If you live in South East London and your garden has been neglected, you are not alone. The clay-heavy soil, wet winters, and lack of time mean that thousands of gardens across Greenwich, Lewisham, and Bromley end up overgrown, waterlogged, or just unused. Urban Gardeners has been fixing exactly that since 2014, working across almost every SE postcode from our base in Eltham SE9.
This page tells you what a garden makeover actually involves, what it costs based on our real service prices, and what to expect when you book with us.
Get a free, no-obligation quote →
What Is a Garden Makeover?
A garden makeover is a full transformation of your outdoor space - not a one-off tidy or a quick mow. It starts by clearing everything that should not be there, then rebuilds around how you actually want to use the garden.
Most makeovers we carry out across SE London combine several of our services:
- Garden clearance - weeds, overgrowth, green waste, debris
- Turfing - lawn restoration or fresh turf installation
- Decking installation - softwood, hardwood or composite
- Garden fencing - new panels, post replacement, repairs
- Patio cleaning - deep cleaning or new patio laying
- Garden landscaping and design - full layout and planting plan
The exact scope depends on the current state of your garden and what you want from it. We assess every garden individually before quoting.
How Much Does a Garden Makeover Cost in South East London?
This is the question most people want answered before anything else. Here is a breakdown based on our actual published prices and the work we do regularly across SE London.
Garden Clearance
Garden clearance is the starting point for almost every makeover. We charge £85 per hour for a 2-person team with all tools included. Green waste removal is available on request.
A small overgrown terrace garden typically takes 3–4 hours (£255–£340). A larger jungle-state garden may take a full day or more.
Turfing
Turfing covers old lawn removal, ground levelling and preparation, fresh turf supply and laying, and aftercare advice. Typical costs in SE London:
| Garden Size | Typical Turfing Cost |
|---|---|
| Small (up to 20m²) | £400 – £700 |
| Medium (20–50m²) | £700 – £1,400 |
| Large (50m²+) | £1,400 – £2,500+ |
These figures include labour and materials. Final price confirmed after free site visit. We also install artificial grass - see our natural vs artificial grass guide if you are not sure which suits your garden.
Turfing job done my Urban Gardeners
Decking Installation
Decking prices include materials, labour, subframe and basic groundwork. From our published pricing:
| Deck Size | Softwood | Hardwood | Composite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (up to 12m²) | £960 – £1,920 | £1,290 – £2,580 | £1,290 – £2,580 |
| Medium (15–25m²) | £2,000 – £4,000 | £2,690 – £5,375 | £2,690 – £5,375 |
| Large (30m²+) | From £4,800 | From £6,450 | From £6,450 |
Hardwood decking installation in Greenwich SE10 done by Urban Gardeners
Patio Cleaning
Patio cleaning is charged at £4 per m² (minimum 40m² / £140). Most standard SE London patio jobs run £140–£300. A neglected patio that looks like it needs replacing can often be fully restored for a fraction of replacement cost.
Patio cleaning job done by Urban Gardeners
Garden Fencing
Fencing is priced after a free site visit - panel type, post condition, access, and run length all affect the final figure. We supply and install closeboard, feather edge, overlap panels, and decorative fencing. Old fence removal available on request.
Turfing and fencing job done by Urban Gardeners
Garden Maintenance
Garden maintenance runs at £83 for the first hour, £65 for each hour after (minimum first visit £140). Many clients use this to keep things tidy after a makeover.
Garden maintenance project with Urban Gardeners
Get your written quote within 24 hours →
What Does the Process Look Like?
Step 1: Free Site Visit and Written Quote
Tilyo, our chief landscape gardener, visits your garden, assesses what needs doing, and walks through your options. We send a written quote within 24 hours. No obligation to book.
Step 2: Garden Clearance
Almost every makeover starts here. We strip out weeds, overgrown shrubs, dead plants, and debris. This reveals the real shape of your space and gives us a clean base to work from. See our garden clearance service for full details.
Step 3: Hard Landscaping
Structural work - decking, fencing, patio laying - always happens before lawn or planting work so nothing gets disturbed afterwards.
Step 4: Turfing or Lawn Restoration
If your lawn is beyond saving, we remove it, prepare the ground properly, and lay fresh turf. If it needs restoration rather than replacement, we scarify, overseed and treat it. See our full turfing service page for what is included.
Step 5: Planting, Borders and Finishing
Final beds, borders, and finishing touches. We advise on planting that works in SE London's clay-heavy soil and your specific light conditions. See our garden landscaping and design service for the full scope.
Project: Catford SE6, Before and After
Before and after garden clearance in Woolwich SE18
The Woolwich garden came to us completely overgrown - thick weed coverage across the full plot, overgrowth along every boundary, and years of green waste built up in the corners. The client had not been able to use the space at all. Our team went in with a full clearance: cutting back all overgrowth, pulling weeds, removing all green waste from site, and leaving a clean base to work from.
By the end of the job the client could see the actual size and shape of their garden for the first time in years. That is the point of starting with clearance. Everything else - turf, decking, planting - only works properly once you have a clean slate.
See more before and after clearance projects →
What Our Customers Say
"Did a great job clearing my wall and garden. Very efficient, constructive about the problems, had creative suggestions, very helpful. And cheerful on a really cold day!"
- Ruth A., Google Review ★★★★★
"Transformed my garden in just a couple of days. They did a great job, I would highly recommend."
- Rohini S., Google Review ★★★★★
"Excellent communication and service. The work was completed to a high standard and I would use them again."
- Angela C., Google Review ★★★★★
"Once again excellent work from this team of gardeners. Having recently been diagnosed with a significant health condition I am unable to maintain the garden myself. The work done by the team has made my life easier."
- Michelle H., Google Review ★★★★★
Garden Makeovers Across SE London Boroughs
We are based in Eltham SE9 and have worked across SE London since 2014. Here is what we typically see in each area:
Greenwich (SE10, SE18, SE3, SE7): Properties in Woolwich and Eltham often have generous back gardens left untouched for years. SE London clay means waterlogged lawns are common through winter. Proper ground preparation before laying fresh turf makes a lasting difference here.
Lewisham (SE13, SE6, SE4, SE23): Terraced gardens in Catford, Hither Green, and Forest Hill respond well to a full clearance and turfing job. Ivy spreading across boundary walls is the most common problem we deal with. See our Lewisham gardening services.
Bromley (BR1, BR2, BR3): Larger gardens in Beckenham and Shortlands with mature shrubs that need cutting back hard before any design work. These are the jobs where the transformation is most dramatic - and where garden landscaping and design makes the most sense as part of a full makeover.
Bexley (DA5, DA6, SE2): Welling, Sidcup, and Abbey Wood gardens tend to have better soil than central SE London, which means turf establishes faster. See our Abbey Wood gardening services.
Southwark and Peckham (SE15, SE22): Smaller urban courtyard gardens with solid potential. Patio cleaning and decking installation are the most popular additions to makeovers here.
Greenwich and Eltham (SE9, SE10, SE12): Our home patch. We know these gardens well - the soil profiles, the typical boundary problems, the access constraints. See our Eltham and Greenwich area pages.
Check if we cover your postcode →
Common Problems We Fix in SE London Gardens
Ivy and overgrown boundaries: Ivy spreads fast and damages fences and brickwork if left unchecked. We remove it properly, not just cut it back. Bamboo needs full root treatment to stop regrowth. Both are specialist jobs we do regularly across SE London.
Waterlogged and patchy lawns: SE London clay holds water badly. Lawns go yellow and patchy every winter. Sometimes the fix is aeration and overseeding. Sometimes it is starting fresh with new turf and improved soil preparation. We tell you which applies after seeing the garden.
Damaged or rotting fencing: Storm damage and rot are constant in SE London's wet winters. Our fencing service covers panel replacement, full fence removal and reinstall, and post replacement where needed.
Neglected patios: Moss, weeds in the joints, and years of grime. Our patio cleaning service at £4/m² recovers most patios that look like they need replacing. Worth checking before committing to new paving.
No usable outdoor space: Many SE London gardens are technically big enough for a deck or seating area but have never been used as one. Adding decking as part of a makeover is consistently the most-requested upgrade we do alongside clearance.
Frequently Asked Questions
A basic clearance and tidy on a small terrace garden typically takes half a day to a full day. A full makeover with clearance, new turf, decking and fencing on a larger garden usually runs two to three days. We confirm the expected timeline in your quote.
For most work, no. Fencing over 2 metres on a boundary adjoining a highway may require permission, but standard clearance, turfing, patios, planting, and decking under 30cm above ground generally do not. We flag anything unusual after the site visit.
We remove weeds, dead plants, unwanted shrubs, garden debris, and general waste. Tools and equipment are included. Green waste removal is available on request. You do not need to supply anything. Full details on our garden clearance page.
Both work well in SE London, but they suit different situations. Natural turf looks better and is better for children and pets but needs regular lawn care and mowing. Artificial grass is low maintenance and stays green in shaded areas where real grass struggles. We have a full guide comparing both: natural vs artificial grass for South East London.
Yes. Send us photos and your postcode via the contact form and we can often give a rough estimate. For larger or more complex jobs a site visit gives us the most accurate picture and is always free.
Yes. Many clients book regular garden maintenance visits after a makeover at £80 first hour / £60 each hour after. Ongoing visits from one hour for existing clients.
All of South East London, plus Bromley, Bexley, Dartford, and Orpington. Full postcode list on our areas page.
Why Urban Gardeners
We have been working in SE London gardens since 2014, based in Eltham SE9. The team that quotes your job is the same team that shows up to do the work. No subcontractors, no franchises.
- 12+ years serving SE London gardens
- 111+ verified Google reviews
- Fully insured
- Free site visit, written quote within 24 hours
- Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm
Ready to Book?
Spring and summer slots fill fast. The longer a neglected garden is left, the more clearance work it needs before anything else can happen.
Call us on 07760 800457 (Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm) or fill in the contact form for a free quote.
0 comments