Be a Good Neighbor and Practice These 8 Suggestions

Neighborhoods have different personalities. Some consist of people who prefer to stay to themselves, whereas others tend to be more open to socializing. Regardless of the type of neighborhood you reside in, you need to follow some basic etiquette rules to be a good neighbor.

Your ultimate goal as a homeowner in a community is to live in harmony and peace. Even though this may not always be possible, you can at least take measures to do whatever is necessary to prevent long-lasting hard feelings and hostilities.

Here are a few suggestions to help you be a genuinely good neighbor:

1. Improve and Maintain Your Home’s Curb Appeal

A great neighbor maintains the exterior of the home and yard to the same level as the rest of the community. You don’t want your residential property to be the one on the street that pulls down the value of other houses. Basic exterior maintenance includes the following:

• Do some exterior home painting periodically to keep your home looking new and visually appealing
• Remove all toys, skateboards, bicycles and other clutter from the front yard at the end of the day
• Make sure that shrubs, trees and other elements don’t creep into the yard of your neighbors. This includes weeds, invasive shrubs and tree limbs.
• Mow the lawn

2. Help Maintain Shared Spaces

Good neighbors go beyond taking care of their home and lawn. They also look out for shared spaces, such as neighborhood parks, playgrounds, islands and easements. When you’ve got the time, volunteer to keep these facilities clean. After all, you and the rest of the community are the ones using them.

3. Limit Loud or Late Parties

Throwing outdoor parties in the summer is great, but being too loud and going late is a burden to your neighbors. Although there’s nothing wrong with having fun in your house, you need to think about the needs of your neighbors. If they need a good night’s rest during sleeping hours, limit the noise or activity — or end the party early.

4. Invite Neighbors Over to Your New Home

This is one of the things you should do if you’ve recently moved into a new neighborhood. One way to establish rapport is by asking your neighbors over for lunch, dinner or a housewarming party. Take note, though, that this should simply be a social event. Let your neighbors know that you’re not accepting (or expecting) gifts.

Once you’ve formed a good relationship with your new neighbors, you could establish clubs to deepen friendships.

5. Organize a Service Project

You want to go beyond attending neighborhood events, such as community cookouts, food eating contests and block parties. Coordinate a community-wide project that allows everyone in the neighborhood to participate, such as decking out the playground of your neighborhood for Halloween or Christmas.

If you live by a senior citizen, be a kind neighbor by assembling a group of people to help spruce hang their holiday lights or spruce up their yard.

6. Say Hello to Neighbors Now and Then

Something as simple as saying “Hi, how are you?” can help brighten up someone’s day. This is also a way to connect with others without needing to delve deeply into a relationship. Even if you want a bit of distance from the neighbors that live around you, greeting people obligate you to no one. This does, however, help you earn some benefits of a close-knit community, such as others looking out for you and safety.

7. Resolve Disputes in Person

If you have a beef with your neighbors, make sure that you meet them face to face. If face-to-face does not work, then try posted letters or e-mails. Attacking someone in the online Facebook group is always a recipe for disaster.

Your community might also have an office with mediators who are more than happy to help you resolve disputes that may need a neutral party.

8. Be a Responsible Pet Owner

A big cause of disagreement between neighbors is pets. If you own a cat, a dog or other kind of pet, you’ll need to keep them in check.

Start by following pet etiquette 101 — cleaning up after kitty or fido. When you take your pet out for a lovely stroll, never deposit the filled-up poop bag into a neighbor’s trash bin. This may sound basic, but you won’t believe how often this happens in communities.

Another pet etiquette you should keep in mind is to keep your dog on a leash. They shouldn’t be running around the neighborhood and potentially harassing or hurting people. If you can, take the time to train your dog, so that they won’t be a nuisance to others.

Your neighborhood will be your home for many years to come. So do your best to be a good neighbor by following proper etiquette.