How much do you pay to have your lawns mowed?

turnitround

I have never had or needed someone to help in the garden but since having hip problems I have found mowing difficult.
I have a lovely neighbour who actually works as a gardener/landscaper and I never asked him to mow for me but I started to notice that when he did his own lawn he would go to an elderly neighbours house and do his lawn at the same time.  He has now started to come into my back garden at the same time and mow mine. (I have no issue with him just walking into the garden as we are on good terms and he is a lovely neighbour).
The problem I have is that I ask how much I owe and he refuses to take money from me saying that he is doing his and the other neighbours so he may as well do ours at the same time.
I'm not comfortable letting him do it for nothing but I never know what to offer.

 I usually give him 15 or 20 quid which I have to force him to accept but I dont know if its anywhere near enough and dont want to insult him. I have a lawn at the back about 15ft x 10ft and one at the side about 20ft x 6ft and it takes him about 30 mins to trim the edges and mow.

What would be the right figure to give him? He is reluctant to take anything as he says he is only doing it for us as a neighbourly thing and not an official job and I really have to pressure him to take anything but I feel bad if I dont pay him.

HampshireH

He sounds like he is being neighbourly and that's lovely (and very much a rarity these ays it would seem).

He probably doesn't want to me making money from his neighbours especially if he does the other neighbours as a gesture/to help.

If he is reluctant to accept money could you show your appreciation in other ways (bottle of wine, cake, Xmas gift (maybe cash) ).

That way you feel you have paid him but it's in kind and he doesn't feel he is being paid.

(In terms of a cash value it would depend entirely on the size on the lawn/amount of work involved. Google would suggest between £15-30 per hour)

Brie

I pay our gardeners £40 which is for 2 chaps for a total of 1 hour.  If the boss chap is only available for the hour he charges £25.  This includes mowing, weeding, pruning.  Whatever the garden needs at that particular time.  Last time it included shifting some sand that was needed to be leveled for a hot tub.  They fixed our fence after a storm so just about anything outside.  In truth one of them could cut the lawn in maybe 15 to 20 minutes - not a huge lawn so £10 max would do it if that was all we were having done but there's always lots to get on with.  Planting spring bulbs this coming week!!!

CraSiEla

Hi, turnitround.
My brother does his neighbour's garden for him (he also has two areas he has to have done both a bit bigger than yours) My brother said he didn't want anything from him but the neighbour insisted and I think he gives him the same, £20 each time he does it for him. The neighbour always says if I had to get someone in to do it they would charge me more. And at least I know you. My brother also said to the neighbour that he's doing his so it's no problem to do yours. 

At least you know your neighbour, he's not robbing you soft, charging astronomical amounts. So I say yeah £20 is fine.
I've no idea what gardeners charge, but I do know some of them overcharge.

If you think you need to give him more buy him a Christmas or birthday present, a bottle of his favourite tipple would probably be appreciated.

turnitround

Thank you all for the replies, I feel a bit better now. He really is  a great neighbour and will offer to do all sorts of jobs. He has a lot of fruit trees and gives out apples, plums and pears and also makes jam for us. I baked a batch of cakes and scones and took some from him but he refused them saying he does not have a sweet tooth.

I bought him a box of beers and took them round and he did accept but then a week or so later I saw his son in law taking a box to his car. He told me that his FIL had just given him them as 'He doesnt drink because his own father was an alcoholic' so I wont take him any more beer. He lives on his own and seems a very solitary person so I think doing jobs for neighbours suits him as he says he does not like being in the house.. 

TELLIT01

If he doesn't want paying don't force it on him.  As others have said, buy him the occasional gift of some sort to show your appreciation.  I used to do bits and pieces for our neighbour after her husband died.  We had been good friends for over 30 years, but I saw somebody cutting her grass for her so mentioned it when I next spoke to her.  She said she didn't want to bother me and 'x' the neighbour on the other side of her house said he'd do it for £10 a time.  I then explained to her that as a close friend I didn't want any payment for doing literally a 10 minute job, and took over mowing duties.  I did let her give me some petrol money occasionally when I took her shopping.  She didn't drive, so didn't have a clue about petrol prices which I think she must have last noticed about 20 years previous.  Still, making a contribution made her happy.

Brie

If he has fruit trees and is a good gardener himself then maybe give him a gift card to a local garden centre or similar.  

greyteam1959

£20 sounds about right to me.
It's cash that he can spend on whatever he wants.

twopenny

What a lovely guy. 
I remember when some used to do this for each other..
If he lives alone he probably appreciates sharing and helping and gives some purpose as I've offered a neighbour just to feel you're taking the weight off for someone you know has problems.

Yes, a donation and a Christmas, birthday present sounds a nice idea.

I take my neighbour out and she leaves me flowers or pot plant on the doorstep. I wish she wouldn't but she insists. It's annoying and nice at the same time  and makes me feel I'm taking her for the presents.

I think you need to chat subtlety about his hobbies and such see what comes up.

YoungBlueEyes

Maybe he'd appreciate some company if he's on his own all the time. I'd invite him round for his dinner one night, or a cuppa tea in the afternoon for a chat and a catchup. It looks like he's trying to find a use for himself, and it's not to do with the money. 

I think Brie's + 2p's ideas are good - a little something that he'll enjoy making use of. How about books/films if you can weedle out him what kinda genre he likes? 

fatbelly

I use a guy who is self employed and he takes less than 2 hours to do what would take me all day(and leave me exhausted). I suggested £50 was more realistic than £40. He comes every 2/3 weeks through the growi ng season