Meeting New Neighbors

The easiest people to meet are neighbors.

-Wise, old mover

When you move, you will meet dozens of new people.  And of all these new people, you will probably meet your neighbors first.

Meeting new neighbors is important.  They can help you settle into your new home, give you advice for good places to visit, and even become your newest friends.  Here’s how to approach your neighbors and what to talk to them about:

Approaching Your Neighbors

Like with anything, there are some social rules that accompany meeting a neighbor.  Here are some major ones:

• Evening time or weekends – The best time to talk to your neighbors is in the early evening or on the weekends.  That’s when they’ll most likely be home and not rushing to get somewhere.  However, if you see them out on the driveway at a different time, say hello.
• Introduce yourself – Your neighbor might not know you even moved in. You should let them know who you are and where you live.
• Smile – Meeting people isn’t easy.  Bring a smile and a good-natured mentality, though, and you should be fine.

What to Talk About

Start your conversation by saying hello and introducing yourself.  However, after that you should talk about the following things:

• Pet peeves – Find out if your neighbors have any pet peeves, like loud music or mowing the lawn at an early hour, and share yours with them.  This is the best way to avoid future altercations.
• Your idiosyncrasies – Let your neighbor know about any unusual things that you do, such as practicing the violin every night at 7.   Also, let them know if you have kids or pets.  That way, they’ll be on guard.
• The neighborhood – Ask your neighbor about any common problems in the neighborhood.  Also, ask them about anything that you should make sure to see or do in the area.
• What they do – Find out what your neighbor does in life.  It might not only be interesting, it might actually benefit you in the future, such as if your neighbor is a doctor or handyman.  Also, explain what you do.
• Just chat – It might be hard to connect with some neighbors.  For them, just be genial and concise.  However, you might feel more of a bond with others.  For them, use your conversation as a time to share interests.  However, don’t keep them for too long.  If you’d like to continue the conversation, try to set up a time to get together for dinner or the likes.

Check here if you want to learn how to meet new people in your new hometown.

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