Being Neighbourly – at Home

Last week I mentioned about being a good neighbour in general, this week I shall concentrate on being a good neighbour around our home. Whether you live in a flat, a semi or a detached house we can all make a little more effort to show interest in our neighbours. It may be that we find some of them are not very pleasant but that doesn’t stop us from being pleasant and perhaps one day they may surprise us. The more we are kind and thoughtful to them the more we should feel better and one day it may return back.

General suggestions on how to be a good neighbour:

1. Get to know your neighbours – introduce yourself whether you are new or not. Advise them of your name and if appropriate your family names.
2. Smile and say hello when you see them – show signs of neighbourly friendship.
3. Communicate with your neighbours – keep in touch advising them of anything that may affect them e.g. cutting your hedge, having a party, events on locally, garbage collecting days or changes.
4. Be aware of your surroundings and theirs. Keep an eye on anything suspicious and notify the police if you are concerned. You don’t need to be nosy or pushy.
5. Be aware of shared walls – any structure where you and your neighbours share living spaces, whether sideways, above or below then be aware of noise, especially late at night.
6. Control Your Pets – keep your dog on a leash and make sure you clean up after them.
7. What are their schedules –  will your parking affect them if they rush off to work early in the morning; do they work shifts at night – be aware of noise in the day; had a new baby – so avoid being too noisy at certain times of the day.

Treat others as you wish to be treated and try to put yourself in their shoes. So many disputes have been caused by lack of communication and people not talking to one another. If something annoys you or causes you problems, first of all be polite and try to discuss it. Talk to them face to face or drop them a note to say how you feel and could you have a chat about it as you don’t want to cause offence.

Parking Etiquette – avoid blocking a neighbour’s drive or space. If you need to for a short time, knock on their door and ask them if it is ok. Park in front of your home, not theirs. Avoid slamming your doors, beeping your horn, shining your headlights into their windows, particularly late at night.

Next week will be about being neighbourly in the office, but in the meantime practise being neighbourly at home.