How to Get Your Neighbors to Like You Quickly
Moving into a new neighborhood can be both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. It’s great being in a new environment, but you also have to worry about the transition and how to get your neighbors to like you. In this case, first impressions matter a lot and you want to leave a good one for your new community.
Getting neighbors to like you can be easy as long as you’re friendly with them. Smile and say hello so that they pick up on your positive vibes. Try making small talk, asking questions about the community, or invite them to your housewarming party.
If you’re new to your community and would love some tips on how to make a good impression on your neighbors, this blog post is for you. We will give you some concrete tips on how to approach neighbors without being too forward.
How to Be Friendly With Neighbors
Developing a good relationship with your neighbor helps you feel you’re truly part of the neighborhood you’re in. There are also benefits to being friendly with people who live near you. For example, in cases of emergency, neighbors might be the only people who can help you.
There are many ways on how you can be friendly toward and make friends with your neighbor. Usually, it starts out by making small talks. When you happen to walk around the neighborhood, compliment your neighbor.
For instance, you’re walking around and spot your neighbor gardening outside. Complimenting how pretty their garden is can easily lead to conversations. When you genuinely compliment someone, you might find you share something in common – and that is how friendship usually starts.
As you try to make friends, don’t forget to flash your brightest smile. This will let them perceive you as a warm and jolly person.
How to Hang Out With Your Neighbor
Hanging out with your neighbor is also another way to connect with them. This way, you can get to know more about your neighbor and perhaps, pick up signs that they are also comfortable talking to you or otherwise.
Understandably, it’s not easy to be open to strangers but making friends with neighbors involves vulnerability. It’s taking that big step and not overthinking it. You may not realize it but your neighbor(s) might just be waiting for someone to make the first move.
Getting your neighbors to hang out with you doesn’t have to involve grand gestures. A simple invitation to a simple meal is already a step forward to building a relationship. You can host a small housewarming party and extend the invitation to neighbors.
How to Make Friends With Your Neighbors
With social media now part of most people, it is a lot easier to connect. But it can be a bit difficult when you do it in real life. Being friends with neighbors, however, doesn’t have to be complicated.
Aside from complimenting your neighbor, flashing a smile, and inviting them over for meals or drinks, here are some concrete tips on how you can start a friendship with them.
Be Active In Your Neighborhood
If you are a family with kids, you would want to look for local playgroups, and that would easily be an opportunity to meet parents. If not, you can start your own, whether it’s a hobby group or movie club.
Joining or creating groups is an excellent way to meet lots of people. It is also where like-minded people get-together so you’ll likely find someone you can get along with by joining. In addition, you can get updates from groups regarding events in your local area.
The awesome thing is that you can easily join groups through social media. Try out Facebook Groups and search for hobby groups or parent groups in your area.
Visit Neighborhood Shops Regularly
Fancy some coffee or pastries? Visit the neighborhood café. Want to get pampered? Try out the nail salon in the area. You’ll most likely find familiar faces by visiting shops in your community. Introducing yourself to your neighbor who happens to be in the same shop as you are becomes easier.
Explore Your Neighborhood
It’s a great idea to explore and wander through your neighborhood. Not only is it a form of exercise but you can discover places in the community where you’ll likely meet neighbors. And if you happen to bump into one of your neighbors, ask questions and spark a conversation.
You will also learn about the different places that are great for hangouts. So maybe next time, you can invite your neighbor to visit them.
Should You Be Friends With Your Neighbors?
With all the tips mentioned above, you will be able to leave a good impression on your neighbors and develop a good relationship with them. But it might have gotten you wondering, should you even be friends with them in the first place?
Some people like to keep to themselves and would rather avoid associating with other people. A “Hi” and nothing more than that is enough for people.
There are also those who have had bad experiences with their neighbors and so have become cautious when dealing with new people. While being an introvert and keeping to oneself is understandable, being neighborly can have its benefits. Here are some of them:
- Neighbors can keep watch of your property when you’re not around
- They can call for help during emergencies
- Creates meaningful relationships, especially if you’re close with your neighbor
- Opportunity to share responsibilities, such as babysitting
- A neighbor can be the friend who will offer you emotional support
But just as any other relationship, trust is an essential component and one that you shouldn’t give away so easily. It’s also understandable for a neighbor not to trust you, especially when you’re the new guy. That said, fostering a relationship with your neighbor requires time to blossom, so give it time and just continue being friendly.
Signs Your Neighbors Don’t Like You
Now, how can you tell if your neighbors don’t like your friendly gestures? What if, simply, you have an obnoxious neighbor who doesn’t like anyone at all? And how do you deal with unfriendly neighbors if you’re the new guy or gal in the area?
Being able to pick up on signs that your neighbors hate you is a skill and one that you will also need so you can save yourself some stress. You don’t need toxic people in your life. Even if they live close to you, you can carry on with your life without letting their prejudices bother you.
Here are some signs that your neighbor doesn’t like you:
- They talk behind your back, and may even turn the whole community against you
- You notice them whispering to each other, and then once you happen to pass by everyone disperses
- They don’t respect boundaries
- They avoid making eye contact with you
If you notice your neighbors with those signs, don’t immediately conclude that they hate you. They might just not know you well enough to establish a positive impression.
Meanwhile, if you feel like you’re being treated differently and bad, you should recognize this and learn to set boundaries. You really don’t have to try very hard to impress people. As long as you get to live peacefully in your own home with nothing more than a “hi” and “hello,” then that would be enough.
How Can I Impress My Neighbors?
It’s a different story if impressing your neighbor is important to you. There are people who value relationships outside of the family and will try their very best to win people over. If you’re that kind of person, one way to make a good impression is to come bearing gifts.
Perhaps you’re good at cooking, so you may want to whip up something lovely for them. A hearty dish you’ve made might just be the one thing that can make neighbors fall in love with you. It’s a clever idea to bring delicious gifts to introduce yourself to neighbors.
Decorating your home or your yard in a beautiful way is also another tip. You can invite them over and show them what you have on your property. For some people, keeping up a cozy home with nice decor can be very impressive.
How to Introduce Yourself to Neighbors During COVID
Moving in the middle of a pandemic is already stressful enough. Add to that the fact that meeting people is now difficult since you need to follow health protocols to keep yourself and everyone around you safe. If you happen to be the new person in a neighborhood during COVID, there’s a big chance people might not want to interact with you a lot.
Normally, the newcomer would bake goodies and place it in a lovely bag along with a new neighbor introduction card. But with less physical contact these days due to COVID, using online platforms is a good way to introduce yourself. You can try searching for your neighborhood on Facebook groups to start.
Conclusion: How to Get Your Neighbors to Like You
While there may be several tricks to impress your neighbors, I’d like to sum it up into three important points: be open, be friendly, and smile wide.
You don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not just to get neighbors to notice you in a good way. Be yourself and be friendly and kind to people around you. Those things can go a long way and in no time, you’ll be able to develop meaningful friendships in your community.
