Start with a plan, not a bonfire
The biggest mistake in a garden clearance is starting before you know what you're doing with the waste. In London you can't simply burn green waste, fly-tipping is illegal and heavily enforced, and most councils have strict rules on what goes in the brown bin. A plan saves time, money and a garden full of half-cleared piles.
What to keep before you clear
- •Mature shrubs and hedging — these take years to replace and usually just need pruning, not removing.
- •Established trees — protected by Tree Preservation Orders in many London boroughs; check before you touch them.
- •Good paving, sleepers and edging — often reusable in a redesigned garden.
- •Healthy soil — a clearance shouldn't strip the topsoil; it's the most valuable thing in your garden.
Sorting the waste
Sort as you go. Separate green waste (weeds, clippings, leaves) from woody waste (branches, roots), soil and rubble, and general junk (old fencing, broken pots, plastic). Mixed loads cost more to dispose of and can be refused at recycling centres. Keeping the streams clean means more is recycled and the tip is cheaper.
Getting the waste off the property
- •Green bin — suitable for small amounts of clippings if you're on a council collection.
- •Hippo bag or man-with-a-van — good for a single shed-clearance-sized load.
- •Skip — best for a full clearance; needs a permit if on the street.
- •Licensed waste carrier (us) — we load, transport and dispose of everything in one visit and leave the garden tidy.
Skips and street permits in London
If a skip won't fit fully on your property it needs a council permit or parking suspension. Most London boroughs charge a fee and want a few days' notice. In permit-parking areas you'll also pay a suspension fee for the bay. A licensed carrier with a tipper van can often be cheaper than a skip once permits and suspension fees are added — and there's no skip sitting outside your house for a week.
Soil, rubble and tree roots
Soil and rubble are heavy and costly to dispose of. Reuse clean topsoil elsewhere in the garden where you can; subsoil and rubble can sometimes go to a soil-screening facility that recycles it as hard-core. Tree roots are the hardest clearance item — a stump grinder is usually needed, and we bring one as part of a clearance where stumps are in the way.