Newbie to gardening

I've taken a photo from the side minus the bins and from the front. Please excuse the rubbish which we didn't know was there (if you can believe that lol). I spent this evening cutting the conifers back as far as possible but some of the trunks (?) are very thick and unfortunately the largest thing I could cut with was an anvil lopper. Also, in the photo from the front, it does look like the house is sagging a bit towards next door or vice versa -can't tell as the photo itself isn't straight.
I also cut back the bush on the adjoining wall. Whoever planted this originally did so very close to the neighbouring brick wall, so I'm not looking forward to trying to pull that out!

Edit:- I'll put up a photo tomorrow morning when there's light to show how it's looking at the moment. Going to jet wash the flags at the weekend since it feels too early to plant.

 

It's an attractive house Treguard, I like the brickwork across the front. I don't think it's sagging, but the roof looks like it has a slight dip in it which may give you that idea. Has any brickwork been replaced in the past? There is a darker line running through the bricks from top to bottom where the houses join and the 'fancy' brickwork looks lighter than your neighbours. It looks solid and if there are no cracks anywhere you shouldn't have any worries.

Once you have pruned back to the stumps could you not borrow an axe or similar and split them down, it might be easier to get them out.

 

That darker line looks like a missing down pipe to me.

 

Thanks fo the replies and comments re house. To tell the truth, I've only noticed the difference in colour when looking at the photo - it could be more pronounced due to the phone camera, but there's still a noticeable difference. W've only lived there for 8 years this year, so not sure if the front wall has been replaced/re-done previously (wasn't mentioned by the seller). I'll have a look at the other properties on the street as they all have different brick patterns in the centre.

I'll check to see if the neighbours have an axe (they may well wonder what I'm up to lol). The gutters were replaced when we moved in and tbh they were done by a bunch of cowboys (Atlas) so we may look at getting these redone along with the sofets at some point in the near future. That might explain if there had been a downpipe in the centre at some point - honestly can't remember!). The dip in the roof could be due to the hip on the front side of the house - due to a knot that was originally present, a small crack formed. This has since been strengthened by a metal brace and it seems to have been fine for the last three years. Although it's firmly fixed in place, I'm unsure as to the longevity of the brace itself and therefore the hip, so it might need replacing at some point.

The chimeny flashing was redone at the same time (three years ago) as we had a very slight leak where the chimney breast had been removed. This leak would only occur when the rain/wind was blowing in a very particular direction but obviously was still a concern.

I've been looking at renting a pressure washer (Karcher) from HSS hire, but the unit is 2200w and doesn't come with the patio attachment. The weekend cost atm for the washer is £18 and £15 for the patio attachment, so it's going to be a case of whether it's worth just renting the two or going for a smaller compact model with attachment from Argos (still Karcher) for £89.99.

I have to admit that it looks better already with the conifers cut back along with the bush on the side, but my brush broke and so we have a front garden full of conifer needles/thistles (not sure what you call them) and then about a 4ft high pile of conifer cuttings at the back.

Edit:- Just a thought, after we use the power washer at the weekend, would it be adviseable to fill the gaps between the flags with dried sand straight away?
i) I know the last time a neighbour (house is rented) used a power washer, they didn't fill in the gaps which leds to some weeds coming through)
ii) It's probably going to rain at the weekend, so would putting the sand in work
iii) or is it best to wait till we get warmer weather?

I was also looking at wood treating the fence panels at the weekend, but unsure if this can be done when it's raining or if the wood is damp (am I best taking the panels into the house to do?

Sorry for all the questions, but appreciate the help

 

No problems with the questions Treguard, that's what GC is all about.

Sand won't stop weeds coming up inbetween the flags, the only way is to mortar between them.

I'm not sure if you can treat the panels during wet weather, it may say on the container, but I wouldn't advise doing it indoors because of any fumes it may give off.

Could you put your location under your avatar please, it doesn't need to be specific, your county will do as it helps members when making suggestions regarding when to plant, what to plant etc. Areas around the country or abroad have different weather patterns and planting times, ie colder in the north than the south, thanks.

 

I've updated my location; thanks for letting me know. I'll check the container when we pick it up tomorrow. I'll also have to make the choice whether to buy a new fork or something to cut through a padlock as I've lost the key, and will check with regards to which mortar the local stockists keep in.

We ended up renting just the pressure washer from HSS which came with a decent enough lance, as we'll probably only use it once a year.

 

Bolt cutters for the padlock will cost you a fortune. Could you not saw it off with a hacksaw or even unscrew the latch that it's attached too. Replacing those would surely be cheaper than the bolt cutters.

A wise move with the pressure washer, it's just not worth buying one when it's used so little.

 

Hi

Sorry for the delay in replying, however it's been pretty busy at work so I've been knackered by the time I get back.

Just to update that we've gutted the front garden. It was a hell of a job digging the conifers out, but to be honest we had a great laugh. We managed to get into the cupboard in the end just by forcing the padlock which will be cheaper to replace as you said

Unfortunately we underestimated the job, and probably should've done the whole thing over two weekends. As it happened, I only managed to use the pressure washer for an hour on Sunday before it started raining.







The fence panels have fared relatively well. The boards on the left one have just started to come away so will need to be tightened somehow, and then both of them treated. Eventually we're looking at replacing it with a brick wall to match the rest of the street. Part of me does prefer the fence panels though!

As we've had a great deal of cold weather, we haven't got to the stage of putting anything in just yet. We were both wondering if you could give your thoughts or suggestions on what might fit well in that small area. I say small, but at least it's more space than we had before

Edit:- I forgot to mention that I checked with next door, and the patterned bricks at the front on their side had definitely been painted at one point. You can tell where some areas of paint have weathered away if you look close enough.

 

What a difference it's made now it's cleared Treguard! I'd be inclined to replace the fence panels with brick, it will 'tie' everything in with your neighbours.

You're right to have waited for the weather to improve. You could have some small shrubs in there like Lavender or various flowers/bulbs. If you provide a support on the fencing there's room for a climber, maybe a Clematis, but it would be best to choose one of the shorter growing types so that it doesn't run riot.

 

Hallo John,
I've only just discovered your post today and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it from start to present day. What a magnificent transformation you have done! I can see your house smiling and glowing with pride.
And, you have plenty of sunlight too - enough to grow very pretty,colourful plants.
Just a suggestion. How about a windowbox all along the underside of the front window? You could have seasonal plantings with a grand display in time for Summer and then, in the Autumn you can have Winter pansies, underplanted with tiny daffodils to welcome you to Spring.
It really does look great already - very well done,
Jenny

 

Funnily enough, my girlfriend mentioned Lavender as well. I've always found it to be a useful (herb?) as a natural sedative/relaxant and think it would look lovely at the front.
The next big job will be in May so I'll probably look at getting the wall done then. I was thinking of something with a pattern in to match that on the front of the house (the zig/zag pattern). Do you reckon we'd be able to get it done all in for £300?

 

If you're going to have the wall done in May I wouldn't plant anything there until the work is done, plants will be trampled and likely to have a coating of mortar! I can't advise you on the cost, as everything costs more here than on the mainland.

 

Thinking .. I would want a deposit on my house plus plant's for £300..