Garden excavation / landscaping

busybrain

Hi there !
We have a small mid terrace house with a small lawn which is raised and reached by 2 steps from kitchen door level . This summer we will be building a side return on our tiny kitchen to make it square rather than galley . Once built the garden lawn and small wall will literally by just outside our back door . I have an idea to dig out garden and take it back a couple of metres just so we have a small deck are from back foot to lawn .
Here is the question, finally !!! Should we get a landscaper in in advance of builders to dig out or should we ask building company to do all ? I think maybe can use a local gardener who does a bit of landscaping rather than get builders to dig it out . I'd love any advice as to how you think it's best handled . Got no idea of the cost either . Blowing my mind thinking of how much kitchen costing !!! Thanks in advance .

I_have_spoken

Get all the digging for footings and levelling of garden done together and get your builders to lay the foundations and do the brick-work for the retaining wall.

A day with a mini-digger and a skip will see it all dug.


One all the mess is cleared and the builders clear off, you can think about planting.

kaya

builders will have to dig footings for the new build and dispose of the spoil anyway so it makes financial sense to get them to remove the extra while they are already at it, "landscapers" usually turn out to be w***ers with lawnmowers who want to charge you £300 to cut the grss and trim the hedge and run for the hills as soon as actual hard work is mentioned, most of them would sub the work out to someone else and put a percentage on top for themselves, last year i called 10 "landscapers" in to do our garden, only 3 bothered to get back to me and wanted £8000, £10000 and £14000 for a job that i employed labourers to do directly and ordered the materials directly and paid £4500 in total