Cheapest way to put base/patio area for garden ?

[Bilabonic]

Hi

I have a house i rent out and the garden is basically a tip...lol

I want to dump all the rubbish and lay base/patio for as little money as possible, it has to be very low maintenance but look half decent.

It is a basic rectangle shape about 5m x 10m.

I have a mixer and all tools.

Any ideas ?

Cheers

[DNgroundworks]

try "council" flags with block border or gravel?

[local patios and driveway]

pea shingle will be hard to beat on price. some terram and a bit of crushed concrete underneath, simples

[seanandruby]

You would be showing a lot of respect to the people who rent it by doing a proper job. Council flags will make a good hardstanding/patio. You will be able to pick them up cheap, or use budget flags from one of the sheds but lay them on a full mortar bed as they aren't very thick. Shingle is ok but prone to weeds.

[Bilabonic]

Are they commonly known as council slabs ? What size/price are they approx ?

[Pablo]

they're 600x600mm and cost no more than £2 each. Also known as 2x2's

[seanandruby]

Pre-cast/pressed concrete slabs ( pcc ) they are known as 'council' grey's, because they where and still are used on footpaths etc: they are usually 2x2s ( 600x600 ) or 3x2s ( 900x600 ) x50ml thick, although they come thicker for heavier uses. You can source them from reclaimed yards, coucil yards, or B Ms. Sometimes in your local free ad paper, sometimes free. They cover a lot of ground fast and can be laid on just grit sand.

[lutonlagerlout]

i do /have done rentals for years, and its a business
in the contract they have to keep the windows,property and garden in good repair and clean
it would be nice to do all sorts of incidental stuff like patios and drives but once tenants are in your job bilabonic is to extract money from them and spend as little as you can
dont forget landlords gas safety certificate,pat testing of any electrical appliances and if you got a deposit it has to be protected
i use mydepositsdotcodotuk
this sounds a bit hard but i have seen it from both ends
I put a kitchen in for a couple cost me £1500 they were over the moon,within 6 months 3 doors were pulled off on the worktops were ruined
I strimmed and got a garden looking neat for another guy and same again 3 months later the grass was 3 foot high
all the best
LLL

[dig dug dan]

they're 600x600mm and cost no more than £2 each

i take it thats a second hand price ???

Last time i brought b50's they were £6 a pop
even b38's are not that cheap

[Bilabonic]

i do /have done rentals for years, and its a business
in the contract they have to keep the windows,property and garden in good repair and clean
it would be nice to do all sorts of incidental stuff like patios and drives but once tenants are in your job bilabonic is to extract money from them and spend as little as you can
dont forget landlords gas safety certificate,pat testing of any electrical appliances and if you got a deposit it has to be protected
i use mydepositsdotcodotuk
this sounds a bit hard but i have seen it from both ends
I put a kitchen in for a couple cost me £1500 they were over the moon,within 6 months 3 doors were pulled off on the worktops were ruined
I strimmed and got a garden looking neat for another guy and same again 3 months later the grass was 3 foot high
all the best
LLL

Cheers Guys.

I do have a few rental properties LLL, this one garden is literally a tip from when i renovated.

£6 a slab is way to much...lol

[Bilabonic]

Oops also i take these slabs are just butted together and laid on sharp bed of sand ? Or should i use bed of mortar ??

Cheers

[ilovesettsonmondays]

look on ebay . they have plenty of second hand slabs

[ilovesettsonmondays]

you should use sand and cement rigsby if you want it too last :;):

[GB_Groundworks]

big council greys can be laid on a flexible bed ie grit sand as long as they are contained at all edges etc

[Bilabonic]

Cheers Guys i have only ever laid on full bed, NEVER on grit/sharp sand.

Will look into it.

Homebase do 600x600x35mm ones for £4.99 plus 15% off.