Lambeth family transforms garden for £10,509 after £60,000 quote
Charlotte Syeda-Aguirre and her husband completed the project themselves over five months, hiring professionals only for structural work
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A Lambeth family has turned their unusable garden into a paved courtyard for £10,509, after being quoted £60,000 by professional landscapers. Charlotte Syeda-Aguirre, 36, and her husband Tomal, 37, completed the project themselves over five months, hiring help only for structural work.
The garden of their two-bed terraced house in Lambeth was in poor condition when they moved in during May 2024. A broken patio, muddy grass covered in cat faeces, and three hazardous steps made it unsafe for their two young children, Ruben, six, and Marla, five.
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Manual labour and minimal professional help
Work began in February 2025. With no space for a skip or heavy machinery, the couple dug out the garden by hand, transporting mud and rubble in bags to wait-and-load skips. They spent £6,400 on professionals to build retaining walls and lay paving, but handled the rest themselves.
Charlotte, who works in digital marketing, told MyLondon that the family used Pinterest for inspiration. They levelled the ground for a patio, built fencing, and constructed a four-metre planter for £45. Family members gifted plants, and they sourced paint from Wood Finish Direct at no cost.
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We thought if we had £60,000 we would be doing an extension, not a garden. It just was not possible. Anyone can dig, it just takes a long time.
Charlotte Syeda-Aguirre, Lambeth resident
The project was physically demanding. Charlotte said the family dug for months, with their children joining in. Her husband often worked late into the night with a head torch. They finished three days before Marla’s fourth birthday party in July 2025, which they celebrated in the new garden.
Cost breakdown and results
The total cost of £10,509 included £1,070 for digging out the garden, £2,797 for materials such as paving slabs and timber, and £242 for drainage. The remaining £6,400 covered professional labour for structural elements. Charlotte sourced a disco ball from Facebook Marketplace and garden furniture from Cult Furniture.
Charlotte told MyLondon that the transformation has changed how the family uses their home. Hosting garden parties is now her favourite activity. Friends and family have praised the result, particularly the removal of the garden’s previous two-level layout.
What happens next
The family plans to begin a loft conversion in September 2025 to expand their home from two to four bedrooms. Charlotte said she would not undertake another garden project of this scale, describing the process as physically gruelling and disruptive.
Questions this report answers
+How much did the Lambeth garden renovation cost?
The total cost was £10,509. This included £6,400 for professional labour on retaining walls and paving, with the rest spent on materials, tools, and skip hire. The family saved nearly £50,000 compared to the £60,000 quote from landscapers.
+How long did the garden project take?
The project took five months, starting in February 2025 and finishing in July 2025. The family worked manually, often late into the night, to complete it before their daughter’s birthday party in early July.
+What was wrong with the garden before the renovation?
The garden was unusable due to a broken patio, muddy grass covered in cat faeces, and three dangerous steps. These conditions made it unsafe for the family’s two young children to play outside before the renovation.
+What are the family’s plans after the garden renovation?
The family plans to begin a loft conversion in September 2025 to expand their two-bed terraced house to four bedrooms. They have no plans to undertake another large-scale garden project due to the physical demands of the work.
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