Nice people thread part 5 - nicely does it

GDB2222

vivatifosi wrote: »

Herts NPs. Do you have a good idea of what the going rate is for a gardener locally? I have about two days worth of quite heavy gardening to do. I've been trying to do it myself, but it's a losing battle. This morning I only managed an hour and a half before the sun was too strong so I don't think I'm going to manage. I have a couple of people in mind, but I don't want to either get ripped off or offer an insulting amount of money, so need to know where the ballpark is.

In gardening terms its not great when someone who can't go out in the sun marries someone who has such bad hay fever that they end up in casualty (not so far this year thank goodness).

FYI, the work is: weeding and putting down weedkiller on two patios, treating weeds in the borders (there are a lot of them), dealing with some brambles, feeding/treating the lawn, pruning my tree (its so tiny it could almost be done with nail scissors so not a big job) and generally getting it looking acceptable. Once that's sorted, probably putting some new ground-cover in the borders where the weeds are.

Hi Viva

I have a gardener who lives in Barnet but works nearer the centre of London, so his rates may be a bit higher than where you are. £17 per hour, recently increased from £16. He does work hard, though.

vivatifosi

GDB2222 wrote: »

Hi Viva

I have a gardener who lives in Barnet but works nearer the centre of London, so his rates may be a bit higher than where you are. £17 per hour, recently increased from £16. He does work hard, though.

Thanks GDB, that's worth knowing. There's a gardening company that do the common grounds where I live and they charge in the low £20s per hour, but I also know someone who gardens and I know their rates would be cheaper, but I don't want to feel like I'm ripping them off.

GDB2222

vivatifosi wrote: »

Thanks GDB, that's worth knowing. There's a gardening company that do the common grounds where I live and they charge in the low £20s per hour, but I also know someone who gardens and I know their rates would be cheaper, but I don't want to feel like I'm ripping them off.

Mother-in-law has found a local handyman for £12/hour, but he is unreliable and she is having to buy him tools to do the work. This does not bode well.

I think that, if you know someone, you should ask him/her what they want. A rate for a couple of days should be a bit lower than the hourly equivalent. It also depends whether you need someone skilled or whether you will be right there giving instructions on what is a weed and what is your prize plant.

PasturesNew

GDB2222 wrote: »

what is a weed and what is your prize plant.

Everybody's looking for gardeners, it's well paid and there's always plenty of new customers to be sucked up. You don't need to know the difference between these - you can quickly learn it "on the job" when the house owner cries and then sacks you.

But, as I said, plenty more customers where they came from, so who cares

silvercar

If you can supervise you should be able to find a student or two, happy to earn some extra cash.

Problem with good gardeners is that they are busy, particularly in the Summer. Also they are not so keen on one-offs, to much faffing around with quote visits etc.

On a similar front, who would I get in to dig a soak-away?

GDB2222

silvercar wrote: »

If you can supervise you should be able to find a student or two, happy to earn some extra cash.

Problem with good gardeners is that they are busy, particularly in the Summer. Also they are not so keen on one-offs, to much faffing around with quote visits etc.

On a similar front, who would I get in to dig a soak-away?

Soak-away sounds like a job for a builder. How deep?

michaels

MY builder would send a couple of lads round and do it fr a very reasonable price if he was 'in the area' - about how long and is it just the pipe run or do you also need a big pit full of rubble?

GDB2222 wrote: »

Soak-away sounds like a job for a builder. How deep?

Re gardeners, next weekend it is currently forecast dry but more like 15-18 degrees and possibly cloudy so perhaps you might be able to do some yourself after all Viva, but I guess if you don't enjoy it and can afford to get someone to do it then why not. The lady over the road has a gardener, if I see her or him I will ask about rates.

PasturesNew

Bet a lot of you are on bbc1. I've got it on.... but not watching as such. It's annoying me already.

CKhalvashi

Light your fire!

Are you ready? :eek:

090 ....... 17 guys, if you fancy a posh alert from Pastures

PasturesNew

CKhalvashi wrote: »

090 ....... 17 guys, if you fancy a posh alert from Pastures

Yeah, nobody phones to vote.... costs money!!