Garden maintenance cost blew my mind.

Or even take them to the tip yourself. That's what I do, despite being ancient and arthritic.

I got half a dozen of these:

Bulk waste bags

They hold a surprising amount and I can cram 6 of them into a VW Polo with the back seat down.

Hi we pay a local garden company and they take £35 an hour per man. We pay around £300 for 4-5 hours work 3 times a year. Similar to what you are asking for.

We pay £30 an hour for our gardener, in the South East and extensive green waste. Jet washing is easy if you have a karcher or similar and don’t have mobility issues etc. I’d get more quotes, you sound like you’re being fleeced.

We used to, but age and health.......

I would do it myself.

Karcher is what most households buy, but a Stihl would be the next step up. Our garden is steep and hard work, so we've ended up with the same sort of kit the contractors use, but often second hand.

That's mine also

P take

My gardener charges £35/hour and can basically do all the weeding, mowing, trimming. jet washing take all the stuff to the dump in about three hours or less as my garden is only about 50ft long. She’s quite efficient. London. And you could probably buy a decent jet washer for £150.

We have one of these: www.toolstation.com/karcher-k4-universal-pressure-washer/p42670?store=null&utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=googleshoppingfeed&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18510276693&gbraid=0AAAAAD-vLcUZc1Z8MFSYQ4k_ACR7MdAHq&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiJvQBhCYARIsAMjts3Lak3qR0z_7_9b-PWHVOXhm0HzU2p5biRyZubLP9YYhNNwI4T8sCSoaAvXJEALw_wcB

I'm happy to. That's why I was asking if anyone had any recommendations of what I'd be best using. Never needed anything like that before.

You could buy your own jet washer and do it yourself for a fraction of that!

That does seem like a lot. We also live in the SE and gardening costs £££ but your garden sounds tiny and ours is a decent size for commuterland. Do you have a neighbourhood Whatsapp/FB/nextdoor group? What about Checkatrade? You should never just get one quote. Gardeners though are expensive, there are too few of them around here and they're often not very good. I once asked a very reputable local bloke to do some work, including removing the wild garlic from under some bushes. He dug up my chives instead! Moron.

Sorry to jump on the thread, but can anyone recommend a jet washer for a brick driveway? I've got quite a large driveway that's in need of a clean, but I don't want to pay the almost £400 I was quoted for a clean last Autumn.

My advice is stick a request for someone to do what you need done on uoue local resident’s group. Say what your budget is. Go from there.

My gardener (well, dude that comes and mows the grass because it's just a bit more than's easy with a plug-in mower and he has a ride-on) charges me 65 quid every 2 weeks (takes him just over an hour) - when I ask him to trim the hedge out front (a good 10m I think) he charges me an extra 20 quid on top - although he does dump the trimmings with my grass cutting at the end of the garden, and I'm not asking for anything fancy, just keeping it under control.

I pressurewash my own patio (and use the pressure washer to weed the gaps) - to be fair that does take me a few hours, but it's a big patio, and I only do it once a year. For the money he's charging get yourself a karcher - its actually quite satisfying and fun.

I'll show this to DH as he thinks our gardener is expensive ... charges £25 to cut front and back lawns, lightly trim a few hedges and a bit of weeding twice a month. We don't have a big garden but even so I think it's extremely reasonable, esp in London.

Friend paid £550 to have a tree cut back and all the bits taken away. I paid £300 last year (tiny back yard) to have all the weeds dug up in the yard and at the rear of my house in the communal alley dug up and removed and weed barrier put down in my yard. I thought £300 was quite reasonable. I could have done it but it would have taken me ages and I have bad hayfever so it makes me feel grim. Of course all the weeds round the back have returned and I am too skint to get someone in to dig them up this year so will have to sort it out myself.

In fairness, you dont need a skilled gardener to cut a hedge back and powerwash.

2 people at 25 per hour, 6 hours (include 2 hours each for travel time, admin etc) is 300. If accountant charges 600 for tax return, thats 50 a month, so say 5 per job. Costs of running van and machinery per one day job - say 30 max. 335, but lets call it 350. Obviously waste disposal costs, but for hedge trimmings I imagine they whack it through a big shredder and give it away for paths, under play equipment, etc. Im guessing at costs, but 750 sounds v steep.

I think that's ridiculous. Would people seriously pay that?!

Hi and yes that is excessive, my ex husband used to fo it of course. Now I just need a boyfriend to come and offer lol. Seriously that quote is ridiculous but I am sure someone else will pay that. I think they are chancers. I was quoted last year £30 an hour for gardening it might cost a bit more if they have to pay to leave your hedge cuttings at the recycling centre as for them its trade waste.

No that's ridiculous. Get another one

That’s rubbish. It’s half a days work for a semi skilled job. I’m in a professional job which required post graduate training and I don’t earn that in a full day let alone half a day. I’d be doing it myself.

Nope, it really is a rip off.

Clueless….