Advice needed - Garden makeover

[GeorgeCP]

Hi all!

Bought a house last year and we initially focused on the interior but now I can no longer ignore the back garden as the summer is coming and the missus wants to sit outside.

What I'd like to achieve:
- Clean up the back and fix the retaining wall
- Fence on the left: That's the neighbour's new budget fence and I'd like to clean up by getting rid of all the fallen bricks.
- Fence on the right: Tear it down and get another one that sits on top of the brick wall. This one's in a fairly good shape.
- Remove the grass, clean up and pave it.

I don't plan on doing the work myself, but I'm uncertain who to contract. Do I need a builder? Landscaper? I'd like to find someone to take on the whole job but I don't want to end up with an overzealous gardener.

Also, if you've already gone through this, what should I be careful with? Any advice and recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[endecotp]

You don't say anything about plants except getting rid of the grass. So I don't think you want a gardener of any description. Just a builder to come and sterilise it.

 

[GeorgeCP]

Correct, we'll have plants in pots once we're finished.

 

[Ian H]

Bank manager first?

 

[lewist100]

You could just getting a gardening company in that specialising in fencing and clearing a garden. If you are going for pots you do not need to worrying about them ripping up anything that you want to keep. Probably will not be cheap if you are not planning on doing any of the work yourself. I personnally would hire a skip, remove all the easy stuff yourself, bricks etc and the pay someone to do the levelling, grass and fencing. It is not worth paying someone to remove the junk.

 

[Halitosis]

Hi George
I did something similar a couple of years back, and although no expert, a couple of things I learned along the way:
Look for a hard-landscaper or builder, but clearing the garden of rubbish and plants yourself first might save you a fair amount in the quotes. Get 3 quotes (the cheapest can sometimes be half the price of the most expensive) but be sure to know exactly what you're wanting first, and agree the standard of work and materials
Best not to build a fence on top of a wall - it acts as a sail and can pull the wall down (happened to us). Better to build a fence independently a few inches inside your garden just as your neighbour has. Judging by the failing of that wall and the fact that the one on the right is single brick width, it definitely isn't up to having a fence put on top of it.
Your retaining wall needs to be taken out and started again from scratch. Apparently the most common cause of failing is the absence of drainage and a build-up of water behind the retaining wall, so ensure any quotes you get include an appropriate drainage plan - usually drainage stones between the wall and retained earth, with a plastic perforated field drain at the bottom and periodic gaps in the brickwork to allow the water through and into a drain (Clark drainage?) - somewhere to flow to in your garden rather than your neighbour's!).
Paving Expert website is a brilliant resource - even if not doing it yourself, it'll help ensure your builder is doing it right.
Good luck