Gift for neighbour?

[ExchangedCat]

We need to connect our property to mains services. Thr nearest connection point is under one side of our neighbours drive.

The work would take 1-2 days, but they'd still be able to park 4-5 cars despite the hole. On completion of the work the contractors would lay fresh gravel on the whole drive and make everything good/better.

From his comments we think our neighbour will agree (we've not lived here that long and lockdown means we haven't got to know them).

My question is: what's the etiquette here? Do we offer financial recompense or a gift? If financial, how much? If a gift, what sort of thing/value?

I really don't want to get off on the wrong foot

I would ask nicely and explain etc.

Then when the work is complete -pop over with a nice bottle of something nice -and just say "thank you"

Not sure it helps too much but when we built a new house we ended up imposing on our neighbours way too much, including 3 weeks of work on the boundary taking 3 months etc etc - we also used their electricity for 2 weeks when we got cut off. We only paid them when it actually cost them something- but paid over the necessary amount - so their electric bill for a quarter to cover our 2 weeks use. And the boundary when we were finished was much nicer than previously. They are lovely and we didn’t pay them anything further, but in the first 18 months or so after we were finished we were generous with Xmas and birthday presents for their kids (including on year 1 a nice hamper for the adults at Xmas). They are now good friends and present giving tailored off to more normal levels. We just sensed the right thing to do and seem to have got it right....

Thank you both. I'll have a chat with him tomorrow and, assuming he agrees, will go with a gift when work is complete.