How To Get Along With Your New Neighbors

Alivia Whitaker | May 16, 2018 @ 12:00 AM

You’ve just moved - congratulations!  If you plan on having a successful stay in your new location one important aspect is going to be how well you get along with neighbors.

According to the Pew Research Center, 43% of adults know most or all of their neighbors.  In our tech-heavy society, it can be easy to retreat and not get to know those you live by.  But spending some time getting to know your neighbors could pay off in the long run.  Whether it helps you avoid a conflict or even make a life long friend.

Here are three easy ways to get along with neighbors:

Get Along With Neighbors: Introduce Yourself

This may sound pretty basic, but a lot of people never even take a moment to introduce themselves to their neighbors!  If you want to get along with neighbors, take a small basket, card or piece of fruit with a ribbon and let your neighbor know who you are.  Taking the time to introduce yourself and learn about those you live next to could have an essential impact in the future.

Find an article HERE from How To Simplify on easy neighbor gifts.

Offer Up Cooperation For Property Issues

Do you have aphids on your trees?  Is the neighbor’s bush shedding on your lawn?  It’s common to have property border issues with neighbors because, well, you share a border!  Getting along can be easier than you think, however.  It's easy to get along with neighbors if you are proactive about shared property line issues.

If you are having pest problems with your trees or plants - this can often spread to neighbors.  An easy way to keep you and your neighbor passing pests back and forth is to pro-actively solve the problem and ask your neighbor if they would like to go in on some plant treatment costs.  That way - the surrounding plants will get sprayed and keep the pests from coming back to your property!  Or - if you’re feeling very neighborly - just offer to pay to have their plants sprayed at the same time you are.  It can’t hurt to have be kind to those living right next to you.

Make sure you have proper documentation of all the actual legal boundaries of your property and what the covenants and rules of your HOA are so that you can be proactive and aware of possible disputes.  If you are aware of the rules, this can help avoid a conflict with neighbors in the first place.

Give Service

Do you see a pregnant neighbor shoveling her driveway?  Did you notice an elderly neighbor struggling to do her yard work last spring?  Taking a moment to give a neighbor a helping hand can create neighborly bonds, good feelings and create a community where you live.  The best way to get along with neighbors is to give service!

By shoveling someone’s driveway, taking around small gifts at holidays or helping a neighbor in with groceries - you might not only ensure a favor for yourself in the future - but you are creating kinship that helps avoid conflict and creates lasting relationships with those you live around.

Check out the Keylock Storage Blog for more interesting articles about organization and lifestyle: keylockstorage.com/blogs