Transcript: My neighbour's asking me to contribute to something thats too expensive and or I can’t afford it.

00:04 Niloufa
If it's as simple as you just not being able to pay for it, then you might be able to work out something else. Often the problem is that people just don't want to, it's not that they can't afford to.

So, maybe make it obvious and make it clear to your neighbour that you understand that there is an issue with the fence, and you acknowledge that there is a need, but that at the moment, because of your financial circumstances you are actually unable to. And if you approach it that way your neighbour can see that it's you genuinely just being unable to afford it and that's what's stopping you from moving on further. And that could actually help you with your relationship with your neighbours and maybe you could postpone it for a little while. You can come up with some creative answers and creative solutions to the problem affecting the fence.

00:48 Gina
If your neighbours come to you with a quote and a design of a fence that you're not comfortable with, the first thing to do is to really express that very clearly. And, again, without too much emotion, but you might actually need to say, "This is not the design that's going to work for me" or "This is not a fence I like" or "This is outside of what I can afford", and then look at some other options. If it's one quote, you might need to obtain a number of quotes for the same product, or you might need to actually begin to negotiate a different type of fencing, and give your neighbour some understanding of what is affordable for you or not.

01:32 Niloufa
With working out how to deal with the problem of the tree and how to cut the tree down, it's very important for both parties to actually go and get some outside quotes. So, what you can maybe do is to talk with your neighbour and agree that each party will get, say, three quotes and come together in a week's time. And, therefore, you can both have a look at all the quotes that have been brought up by the other person and have a look at which one suits you best. And that way you can actually negotiate and work out which contractor works best for you and who you can afford, and you can actually obviously mention this to them. Maybe if your neighbour comes up with a really high quote you can explain that that's actually out of your budget and therefore your neighbour might be ok to move down to a different quote that you're more acceptable to.

Summary

• Be clear and calm with your neighbour about what you can and can't afford – and when you might be in a position to contribute financially.
• Suggest getting a variety of contractor quotes.
• Be specific about the kind of work you will and won't be happy to pay for.