When Should You Hire a Lawn Mowing Service?

The best time to hire a lawn mowing service is as soon as you suspect you need one. Don't wait. It's always cheaper to get in before a lawn gets overgrown than to rescue it afterwards.

I'm Troy Hillard, founder of the Lawn Rite Franchise Network. I've spent over 10 years in the New Zealand lawn industry, with 150+ franchisees across the country. Here's how to tell when it's time, and what to expect when you make the call.

Signs your lawn needs a professional

Here's a simple test: if you can't find the time to mow your lawn at least once a fortnight, it's time to look at a mowing service. Other signs include:

• an overgrown lawn
• weeds spreading through the grass
• dead patches
• bare patches where the grass can't or won't grow

Any of these tell you the lawn needs some professional support to get it looking great again.

The life events that usually prompt the call

Most first-time calls to Lawn Rite come down to one of three things:

• Time pressure. A busy job or running a business leaves no time for the lawn.
• Family. A new baby arrives, or a family member out of town or overseas becomes unwell and you need to travel.
• Health. As people get older, they physically can't keep up with maintaining their property.

What waiting too long costs you

Leaving it too late means paying more to get your lawn healthy again, and it takes longer to get it looking great. An overgrown lawn usually comes with a lot of weeds that need killing and removing.

There's also the risk of pests. That means not just grass grub, but rodents too. Long grass gives rats and mice a place to move in.

The best time of year to start is now

Any time of year is the right time to call. But spring and early summer are our busiest months, and most mowing companies are flat out then. Leave it until then and you may struggle to get the booking you want.

The Christmas rush

Every year, between about the 10th and 15th of December, we get a flood of calls from people wanting their lawns and gardens looking great for Christmas. By then, our franchisees are booked out solid, and unfortunately we can't help most of them before Christmas Day.

If you want your property looking sharp for the holidays, book now, not in December.

When a one-off mow makes sense

You don't need a regular service to benefit from a professional. Even if you love mowing your own lawn and keep it to a high standard, a one-off mow makes sense when:

• You're going away. Have a professional mow while you're on holiday or at an event, so you don't come home to an overgrown lawn.
• There's a special occasion coming up. Birthdays, holidays and Christmas are all good reasons to get your lawn looking sharp.

Landlords: consider including mowing in the rent

The lawn is usually the tenant's responsibility, but we're seeing more and more landlords include a mowing service as part of the rent. Some lift the rent by a nominal amount each week to help cover the cost.

It works for both sides. The landlord knows the lawns and gardens will be kept to a high standard throughout the tenancy. The tenant doesn't have to worry about maintaining them.

What happens when you call Lawn Rite

1. Free site visit and quote. A franchisee walks around the property with you and works out exactly what you want maintained.
2. Price and schedule. They work out a price and a schedule that suits you both, and get you booked in.
3. Check-in after the first cut. If you weren't home, your franchisee will contact you to make sure your expectations were met and nothing was lost in translation.
4. Rinse and repeat. Once you're happy with the quality, frequency and standard, it's the same great service every week or fortnight.

Your franchisee keeps in touch about quality and any extra jobs, whether you've asked for them or they recommend them.

What to tell your franchisee on the first walk-around

The first visit is your chance to set things up exactly how you want them. Tell your franchisee:

• everything you want done
• anything you don't want done, or don't want touched
• any health and safety hazards on the property
• the days and times that suit you, and any that don't

For example, if you run a business from home, you may not want a mower going during the day while you're on calls or Zoom meetings. We can schedule your service first thing, around 8am, or as the last job of the day, around 4:30 or 5pm.

There's nothing we can't work around. Just tell us what you need.

Don't wait: get a free quote

If you think your lawn isn't getting the care it needs, contact a professional straight away. It's always cheaper to get in before the lawn gets overgrown.

Call 0800 101 226 to book a free quote with your local Lawn Rite franchisee.