Rip off

hbrac · Rip off

For years we had a team of gardeners who did our garden for £18. They would spend about an hour mowing the grass and tidying the borders. They just buggered off one day never to be seen again. So we got a few quotes and settled on one lone gardener from St Helens.

He charged £25 which we thought was a bit steep but needs must and all that. He was also doing the girl in the next road and a big house nearby.
The big house have let him go in favour of a cheaper older gardener. So he told me and the other girl it wasn't worth his while to come all this way for 2 gardens. However, he did find us another gardener nearby.

These 2 chaps came today , looked at the garden and said I'll let you have a quote. Alarm bells started ringing in that he could have quoted there and then. All he had to do was look at the work to be done. It's all neat and tidy. It's just maintainence.
He phoned tonight when I was out. He's quoting £55 for 2 hours. Hubby said I would let him know.

Sorry but that every 2 weeks is out of the question.
So it's back to the drawing board. I do have a sort of handyman/gardener but he can only come once a week for a few hours. He has no equipment so I have to provide it all. Still it's better than nothing

McBabe

Do you want us to start calling you lady Chatterly ?

hbrac

Only if I can find a suitable gamekeeper to play with McBabe

laws1

Maybe its just my mood

Just got to ask

Who's "doing the girl in the next road" now

Hope you get sorted soon there must be some handymen who would be happy to do it for a reasonable price. Its finding them that's difficult

hbrac

Behave Laws

Acorncup

At first I thought "Rip Off" in the gardening section had to be a new pruning technique

but I see it's a technique for removing vast amounts of dosh from Mr hbrac's wallet

perhaps they don't really want the job? I'm sure you could find it cheaper than that (not that I've got a clue what the going rate is.....our weeds fend for themselves

)

laws1

Ok:lol:

Promise i'll be good

hbrac

The last gardener made sure he emptied Mr hbrac's wallet OK. First there was the lawn weedkiller (the weeds are still there as is the lawn).Then the weeds on the patio. When I offered to move the cars he got shirty " This stuff is expensive". Yes. That's what I thought I was paying for. Then it was vine weevils. Vine weevils? I wouldn't know one if it jumped up and bit me

.I had to fork out £10 for a bottle of pesticide. And why do gardeners only do what they want to do instead of what you know needs doing? Grrrrrrrrr..where is guest when you need him?

Acorncup

He's gone camping in Devon......taking the kitchen sink by all accounts!!

we had a bloke in once who lopped the tops of a couple of conifers outside our front door. ..................

McBabe

hbrac

I already use one. £5 an hour. He's coming to trim the conifers on Tuesday. He arrives on a bike but uses all my gardening equipment. However he does a few people round here. Next door and across the road. I need a regular gardener in addition to him as he can only do once a week for a few hours.

Guest1

Points seem to be getting missed here. It has to be accepted that if you cant or wont tackle a job yourself, and it needs doing (like all gardens do, by definition), you have to be prepared to pay. That said, the 'doer' has to know what they are doing, and do it right.
I still manage the odd garden among the general landscaping work i do. These ones are what ive had for 10 or 15 years or more, and just hadnt the heart to bin them, for the more lucrative landscape jobs.
The smallest is a kiddie nursury, where i may spend up to an hour and a half depending. For this, i charge anywhere from £25 to £45 or it isnt worth turning up at all. Yes, this is a 'commercial' site of sorts, but the same used to apply to domestic customers when i had them.

When getting/accepting a price for a job - ANY job, you want doing, use this guideline.
Ask yourself if the price that is quoted is worth it to you to have the job taken off your hands? Dont consider how long they will be on site, or what mrs bloggs paid for a similar job. If you would rather have the job out of the way than have the money they ask still in your wallet - get it done. However, if you think they are asking too much - look elsewhere.

One thing tho, it is important to compare like for like. Gardens in particular are thronged with folk 'having a go'. I mean...how hard can it be?? I have 'cleared up' after a good number of 'have a go-ers' in the past - where folk have been given a low low price, to essentially have their garden professional trashed - and made them pay dearly for putting it right!

McBabe

we're not casting apsersions on your trade, I thought she just wanted the grass cutting & a bit of weeding doing.

if you want it doing by a professional landscape gardener then I agree you have to pay the going rate, after all they are doing it to make a living.

Guest1

hbrac

I don't need landscaping on a weekly basis as the garden is quite tidy.It's just that it is huge and grows out of shape quickly in the summer. So for a regular gardener it's not too taxing. I am having to pay alot now for the conifers as I had the tree guy round and I either pay him or it doesn't get done. Needs must and all that. However, once he has taken the height down, my handyman should be able to manage it using the ladders.
What I meant Mick was, round our area, they see you have a nice, big house and the dollar signs start appearing in their eyes. So sometimes you don't know whether they are trying it on or giving you a reasonable price.

THE THIEF OF BAD GAGS

hbrac

Right....we have a guy starting in a few weeks. £25 for about 2 hours. Has his own equipment, mower etc.

Guest1

hbrac

This new guy is in his 20's, not long got married and has started up a gardening and maintenance business on his own. He has about 15 gardens so far so he tells me. I'll give him a try.