Garden - Blocked paved

aylithuk

Hi Guys

We're currently looking at houses and one of our (mine!) deal breakers is a real garden.

Found a house that is 99% great apart from the current owners blocked paved the whole of the back garden. Roughly 15' x 12'

It's patio paving slabs if that is any help.

I was wondering how easy it would be to remove them completely and if the soil would be any good under it?

Any idea on a ball park price would be great. Cheers

diable

Price of a mini skip and some hard graft.

LEJC

A really cheap way of doing it would be to advertise locally or even ebay and buyer collects and dismantles!

Its not a difficult job to lift slabs...maybe a little hard work and until you lift them you wont know what unerneath...but usually sand or soil..you might need a bit of extra topsoil but thats up to how you wish to "landscape" the area...

Seriously,people do bid small amounts on ebay for patio slabs...they might not be your cup of tea but to someone half a day lifting them would be a bargain!

Otherwise you are probably looking in the region of £100 for removal by a garden maintainance company

aylithuk

Thanks for the feedback.

I thought it might just be a case of 'slide with a bar and lift' but nice to check

olias

Even if there is hardcore underneath, it just means a bit more graft to remove and a few dumpy bags of topsoil which you can usually get for about £25 each delivered.

Olias

Avoriaz

aylithuk wrote: »

....and if the soil would be any good under it?...

Ask the current owners what the soil was like before it was paved over.

Ask them why they paved it over. Maybe it was because the soil is poor or maybe they just preferred a low maintenance garden.

You will have to judge how honest their answers are.

Have a look at the gardens either side and behind. That should give you some clues.

If the house is 99% right, I wouldn't let this issue put you off.

Is it a buyers market in your area? Maybe offer a bit less to take account of the cost of converting the garden if you are near the top of your overall budget.

Good luck.

londonlydia

I've have too many slabs in my garden at the house ive just got too...will take them up next year when the weather is a bit warmer. I don't know the obsession for paving either. Also, my step dad works for DECC, and apparently there are worsening drainage issues/ flood risk in London now because so many people paved theie front gardens..and now back ones too! You don't really think about how much a small patch wil make a difference but when millions of homes do it you realise the impact!

I saw on one of those 'sell your house' programmes last week a house where she had paved her entire (large) garden, they got a quote for £1500 to have it all taken and re-landsacped professionally, which wasnt that bad when you saw the size of the garden.

art_for_arts_sake

aylithuk wrote: »

Hi Guys

We're currently looking at houses and one of our (mine!) deal breakers is a real garden.

Found a house that is 99% great apart from the current owners blocked paved the whole of the back garden. Roughly 15' x 12'

It's patio paving slabs if that is any help.

I was wondering how easy it would be to remove them completely and if the soil would be any good under it?

Any idea on a ball park price would be great. Cheers

Anyone else thinking what I'm thinking? :eek:

Ask if you can take up a few slabs to bury your dog that's just died. If they decline, move on a bit sharpish.:D

dodgydl

Be careful about finding out what is underneath and definately try to lift some to find out. I purchased a house with slabs and crazy paving in the garden. When we came around to digging it up we found 6 - 10 inches of solid concrete underneath. Filled up 2 skips at the cost of £350 and the hire of a breaker at £50 for the day. Plus a LOT of hard graft!!!!

http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s542/dodgydl/CIMG1424.jpg

LEJC

dodgydl wrote: »

Be careful about finding out what is underneath and definately try to lift some to find out. I purchased a house with slabs and crazy paving in the garden. When we came around to digging it up we found 6 - 10 inches of solid concrete underneath. Filled up 2 skips at the cost of £350 and the hire of a breaker at £50 for the day. Plus a LOT of hard graft!!!!

http://i1305.photobucket.com/albums/s542/dodgydl/CIMG1424.jpg

I see what you are saying...but even with hindsight would that have been a dealbreaker and prevented you from buying the house?

The way I see it is it is a labour intensive job...but not exactly a "specialist " job to undertake and as such if thats the only thing stopping the OP from purchasing his otherwise perfect house its quite an easy job to undertake.

Gloomendoom

art_for_arts_sake wrote: »

Anyone else thinking what I'm thinking? :eek:

Fred West's patio?