Preparing Your Weybridge Garden for Summer: Skip Hire Tips for Homeowners

The days are finally getting longer, the sun is making a welcome reappearance, and you’ve decided it’s time to tackle the garden. There is nothing quite as exciting as envisioning a beautiful outdoor space ready for summer barbecues and lazy Sunday afternoons. 

But before you can get to the fun part of choosing plants and buying outdoor furniture, there is usually a lot of clearing out to do.

The thing that has shocked me most about renovating outdoor spaces is just how much waste a single garden project can generate. 

Whether you are tearing up an old patio, cutting back overgrown shrubs, or finally dismantling that rotting shed, the amount of debris can seem daunting when you start looking around.

Gardens can easily become the forgotten ‘zone’ when it comes to budgeting and planning, but dealing with the waste early on is crucial.

1. Assess the scope of your garden project 

Taking it slow is the best possible advice. You need to learn about your garden and the scope of your project before making any big decisions. By doing this, you will get better results overall and need to make fewer stressful trips to the local tip.

Get a notebook, and roughly sketch out the main sections of the garden. Note down anything that can’t be changed, and highlight the areas that need completely clearing. Are you digging up heavy soil? Are you pulling out a broken concrete path? Or is it mostly green waste from pruning trees? Understanding exactly what you are getting rid of is essential before you even think about booking a skip.

2. Decide what size skip you actually need 

Making the decision on whether to go for a mini skip or a large builder’s skip can seem confusing at first. There are pros and cons to both, but ultimately you want a skip that will stand the test of time for the duration of your project and, most importantly, suits the volume of waste you are producing.

If your garden clearance is a large size, remember to scale up with the skip to reduce the workload of having multiple collections. 

For example, if you are disposing of a lot of heavy materials like soil, bricks, and concrete from an old patio, an 8-yard builder’s skip is usually the maximum size you can use due to weight restrictions. 

For general green waste, broken garden furniture, and a few old pots, a smaller 4-yard or 6-yard skip might be perfectly adequate.

Before filling a container, be aware that placing one on a public road demands compliance with local authority rules. Adhering to skip hire permit requirements is mandatory to avoid compliance notices from Surrey County Council. Ideally, you should apply for your permit with one or two months in advance. Indeed, according to industry data, processing bottlenecks for skip hire permits cause 67% of project delays.

3. Know exactly what can (and can’t) go in your skip 

What can I put in my skip? This is a question people often forget to ask when planning their garden clearance. Fortunately, skips are incredibly versatile and are the perfect solution to contain your garden waste.

You can safely throw in:

• Green waste (branches, leaves, grass clippings)
• Soil and rubble
• Old garden furniture (wood, plastic, or metal)
• Broken outdoor tiles and pots

However, consider this a cautionary tale: you cannot put hazardous materials into a standard skip. You might want to keep your garden looking spic and span, but avoid throwing away any products with any kind of ‘-cides’ in them. Pesticides, weed killers, and old paints.

Please do not fill your skip with any poison of any sort. Appliances like old fridges or TVs also cannot go in. If in doubt, seek specialist advice from your skip hire company.

4. Consider your skip placement before beginning 

This is something people often overlook, but the location of your skip is important to factor in early on. Ensure you’re not blocking access to your property or covering important manhole covers or drains.

If you have a private driveway, this is the easiest option. But remember that skips are heavy, especially when filled with soil. To avoid movement and damage to your driveway in the future, it is highly recommended to lay down some sturdy wooden planks for the skip to sit on.

If you don’t have an accessible driveway and need to place the skip on a public road in Weybridge, you will need a skip permit from Surrey County Council. Your skip hire company will usually arrange this for you, but this will be an additional cost on top of the cost of the skip hire itself.

5. Work logically when filling your skip 

It is far easier to tackle a garden clearance in a logical order. Begin with your heaviest waste and end with the lightest.

• Get rid of anything heavy you don’t want first, including rubble, old patios, and heavy soil. Lay these flat at the bottom.
• Deal with any bulky items next, such as broken furniture. Break these down as much as possible to maximize your space.
• Finally, add your green waste. Branches and leaves can easily be pushed into the gaps left by the bulkier items.

By packing logically, you ensure you get the absolute most out of the space you have paid for, giving you peace of mind that nothing will be left behind.

6. Wildlife matters 

The environmental impact This is a bit of a plea from me. You share your garden with wildlife, and how you dispose of your waste matters. When you hire a reputable skip company, you aren’t just dumping waste into a hole in the ground.

A huge benefit of using a professional service is that they sort through the waste. Wood, plastics, and metals are separated and recycled. Green waste is often taken to facilities where it is turned into compost. Recycling garden waste is key to reducing greenhouse gases and ensuring your garden project is as sustainable as possible. Think bigger picture—working with a company that prioritizes recycling means your waste isn’t ending up in a landfill devoid of life.

7. Prepare all the tools you will need 

If you’re carrying out the garden clearance yourself, having the right tools on hand will make filling that skip much easier. You will need:

• A sturdy wheelbarrow (essential for moving heavy soil and rubble)
• A shovel and a spade
• Loppers and secateurs for breaking down branches
• Heavy-duty gardening gloves
• Safety boots (to ensure your feet are protected when dealing with heavy items)

Final thoughts 

Gardens are usually last to be done when renovating a home, but they bring so much joy once completed. By taking the time to plan your waste disposal and hiring the right skip for your Weybridge property, you speed up your project and save yourself the hassle of endless trips to the recycling centre.

Accept that getting the garden ready for summer will require some hard work and heavy lifting. But don’t be afraid to give it a go. Once the skip is taken away, you are left with a beautifully clear canvas, ready for you to bring your garden design to life. Now, grab your notebook, work out your aspect, and get planning!