London is the best place to start a gardening and landscaping business

London has been revealed as the best place to start a gardening and landscaping business, according to a report by AXA Business Insurance.

The survey of 2,000 UK adults has revealed that while the average Brit is prepared to fork out just £473 on garden upkeep every year – the average London household spends £600, with those in Scotland (£556) and North East (£514) suffering similar garden envy.

In contrast, those living in Wales, the South West and North West all spend below the £400 mark – suggesting Westerners tend to take matters into their own hands when it comes to potting plants.

While just 10% of all respondents say they would require the help of a professional to design their garden, significant business opportunities appear to exist with the more ‘manual’ side of gardening and landscaping.

Indeed, 64% of those surveyed said they would entrust the help of a professional if they needed to build a wall, with 61% saying the same if they need to construct a deck, 58% if they needed to erect a fence, and 59% if they needed to cut down a tree.

With regards consumer price expectation, the average consumer would quote a price of £400 for common building tasks, £390 for a garden design, £378 for terracing, £290 for a pond installation and £364 for fence construction – a price that includes both materials and labour.

Gareth Howell, managing director of AXA Insurance said:

“The figures quoted by the public for common landscaping, design and gardening jobs were very low indeed, however.

“This shows a low appreciation first of the sheer number of hour that go into this work, expert knowledge of disciplines landscape architecture, design and horticulture, as well as, understanding construction, planning and site drainage standards.”

“People working in the trades have a massive education job to do when they meet clients – as we’ve emphasised, having a good portfolio of work where you can demonstrate value and results is one good step, as well as diversifying your customer base as much as possible to ensure a lower reliance on purely residential work.”

Click here to read our guide on how to start a landscaping business.
Click here to read our guide on how to become a gardener.