Most of us expect to have good neighbors when we move to a new house. If you can get along well with your neighbors, you can create a safe and happy community to live in. The most important ingredient to being a wonderful neighbor is to maintain clear and continuous communication.
Once you've introduced yourself to your neighbors, make sure you stay in constant touch with them. Maintaining your yard and low noise levels, being courteous towards your neighbors, and more will all help to solidify your relationship with your neighbors. We will explore all these points in detail in the next parts of this guide.
Be polite, kind, and introduce yourself
Regardless of whether you are relocating to a new house or are having a new family moving to your apartment complex, you must be a good neighbor yourself. Introducing yourself to your new neighbors at the right time is very important:
- It would be a good idea to ring your neighbor’s doorbell a few days after you’ve moved into your new apartment.
- Try introducing yourself while your neighbor is performing a light task like watering plants or cleaning the porch.
- Another great idea would be to introduce yourself while your neighbor is taking a walk.
Offer a helping hand
Nothing is better than offering a helping hand to your next-door neighbor if you want to establish a good relationship with them.
- Lend tools to your neighbors and make their work easier.
- Talk to your neighbors about what a regular day is like in the neighborhood.
- Discuss signature restaurants and entertainment places in or near the neighborhood.
Such gestures can mean a lot to your neighbors and they’re a great way to develop trust and rapport between both of you.
Tips to help as a new neighbor
- Don’t make the mistake of rejecting any help from your neighbors spontaneously. It’s normal for your neighbors to expect you to help them as this would be a good opportunity to know each other. But if you refuse help, it will give the wrong impression to your neighbor.
- If you borrow tools from your neighbors, make sure to return them or seek their permission if you keep them for some more time.
- Make sure to show trust in your neighbors.
Call them for dinner
It's a good idea to invite your new apartment mates for dinner or just for a glass of wine to start a conversation and connect. However, if you are too shy to call them, we suggest you wait until you host a housewarming party for a larger gathering of friends. You could also call them over for a BBQ in your backyard if that is something you do often.
Empty your trash often
- Avoid allowing your trash to pile up to the extent that it will stink.
- Manage your garbage daily and make sure you put it outside at every pickup cycle.
- In the case of covered cans, you may skip a pickup cycle in the winter months. However, during the summer, you must handle it as described in the above points.
No one enjoys the odor of hot trash spreading through the windows when they want to enjoy the fresh breeze and relax.
Be careful about parking your car
- Avoid using the parking space in front of your neighbor’s house if you both share a common parking space.
- Request your guests to park their vehicles in a place where it won't be inconvenient for your neighbors.
- Don't leave a big space in between two vehicles while you park them since you need to make the most use of the available space.
Look after your property
Take proper steps to upkeep your yard, trim your landscape and keep your exterior presentable and clean. Anyone would be disappointed if they found junk wherever their eyes fell. If your property isn’t well maintained, its value will decrease and so will the value of your neighbors. Consider renting a shed if you don’t have sufficient storage space in your house.
Maintain the noise level
If you are hosting a party in an outdoor space with your friends and relatives, make sure you aren't too loud. If the party extends beyond 10 pm, we suggest you shift the activity inside your house. Make sure none of your guests shout or play loud music since your neighbors won't enjoy it.
Everybody has their special circumstances; maybe your neighbors need to wake up early in the morning. Maybe they have a baby in their house whose sleep might get disturbed. Therefore, you must take appropriate steps to avoid disturbing others and exacerbating their problems.
Inform them in advance about a construction project
If you plan to start a construction project that would affect your neighborhood by placing debris in an open space, blocking a parking space, or causing noise early in the morning, we suggest you notify your neighbors beforehand.
You can avoid disturbing them completely, however, if you ensure proper communication so that they understand your situation.
Don’t leave your pets unattended
- Make sure your pet isn’t left unattended outside the house, especially early in the morning or late at night.
- Stop your cat from roaming around the neighborhood since they might step into someone else’s property.
- In case they make a mess anywhere around the neighborhood, make sure you clean up after them.
- Train your pets to ensure they are friendly and aren't a threat to other animals or children in your neighborhood.
Appreciate your neighbor’s home improvement initiatives
If your neighbors have invested their time and money to improve their homes, appreciating their initiative will go a long way. Let them know how beautiful their home’s new look is so that they know their efforts towards improving their home have paid off.
Attend the HOA meetings
Avoid being the neighbor who doesn’t care about their community. Here’s what you should to do to not be such a person:
- Involve yourself in block parties, consider attending the HOA meetings, and participate in transforming your neighborhood for the good.
Avoid gossiping about your neighbors
Never make the mistake of gossiping about your neighbors after you relocate to your new apartment. If you find yourself stuck between a group of people gossiping or backbiting about a neighbor, we suggest you excuse yourself and stay out of it.
Avoid interfering with your neighbor's privacy
You mustn’t peek through the privacy fence of your neighbor. It's called a privacy fence for a reason. Just like how you wouldn’t enjoy having anyone look through your window while you were doing something, don’t do any such actions to anyone else.
Need assistance?
You may need to choose between a wide range of moving companies that suit your budget and requirements if you need moving assistance. If you don’t have heavy moving boxes, specialty items, or other bulky items to move, you can seek the help of your friends to relocate. This will reduce your moving costs that you would have spent if you had hired professional movers.