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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think £80 is too much

88 replies

Dancingfairy · 30/07/2017 12:20

My mum asked me to look for some quotes for her for a gardener for her small front garden, it's over grown and she's not in a condition to do it herself. I hate bugs and all stuff like that so I'm no help. Anyway I've just been quoted £80 to cut the grass and trim the hedges! Seems extortionate! Was expecting half that. Aibu to think it's a lot?

OP posts:
DailyMailReadersAreThick · 30/07/2017 12:51

I pay £15 an hour for maintenance every fortnight. £80 for clearing a jungle sounds fine.

lovemycatsanddog · 30/07/2017 12:54

Just had my sons garden done, 2 high hedges, very overgrown front garden, which needed strimming first also some hedges at the back and all taking away, £65, the house is up for sale and empty which is why it got so bad
I have a gardener who cuts my very high hedge at the front for £15 and takes away
Maybe depends on where you live, in the country

Skylark678 · 30/07/2017 12:55

Bargain price! Especially for London

Original poster
Dancingfairy · 30/07/2017 12:58

Well she can't afford it so looks like it's down to me to help Shock. I just hate bugs.

OP posts:
Therealslimshady1 · 30/07/2017 13:00

It's probably a fair enough price if it's a half day's work (depends how much hedge there is to cut!)

Hunted68 · 30/07/2017 13:02

Sounds fine to me for the work.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/07/2017 13:03

It's half a day's work and seems completely fair tbh.

Depends how big the hedge is.

ginghamstarfish · 30/07/2017 13:05

I would guess that the guy charging £7.50 is almost certainly not declaring it .... so cash in hand.

NipInTheAir · 30/07/2017 13:08

Seems totally fair. I've just had a huge wisteria removed and disposed of. Was £250. £50 more than I think was reasonable but needed it done quickly.

£80 for hedges and lawn in London sounds as cheap as chips.

ellestyle · 30/07/2017 13:08

I think it's dear but i also think self employed people couldn't work to the nat min wage. They have to pay tax and insurance and don't have set hours. A plumber wouldn't work for £7.50 an hour.

Joey7t8 · 30/07/2017 13:08

Seems reasonable to me for the work involved. Why not just get a second quote??

MaudAndOtherPoems · 30/07/2017 13:10

Most gardeners I know of in London charge +/- £20 an hour and I can quite imagine that tackling an overgrown garden could take 4 hours, but if you think it's too much get enough quote not via shpock.

PeppercornIsMime · 30/07/2017 13:10

My DP is a gardener, he charges £20 an hr. We are in Cheshire. 80 for a half day is definitely reasonable. It pays for fuel for travel and machines, clearing away the rubbish to the skip (has to have a permit) as well as just a wage.
It's actually not much really when you think about the work involved. The man has to earn a living!!!

Twinkie1 · 30/07/2017 13:11

We pay £25 for about an hours work each week for 2 men. You are well and truly being legged over.

Mamagin · 30/07/2017 13:11

How much were you expecting to pay?

MaudAndOtherPoems · 30/07/2017 13:13

... another quote ...

Original poster
Dancingfairy · 30/07/2017 13:14

Well I don't have a garden so I had no idea on prices, my mum usually does it herself but can't now. Was thinking around £50 but as I say don't have a garden so don't know the costs.

OP posts:
abilockhart · 30/07/2017 13:14

As you say the garden is overgrown, £80 is a good price for London to sort out the garden and remove the clippings, grass etc.

abilockhart · 30/07/2017 13:16

However, once it is sorted, you could get a kid/teen in the neighbourhood to do regular mowing and hedge trimming for £20.

LAlady · 30/07/2017 13:27

We pay £30 for our garden to be done. It's a large garden though and if we do it can take a long time. Gardener is here about an hour and a half (every two weeks). We are in the Thames Valley.

millifiori · 30/07/2017 13:33

We live just outside London. The cheapest rate locally is a mate of mine who is also a professional gardener and he does ours for £15ph, but that's very cheap round here. No one else quotes less than £200 just to turn up.

RortyCrankle · 30/07/2017 13:52

Depends how large a garden and how overgrown but it seems reasonable to me - my gardener charges £18 an hour in Bucks.

OlennasWimple · 30/07/2017 13:54

Doesn't sound outrageous, but agree you should get at least one more quote so that you get a proper feel for the going rate (and you have some back up options if this one falls through for some reason)

BellyBean · 30/07/2017 14:18

Well could you find out how many hours £50 will get you and donthe rest?

beebee7 · 30/07/2017 14:18

Hard to say if it's ok without seeing what needs doing.