In movies about the American province, one can encounter the following situation, a woman shining with a dazzling smile appears with a pie in her hands at their doorstep; she appears to be a new neighbor. It is difficult to imagine this scene in a modern metropolis: many of us manage to live side by side with our neighbors for years, without knowing anything about them and getting to know only those who settled in apartments on the left and right. Well, at worst, you can meet those who live above you, but only if they set off a flood as a way of introducing themselves.

If your desire for communication is stronger than shyness, we suggest taking the first step towards your neighbors. It’s easy to do this – it takes some politeness, and modern means of communication greatly simplify the dialogue.

Why It Is Important to Have Good Relations with Neighbors

Why should you try to establish any form of communication with your new neighbors? They are, after all, strangers with whom you don’t have anything in common.

Well, the most important thing here is that it would be great to have friends living near you, and not enemies. Just imagine if your best friend would be living in the same building as you, but this is not always possible for a multitude of reasons. Thus, you can make new friends and always have the opportunity to come over to spend some time with them.

The second important factor is that, no matter how secluded and introverted your lifestyle is, you will eventually encounter some problems that have to do with neighbors, whether it is a flood, someone got stuck in an elevator, etc. It is always great to have someone to help you out in a difficult situation.

Let’s now find out how to greet new neighbors.

Main Ways How to Introduce Yourself to Neighbors

What to do when you move into a new neighborhood? Here are some ways you can introduce yourself to new neighbors.

1. A holiday on a social street

How to meet new neighbors? In small towns and villages, isolation is not possible. This relationship model has its drawbacks since, in the village, everyone knows one another and does not hesitate to stick their nose into someone else’s personal life. Although there are some upsides to this: there is always someone to ask for help. Yes, you don’t have to buy a drill or a screwdriver, you can borrow one for the evening.

In large cities, people move away from each other, but even today, when everyone is busy, communication with neighbors can be pleasant and useful, and this is proved by the social street phenomenon that appeared in Italy.

It all started when one couple from Bologna started a group on Facebook to meet their neighbors on their street. Bastiani (that was the name of the couple) realized that the neighbors they knew could be counted on the fingers of one hand, and their son had no one to play with. After a couple of months, several hundred people joined the group – it turned out that a lot of people were worried about the problem of social isolation.

2. Small steps towards a big goal

How should you meet the neighbor? If you are not ready to take responsibility for the entire apartment building, start with basic politeness, just say “hello” to your neighbors. For some reason, this simple trick seems far from obvious to everyone. For example, some neighbors, in response to a friendly “hello,” prefer to ignore a person for their kindness. Do not worry, they will eventually remember your face and greet you themselves. Also, a letter introducing yourself to neighbors will be great if you are very shy.

3. Do you have some salt or a screwdriver?

How to introduce yourself to new neighbors? There is nothing bad in knocking strangers on the door and asking if they have a couple of apples or a screwdriver to borrow. Nobody likes to open the door to strangers, but this is not a reason to lock themselves in their apartment: comfy slippers and a smile, in theory, should convince the neighbors that there is no threat from you.

By the way, if you’ve just moved and are going to make repairs, notify the neighbors about this. Of course, they may ask you not to drill from three to five, but the foundation of future warm relations is worth a few compromises.

4. A friend request

If you’ve bought an apartment in a house under construction, get to know your neighbors before the move – for introverts, this task is made easier by social networks. Houses and neighborhoods under construction almost always have their groups: for a year or two, while construction is ongoing, future residents talk about the deadlines, discuss repair aspects, and, at the same time, get to know each other and often begin to make friends with families before moving.

Now that we know a few things about meeting new neighbors, let’s talk about some potential disagreements and issues you may encounter.

Who Should I Talk to If Neighbors Aren’t Right for You?

If your new neighbors bother you – you need to tell them about it first, and only then involve someone else.

You need to know the difference and find out what is going on if you are not sure. If it seems to you that your male neighbor orders prostitutes to his place and this bothers you – don’t make hasty conclusions, maybe he is just trying to arrange his personal life, maybe he has quite a few girls for marriage to choose from, there is nothing bad about it.

If not, if you are sure that something is fishy, talk to someone else that can help you or support you in battling an annoying neighbor.

If not, contact your local authorities. If all attempts to resolve a conflict have failed, it is time to seek official help from the local police station.

Tips on How to Have a Good Relationship with Neighbors

Here are some tips on how to have good relations with your neighbors. 

Ask questions

Chat with your neighbors. Keep in touch with your neighbors and keep them up to date with your plans. Remember the Golden Rule, “If you intend to do something that has to do with your neighbors, notify them about it in advance.” Keep communication channels open, if your neighbor is unhappy with something, they should have the opportunity to inform you about it. 

Smile more often

A simple smile can be the main reason why your neighbors will come to like you and treat you well. A smile is a sign of good intentions, of good faith, and it will surely make your communication a lot easier.

Sometimes ask for a little help

Do not forget about mutual assistance. If your neighbors are leaving, keep an eye on their house or apartment. Do not lose your vigilance when they are at home. If you notice suspicious people nearby, immediately inform your neighbors about them. If you are in doubt, call the police. Do the same when you need help yourself, but don’t be too annoying and do not burden them with your problems all the time. 

Spend more time outdoors

You should spend some time together outside of your apartments, just like normal friends and acquaintances. Don’t bind your communication to be just neighbors, you can grow it into something stronger.

Don’t be afraid to take the first step

How to welcome new neighbors? If you are new or your neighbors have just moved, introduce yourself. Say hello, make a small symbolic gift (for example, a home-made cake, common new neighbor gift etiquette). Tell them where the nearest shopping center or the pizzeria is. 

See, it’s not that hard to be a good neighbor, after all, you need to have a positive attitude and be open to establishing new relations with new people.