Regular Garden Maintenance Cost

[944fan]

I hate mowing the lawn, can't fking abide it at all. Its not that I don't have time. I am busy, with a job, kids, hobbies etc, but that's not it. I just despise it.

So want to pay someone to do it. I guess once a month is probably enough, maybe once every 3 weeks in summer. Back garden is about 20 sq m and the front is a tiny strip. There are also some bushes that need trimming occasionally.

Going to phone some places for quotes but thought I would get some rough ideas from here first.

The lawn is nothing special and mostly ruined by the kids and fog so it just needs mowing, no special care.

What would I be expected to pay? Area is MK if that makes a difference.

[randlemarcus]

You have kids, for goodness sake. What do you think they are for, exactly?

[Rangeroverover]

ROBOT MOWER.............google it

[944fan]

Yes the kids are 5 and 7 so possibly little young to be using a lawn mower. :-) I had thought about that though.

Think our garden is too bumpy and odd shaped for a robot mower - they are also chuffing expensive. Plus I would still have to get the fking thing out the shed and set it going and then put it away again. That pisses me off just think about it. Will wait till they have one with AI that will do that itself.

[vanordinaire]

Round here there are several cowboys who do 'garden maintenance ' for about a tenner an hour (cash only guv wink wink), or real firms for about twice that. From your description, your garden will be less than an hour's work if done regularly. Better to arrange a regular 'once a fortnight' service and you'll get a better price than leaving it for three weeks or a month and then having it take 3 times as long to do and it being messy for half the time.

[Rosscow]

944fan said:

Yes the kids are 5 and 7 so possibly little young to be using a lawn mower. :-) I had thought about that though.

Think our garden is too bumpy and odd shaped for a robot mower - they are also chuffing expensive. Plus I would still have to get the fking thing out the shed and set it going and then put it away again. That pisses me off just think about it. Will wait till they have one with AI that will do that itself.

They charge themselves, and take them in and out themselves. I'm seriously tempted, but for one my garden's size it's a £2000 spend.

http://robomow.com/en-GB

Edited by Rosscow on Friday 10th June 10:46

[mikeiow]

vanordinaire said:

Round here there are several cowboys who do 'garden maintenance ' for about a tenner an hour (cash only guv wink wink), or real firms for about twice that. From your description, your garden will be less than an hour's work if done regularly. Better to arrange a regular 'once a fortnight' service and you'll get a better price than leaving it for three weeks or a month and then having it take 3 times as long to do and it being messy for half the time.

I think this is about right - defo once a fortnight from May to Sept. A neighbour has a similar sounding garden to you & has a fella rock up every fortnight. Very efficient, does it in about 30-40 minutes. No idea what they pay for it, but I would guess maybe 10-20 each visit....Leicester area
Alternatively, if you have a local newsagents, perhaps drop an ad there: may be a teenager happy to have an hours work every fortnight? I know I did when I was a kid!!

[bogie]

I did the maths on my garden maintenance and robowmow options, ended up investing in artificial grass and other hard surface. Now I just sweep the garden a couple of times per year and got 25% of my weekends back from garden maintenance

[INWB]

Do what I did -

Get rid of small strip of lawn on front and plant with a single species of low maintenance plants - I have put in Lavender because as long as they are dead headed they will last for years and look and smell lovely.

Round back - 20sq mtrs and you have kids so replace with artificial grass. Pay around £25sq mtr for decent stuff. I am loving having a perfect lawn and sitting down with a nice glass of wine while the lawn mowers start up in the evenings around the estate.

[Pip1968]

I would say £15-20 per hour and a couple of hours every two weeks would be enough in the summer months. Unless they are doing the neighbours they would probably want a couple of hours to make it worth their while.

Then at 11 or 12 years old get the boys trained up as it will do them good to earn their pocket money.

My wife does ours and I just do any digging/ log splitting/ pruning/ tree surgery and repairs of the mower when she smashes the next plastic bit off it .

Pip

[wjb]

INWB said:

Do what I did -

Round back - 20sq mtrs and you have kids so replace with artificial grass. Pay around £25sq mtr for decent stuff. I am loving having a perfect lawn and sitting down with a nice glass of wine while the lawn mowers start up in the evenings around the estate.

+1000

I hate mowing the lawn with a passion, I ripped my garden to bits and put down artificial grass 3 years ago, do it, it will change your life

[tankplanker]

We've had our grass cut and borders maintained by a local gardener for a few years now, much less hassle than doing it ourselves and at 4 hours every two weeks considerably cheaper than a robot mower, which would do only half the job. We pay a extra at the start and end of the season to get the garden ready/clean up for winter.

[Pip1968]

Nooooooo please do not go the astro turf route please!!! It is like silicon tits ie they look alright (sometimes) but they are not real and they do not give you the same satisfaction. I think a natural environment is a lot nicer to the eye and better for the environment.

Where will all the birds and insects go if fake grass gets put everywhere???

A bit of greenery and some flowers on the shrubs along with the change in colour of the leaves in Autumn has to be a better propostion surely.

Pip

[Rosscow]

I agree. Go with the Robomow! 2015 model for £749 here:

http://www.myrobotcenter.co.uk/en_gb/lawn-and-pool...

[8-P]

Personally I prefer mowing my lawn to playing with my kids! Its a great excuse not to do bath time and avoid reading Charlie and Lola

[anonymous-user]

20sqm? You lazy bd That must take all of 5 mins every couple of weeks?

Get outside and enjoy the fresh air (I have to keep telling myself that as I have a 3 acre lawn )

[Rosscow]

8-P said:

Personally I prefer mowing my lawn to playing with my kids! Its a great excuse not to do bath time and avoid reading Charlie and Lola

Know the feeling!

[lionelf]

Here's your answer for the next 20 years for £3200:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Or pay £20 every 3 weekly period (so say 17 times per year approx.) so £340 per year x 20 years £6,800.

[MOBB]

Local chap charges £25 to do our lawn - takes him about 1.5 hours

Shame it bloody needs cutting every week at the moment...................

I used to do it but can't be arsed

[944fan]

Bandit said:

20sqm? You lazy bd That must take all of 5 mins every couple of weeks?

Get outside and enjoy the fresh air (I have to keep telling myself that as I have a 3 acre lawn )

Mowing he lawn takes about 10 mins. Finding the extension lead 10 more minutes, tidy the kids st of the lawn 10 minutes, finding the mower in the shed 5 minutes, going back to find the grass bin 5 minutes. Its a ste fking job and I hate it.

I get plenty of fresh air running and cycling. Plus the grass makes me itch. Pissing me off just thinking about.