Sloping front garden - new driveway ideas please?
Discussion
Hi all,
My first foray into homes, garden and DIY section....
I'm looking to buy the property in the photos below, it needs some work and importantly (this is PH) needs a much bigger driveway. Driveway budget is small. I'd be willing to do all the work (incl excavator driving) but would need to arrange soil disposal (need to estimate this).
I'm looking for peoples thoughts on the best solutions so if your willing to make a suggestion then go for it, i'd be very grateful. Need parking for two cars, permeable hard standing and a pedestrian route up to the house. Drop kerb already in place and given the permeable intention I dont think Plannning Permission is required but stand to be corrected, seems a bit of a grey area.
Garage needs to stay and wouldn't mind an access door at the rear or side if possible.
All suggestions welcome, cheers.
My first foray into homes, garden and DIY section....
I'm looking to buy the property in the photos below, it needs some work and importantly (this is PH) needs a much bigger driveway. Driveway budget is small. I'd be willing to do all the work (incl excavator driving) but would need to arrange soil disposal (need to estimate this).
I'm looking for peoples thoughts on the best solutions so if your willing to make a suggestion then go for it, i'd be very grateful. Need parking for two cars, permeable hard standing and a pedestrian route up to the house. Drop kerb already in place and given the permeable intention I dont think Plannning Permission is required but stand to be corrected, seems a bit of a grey area.
Garage needs to stay and wouldn't mind an access door at the rear or side if possible.
All suggestions welcome, cheers.
Edited by seismic22 on Wednesday 26th April 16:08
cossy400 said:
Assuming the boundary is where the hedge is?
Surely its just a case of walls down dig as far back as possible or as much as needed then re instate walls but not red!!!!
Hopefully that is just the case. I was thinking of forming hardstanding from gravel with plastic reinforcement etc. Surely its just a case of walls down dig as far back as possible or as much as needed then re instate walls but not red!!!!
I guess my primary concern is the amount of soil ill be excavating, I know a grab lorry is circa £200 - £250 a load (13 - 18 tonnes) but I need to try and estimate how much soil there is going to be.....further googling required I guess
Ok,
So if you based it on 10m wide x 5m depth and 2m height you're at 100 cubic m of soil.
Quick google returns the following - Topsoil (some moisture) 1.44 tonnes per cubic metre.
100 x 1.44 = 144 tonnes of soil to move.
If it's 18 tonnes per lorry you're looking at 8 lorry loads so £2,800 (+VAT?) to get rid of the soil.
You'll have better access as it's not a rear garden so probably i'd say a week to dig it out? 2 guys @ £300 p/day (£200 for main guy / £100 for mate) = £1,500.
That's just to get rid of the soil, you'll also need structural calculations to work out what type of retaining wall you'll need.
So £4,300 to get rid the soil.
£1,000 for structural calculations / planning permission etc
£5,000 to get the walls built and steps up etc
£3,000 for hardcore/basic treatment on the drive (say gravel).
£500 for a couple of extra skips
£500 to get some power/lights down there
£14,300.
Call it £15k to be safe?
So if you based it on 10m wide x 5m depth and 2m height you're at 100 cubic m of soil.
Quick google returns the following - Topsoil (some moisture) 1.44 tonnes per cubic metre.
100 x 1.44 = 144 tonnes of soil to move.
If it's 18 tonnes per lorry you're looking at 8 lorry loads so £2,800 (+VAT?) to get rid of the soil.
You'll have better access as it's not a rear garden so probably i'd say a week to dig it out? 2 guys @ £300 p/day (£200 for main guy / £100 for mate) = £1,500.
That's just to get rid of the soil, you'll also need structural calculations to work out what type of retaining wall you'll need.
So £4,300 to get rid the soil.
£1,000 for structural calculations / planning permission etc
£5,000 to get the walls built and steps up etc
£3,000 for hardcore/basic treatment on the drive (say gravel).
£500 for a couple of extra skips
£500 to get some power/lights down there
£14,300.
Call it £15k to be safe?
pmanson said:
Ok,
So if you based it on 10m wide x 5m depth and 2m height you're at 100 cubic m of soil.
Quick google returns the following - Topsoil (some moisture) 1.44 tonnes per cubic metre.
100 x 1.44 = 144 tonnes of soil to move.
If it's 18 tonnes per lorry you're looking at 8 lorry loads so £2,800 (+VAT?) to get rid of the soil.
I would say for the disposal this is about right, my friend was telling me the other day it cost him around about £1200-£1500 to get rid of 80T of soil, he dug it all out by hand/wheelbarrows himself over the course of a few months, but it in dumpy bags & the grabber came & took it away, whilst building the retaining wall & doing up his house, he said it was back-breaking work, but as he had the know-how to do it he got on with it.So if you based it on 10m wide x 5m depth and 2m height you're at 100 cubic m of soil.
Quick google returns the following - Topsoil (some moisture) 1.44 tonnes per cubic metre.
100 x 1.44 = 144 tonnes of soil to move.
If it's 18 tonnes per lorry you're looking at 8 lorry loads so £2,800 (+VAT?) to get rid of the soil.
theguvernor15 said:
pmanson said:
Ok,
So if you based it on 10m wide x 5m depth and 2m height you're at 100 cubic m of soil.
Quick google returns the following - Topsoil (some moisture) 1.44 tonnes per cubic metre.
100 x 1.44 = 144 tonnes of soil to move.
If it's 18 tonnes per lorry you're looking at 8 lorry loads so £2,800 (+VAT?) to get rid of the soil.
I would say for the disposal this is about right, my friend was telling me the other day it cost him around about £1200-£1500 to get rid of 80T of soil, he dug it all out by hand/wheelbarrows himself over the course of a few months, but it in dumpy bags & the grabber came & took it away, whilst building the retaining wall & doing up his house, he said it was back-breaking work, but as he had the know-how to do it he got on with it.So if you based it on 10m wide x 5m depth and 2m height you're at 100 cubic m of soil.
Quick google returns the following - Topsoil (some moisture) 1.44 tonnes per cubic metre.
100 x 1.44 = 144 tonnes of soil to move.
If it's 18 tonnes per lorry you're looking at 8 lorry loads so £2,800 (+VAT?) to get rid of the soil.
Going to need some very big planters to get rid of all that soil!
How much land is there at the top and to the side of the house? Could you create a slope from the pavement and have the flat bit at the top and possibly to the side of the house? Doing this would just mean moving the soil around within the front garden, rather than having to get rid of it?
Personally I wouldn't want steps up to the house. Pain in the ass for pushchairs, wheelie bins, moving stuff in wheelbarrows etc
Personally I wouldn't want steps up to the house. Pain in the ass for pushchairs, wheelie bins, moving stuff in wheelbarrows etc
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff