If you’ve ever moved to a new town or neighborhood, you probably know how it feels to not know anybody in the area. Living in a new place can create discomfort, and that’s exactly why so much has been written about how to welcome your new neighbors.
In today’s fast-paced world though, many people simply don’t have as much time to greet the new people down the block. In fact, you might not even realize that somebody new has moved in until they’ve been there a few weeks or months.
Making your new neighbors feel welcome in your area isn’t too hard though, and when it comes to neighbors, creating good relationships from the get-go is always ideal. Use this guide to learn more about how you make new neighbors feel welcome when they move to your neighborhood.
Introduce Yourself
Before you bake a tray of cookies or cut flowers from your garden, doing one simple thing can make your neighbors feel like they’re welcome in your area. That simple thing is just going to introduce yourself.
Whether your new neighbors are unloading a moving truck, taking the dog out for a walk or playing with kids in the yard, simply going over to say hello and letting your new neighbors know your name can be meaningful. Everybody likes to have a familiar face in the neighborhood after all.
Bring A Gift
Baked goods and food items are common welcome gifts, but for many people today, awareness of food allergies and dietary restrictions make these a little bit harder. You may also run the risk of making somebody sick since they won’t want to ask what you put in those cookies out of fear of being rude.
If you do bring a gift, food items with ingredients listed are always the best bet. For those of you that just can’t help baking, try including the recipe for your baked goods along with the gift so the ingredients are clear.
Other gift ideas include fresh flowers, usable items like coffee or tea, or a gift certificate to a local restaurant. If you do go this route, try to get other neighbors to pitch in and buy the gift certificate together as a sort of welcoming committee gift.
Offer To Help
Welcoming new neighbors with a gift can be a very polite thing to do, but in some cases, lending a helping hand may be more beneficial. From helping to unload that moving truck, to moving a heavy sofa that requires some extra muscle, being there to help physically is often the best welcome gift possible.
There are other ways to help, however. Putting together a list of public service contact information, sharing neighborhood watch information and even compiling takeout menus can mean a lot to people who have just moved into a new neighborhood.
Just remember that not all new neighbors will be comfortable accepting help from strangers. If that’s the case, make it clear that you’re there if needed, but then let them get back to work with a smile.
Respect Their Privacy
Not all new neighbors are going to be friendly, so your best efforts at welcoming them might be spurned. Other neighbors might be friendly people, but people that just prefer to live a more private life.
If your new neighbors don’t welcome your friendly advances with open arms, don’t feel slighted. Instead, just say hello and smile as you pass them on the sidewalk.
Sometimes being a good neighbor means respecting the privacy of those around you.