Services
Lawn Renovation
A one-off reset for thin, mossy or tired lawns
Most tired lawns still have a good base of grass under the moss and thatch. We take out what is choking it, open up the compacted soil underneath and seed into the gaps, so the grass you already have comes back thicker.
From £150, quoted per lawn after a free survey. Most lawns need nothing more than this.
What is a lawn renovation?
A lawn renovation works with the grass you already have. Scarification takes out the thatch and moss, aeration relieves compaction, overseeding fills the gaps and organic topdressing builds soil depth. The existing lawn survives and thickens up.
The Lawn Care Plan maintains and steadily improves lawns in reasonable condition, and includes a renovation every year. But if a lawn is heavily mossy, compacted, thin or has been left for a while, it needs a proper renovation first to get it back to a healthy baseline.
Most lawns are worth renovating. It costs a fraction of starting again, and the grass you have keeps the established root system it has already built.
Renovation or restoration? A renovation keeps the lawn you have and improves it, which suits nearly every lawn. A full restoration replaces it: the old lawn is cleared off and a new one grown from seed. That's only worth doing where the grass itself is the problem, usually coarse weedy grasses that would outcompete anything we sowed into them.
Related: Scarification & Overseeding → · Lawn Aeration → · Moss Control → · New Build Lawns →
What a renovation includes
- Scarify / dethatch - intensity based on how much thatch and moss is in there
- Fracture-tine aeration - solid tines that heave and fracture the soil, so roots and water can get down through compacted ground
- Overseeding - a seed blend matched to your lawn's conditions, worked into the gaps and bare areas
- Organic topdressing - lawn dressing to build soil structure and help the new seed root
- Clear aftercare guidance - what to expect, when to mow, and how to water
Spring or autumn - it depends on your lawn
A renovation can be done in spring or autumn. It depends when you contact us and what the lawn needs.
If it's late in the season, we'll advise the best route. Sometimes that means doing the groundwork now and returning when conditions suit for seeding and topdressing.
Is your lawn ready for a renovation?
A renovation is right if:
- Moss covers more than a quarter of the lawn
- The lawn feels spongy or has a visible thatch layer
- Water sits on the surface after rain
- Large thin or bare patches are visible
- The lawn has been neglected for more than a year
If your lawn is in reasonable shape but could be better, The Lawn Care Plan includes an annual renovation as standard, so you may not need a separate one.
What a renovation costs
A renovation is a one-off cost, priced on the measured size of your lawn and quoted after a free survey. It starts at £150, and a 200m² lawn is £470 including topdressing.
That's typically four to six times less than returfing the same lawn, which runs from £10 to £25 per square metre once you count stripping the old lawn, waste removal and ground preparation. See how renovation compares with returfing →
Lawns that need more than one visit
Some lawns are too far gone for a single visit to turn around. Heavy thatch, moss through most of the lawn, weeds competing with what grass is left. Sowing seed into that as it stands mostly feeds the competition.
For those we do a heavy renovation instead. It runs over three visits rather than one:
- We clear the weeds first. A treatment about four weeks ahead, so the new seed isn't competing from day one.
- The main day. The thatch and moss come out, the soil is opened up, and the lawn is topdressed and reseeded.
- We come back. Three to four weeks later. Fresh seed goes on anything still thin, plus a feed, a wetting agent to help water soak in rather than run off, and a bio-stimulant to push root growth. If moss has come back through, that gets treated as well.
A heavy renovation is £660 for a 200m² lawn, against £470 for a standard one. It's the same idea done properly on a lawn that needs it, and we'll tell you at the survey which yours is.
On The Lawn Care Plan, a heavy renovation costs you nothing extra. Your plan already includes a renovation every year and five visits, so the weed treatment beforehand and the check afterwards are visits you're already getting. We just do the work your lawn actually needs.
Which do I need?
Annual renovation
Included in The Lawn Care Plan
For lawns already on a plan and in reasonable shape. A yearly refresh to keep them thick and clean.
One visit, every year
One-off renovation
From £150
For lawns that are thin, mossy or have been left for a while. Gets the lawn back to a healthy baseline in one go.
One visit
Heavy renovation
From £250
For lawns too far gone for a single visit. Weeds cleared first, heavier seeding, and we come back to check it.
Three visits · included on the plan
If the grass itself is past saving, a full restoration replaces the lawn instead. Not sure which you need? We'll recommend the right approach at your free lawn survey.
What makes our renovation different
- Full programme in one coordinated visit - not piecemeal treatments spread across weeks
- Quality seed and organic topdressing - not budget materials that underperform
- George does the work personally - not subcontracted to someone you’ve never met
- Plan afterwards to maintain the results - not a one-off with no follow-up
A renovation is a one-off cost. We'll give you a clear, tailored quote after the survey.
Not sure if your lawn needs a renovation or just a plan?
Book a free survey and we'll tell you honestly.
Read how a free survey works · See pricing for your lawn size
Real transformations
Bare new-build clay to thick striped lawn
Wickham Bishops, CM8
Weed-infested to clean, thick lawn
Danbury, CM3
The Lawn Care Plan vs a one-off renovation
The Lawn Care Plan maintains and steadily improves lawns in reasonable condition, and includes a renovation every year. A one-off renovation is for getting a neglected lawn back to a healthy baseline first.
The typical path: we renovate it properly once, then The Lawn Care Plan keeps it that way.
Renovation questions
How much does a lawn renovation cost?
What is the difference between a renovation and a full restoration?
What is a heavy renovation?
Can you level out bumps and dips?
Can I have a renovation and then join a plan?
How long does it take for the lawn to recover?
Ready to reset your lawn?
Book a free survey and we'll assess your lawn honestly. You'll get a clear recommendation and fixed quote, yours to keep, whether you sign up or not.
Not ready to book? Read how a free survey works · Check if we cover your area · See pricing
We renovate it properly once. Your monthly plan keeps it that way.