Case study: Full landscape transformation in Tottington.
A garden that had been abandoned for years -- one of the worst states we'd ever surveyed. In 6 days, three of us turned it into a working garden: two patios, artificial grass, a purpose-built sleeper allotment, new fencing, and a gravel section to the rear. £6,900 fixed. Carol & David called it "literally like having a new garden".
Project at a glance Verified Wolsten build
- Property type
- Family garden -- Tottington
- Service
- Landscaping & Paving
- Time on site
- 6 days, 3-person crew
- Fixed price
- £6,900 all-in
- Patio (front)
- 4m x 4m
- Artificial grass
- 4m x 5m, timber-edged
- Patio (rear)
- 4m x 2m + gravel + fencing
- Allotment
- 3m x 3m sleeper beds
Why Carol & David called us.
The garden had been abandoned by the previous owner for years. When Carol & David moved in, what they inherited was -- in our words at the time -- one of the worst states we'd ever surveyed. Thick heavy vines covering most of the space. Weeds chest-high in places. No usable surface anywhere. The previous owner had let the entire plot revert.
The brief: turn it into a proper family garden, with distinct zones for sitting, playing and growing, in a single short build window. They didn't want to live with a building site for months -- they wanted to come home to a working garden.
Fixed quote at £6,900. Six days on site. Three full-time crew. Started a fortnight after the survey.
Six days, three crew, five distinct zones.
Here's what each day looked like.
Clear & kill
Cut down all the thick heavy vines and worked the garden back to a blank canvas. Applied industrial-grade weed killer and laid a weed-suppressant membrane across the whole footprint.
Set out & MOT
Marked out the five zones: a 4m x 4m patio, a 4m x 5m artificial grass area, a 4m x 2m rear patio with an integrated sleeper allotment, and a 4m x 2m gravel section at the rear. Built timber surrounds for the grass, laid MOT subbase across the board.
Levels & flags
Levelled the sub-base, screeded the bases with a fine layer of sand. Laid the first two rows of flags at the front patio. Started erecting the new purpose-built fencing at the rear.
Fencing + grass
Finished the fencing. Backfilled the rear with the gravel Carol & David had chosen. Completed the front patio. Moved attention to the artificial grass -- laid and fixed.
Rear patio + fence
Laid the second patio area at the rear. Fitted a new fence post and the matching wooden fence run.
Allotment + clean
Cleaned thoroughly across the whole garden. Spread a fine layer of kiln-dried sand across the new patios and the artificial turf. Finished by building the 3m x 3m purpose-built sleeper allotment. Walked Carol & David round, handed over.
The whole project, in four shots.
Real photos from the actual Tottington job.
As found. Abandoned for years -- rubble, weeds and old debris across the plot.
Cleared and levelled. New fence run up at the back, ready for the five-zone build.
Days 3-5: flags, artificial grass, new fence, gravel section all going in.
Day 6 finish: two patios, artificial grass, allotment, fencing -- ready for the family.What Carol & David said.
We couldn't be happier with the transformation -- it's quite literally like having a new garden! Gobsmacked at how quickly it took. I've passed on the firms number countless times.
Every detail of the Tottington build.
The full set of photos taken throughout the project.
For the discerning homeowner.
What we actually built into a multi-zone landscape.
Why we always start with industrial weed killer + membrane
On a garden this abandoned, you can't just lay flags on top of vine roots and hope. We applied industrial-grade weed killer as the first act of work -- waited the recommended dwell time -- and laid a full weed-suppressant membrane across the whole footprint before any subbase went down. Skipping this is the #1 reason vines come back through joints within 12 months on rescue projects like this.
Five distinct zones in one footprint -- how to set out
Multi-zone gardens look easy on paper and are surprisingly hard on site. We set everything out on Day 2 in a single planning pass: 4m x 4m front patio, 4m x 5m artificial grass, 4m x 2m rear patio, 4m x 2m gravel section, 3m x 3m sleeper allotment. Lines marked with spray paint, levels checked across zones, falls planned so each surface drains correctly without dumping water into the next zone.
Artificial grass over MOT + timber surround
Artificial grass installs fail when they're laid on shifting ground. The right method: treated timber surround (pinned to the perimeter to hold the grass tight), MOT type-1 subbase compacted level, fine sand screed, then grass laid taut and pinned. A kiln-dried sand top-dressing on day 6 keeps the pile standing and stops the grass moving.
Sleeper allotment beds -- why a separate purpose-built finish
The 3m x 3m sleeper allotment was built fresh on Day 6, not bought-in. Reasons: (1) actual railway-style timber sleepers last decades outdoors, (2) the height we built it at (around 350mm) gives Carol & David a comfortable working height without bending, (3) custom build means it fits the exact zone we set aside rather than the other way around.
New fence + gravel rear drainage zone
The rear 4m x 2m section was built as a gravel-and-fence drainage strip: new purpose-built fence at the back boundary, gravel backfill, no flagging. This zone catches surface water from the rest of the garden before it hits the boundary and keeps the fence base dry over decades.
Three founders. No subcontractors.
Liam, Ryan and Paul -- on site every day of the 6.
Liam
Surveyed, quoted, and ran the project on the ground. Six days on the tools alongside the lads.
Ryan
Set out the five zones, called the falls, laid both patios and erected the new fencing.
Paul
Built the timber grass surrounds and the bespoke 3m x 3m sleeper allotment. Last to leave on day 6.
Tottington -- Lancashire
Tottington is a Lancashire village in the borough of Bury -- substantial mix of family housing stock with gardens that often outlive their original landscaping. Full-rebuild projects like this one are most common on properties that have changed ownership recently or where a garden has been neglected for a stretch.
We're based in Westhoughton, about 15 minutes from Tottington.
Questions homeowners ask about projects like this.
Can a full garden transformation really be done in 6 days?
Yes -- if it's planned right, fixed-priced up front, and you put a three-person full-time crew on it. The single biggest unlock on this Tottington build was committing to the five-zone layout on Day 2 before a single flag went down, so each subsequent day's work could happen in parallel rather than sequentially. Larger gardens (or projects with deep landscaping like retaining walls) typically need 8-10 days.
Can I get a full landscape transformation for around £6,900?
This Tottington project came in at £6,900 fixed -- includes two patios, artificial grass, new purpose-built fencing, sleeper allotment and gravel drainage strip. Comparable multi-zone garden transformations in the North West sit in the £5,500-£12,000 range. The key variables: garden size, number of distinct zones, surface choices (flag vs Indian stone vs porcelain), and fencing scope.
What's the right order to plan a garden transformation?
(1) Survey + zones identified, (2) fixed quote in writing, (3) all materials ordered before Day 1 lands on site, (4) three-person crew committed for the full window, (5) build in zones, not floor-by-floor. The Tottington project followed this exact order -- which is why it landed on time and on budget.
What if my garden is in worse shape than Tottington was?
Then the dig-out phase takes longer. Even a thick-vines, full-rescue garden rarely adds more than 1-2 days to a multi-zone build, because once it's stripped to a blank canvas the rest of the build sequence is the same. We'd flag the extra dig-out cost at the survey.
Do I need planning permission for a Tottington garden transformation?
Almost never. Rear-garden landscaping (flagging, grass, fencing under 2m, sleeper beds) falls squarely under permitted development. Front gardens, listed buildings and conservation areas can need consent -- we'll flag any planning consideration at the survey.
Get a fixed Tottington-style landscape quote in 1 working day.
Free on-site survey at your property. Itemised written quote back within 1 working day. No deposit, no pressure -- exactly the way this project worked for Carol & David.
Get a free quote
Reply within 1 working day. We'll never share your details.
