Apologies for the length of this. Anyone run a gardening firm on here? Just after some info really on costs.

We have just received our service charges for the next year for our leasehold flat (UK, not Scotland) and our gardening costs alone have risen from £1100(ish) to £1500 per annum (divided by 18 flats) – so a 36% increase!

The previous gardening company quit midway through last year – so nothing was done in the garden between September and now (no leaf collection etc), and now our freeholders handyman has taken over the gardening – he reckons because they have cut his hours due to the recession, they are now going to pay him £60 per day (so £1500 works out at 25 days per year) to do the garden. Previously, we had very basic stuff done, bushes pruned a little (and badly), lawns mowed, leaves swept and removed in the autumn, and thats about it. SO far, we have had the lawn mowed twice since the start of spring (about right) and some bushes hacked at very badly.

Now, does £1500 per annum sound reasonable? for providing a very basic (and bad) service (mowing, some basic pruning etc in the London area – any flower beds etc have been created and maintained by the residents) – garden isnt big at all – highlighted in blue in this link:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3310/3487890079_af0011f2d3_o.jpg

sorry, no scale, but the silver car at the front is a 5 series BMW and the other red one, white roof is a mini – so you can see its not big, and is mostly lawn

Would be interested to know what any folk in the business think.

Personally, I think we are paying top whack for what we get from someone who doesnt have a clue about what he is doing (nice as the guy is, he is about the bluntest tool you could possibly imagine and it is quite obvious he doesnt know what he is doing – oh and it would be good if he stayed longer than 2 hours per visit – £60 per day to me means he gets £60 for working a full blinkin’ day) and the freeholder is taking the proverbial. I feel a LVT coming on…but first I need some info.

So you would like someone to maintain your grounds, including pruning grass cutting and weeding/ tidying for (after tax) £6 an hour. ;( I think you pays your money and takes your choice.

DIY not an option?

You can be taken to court if you don’t pay it, so think carefully before you start disputing it.

Its not about how much the Gardner costs or whether you think its worth it, its a service charge that is part of your leasehold contract. Of course you can dispute, click my name and search for ‘service charges’

So the bloke on the ground gets £60 per day! That’s £7.50 per hour for an 8 hour day. That’s hard work!!!
How many would do that?
Not much above the minimum wage is it?

What are you getting at OP?

Steve-Austin – well aware of the legal side of things if we dont pay, which is why we want to proceed carefully down the path of a valuation tribunal (there are a number of bigger issues with the fees, including failure to issue section 20 notices of intention, overcharging, and nepotism, which I wont go into). Legal advice is being sought on these at the moment. Thanks for the link though.

Wrt to cost – guys (in particular Stratobiker), I am well aware that if the guy worked a full 8 hour day what he would be earning. However, he turns up, works a max of 2 1/2 hours every 3 or 4 weeks, does the job appalingly badly (spends most of it on his mobile or standing around smoking, doesnt clear up, and dosent weed or tidy (we do that in between) and still charges £60 a time for it – thats not £7.50 an hour, its just taking the pi**, which is what I object to – I fully accept that they guy has to earn a living, and quite frankly has a sh**y job – but I’ve done some really horrid jobs in my time for crap money, and I grew up in a family that brought home less than £10k a year at some points (and thats no more than 15 years ago) – I am quite happy to admit we were poor, as in proper poverty poor. So what am I getting at, well despite having a decent career and a decent disposable income now (which I have worked hard to get), I do admit I like to see it spent wisely/properly (as I am sure you guys do) as when I was a kid it had to go along way (and some months it still does). Really it was a simple question, aimed at a specific audience, but it seemed to attract the usual STW answer!

To be honest, I wouldn’t describe gardening as a ‘shiity job’ but I would suggest getting a proper job definition and breakdown of the service charge. if he’s not even weeding or clearing up then you are right he is taking the p*ss!