McHale GardensFor gardens that have gone well past a tidy-up: one you've just taken on, one that's been left for a few years, or a rental between tenants. We cut it all back, clear it out and leave it ready to use.
What a clearance includes
- Brambles, nettles and ivy cut back and pulled out
- Long grass and weeds cut down, and the lawn mown where there is one
- Overgrown shrubs cut back hard or taken out
- Overgrown hedges cut back (see hedge trimming)
- Beds, borders and paths cleared and weeded
- Roots dug out where we can, so it's slower to grow back
- Everything raked and swept before we leave
Once it's clear, you can decide what's next. An autumn lawn renovation can bring back a lawn worth saving, or we can lay new turf and plant new borders. Regular visits then keep it under control.
Who it's for
- New homeowners taking on a neglected garden.
- Landlords and letting agents getting a garden ready for new tenants.
- Getting a house ready to sell.
- Anyone whose garden has simply got away from them.
Green waste
A clearance makes a lot of green waste. We chip what we can with our wood chipper, which shrinks it down a lot, and the chippings can go on your borders as mulch. The rest can be bagged for your garden waste bin, or taken away at £20 per tip run plus the disposal site's fees, charged at cost. Your estimate says how many tip runs we expect. We're a registered waste carrier (CBDL662169) for the green waste from our own work.
Rubble, soil, household items, or piles of waste that were there before we arrived. If there's rubbish in the garden, it will need removing separately, and we'll point it out when we come round to give you an estimate.
Nesting birds and wildlife
Thick, overgrown growth is just where birds like to nest. From March to August we check before cutting, and any area with an active nest is left until the young have flown. It's an offence to damage or destroy a nest in use, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. We also go carefully around leaf and log piles, where hedgehogs often spend the winter.
Autumn and winter are good times for a big clearance: the growth has died back and the nesting season is over.
How it's priced
- Labour at £28 per person per hour, the same rate as all our work. Bigger clearances usually need two of us, which is £56 an hour. We're not VAT registered, so there's no VAT to add.
- Tip runs at £20 each plus the disposal site's fees, charged at cost.
- Bookings start at 4 hours. A big garden can take a full day or more.
- You'll get a free estimate before any work starts, with the hours, how many of us and the tip runs we expect.
What affects the time
- The size of the garden, and how long it's been left.
- Brambles and ivy: thick, woody growth with deep roots takes longest.
- Access: narrow side passages, steps, or carrying everything through the house.
- How much waste there is, and whether it's chipped, bagged or taken away.
- What's hidden under the growth, like old paving, wire or rubbish.
Garden clearance questions
Can you take away rubbish that's already in the garden?
No. Our waste carrier registration covers the green waste from our own work only, so rubble, soil, household items and existing piles of waste need removing separately.
Will the brambles and weeds grow back?
Some will, from roots left in the ground. We dig out what we can, and regular visits afterwards stop it getting out of hand again.
Do you remove trees?
No. We don't do tree work, felling or stump grinding. We clear brambles, undergrowth, shrubs and hedges.
Can you clear a garden between tenants?
Yes. Tell us when the property is empty and when the new tenants move in, and we'll do our best to fit the clearance in between.