The temperature is rising, we are fast-approaching the end of the academic year and those of you living in accommodation will be preparing to move out once exams are over. When you leave your private rented accommodation, you must ensure that the property is left in an acceptable state to avoid losing your deposit. Now, it might be fairly obvious that the bathroom and kitchen require a good scrub, but what about the garden? Despite it being largely neglected during the winter months, the garden needs to be maintained or you risk losing your deposit if it is left untidy or overgrown – consider it as another room in the house!
This article is offers Harradine Garden Services’ top tips for getting the garden up to scratch this summer, so you can avoid losing your deposit.
1

Get the Basics Right!

Your garden does not need to resemble a Chelsea Flower Show exhibit – the landlord will mostly want the grass kept down. This is relatively easy to attain as long as you cut the grass regularly (at least every two weeks). Your landlord should provide you with the necessary tools to maintain the garden, including a domestic-grade lawnmower. However, if you allow the grass to get too long, the domestic mower will struggle to do the job and it may break. Your landlord could then charge you for a replacement.

2

Get Rid of the Green Waste

It’s Free! Green waste is collected weekly and free of charge by Hillingdon Council – just empty the grass clippings and hedge trimmings into the canvas bags provided and leave them to the front of the property on collection days. Find out more here: https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/gardenwasterecycling

3

Keep it Clean!

Is your garden currently used as a dump for old takeaway boxes, beer cans and glass bottles? Bag it all up in a clear recycling bag (these are provided free by Hillingdon Council) and leave it outside the property on collection day. Find out more here: https://www.hillingdon.gov.uk/recycling 

1

Book Early

Book Early to Avoid Disappointment (and Save Money!) If you decide to pay a gardener to maintain your garden, make sure you book early. We get booked up at least two weeks in advance during the summer, so now is the time to contact us if you want to guarantee a booking before the end of your tenancy. Every year, we get urgent calls from students who want their gardens done the next day, but by then we are usually too busy to do it. You may also be charged a premium for last-minute bookings.

2

Remove the Rubbish!

Although we will pick up litter, it may increase the cost of our services as it will take us longer to do your garden and we may have to pay to dispose of it. If your lawn is covered in rubbish, we will have to remove this before we begin work. Also, please refrain from collecting street furniture such as road signs and traffic cones. This may sound bizarre, but we are often asked to remove these items from gardens of student properties. As these items are big and expensive to dispose of, it will certainly add to your bill if we have to take these items away for you. Please note that these items are usually classed as being stolen and we are therefore legally required to give the address that they have been retrieved from. Harradine Garden Services has been established for over thirty years. We are based in Uxbridge and have experience in working with tenants and landlords to maintain private rented property gardens. We are fully insured, licensed to use pesticides and are licensed waste carriers. All waste is disposed of responsibly and disposal of green waste is included (but we may charge for other types of waste). Remember: Your landlord will not be the one footing the bill if you fail to leave the garden in an acceptable state – you will. You can save yourself money by hiring a gardener instead of leaving it until the last minute and risk losing your deposit.
At Harradine Garden Services, we understand that you may not have time to maintain your garden. Paying a professional gardener to get the garden into shape will save you a lot of time and will prevent you from losing your deposit. Here are a few tips for saving money and hassle when looking to hire a gardener.

Help! I Need a Gardener!

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