Creating a Friendly Neighbourhood

All of us would prefer to live in a friendly neighbourhood as opposed to one in which nobody spoke to one another or even acknowledged each other’s existence or one in which disputes and arguments were commonplace much of the time.

In fact, even though the majority of the articles contained within this website are primarily aimed at dealing with issues surrounding the resolution of disputes between neighbours underpinning much of the advice lies the answer to how to create a friendly neighbourhood in the first place. Here is some general advice for how you can create a friendly neighbourhood.

Be Friendly & Communicative in The First Place

Take time out to say ‘Hi’ to neighbours and maybe even stop for a chat occasionally. We all tend to lead busy lives these days and often feel there are simply not enough hours in the day to devote sufficient time even to our work and our families.

However, no one can really say that they never bump into their neighbours in passing or perhaps when mowing the garden or tending to other projects outside the house so a few kind words won’t cost you anything, doesn’t need to take up much time and will always engender a good community spirit.

Be Considerate

Try to be considerate towards your neighbours. Things like understanding a little more about your neighbour’s lifestyle can often help with issues relating to noise, for example. If they work night shifts and/or weekends or if they have children, be mindful of all these kinds of things in terms of the noise you generate and other activities you might wish to pursue inside and outside of the house, such as having a party, a social gathering or a barbecue.

You’ll often find that once you understanding a neighbour’s lifestyle a bit more, it will also help you to plan events when your neighbour is not going to be around so you’ll also be able to let your hair down a lot more. Parking etiquette and controlling the noise and behaviour of any children and/or pets you have will also help to create a friendlier neighbourhood too.

Look Out For Others And They’ll Look Out For You Too

If you’re approached for a favour of any kind or asked for help or advice, try and offer assistance wherever you can. Obviously, this shouldn’t mean you should feel that you’re at the beck and call whenever a neighbour comes knocking on your door but if it’s not going to create too much of an imposition upon you in terms of time and effort, your help will be very much appreciated and you’ll often find that you’ll get that kindness back tenfold in return.

Things like putting your neighbour’s bin back up their drive once they’ve been emptied whilst they’re at work and you might be at home is a nice gesture. We all might need to go on holiday sometimes or take a day or two away for a break or because of work commitments so by establishing good relationships with your immediate neighbours, they’ll end up looking out for you and your property whilst you’re away and likewise you can do the same for them sometimes.

Being a good neighbour does not impose too much effort on your part. It doesn’t mean having to become great friends and regularly socialising with your neighbours either. It’s simply mostly a case of good communication and understanding, being friendly and helpful where possible and showing respect and consideration for others and all of these would be things which most of us would naturally do throughout our daily lives anyway in our interactions with our own family and close friends. Therefore, it’s really an extension of that which leads to the creation of a friendly neighbourhood.