"+mrcakey" wrote in message
...
"Mogga" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 29 May 2008 09:16:52 +0100, "+mrcakey"
wrote:

Hi,

We've already taken up our path and we're planning to take up the lawn.
Basically we're wanting a blank canvas. My girlfriend is keen on getting

A blank canvas with a lawn and a path on?
I'd have a think about what you want more before investing time,
effort and money into removing anything else.
Why did you take up the path?

The 'path' was a big mess of concrete that had cracked and the previous
owner had then topped with tarmac, which also cracked. I managed to
remove most of it with a spade, which shows how well done it was. It was
only when I got to the bit nearest the house that a sledgehammer was
needed.

We know exactly what we want, that's not the problem. I was just trying
to find out people's opinions on how feasible it was to do the work
ourselves and how much effort it would be. The lawn is really quite
tiny - about 15 feet by 6. So with the path gone and the lawn gone,
combined with the patch at the end of the garden that I dug up, we'll have
a decent 'blank canvas' on which to lay our new lawn and path.

Phil
www.manchester-website-design.co.uk


So what do you want?

Anything is possible if you put your mind to it and you have the energy. Our
garden was a mess when we moved in, but now has the 'Wow factor' according
to visitors when we opened the gardens to the public.

Size? 20feet by about 120ft

Don't bother with the ""Professionals"" who know it all, listen to the likes
of yourself who have 'been there, done that, got the tee shirt'

Kindest possible regards

Mike

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
+mrcakey wrote:

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
+mrcakey wrote:

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long
and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been
quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that

They are taking the ****. (assuming this is slabs, and not natural
stone
flags)
For a garden path of ~25ft long, I'd charge around £200, and possibly
less, depending on access and removal of old materials.


All the old materials will be gone - just soil left.
Are you in the Manchester area by any chance?!!!!

Unfortunately, no, I'm in Leicester.
As I'm cheap, I've not been having trouble getting work recently, so am
now booked up for at least 4 weeks in advance.
(and I'm not cheap because I do a cowboy job, I keep my costs down, live
on a pittance, and work all hours. I also dont advertise, all my work is
word of mouth from satisfied customers passing on my details.)
Alan.


Alan you don't need to be cheap in Leicester

Leicester is a very rich City and quality workmanship can be paid with very
generous rewards.

I know because I spent quite some time in Leicester and made a lot of money
there 'thank you very much'.

Don't sell yourself cheap. It makes it difficult to put your prices up.

BTW, 4 weeks is not very good :-(( What then?

Mike

On 29/5/08 17:41, in article , "+mrcakey"
wrote:

"A.Lee" wrote in message
...
+mrcakey wrote:

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add
the
slabs. Is that feasible?

They are taking the ****. (assuming this is slabs, and not natural stone
flags)
For a garden path of ~25ft long, I'd charge around £200, and possibly
less, depending on access and removal of old materials.
My basic charge is £30 per square metre supplied and fitted with 450mm
square slabs. 600mm slabs are slightly more expensive (in area compared
to 450sq), so maybe £35 a square metre.
It would take a day maximum, and that is myself only working.
Alan.


All the old materials will be gone - just soil left.

Are you in the Manchester area by any chance?!!!!

Phil


I do suggest you keep an eye open in local shops, parish magazines etc. and
talk to neighbours, too. All might be sources of good labour at reasonable
prices. The overall feeling seems to be that you're being ripped off at
current prices quoted. 4 days and that price is simply ridiculous and I'm
afraid I think they know they're dealing with novices at gardening.


--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'

On Thu, 29 May 2008 17:41:54 +0100, "+mrcakey"
wrote:

"A.Lee" wrote in message
.. .
+mrcakey wrote:

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add
the
slabs. Is that feasible?

They are taking the ****. (assuming this is slabs, and not natural stone
flags)
For a garden path of ~25ft long, I'd charge around £200, and possibly
less, depending on access and removal of old materials.
My basic charge is £30 per square metre supplied and fitted with 450mm
square slabs. 600mm slabs are slightly more expensive (in area compared
to 450sq), so maybe £35 a square metre.
It would take a day maximum, and that is myself only working.
Alan.


All the old materials will be gone - just soil left.

Are you in the Manchester area by any chance?!!!!


Which bit are you in? North or South?
Phil

--
http://www.orderonlinepickupinstore.co.uk
Ah fetch it yourself if you can't wait for delivery
http://www.freedeliveryuk.co.uk
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

In article ,
says...
Hi,

We've already taken up our path and we're planning to take up the lawn.
Basically we're wanting a blank canvas. My girlfriend is keen on getting
professionals in to finish the job and I'm keen on not spending loads of
money unnecessarily. I just wanted to ask the assembled brains here what
the best course of action would be.

How long will it take to take up the lawn and is it a job for an amateur?
Are there any machines that can take out stones from the soil (whole garden
is crawling with them)? How long will it take for the new lawn to bed in?

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add the
slabs. Is that feasible?

Any advice greatly appreciated,

Phil






Its a days work (£80-100) and the slabs will come to no more than £60
(and thats expensive) Since the garden is a blank canvas losing the
material from the trench should not be hard.
Removing stones is hard work and is likely to be on going for years to
come as more seem to work their way up through the soil. If you plan
ahead you can use a lot of them on site for hard core bases for other
projects.
There is a machine for stripping turf but I am not sure how well it would
work on stony ground
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

On Thu, 29 May 2008 16:12:14 +0100, adm wrote:

You can rent a petrol turf cutting machine from HSS hire centres or
other similar places for about £50 for a weekend.

He'll spend more time getting and returning the machine than actually
cutting on a 15' x 6' lawn! Couple of hours with a spade would have that
area lifted.

But as some one has pointed out is the OP a "sticker" or will lunch and
some footy on the TV in the afternoon mean that the garden gets left for
12 months... Digging, lifting, moving is hard physical work and can be a
bit of a shock to the system.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.net...
On Thu, 29 May 2008 16:12:14 +0100, adm wrote:

You can rent a petrol turf cutting machine from HSS hire centres or
other similar places for about £50 for a weekend.

He'll spend more time getting and returning the machine than actually
cutting on a 15' x 6' lawn! Couple of hours with a spade would have that
area lifted.

But as some one has pointed out is the OP a "sticker" or will lunch and
some footy on the TV in the afternoon mean that the garden gets left for
12 months... Digging, lifting, moving is hard physical work and can be a
bit of a shock to the system.

--
Cheers
Dave.
......................

Or is he a wind up?

That's where my money goes.

Mike

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...
In article ,
says...
Hi,

We've already taken up our path and we're planning to take up the lawn.
Basically we're wanting a blank canvas. My girlfriend is keen on getting
professionals in to finish the job and I'm keen on not spending loads of
money unnecessarily. I just wanted to ask the assembled brains here what
the best course of action would be.

How long will it take to take up the lawn and is it a job for an amateur?
Are there any machines that can take out stones from the soil (whole
garden
is crawling with them)? How long will it take for the new lawn to bed in?

And the really expensive bit - laying the path. It's about 25ft long and
about 2ft wide and we're planning on slabs over sand. We've been quoted
£900 for this (£600 for labout - 4 days). My girlfriend's thinking is
that
if it takes a pro 4 days to do this then it'll take us even longer. My
thinking is that it can't be THAT hard can it?!!! And we can do it in
stages anyway - dig out the trench, add the edging, fill the sand, add the
slabs. Is that feasible?

Any advice greatly appreciated,

Phil



Why dont u work on the existing lawn rather than replace it top
dressing/seed/weed/feed/etc a bit of tlc will save u a lot of time and
effort plus no old turf and soil to dispose of ,as for the path that is way
too much why not just get a few quotes