A garden makeover does not begin with ripping everything out. It begins with working out what the problem actually is. Most gardens fail not because they are ugly but because they do not work for the people using them. The patio is too small for a table and six chairs. The lawn is a shaded mud patch that never dries. The borders are planted with things that outgrew their space five years ago.
We have designed garden makeovers across Kent, Surrey, Essex and London for two decades. The projects that work best are the ones where the client has thought through how they actually use the garden now. The projects that disappoint are the ones where someone saw a picture on Instagram and wanted that, regardless of whether it suited their site or their budget.
This guide covers everything you need to know about planning a garden makeover in the UK: what it costs, how to phase the work, which changes deliver the most impact, and how to avoid the expensive mistakes we see homeowners make.
What Actually Needs Changing?
Before you brief a designer or book a landscaper, spend a month observing how you use the garden. Not how you think you might use it. How you actually use it now.
Where does the sun fall? Walk the garden at 8am, midday and 7pm. Most people want afternoon and evening sun, which in the UK means south or west-facing. If your patio is on the north side, no amount of pretty planting will fix that it is cold when you want to use it.
Which parts get used? If nobody walks on the lawn, you do not need a lawn. If the kids stopped playing three years ago but you still maintain grass for them, reclaim that space.
What maintenance will you actually do? A high-maintenance garden needs 4-6 hours weekly: mowing, deadheading, weeding, watering, feeding, pruning. If that sounds exhausting, design for low maintenance from the start. Better a simple garden that looks good than an ambitious one that becomes a burden.
Garden Makeover Costs 2026
All prices for design and build combined, South East England including VAT:
Small Garden (up to 50 sqm)
- Cosmetic refresh: �500-�1,500 (new planting, paint fences, gravel)
- Light makeover: �1,500-�5,000 (small patio, borders, new fencing)
- Full redesign: �5,000-�15,000 (complete transformation with paving, lighting, planting)
Medium Garden (50-100 sqm)
- Cosmetic refresh: �1,000-�3,000 (border overhaul, new lawn, mature shrubs)
- Light makeover: �3,000-�10,000 (new patio 20-30 sqm, fencing, planting, lighting)
- Full redesign: �10,000-�30,000 (complete transformation with zoned layout, quality materials)
Large Garden (100+ sqm)
- Cosmetic refresh: �2,000-�5,000 (mature trees, hedge replacement, large borders)
- Light makeover: �5,000-�15,000 (large patio, lawn renovation, significant planting)
- Full redesign: �15,000-�50,000+ (bespoke design with terracing, water features, lighting)
London adds 10-20%. Conservation areas add 10-15% due to planning and material restrictions.
See our garden design costs London guide for detailed breakdowns.
Planning Your Makeover
1. Identify Non-Negotiables
What must the garden deliver? For families: safe boundaries, toy storage, hard surfaces. For home workers: sheltered seating with power. For gardeners: good soil, sun, water access. For low-maintenance: evergreens, irrigation, no lawn.
Write your three essentials. When budget and ambition collide, these stay.
2. Set a Realistic Budget
Hard landscaping shocks people. A 20 sqm porcelain patio costs �2,000-�3,500 installed. Close board fencing costs �80-�120 per metre. A mature tree costs �300-�800.
Under �3,000: one major improvement plus planting. �3,000-�10,000: significant makeover in small to medium gardens. Over �10,000: complete transformation or hire a designer (fees �1,500-�3,000 save more through efficiency).
3. Phase the Work
Year one: hard landscaping (paving, fencing, paths). Year two: planting (trees, shrubs, perennials). Year three: lighting, irrigation, features. This spreads cost and lets you live with phase one before committing.
High-Impact Changes
Paint All Timber
Fences, sheds, raised beds. One colour. Dark (charcoal, grey, green) makes boundaries recede. Light (pale grey, blue) reflects light. A 5L tin costs �30-�50, covers 30-40 sqm. Weekend project, �100 total. Highest impact per pound spent.
Replace the Lawn
Lawns fail in shade, heavy use, or under 15 sqm. Artificial grass: �55-�100/sqm, year-round green, no mowing. Gravel: �15-�60/sqm, Mediterranean look, low maintenance (see our Mediterranean guide). Paving: �80-�170/sqm, contemporary, durable.
Keep lawn only if it gets 4-5 hours sun daily, is 20+ sqm, and you will mow weekly.
Simplify Planting
Most gardens have too many varieties in small clumps. Pull out half, double what remains. Five Hakonechloa in a drift looks intentional. One of five different plants looks random.
Plant in layers: evergreens at back (Viburnum, Pittosporum, Fatsia), perennials middle (Geranium, Nepeta, Echinacea), ground cover front (Ajuga, Alchemilla). Repeat plants. Limit to 2-3 colours.
Add Lighting
Extends season March-October. Warm white 2700K LEDs (not cool white). Uplight trees (�25-�60 per fitting). Mark paths. Three uplights create drama for under �200. Full guide: garden lighting article.
Common Mistakes
Copying Pinterest Blindly
That Instagram garden has a large south-facing plot. Yours is 40 sqm north-facing. Use images for mood, not as a shopping list. Show your designer what you like about them.
Underestimating Drainage
UK gets 800-1,200mm rain yearly. Clay soil, level changes, new paving all need drainage. Signs: standing water, soggy lawn, algae. Fix: land drains to soakaway (�800-�2,000). See our sloping garden guide for drainage details.
Skipping Soil Prep
Cannot grow good plants in bad soil. Minimum: remove weeds, dig 20cm deep, add two wheelbarrows compost per 5 sqm. Costs �150-�300 for 20 sqm. Plants thrive or limp along for two years then die based on this.
Wrong Plant Sizes
Too small: 9cm plugs take five years to fill space. Buy 2-3L pots for structure plants (�10-�15 extra, looks intentional from day one). Too large: 4m Leyland cypress in 100L pot costs �400, sulks two years. 1.5-2m in 20L pot costs �60, overtakes in three years.
DIYing Complex Work
DIY works for: painting, gravel, planting, simple timber. DIY fails for: paving (sinks without sub-base), fencing (leans without concrete), electrics (needs Part P), retaining walls over 60cm (need engineering). Hire landscapers for hard work. DIY the finishing.
Makeover by Garden Type
Small Courtyard (20-40 sqm)
Problem: enclosed, shaded, needs to be dining and lounging. Solution: porcelain paving 15-20 sqm, paint walls dark, raised beds 45cm high for seating, shade plants (Fatsia, Sarcococca, climbing Hydrangea), uplight three plants, water feature. Cost: �8,000-�15,000.
Details: courtyard design guide.
Family Garden with Lawn (60-100 sqm)
Problem: boring grass rectangle, narrow borders, shed visible. Solution: reduce lawn to 40-50 sqm, deeper borders 1.5-2m, patio 20-25 sqm south-west corner, storage 1.5x2m with trellis screening, multi-stem tree (Amelanchier), evergreens plus perennials, LED lighting. Cost: �12,000-�25,000.
Inherited Overgrown (80+ sqm)
Problem: mature but neglected, overgrown shrubs, rotten fencing. Solution: assess what to keep (mature trees, established hedges), replace all fencing (�2,000-�4,000), re-level failed paving, remove overgrown shrubs, zone (seating near house, planting middle, utility at end), replant with structure. Cost: �15,000-�40,000.
Large gardens: large garden design guide.
DIY or Designer?
DIY if: under 50 sqm, simple layout, cosmetic changes, budget under �3,000.
Hire designer if: 50+ sqm, complex levels, budget over �10,000 (design fee saves more through efficiency), planning permission needed, want to add property value.
Design fees South East: �1,200-�3,000 small, �2,500-�5,000 medium, �4,000-�8,000+ large.
We design across Kent, Surrey, Essex, London. Get in touch or call 0203 834 9807.
Low-Maintenance Plant Choices
Evergreen Structure
- Viburnum tinus � white winter flowers, 2-3m, any conditions, �15-�30
- Pittosporum � glossy leaves, 1.5-3m, sun to light shade, �12-�25
- Sarcococca � fragrant winter flowers, shade, 1-1.5m, �12-�20
- Fatsia japonica � architectural, shade, 2-2.5m, �15-�35
Hardy Perennials
- Geranium macrorrhizum � ground cover, any conditions, �6-�10
- Hakonechloa macra � grass, shade, 30-40cm, �8-�15
- Nepeta � catmint, purple, drought tolerant, �6-�10
- Echinacea � cone flower, sun, �8-�12
Climbers
- Star jasmine � evergreen, fragrant, 5-7m, �18-�35
- Climbing hydrangea � self-clinging, shade, 10-15m, �15-�30
Shade planting: courtyard guide.
Getting Started
First step: get clear on what you need. Not what you think a garden should have. What will make you use this garden.
Our process: free consultation, site survey, concept design with 3D, detailed plans, project management, aftercare. Design from �1,200. Full design and build �8,000-�50,000+.
Contact us or call 0203 834 9807.
FAQ
How much does a garden makeover cost UK?
Cosmetic refresh �500-�3,000. Light makeover �3,000-�10,000. Full redesign �10,000-�30,000 for medium gardens. London adds 10-20%.
Do I need a designer or can I DIY?
DIY for under 50 sqm with simple changes. Hire designer for 50+ sqm, complex levels, or budget over �10,000. Design fee (�1,200-�5,000) saves more through efficiency.
Best time for a makeover?
Design in winter. Hard landscaping March-June or September-October. Plant autumn (September-November) or spring (March-May). Timeline: 3-6 months first consultation to finished garden.
Replace lawn or keep it?
Keep only if 4-5 hours sun daily, 20+ sqm, and weekly mowing acceptable. Replace with artificial grass (�55-�100/sqm) for shade, gravel (�15-�60/sqm) for Mediterranean, paving (�80-�170/sqm) for contemporary.
Biggest makeover mistakes?
Copying Pinterest without understanding site. Underestimating drainage (leads to flooding). Skipping soil prep (plants fail). Wrong plant sizes (too small takes years, too large expensive and slow). DIYing complex paving or fencing (costs twice to fix).
Can I phase over multiple years?
Yes. Year one: hard landscaping. Year two: planting. Year three: lighting and features. Spreads cost and lets you test phase one. Ensure phase one includes proper drainage and final levels.