SPEED QUEEN BONANZA!!

[firedome]

WHOA! This has to be the Mother Lode!!!
Laundromat closing, about 15 mi west of us.
Check it out!!!! :

http://binghamton.craigslist.org/app/2990431571.html
http://binghamton.craigslist.org/app/2990431571.html

 

[firedome]

Called them...

got a message, will try to find out more.

 

[revvinkevin]

Speed Queen mother load!

 

 

So Roger, how many of these Speed Queens will be taking up residence on your property??

 

 

Kevin

 

[jetcone]

do you think they are

solenoid drive machines or the dreaded reversing motor machines??

 

[firedome]

I called the guy

and he said all are working and in good shape... I'd love one of the BIG ones, but would get murdered if I brought that home! No idea if SD or reversing. But the small machines are 12-14 yr old, and the big ones are about 5-7, or so he said?

He's willing to majorly deal if someone takes the whole shebang!
I'm surprised that no one here is in the Laundromat business - here's your chance!

 

[william637]

wasn't there a post...

Didn't I see a post on here one time about someone wanting to open an "adult" laundromat?  Here is your chance...

 

[gansky1]

The solenoid, solid tub commercial washers were gone by 1980.  Possibly earlier as some remember that the commercial machines were converting over to the perf-basket design before the domestic line was available.   12-14 years old is a pretty "long in the tooth" age for a commercial washer.  Peter can speak more to the tax depreciation schedules and service life of these machines, but I bet I know what he's gonna say   For a machine to add to a collection or a "play" washer, it may be a good deal.

 

[autowasherfreak]

I would love to have one of the SQ triple loaders!

 

[launderess]

Owing/Running A Laundromat

Is a serious affair, not a game where one sits around all day and plays with washing machines and dryers.

Margins are very tight and usually requires owning several stores to run with the big dogs. If one cannot own the property or obtain a long term lease it is risky as you can risk being priced out of the building after years of building up the business.

There is also the constant competition from domestic laundry equipment either in a person's home or apartment building. Here in NYC many landlords are installing laundry equipment in the building. Condo or Co-Op apartments without laundry hook-ups price lower than those with. Most all new construction today has laundry features, aside from a dishwasher it is the most requested item from potential buyers.

 

[firedome]

It's a small town...

but he told me it closed, not for lack of business, but to raze for housing, so not sure about the usage. Nichols did get one of the few "racinos" in Central-Upstate NY a couple years back, so business has really picked up recently.

My sister married a guy whose families had Laundromats and Hyacinth is right, it's not an easy business. He spent his youth fixing machimes, mopping floors, cleaning up messes, etc, so you'd think he'd hate all laundry stuff... but he was the first person I knew to own a Maytag Neptune front loader set when they came out... go figure.

 

[launderess]

Here's Another Thing

Local laundromat, and one assumes this may be true for others as well, has gone over to requiring prepayment for all "fluff and fold" orders. Exceptions may be made for certain long term customers and or "friends" of the owner, but everyone else must pony up.

When inquired as to the origns of such a policy and was told that it was in response to the large numbers of customers that either do not claim their washing, and or wait ages to do so.

 

[launderess]

Not to go on, but here is why running a laundromat is such a difficult thing.

Most of the costs of running the place are fixed (energy, water, sewage, rent or mortgage, insurance, state/local fees, etc) versus what one can charge customers.

Granted in some areas there is a lack of competition enough where an owner can go up in prices as he sees fit, others aren't so lucky and must find other ways to trim costs where they can.

Now running a laundry/linen service is a whole other ball game, but that means one is running with some really big dogs. Again here in NYC most large and medium businesses (hotels, hospitals, fittness centers, etc..) send out their laundry.

 

[circlew]

My friend that owns the washateria that I go to, says one of the biggest problems is getting and keeping good attendants. He has three locations, and also car washes, so they keep him busy. He keeps his places in good repair and clean. There is another washateria about a mile from the one I use, but it's nasty, and no decent person would frequent it.

 

[launderess]

Sorting/Dealing With Others Dirty Laundry

Is not high on many persons fun list. That and most laundromat owners really cannot afford to pay "living wages", a decent wage perhaps but nothing fancy. This means often attracting and holding onto good staff is difficult.

Here in NYC it is mostly immigrant (illegal and legal) with often familes working a place if they own it to make any sort of living out of it.

Everyone here expects dry cleaners and laundromats to deliver, but don't wish to pay >$1/lb for washing.

Large commercial laundry workers often have it slightly better but those plants are often union.

 

[firedome]

Laundromats around here

are strictly self serve... and they seem to be increasingly popular as more and more people are driven to renting by the housing crisis and economy. It's good time to be a landlord, but unfortunate that hard times are making it so.

The single family rental houses we have here in suburbia heretofore have always had laundry sets in the basement, but due to the bonehead stunts some of the tenants pull, we're seriously considering either making repairs their responsibility, or pulling them out entirely neccesitating their going to the LM. Hate to do it, but getting tired of 3 kid mothers doing 35lb loads in a 12 lb washer 7x/ week, and other dumb stuff almost beyond comprehension. And you would not believe what they can do to a dryer, much less a lawn mower... oy vey! Anyone want some much abused BOL 8 yr old Whirley TLs?