Anyone know how much excavating a garden costs? House we're looking at the whole garden is elevated about 4' higher than the floor of the ground floor. This means you can hardly see the back of the garden from downstairs and access is only possible from the side. Thinking of digging around a 15/20' x 20ft section out immediately behind the house and laying a patio but I've absolutely no idea how much hiring a digger, operator and waste soil removal is likely to cost. Probably too much for it to be worthwhile. Left how it is the back door would have to be upstairs in the bedroom Anyone?
I hired a self drive mini digger for some work in the back garden. It was cheap as chips and cracking fun. Worth doing even if you've no real need. The work took no time, so we pissed about with it for the rest of the time like kids in a toy shop. Book one, then have a digger party.
Whats the neighbours gardens like? Same height? I'd suggest binning the house but still hire a digger. As dutch says great fun.
I'd hold a wild party/riot in the back garden, get the neighbours to call the cops & fire brigade - the high pressure water hoses should wash it away in no time.
Don't know what prices are like where you live but for me I think I'd be looking at around £100/day to hire a digger, £150/day to hire an operator. If you need skips then around £200 a time, or if you have somewhere to stack the soil up where a grab lorry can reach it might cost about £150 a load. A 20'x20'x4' section is a lot of earth, skips would cost you a fortune. Then you'll be wanting a load of aggregate for the patio base, hire of a wacker plate, patio slabs. I'd guess you're looking at a fairly serious 4-figure number.
Just ask her to leave you mate. Make it worth her while. Burying her under a new patio is too obvious and may come back to bite you on the arse.
To contract that out, about 2-3 grand for removal. About 2 grand for a patio depending on what flags you choose. That's for a reputable company. You could more than half those costs if you go with cowboys, but you'd probably live to regret it. It'll definitely be cheaper to do it yourself.
While on the subject, some help for me please... yeah yeah, I know I need it... I have a building on my property, have acquired planning permission to convert it and have the work signed off as started. Builders quotes have been from 35k to 44k and I told them I didn't want it built...!!!... does anyone know anyone who's expert in looking at plans and establishing just whats needed to do the job so that I can drive the costs down, or for those that know am I creating a recipe for disaster. Ta!!!
We hired a man with a JCB about 12 years ago. He filled 7 skips - then we moved into the aggregate lorries you see with gravel on and filled a few of those. Can't remember the costs but it took him a full day and wasn't as much as you would expect.
Start by hiring a builder you trust and who you have seen examples of their work. Loads of charlatans and cowboys around. We bought our house as a barn conversion that had been constructed by some utter ****wits and dimwits from Hull. I threatened them with legal action followed by violence due to loads of 'illegal' work they had done. Soon got the issues corrected but it took ages, and more heartache. We've subsequently had an extension built about 5 years ago which was approx £90k fully fitted. The brickie was absolutely outstanding in terms of matching existing stonework and tumbling details which is pretty unique to East Yorks. The rest of the people involved in the extension work were at best average. I've had the brickie back to do work since then. The rest I wouldn't recommend. Use builders family or friends have used before is my best bit of advice.
A very well known comedian was having his newly bought house extensively refurbished. He had à similar problem with his new garden. He had quite a bit removed and a wall built; he thought he had it sussed. He decided to put a lounger in the garden for a test run; oh dear. He realised he was overseen and he wanted privacy. Time for action, he thought. Back came the diggers and skips, alot of them. Down they went, until privacy was found. A bit of patio work and landscaping, job done. Big party and BBQ, happy days. Then the rain came, real rain and he woke up to find he had built a very expensive mudbath. I think he's having to carshare to cover costs. The moral is: diggers are great fun, if you know when to stop.
Hiring a digger is exactly what I had in mind. But as mentioned it's a lot to shift and would probably take me a few months as I'd be too busy pissing about. Both neighbours gardens are the same and to be honest it's part of the appeal having some proper privacy without the need for hulking 10' steel fencing. I'm thinking hot tub parties here... I know the costs associated with laying a patio, I can do that piece of piss, it was the earth removal I was wondering about. Maybe a few sticks of dynamite would be more cost effective.
Maybe try the Great Escape method of smuggling the soil out of your garden onto local parkland. Hope this helps.
