Small garden jobs?

Fittle

Not sure if this is the right thread, but I'll give it a go.

I have a pretty small garden - Id say it's about 25 x 25ft. It's just grass with fencing on either side and a wall at the end.

I've been looking after the grass since last summer, and its looking ok, considering it looked so bad at the start of last summer. I now want to get a small shed (just for a bike, lawnmower etc - a very small one) and I'd also like to get a bit of concrete slabbing, for a table & chairs. I've decided not to bother with decking, as I've heard it's high maintenance.
My question is how much would this all cost roughly? And where do I go to buy the shed, get someone to do the concrete? I've been to b&q and priced a small shed, but don't want to buy it knowing someone would have to assemble it for me and make a foundation for the floor (I assume?), until I know who can do that job. I was hoping to get this done by the end of the summer and I'd love to know where the best places are to price these jobs?
Thanks.

looksee

I'm tempted to say get a bigger shed than you think you will need, but you only have a small garden, so you are probably wise.

You could buy a shed from someone that will deliver and erect it, which would solve one problem. You don't have to put it on a slab, in fact it would probably be better not on a slab. I have a large shed that was put on a dozen concrete blocks, and in 10 years it has not moved at all (It has a pvc door and if it had moved the door would not close).

Is it out of the question for you to put down a patio yourself? It would only need a few 2x2 slabs (which would look better than concrete). Strip off some lawn, firm it down, put down some sand and put the paving on top. To do a really expert job you should do cement and stuff, but if you do it carefully you don't need cement. Again, 10 years, about 3 dozen slabs, still level and solid. They are inclined to grow weeds a bit, but that can be dealt with once in the season.

I just know there are going to be lots of people disagreeing, but that's my two pennorth

Fittle

Thanks for that.

Should I have mentioned that I'm female and I'd rather have all my teeth pulled that even attempt anything like that myself;)
Didn't realise companies would come and erect the shed for me - must check that one out. While I agree that I probably would need a bigger shed, the bigger it is,the more clutter it will attract, so I'll stick to the small one just for bikes and lawnmower.

Is getting someone in to so a small slab patio much cheaper than decking, or would decking be just as cheap? Obviously decking looks better, but anyone I've spoken to who has it says 'Don't get it!!'
. Cost is the number one factor, but obviously I want it to look nice too, thanks;)

looksee

Hi Fittle, I'm female too, and while I wouldn't try and lay slabs now, I have in the past. I'm much better at gaffering though while the DH does the labouring

I would get someone to lay a few slabs for you, rather than the decking. If all you want is a trouble-free area where you can put a few chairs then the paving would be best. You will have to find someone who advertises garden/small building work, but you need to know what you want and roughly how it should be done or you could end up with someone chucking slabs down on the grass. You need a compacted base with a layer of hardcore (stones) then sand then paving. You don't need cement, there isn't proper support for the paving with the blobs of cement. Don't use anything bigger than 2ft x 2ft pavings, they are less likely to crack.

You will have to decide what you are going to do with the spare grass sods too, getting stuff dumped could cost you nearly as much as the job.

Fittle

How presumptious of me that you were a man in the DIY section, sorry:rolleyes:

I do know what I want - I have a very small 'path' as you step outside my door, going left to right, from one fence to the next (its about 3ft in lenght by the width of the house) -I'd love the slabbing to cover this part too, rather than start as a seperate piece (am I making sense?). I'm not sure that slabbing could be just put over this part, or would the concrete need to be dug up, to make it level with the garden? At the moment, the concrete is level with the grass.

My back door is is in my living room - it's double doors out to the back garden and while I try to keep the curtains as the focal point of that door, (keeping them pulled over a good bit on either side, I'd love to just open them really wide and allow the back garden to 'come in' to the living room, as they say in all the best 'decorating your house' programmes!!!:D

looksee

Fittle wrote: »

How presumptious of me that you were a man in the DIY section, sorry:rolleyes:

I do know what I want - I have a very small 'path' as you step outside my door, going left to right, from one fence to the next (its about 3ft in lenght by the width of the house) -I'd love the slabbing to cover this part too, rather than start as a seperate piece (am I making sense?). I'm not sure that slabbing could be just put over this part, or would the concrete need to be dug up, to make it level with the garden? At the moment, the concrete is level with the grass.

My back door is is in my living room - it's double doors out to the back garden and while I try to keep the curtains as the focal point of that door, (keeping them pulled over a good bit on either side, I'd love to just open them really wide and allow the back garden to 'come in' to the living room, as they say in all the best 'decorating your house' programmes!!!:D

no hassle! Yes you have to dig the concrete if you want to put slabs down there, otherwise you have to raise the other slabs and that would not work with the level of the grass. Or put in a fiddly step. I really wouldn't get too hung up on the path problem, if you are putting down concrete slabs. Stand a couple of planters/tubs on either side and you will not notice the 'join'. It really depends on how much you want to spend on it.

Fittle

As little as possible!

Never thought of a few planters, that's a good idea:D

Ive spent today painting the fencing and back wall - already it looks like a completely different garden - can't believe the transformation! Has taken me hours, but worth it:D