Houses

[FoyleFox]

Just looking toward our next set of projects. We need to replace the driveway, a crap gravel thing and re-landscape the front garden - it's also just a crap gravel patch.

The back garden needs the patio relaying as the slabs all wobble and replace another crap gravel area, which we're looking at artificial turf there.

 

Anyone had a new drive or landscaping and can give me a steer on prices. I recall someone here last year saying they'd had a quote for a patio which was double the previous year's quote. Curious if anyone has realistic recent costings before we start getting quotes in for comparison.

[kenny]

1 hour ago, FoyleFox said:

Just looking toward our next set of projects. We need to replace the driveway, a crap gravel thing and re-landscape the front garden - it's also just a crap gravel patch.

The back garden needs the patio relaying as the slabs all wobble and replace another crap gravel area, which we're looking at artificial turf there.

 

Anyone had a new drive or landscaping and can give me a steer on prices. I recall someone here last year saying they'd had a quote for a patio which was double the previous year's quote. Curious if anyone has realistic recent costings before we start getting quotes in for comparison.

Do it yourself would be my suggestion.

 

We laid 200m2  in lockdown, also laid resin bound gravel areas, artificial turf, new lawns, new hedging and laid a self compacting gravel drive.

 

None of it was that difficult.

[FoyleFox]

4 minutes ago, kenny said:

Do it yourself would be my suggestion.

 

We laid 200m2  in lockdown, also laid resin bound gravel areas, artificial turf, new lawns, new hedging and laid a self compacting gravel drive.

 

None of it was that difficult.

Unfortunately, doing it ourselves is not an option. A few years ago, definitely be doing more of it, but not these days. Plus, we're looking at a tarmac drive, I'm not seeing that as a DIY project.

 

Edit: we did attempt the patio at the back last year. That bit is now worse, LoL

Edited 10 October 2022 by FoyleFox

[Izzy]

3 minutes ago, kenny said:

Do it yourself would be my suggestion.

 

We laid 200m2  in lockdown, also laid resin bound gravel areas, artificial turf, new lawns, new hedging and laid a self compacting gravel drive.

 

None of it was that difficult.

Never underestimate how Fvckin useless your average Joe is at doing this sort of stuff yourself.
That’s why the majority of people pay professionals to do it right!

(And I very much include myself in the Fvckin useless bracket)

[kenny]

1 hour ago, Izzy said:

Never underestimate how Fvckin useless your average Joe is at doing this sort of stuff yourself.
That’s why the majority of people pay professionals to do it right!

(And I very much include myself in the Fvckin useless bracket)

It's too easy to assume this stuff is difficult. Most trades aren't hard to do.

 

Tradesmen get paid well as they can do it quickly. Takes a long time and a lot of YouTube, but it's worth it.

[FoyleFox]

12 minutes ago, Izzy said:

Never underestimate how Fvckin useless your average Joe is at doing this sort of stuff yourself.
That’s why the majority of people pay professionals to do it right!

(And I very much include myself in the Fvckin useless bracket)

Also, the stuff you're willing to take on when you're 30+ is vastly different to the stuff you'll consider at 60+.

Digging out 100m2 of gravel drive, edging it with blocks and replacing it with tarmac isn't for us.

[kenny]

1 hour ago, FoyleFox said:

Also, the stuff you're willing to take on when you're 30+ is vastly different to the stuff you'll consider at 60+.

Digging out 100m2 of gravel drive, edging it with blocks and replacing it with tarmac isn't for us.

Even I would take tarmac on. Up there with plastering as one for the professionals.

[Izzy]

20 minutes ago, kenny said:

It's too easy to assume this stuff is difficult. Most trades aren't hard to do.

 

Tradesmen get paid well as they can do it quickly. Takes a long time and a lot of YouTube, but it's worth it.

Speak for yourself buddy 

 

Believe me I've tried so much DIY stuff over the years (even with the help of YouTube) and mainly manage to fvck it up every time.

 

I just think you're either that way inclined or you ain't!

[Raj]

Anyone recommend  local alarm companies please?

 

[FoyleFox]

35 minutes ago, Raj said:

Anyone recommend  local alarm companies please?

 

Secure with L & R. Chap called Richard, lovely fellow did ours.

[FoxesDeb]

3 hours ago, Raj said:

Anyone recommend  local alarm companies please?

 

Doesn't @Strokesdo alarms?

[Lako42]

18 hours ago, kenny said:

Do it yourself would be my suggestion.

 

We laid 200m2  in lockdown, also laid resin bound gravel areas, artificial turf, new lawns, new hedging and laid a self compacting gravel drive.

 

None of it was that difficult.

You did a resin driveway yourself? 

[Tommy G]

19 hours ago, FoyleFox said:

Just looking toward our next set of projects. We need to replace the driveway, a crap gravel thing and re-landscape the front garden - it's also just a crap gravel patch.

The back garden needs the patio relaying as the slabs all wobble and replace another crap gravel area, which we're looking at artificial turf there.

 

Anyone had a new drive or landscaping and can give me a steer on prices. I recall someone here last year saying they'd had a quote for a patio which was double the previous year's quote. Curious if anyone has realistic recent costings before we start getting quotes in for comparison.

Pretty nasty prices out there - I had a 17m2 patio laid at the back of our garden. £2,200 labour plus materials on top. Similar quote for £2,100. So bought the materials myself and found someone through a friend who laid it for me, charged me £170 a day, took him 3.5 days and paid him £600, materials and slabs were about £800. Saved myself £1,600, I prepared the ground myself - got it reasonably level and wheelbarrowed 2 tonnes of type 1, he whackered it and laid the slabs, cracking job. 

Edited 11 October 2022 by Tommy G

[Tommy G]

19 hours ago, kenny said:

Do it yourself would be my suggestion.

 

We laid 200m2  in lockdown, also laid resin bound gravel areas, artificial turf, new lawns, new hedging and laid a self compacting gravel drive.

 

None of it was that difficult.

Sometimes if you arent that way inclined it can look a bit dodgy - like it looks acceptable but not like a professional finish. I've looked round a house before and the guy said he had done loads of the work himself, and it all looked a bit 90% - put me off.

[FoyleFox]

24 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Pretty nasty prices out there - I had a 17m2 patio laid at the back of our garden. £2,200 labour plus materials on top. Similar quote for £2,100. So bought the materials myself and found someone through a friend who laid it for me, charged me £170 a day, took him 3.5 days and paid him £600, materials and slabs were about £800. Saved myself £1,600, I prepared the ground myself - got it reasonably level and wheelbarrowed 2 tonnes of type 1, he whackered it and laid the slabs, cracking job. 

Blimey! Getting quotes is going to be more interesting than I thought.

[goose2010]

22 hours ago, FoyleFox said:

Just looking toward our next set of projects. We need to replace the driveway, a crap gravel thing and re-landscape the front garden - it's also just a crap gravel patch.

The back garden needs the patio relaying as the slabs all wobble and replace another crap gravel area, which we're looking at artificial turf there.

 

Anyone had a new drive or landscaping and can give me a steer on prices. I recall someone here last year saying they'd had a quote for a patio which was double the previous year's quote. Curious if anyone has realistic recent costings before we start getting quotes in for comparison.

My brother has just had his driveway colour concreated and a brick like pattern put in. Took the company a couple of days and was 4k, size wise i dont know the exact size but it you could get a car and a half on the drive i guess?! 

 

It looks great and is zero maintenance. I am going to get mine done next year i think. Currently we have block paving which is about 20 years old i think. It is such a ball ache with weeds growing through! 

[Tommy G]

17 minutes ago, goose2010 said:

My brother has just had his driveway colour concreated and a brick like pattern put in. Took the company a couple of days and was 4k, size wise i dont know the exact size but it you could get a car and a half on the drive i guess?! 

 

It looks great and is zero maintenance. I am going to get mine done next year i think. Currently we have block paving which is about 20 years old i think. It is such a ball ache with weeds growing through! 

Have noticed that before - looks really good. I initially thought it was brick or blocks with a strange sealant on top of it. 

 

Resin driveways look great, super super expensive though and people that can do it properly are at a premium

[FoyleFox]

 

7 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

Have noticed that before - looks really good. I initially thought it was brick or blocks with a strange sealant on top of it. 

 

Resin driveways look great, super super expensive though and people that can do it properly are at a premium

A neighbour has had the colour concrete, looks lovely and was a consideration. If it was £4k for a 1 1/2 car drive, that's going to be out.

 

We had a quote for a resin driveway at the old house, which was double the cost of the tarmac and block edge option.

[FoxesDeb]

We're moving on Friday, and I'd forgotten how stressful packing is. I absolutely hate it, as does everyone I guess. 

 

I started with such good intentions of having a proper clear out of everything we no longer need, and am now at the stage of throwing random shit into random boxes 

[goose2010]

15 minutes ago, FoyleFox said:

 

A neighbour has had the colour concrete, looks lovely and was a consideration. If it was £4k for a 1 1/2 car drive, that's going to be out.

 

We had a quote for a resin driveway at the old house, which was double the cost of the tarmac and block edge option.

What my bro was told is that they buy the concrete by the mixer load and it depends how far they can make it stretch so it doesnt always cost more if it is bigger, if that makes sense... so for instance mine is nearly double my brothers and the quote for £5750 as you are only paying extra for the labour. 

[Milo]

I got a quote for a resin drive last year and it was £30k 

 

Which is why the front still looks like a builders yard. 
 

Also got a quote for some decking at the back which was £11k…which I will definitely now tackle myself. 
 

Ridiculous. 

 

 

[FoyleFox]

20 minutes ago, Milo said:

I got a quote for a resin drive last year and it was £30k 

 

Which is why the front still looks like a builders yard. 
 

Also got a quote for some decking at the back which was £11k…which I will definitely now tackle myself. 
 

Ridiculous. 

 

 

Do you live at Beaumanor Hall?

[FoxesDeb]

25 minutes ago, Milo said:

I got a quote for a resin drive last year and it was £30k 

 

Which is why the front still looks like a builders yard. 
 

Also got a quote for some decking at the back which was £11k…which I will definitely now tackle myself. 
 

Ridiculous. 

 

 

Get @tom27111on the decking, I've heard he's good at it 

[goose2010]

1 hour ago, Milo said:

I got a quote for a resin drive last year and it was £30k 

 

Which is why the front still looks like a builders yard. 
 

Also got a quote for some decking at the back which was £11k…which I will definitely now tackle myself. 
 

Ridiculous. 

 

 

Decking is something that is worth having a go at yourself. I did my old house as the quotes were ridiculous. I ended up buying all the tools and all the decking for about a quarter of the quotes. 

 

woodwork is about as far i go with DIY.

 

currently having our kitchen done, its looking great at the minute but living without one for 2 weeks has been a test!! Only so many microwave meals and takeaways you can have before getting bored! 

[FoyleFox]

14 minutes ago, goose2010 said:

currently having our kitchen done, its looking great at the minute but living without one for 2 weeks has been a test!! Only so many microwave meals and takeaways you can have before getting bored! 

Imagine how bored we were for 4 months without a kitchen!