Charlotte Syeda-Aguirre, 36, and her husband Tomal, 37, took on the garden themselves after being quoted £60,000 by landscapers. The couple, who live in a two-bedroom terraced home in Lambeth, Greater London, moved into the property in May 2024 and found the outdoor space to be the "biggest compromise".
The garden had a crumbling patio, a patch of muddy grass that Charlotte said was "full of cat poo", and three hazardous steps, making it unusable for their children Ruben, six, and Marla, five. Inspired by Pinterest, they designed a courtyard-style haven and began work in February 2025, finishing five months later in July 2025.
Back-breaking DIY without machinery
With no space for a skip or heavy machinery, the couple did all the excavation by hand, hauling mud in bags to wait-and-load skips. They later paid landscapers £6,400 to build retaining walls and paving, but did the rest themselves.
"Anyone can dig, it just takes a long time. The kids were out there digging with us, and we just dug and dug and dug for months and months," Charlotte recalled. "I wouldn't do it again. Everything felt dirty and messy, constantly carrying bags through the house. It was really hard on our backs."
Despite the toll, she added: "After all the hard work, I absolutely love it. Before it felt really unloved and not usable, and now hosting garden parties is my favourite thing. It's made such a difference to the way we live."
Thrifty touches and a birthday deadline
The project included donated paint from Wood Finish Direct, plants gifted by family, and a four-metre planter built for just £45. "I didn't learn to make the planters from anywhere as such, it was a trust the process DIY and luckily it paid off," said Charlotte. "I knew roughly how to make a box and just adjusted the measurements and style to fit."
Marla's fourth birthday in early July provided extra motivation. "My husband would be out there in the dark with a head torch on, just shovelling mud. We were just so determined to get it done and we finished it three days before her birthday and we then had a nice garden party," Charlotte said.
She also advised others: "We got some professionals in to build the retaining walls because we needed them to be safe. If you feel completely out of your depth, it's a good time to get someone in. 90% of the time, we've been able to do it ourselves."
Why they didn't pay £60,000
"We thought if we had £60,000 we would be doing an extension, not a garden. It just was not possible," Charlotte explained.
The finished space features a striped planter with a disco ball, with the disco ball found on Facebook Marketplace. The garden furniture is from Cult Furniture and the solar lights from Amazon. "The striped planter with the discoball makes me very happy when I look out into the garden," she said. "Our friends and family can't believe we did the bulk ourselves and how much of a difference it has made not having the garden in two levels. It feels so lovely when you hear nice things about something you have worked so hard on."
Cost breakdown
- Digging out: £1,070
- Materials: £2,797
- Drainage: £242
- Labour costs: £6,400
- Total: £10,509
The total came to £10,509, nearly £50,000 below the original quote. The family now plans a loft conversion in September to turn the two-bedroom home into four bedrooms.
