Won't You Be My Neighbor?

(Image courtesy of zouny)

One of the best parts of moving into a new place is the ability to make friends with your new neighbors. If you were super tight with your old neighbors it can be a little lonely for the first couple of days in your new place until you make a connection with the new people living around you. Now worries with a smile and a few friendly gestures you and your neighbors will be chatting in no time!

Making friends with the neighbors doesn’t have to be about grand gestures. It’s amazing how far small acts of kindness will go when it comes to making a connection. Try these five tips courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com to create a lasting relationship with your neighbors that will be beneficial to you both. Keep reading to learn more:

1. Every now and then, when you're taking out your trash and recycling bin, take out the neighbors as well. If its too heavy for you to maneuver, wait until after the trash collectors have stopped by and take the empty bins to their holding spot.
2. On moving day, you're likely to see the majority of neighbors going and coming home from work. Take a second to say "hi" and introduce yourself.
3. Include your neighbors by inviting them to your housewarming party. By letting them know ahead of time about the shindig, you're allowing them to make other plans if they don't want to stop by (and don't want to be bothered by all the party noise).
4. If you and your neighbors have pets, extend an open offer to feed the cat when they go out of town.
5. You never know when you're going to find yourself needing to borrow a drill or some other home or food item. If you find yourself in this position, make a mental note to make extra cookies the next time you're baking and drop them off on your neighbor's doorstep.

Knowing and liking your neighbors has many benefits (as Laure learned quickly last week). In the past, we've depended on neighbors to borrow a cup of sugar or watch out for a package from UPS or even feed our cat (and we always do the same for them). And in most instances, we end up being close friends with our neighbors which makes our house that much more of a home.