Sussex, Surrey & Kent · 5 min read
New Build Garden Landscaping: How to Fix a Developer Garden Properly
Developer gardens hide compacted clay, buried rubble and poor drainage under thin turf. Here is how landscapers fix them.
New build garden landscaped with porcelain patio and privacy planting in Burgess Hill, West Sussex
New developments around Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, Horsham, Crawley and Tonbridge share the same garden: a rectangle of thin turf, a small slab patio and close-boarded fencing. Underneath, there is usually compacted clay and rubble.
Fix the ground first
Remove debris, break up compaction, add drainage and import quality topsoil. It is unglamorous work, but every later finish depends on it.
Add privacy and structure
Pergolas, pleached trees, raised beds and slatted screens solve overlooking in tight new build plots far better than taller fencing.
Build a terrace you will actually use
A larger porcelain or sandstone terrace with lighting and a pergola extends the house outdoors, and typically adds more appeal than any other single change.
Common questions
- Why does my new build garden flood?
- Most new build gardens sit on compacted clay with builder's rubble below a thin layer of topsoil and turf. Water cannot drain, so the lawn waterlogs. Proper drainage and soil improvement fix the cause rather than the symptom.
- How soon can I landscape a new build garden?
- You can start as soon as you complete. Many owners landscape in the first year, before temporary turf and fencing settle into permanent problems.
Related services
Where we work
We design and build gardens, garden rooms and pergolas across Mid Sussex and the surrounding towns.
More landscapers & landscape gardeners guides
- Transforming a Tired Back Garden in Burgess Hill: A Renovation GuideMost Burgess Hill back gardens are structurally sound and visually exhausted. Here is how to renovate one without starting from zero.
- How to Choose a Landscaping Company in Mid Sussex: 10 Questions to AskThe difference between a garden that lasts and one that fails is almost always visible in the quote. Ten questions to ask before you sign.
- Garden Renovation: What a Full Rebuild InvolvesA renovation is a construction project with plants at the end of it. Knowing the sequence makes the disruption far easier to live with.