Would a gravelled patio area be the cheapest option

[Tulipsy272]

We're on a tight budget but I'm desperate to have an area in the garden for a patio set. At the moment we've got lawn and a tiny 5x5 slabbed area which is food for nothing. I'm thinking of digging up 1/3 of the lawn, lining it and putting stones down, some edging and then some nice pots. Would this work and would it be cheaper than decking or a full slabbed patio? Many thanks.

Following with interest as we have an area of mud where no lawn will grow, just crying out for a patio. My big concern is if a gravel patio = giant cat litter tray. Could you do decking?

Cat litter tray.
Also, if you're en route to a school, the kids will revel in running, kicking and cycling through it.
We're on a school road and our neighbour 2 doors down has gravel. It's a kid magnet. Plus the delightful parents round here have no parenting skills so don't tell their spawn to get off other folks property.

It'll be in the back garden so no kids to mess it up and we have a dog so no cat poo problem either.

It’s the absolute work of the devil. If you only line it furniture will sink and damage the underlay, you will constantly need to weed or it will look rubbish, cats will come and find it, it will fill up with rubbish (somehow unclear how ours does) and you can’t comfortably be on the stuff without shoes on.

I have just removed a 3 by 6 m area from our garden. Avoid avoid avoid.

One bit of advice I was given. We had a gravelled drive and the foxes kept doing poos in it, then covering it up so we'd manage to inadvertently step in it on a regular basis. Apparently getting larger sized gravel helps this issue (ours was the regular smallish size gravel).

I have [larger sized] gravel in my front garden, it was here when I moved in. I thought I was ok as it was on a busy road so thought there would be few cats around.

For a couple of years ok, but every year since I get cat poo on it regularly and it's so annoying. If I let my grass in my back garden get too long they will also do it there. It's vile, esp. when loose! I wonder what they are given to eat.

You may have a dog but cats will do their filthy business when he/she is indoors at night.

I do have areas of slate 'paddles in my back garden though. No poo on that. Slate paddles come in various grades, I'd avoid the small sized ones.