, crisis to many, but a once-in-a-lifetime chance to some smart people out there who can see opportunity in the midst of predicament.

And you can be that person earning wisely in this time of crisis!

See: How to start a cleaning business