In 40 seconds
Landscaping a full garden in the UK usually costs somewhere between £3,500 and £22,000+, with many mid-range projects landing around £8,000–£18,000 depending on size, materials and how much hard landscaping is involved. Per area, a professionally finished garden typically works out at roughly £80–£250 per square metre, with basic planting and turfing at the lower end and retaining walls, drainage and premium paving at the upper end. If you use a garden designer, the design stage commonly costs 8–20% of the overall budget, or a flat fee from around £500 for a small-garden concept up to £2,500–£5,000+ for a full design package. The honest answer is always a range, because it depends on your garden's size, slope, access and the finish you choose.
Most landscaping guidance is published by companies selling the work, so the numbers tend to be optimistic and the design stage glossed over. The pages below give honest cost ranges for a whole-garden project, explain what a designer charges and what they deliver, break the cost down per square metre, compare soft and hard landscaping fairly, and set out what a makeover actually covers — before you take a single quote.