Good Karma? Neighbor wants to buy some wood..what would you do? Update

Ok, so I have enough seasoned wood for this year, and half of next year.
Working out in the yard over the weekend, and my neighbor came over and wants to buy 1/2 cord of wood from me..offering me $100. (Its been split and stacked for 18 months or so...mainly hard maple, beech, oak and some birch)
So, money is tight right now....and we could really use the $100 with Xmas coming up...but I just don't feel right taking $100 from him.
He is about 20 years older than my wife and I, and are good neighbors....he's got a good assortment of tools and such, and when my wife and I were putting in our garden he kept on bringing over hand tools for us that made our lives easier with digging/weeding, etc...
I was thinking that $50 might be good, as it would give us a little something, and you never know when I might need some neighborly help down the road.
What would you all do?

If he came over, he probably took the time to figure out what was fair to him before he came over. Whenever I have countered with a lower number, the offerer has been offended. I would graciously accept his offer. Then, give him a heavy half, move it and stack it for him.

+1 to that. You dont offend, but give him extra value with a heavy half plus the move and stack.

If I was your neighbor I'd rather you had the $100.00 than a handful of IOUs.

A cord of not so well seasoned is around $250 here.
A hundred bucks for a half cord of well seasoned would be a bargain, even to a friend.


Depending on what a cord goes for a bit further north and west of me ( I'm at 41.40 and -70.55 ) that's probably a very very neighborly fair price.

I like the go heavy idea.

Give him a little extra wood for the 100 dollars and share a beer or two.

I'd take the offer. It seems like a reasonable deal, he would have to buy the wood somewhere else if you don't sell to him, and he would probably prefer to pay rather than ask and feel guilty when you give it to him. I figure that borrowing tools, helping out with stuff, etc. is all part of being neighbors, but that doesn't mean he feels right just asking for some of your stuff (in this case seasoned firewood) that he knows you work hard to make and which has an established monetary value. I think a half cord of seasoned wood for $100 is a pretty good deal. If you want to sweeten the offer, make it delivered and stacked (or at least help him) and he is getting a real steal.

I like the idea of taking the $$ and maybe giving him a little more. I can put it on my trailer, and back it right into his garage where he keeps the wood.
Thanks for the idea's

Dave = Good Man!

I would take the offer of $100.00.


zap

personally if I had a good working relationship with my neighbor, such as sharing/borrowing tools
and if I am reading correctly, they are an older couple 20 yrs my senior
I would load up the trailer, bring it over, stack it for them
and say if you need more let me know.........

and yes I have done this myself
once money changes hands things are never the same.........

+2

I agree totally with this.

I get all my wood for free, only thing tied up is time and labor. If a friend needed wood I'd load it up and take it over.
Karma is a groan and I'd always like to stay on the good side of it.

Understand your point, but to be clear I did not offer to sell the wood...the neighbor came over and asked me if he could buy some of my stash.
Looks like around here seasoned wood (meaning cut/split like 3 months ago) is going for $250-$300 delivered...so I think I am going to give him a healthy 1/2 to 2/3'rds a cord for the $100...maybe I'll take $75-$80...who knows

Never feel bad about selling the fruits of your labor! YOU HAVE COST IN DOING IT!

Couple of cases of beer

If he is aware of your tight situation this may be his way of trying to help you out (as well as obviously getting some good wood from someone honest). I agree with the others that say do the deal for what he offered, give him a little extra wood, and help him move and stack.

I agree with those who advise accepting $100 (even if below market price). You are providing a valuable service to the neighbor (especially if you help stack), and you never know when you will need your neighbor's help in an emergency. This deal would make you both better off.

Sorry folks but I'll have to go against the current a bit here.

You stated that this neighbor has helped you in the past bringing you tools to use, etc. Have you appreciated that????!!


I freely admit that I am weird. However, this fellow wants only 1/2 cord of wood. He is also offering a good deal of dollars and most of us can use some extra dollars. However, I would value the neighbor and his help a bit more. I might agree to selling him the wood.....but only at 1/2 the price he offered. More than likely though I would simply agree and tell him I'd bring some over. Then when he tried to pay, I would let him know how much he is appreciated and also thank him for it.

Doing this should reap you many more benefits than a $100 bill will give. He sounds like a good neighbor to have.

I agree with Dennis.

Give him the wood.

What does he do? Mechanic,Carpenter,Lawyer?
Kind of like the pay it forward thing.

Gary

id tell him the first 1/2 cord is on you ( $0 ) ... if he needs more sell it at a fair price.... he could always buy the beer for when you deliver and help him stack it..

He is retired....probably about 62 but in good shape.
Not a mechanic/carpenter/lawyer....just a normal guy that says anytime I need a tool or something his shed is unlocked.
I'll see him today/tomorrow so I'll post on what is decided.
Need the cash, but my gut is telling me that I am going to have him have the first load free....just seems like the right thing to do for some reason.

Learning all about neighbors and the like here.

I would tend to agree with the give it to him. A half cord aint miuch in the long run (about a solid hours worth of spilting/stacking you were doing anyways) i also agree that some get offended by the counter offer, i would simply start by telling him how much his help has been appriecated, and that means more then money. Plus years of help and tool loaning...? try and rent some tools for $100, sounds like that alone makes it worth it. heck maybe you could even get him to help do some stacking with you next time your splitting (you mentioned he was in good shape, just dont wear him out!), that way you can give him some more wood next year and dont have a feeling one way or another about it.

This is the route I think I am going with. Basically, he used to burn more, but since he only burns 1/2 cord or so, he really can't find a dealer to deliver such a small amount. I think what I will do is tell him that next time I order wood in the spring, I will get some extra and he can pay me for what he wants to take....I suaully get c/s/d green for $175/cord....so next year I will just order some extra...if he doesn;t want it I will certainly burn it

I've got a neighbor that likes to burn a couple cord over the summer in their outdoor firepit. They don't heat with wood.
I've taken him out on several wood cutting excursions using my truck, saws and splitter. He basically loads. I've split these loads with him 50-50. Several times I've done all the splitting and stacked the wood for him, he's helped split once, in addition I usually given them plenty of uglies, partially punky - stuff that's fine for the firepit but not for inside burning.

This spring I noticed wood was missing from my good piles for indoor heating. Not knowing where it was going I installed an security light to light up the wood stacks (couple weeks after I noticed the missing wood). A day after installing the light this neighbor comes over asking about the light and says it bothers them when they are at their firepit area. I mention the missing wood is the reason I put it up. He admits helping himself thinking it's not a big deal... after all it's just wood. I mention that they took from the good stacks that I actually paid something for (red and white oak - well seasoned) and that I also spent $50 on the light and an afternoon installing so I'm not just going to rip it down but I am willing to work with them (turn off when they are having a fire, install shielding/lower wattage bulb).

At some point during this conversation he asked what I would sell them some wood for... I never came up with a $$ and am glad I didn't. They turned into real ***holes about the light and other neighbor issues. I am pretty sure if I had sold them some wood or anyone else they would turn me into the city for running a "business" from residential property. They did complain to the city about
the light, and also tried to block me from using a city alley that runs behind their property.

We're no longer on speaking terms and 80' of 6' high privacy fence now seperates us. (I put up the fence).
I had to get survey done - part because I needed it to build the fence, but also to prove the alley was indeed a city alley that they could not block.