Comparison

Artificial Grass vs Real Turf, Honestly Compared

We lay both. We turf gardens every season and we install artificial grass every week, so we have no reason to talk you into one over the other, and we would rather you picked correctly than picked ours.

Here is the comparison as we would give it standing in your garden, including the situations where we would tell you to keep the real lawn.

Turf laid, typical: £8 to £18 per m2
Artificial grass fitted: £55 to £110 per m2
Turf upkeep: Mowing, feeding, watering, scarifying
Artificial upkeep: Brushing, rinsing, occasional infill top up

Cost over ten years, not on day one

Real turf wins the first invoice by a distance. Then it starts spending: mower, fuel or electricity, feed, weed and moss treatment, water in dry summers, and the annual repair of the worn strip by the trampoline. Artificial grass front loads everything and then asks for very little.

Neither is universally cheaper. If you enjoy mowing and your lawn thrives, turf will stay cheaper. If your lawn is a mud patch every winter and you pay someone to cut it, artificial grass usually overtakes it well before year ten.

Where real turf is still the right answer

Large open gardens with good drainage and light. Wildlife gardens where you want insects, worms and birds working the soil. Anyone who genuinely likes gardening and wants the space to change through the year. Also very hot south facing suntraps used barefoot by small children in July, where a real lawn stays cooler underfoot.

Where artificial grass wins clearly

Deep shade under trees or between terraces where grass has never established. Dog gardens. Small courtyards. Rentals and holiday lets where nobody is there to mow. North facing plots that stay wet from October to April. Anywhere the current lawn is more moss and mud than grass, which is most of the gardens we get called to.

The honest drawbacks of each

Artificial grass gets hot in direct summer sun, it does not support soil life, and at end of life it is a plastic product that needs proper disposal. Real turf needs constant input, floods in clay soil, and fails in shade no matter how much seed you throw at it. Both are legitimate choices; pretending otherwise is how people end up disappointed.

Frequently asked questions

Is artificial grass cheaper than real turf?

Not upfront. Turf is a fraction of the installed cost. Over ten years, once mowing, feeding, watering and repairs are counted, artificial grass often works out level or cheaper, particularly on gardens that struggle.

Does artificial grass devalue a property?

In our experience it neither adds nor removes much on its own. Buyers react to whether the garden looks cared for. A tidy artificial lawn beats a bare muddy real one, and a beautiful real lawn beats a cheap artificial one.

Is artificial grass bad for wildlife?

It does not support soil life the way turf does. If wildlife matters to you, a common compromise is artificial grass on the high traffic zone and real planting borders, hedging and a wild corner around it.

Which is better for a shaded garden?

Artificial grass, comfortably. Turf needs light to recover from use, and in deep shade it thins out and gives way to moss regardless of feeding.

Can you take artificial grass up again if we change our minds?

Yes. It is lifted, the aggregate is dug out and topsoil is brought back in before returfing. It is a proper job rather than a weekend, so it is worth being sure first.

More on artificial grass

Artificial Grass Artificial Grass Installation Artificial Grass Cost Per Square Metre Artificial Grass for Dogs and Pets Artificial Grass for Small Gardens and Balconies

Artificial Grass service page

Not sure which way to go?

We will look at the light, the drainage and how you use the garden, then tell you straight which one we would lay if it were ours.

Ask for honest advice Call 07535 661664