What happens on a garden clearance, and what affects how long it takes

Maybe you have just moved in. Maybe a garden has been left for a year or two, or you are getting a place ready to let or sell. Whatever the reason, a garden clearance is often the first job. Here is what it usually involves, and what makes it bigger or smaller.

What a clearance usually covers

Every garden is different, but most clearances include some of these:

• cutting back overgrown shrubs, brambles and climbers
• pulling weeds out of beds, borders and paving
• cutting long grass down so it can be mowed again
• clearing fallen leaves, branches and general debris
• sweeping patios, decking and paths
• bagging up the green waste

The aim is simple: a garden you can see, walk round and use again.

What affects how long it takes

How long it has been left. A garden left for one summer is a very different job from one left for five years. Brambles and self-seeded trees turn woody, and their roots go deep.

Access. Lots of London gardens can only be reached through the house, down basement steps or along a narrow side passage. Everything that comes out has to go back the same way, so access makes a real difference.

What is underneath. Old paving, broken pots, rubbish and buried builders' waste turn up more often than you would think. Tell us about anything you already know is there.

The waste. Green waste piles up much faster than most people expect. Ask how the waste will be dealt with when you get your quote, so there are no surprises.

What you can do before we arrive

• Move cars, bikes and bins if they block the way in.
• Take out anything you want to keep, such as pots, ornaments or garden furniture, or point it out to us.
• Tell us about anything to watch out for: a pond, a fragile fence, plants you want to keep, or a pet door.
• If you can, send a few photos when you ask for a quote. It helps us plan the day.

A real example

The photos in this post are from one of our jobs: a raised deck behind a London house, covered in leaves, weeds and rubbish. We cleared and swept the deck and bagged up the waste, so the owners could use it again. There are more before and after photos on our work page.

After the clearance

Once a garden is clear, it is much easier to keep on top of. A few visits a year for weeding, grass cutting and hedge trimming stop it sliding back to where it started. We can do that too, with regular garden maintenance.