Tank Slap - Motorcycle Forum

I want to do a few things to the garden. So have been getting quotes. Although it's labour intensive I don't think its too big a job.

I want to move our side fence out to make the most of a strip of land on the other side (it is our land, we are on a corner plot). Put a shed base down. Rip up a large decking area and slab underneath. And redo a lawn (rotovate and lay new turf).

Doesn't sound too much to me.

Just got the first quote. £7500

I think someones trying to pull a fast one.

Gardening can be labour intensive and that's what you're paying for, plus the removal of anything from your site. You'll still get charged even if it's going to be fly tipped.

I m not saying it's a good price but I m also not surprised if doing a good job.

You getting other quotes to compare and play of against each other ?

Sometimes people price high as they don't really want the work, but will do it if too hard to refuse as very lucrative.

I reckon quotes could get more expensive as spring arrives and demand increases.

Get two more quotes & pick the middle one of the three.

As mentioned, this stuff can be VERY pricey....but you're going to get it back in the increased value/kerb appeal of the home.

Can you do any of the prep work yourself? If you can get access for a mini digger a 1.5 tonne digger with driver is around £200 per day. If the driver's any good he'll put a big strap round the posts and lift them straight out. He could also rip the slab out and turn over and fluff up all the soil. Combined with ordering and filling a couple of skips yourself and I reckon you can take a big chunk out that quote.

DaytonAndy wrote:Can you do any of the prep work yourself? If you can get access for a mini digger a 1.5 tonne digger with driver is around £200 per day. If the driver's any good he'll put a big strap round the posts and lift them straight out. He could also rip the slab out and turn over and fluff up all the soil. Combined with ordering and filling a couple of skips yourself and I reckon you can take a big chunk out that quote.

What he said ^^^^^

Yes, 2 more have come to quote, but waiting for there's to come back.

At the moment I am thinking of having to do some of the work myself, I am just short on time which is why I just wanted someone to come in to do the lot.

I think the guy who quoted has a team of guys, which is probably why quote was higher. Last night an older guy came to quote who works on his own so will see how that fares.

It's just installing the fence posts I don't really want to do as they need to be perfectly aligned for the panels and well cemented in.

I am now thinking of just hiring skips and rotavators myself now.

Fence posts are remarkably easy. If you use a dry mix concrete and fit them one at time, fitting the panels as you go, you can align the panels before the mix goes off (takes a good while). You can then tamp down the concrete so it's tight and add some water.

Takes longer to dig the holes tbh.

It's the fences that have concrete gravel boards and concrete posts, with a 6 foot wooden panel between. I'll look I up though. Just been on HSS site looking at rotavators and lawn cutters. Saw a post borer too. about £200 for first day hire of all 3. I reckon I could do each job in a day.

My mate does all this sort of stuff himself to save money.
You know what it looks like?? A DIY garden, that's what.

Pay up & stop being a cheapskate, ya feckin' gypo.

D6 wrote:It's the fences that have concrete gravel boards and concrete posts, with a 6 foot wooden panel between. I'll look I up though. Just been on HSS site looking at rotavators and lawn cutters. Saw a post borer too. about £200 for first day hire of all 3. I reckon I could do each job in a day.

Thats the ones - with gravel boards it's easier still as they provide the correct spacing and you can dig then into the ground slightly so they stay upright. You will need two people to do it mind, not an easy solo task.

Postcrete for the posts. Sets hard in 10 mins. Wicks is the cheapest place for it at the moment.
A post digging spade and some of these will make short work of digging the holes

If you’re hiring a mini digger for the groundwork, get one with the hydraulic auger attachment, it’ll dig a post hole effortlessly in seconds, compared to hours using the hole spade pictured.

If you get a digger in you won't need the turf cutter or the rotavator.

If you're anywhere near the Wirral I can recommend a very good plant hire company. I've just had a 1.5t mini digger and a dumpster which pretty much paid for themselves with the time they saved. The dumpster is basically a .25tonne wheelbarrow on Caterpillar tracks. It raises the bucket and tips to make filling the skip easy.

Put on a few slabs of ale for Deegee and Daytona Andy and get them to come help you. Sounds like they are on the ball

whoever you pick, i'd ask to see some examples of their work and speak to the person who had the work done. i used to do a local widow woman's garden after i retired, i didn't charge much - i got a few injuries, scratches and cuts as the place was a mess, involved pruning trees, putting up fences and demolishing a shed. One time she asked me, this was at the beginning, whether i knew anything about boilers - she said the house was always cold. Afterwards i noticed her son never bothered closing the kitchen door (she was mostly away and worked quite long hours) when he went out, i'd shut it if i was around but i think that was probably one of the reasons, hate to think what her heating bill was.

I literally have no idea how much a garden would cost BUT if you can sfford £7k then fair play, i personally would of put the phone down and soon as i heard it was in its thousands

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