How to Make Friends with Your Neighbor

Don't wait to meet and befriend your neighbors until you realize your 17-year-olds are in the same biology class. Take a few proactive steps to make them feel appreciated and liked before you actually need them.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Take notice of any neighbors moving out or moving in so you know who's still in the neighborhood.
2. Offer assistance if you see a new neighbor who looks like he needs help maneuvering a mattress or large object down the hallway. Take this time to introduce yourself.
3. Prepare a recipe or buy a welcome gift like a bottle of wine or a local delicacy and bring it over to your new neighbor after he's had a chance to move everything in. You may want to wait a few days until you know he's gotten settled before introducing yourself again.
4. Introduce yourself and mention who else you live with. Let you neighbor tell you a little bit about themselves. Ask them what their hobbies are, what they do for a living and whether this was a local move or not.
5. Offer the gift to the neighbor and, if they're new to the area, mention that you two should grab coffee/a drink/go grocery shopping or engage in any other activity that will show her around the neighborhood.
6. Invite them to any get-togethers you may have in the near future. If you interact with a lot of your other neighbors, mention that you met the newest addition to the neighborhood and that you should all do something together like a block party or invite them to the next child's birthday party.
7. Follow up a few weeks later to check in and see how the new neighbor's doing if you haven't heard from them in a while.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that moving to a new neighborhood can be overwhelming and that you may not know the circumstances of the move. Don't take it personal if the neighbor doesn't seem to automatically warm to you, as this may have been an unwanted move or she may have encounter a few rude people already in this new town. The most important thing with a new neighbor is to let them know you're there if you need anything and then to give them space

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