Not only is it good karma to be a friendly neighbor, but you also may enjoy an increased property value! Neighborhoods with respectful, considerate, and clean residents tend to sell for more money — here’s how you can play your part:
First, try getting to know each other — beyond just the color car that they drive! We know how tempting it can be to quietly sneak out and grab your mail in an effort to avoid small talk with the family next door, but a community of residents who actually know each other tends to fare far better than an anonymous bunch.
Here’s why: If you have a sense of what your neighbors are like, you can gauge how to be helpful to them — and they may do the same for you! For example, if you live in a twin home and share a wall with someone who works an overnight shift, it may be considerate of you to hold off on blasting your music during the day. You’ll also have the benefit of knowing that he or she may not mind at all if you have a few friends over late on a weeknight and play the music louder!
Additionally, it’s helpful to know if your neighbors are elderly or have any special needs. It’s always a nice, neighborly idea to check in on the older residents in your neighborhood during extreme weather, and even offer to shovel, mow, or bring in their mail — especially if it’s icy or particularly hot out! We bet they’ll be grateful, and lend you sugar or an egg when you need it.
Unsure how to approach your neighbors? If you’ve just moved in, consider ringing the doorbell (yes, doorbells still exist!) and simply introduce yourself. If that’s too intimidating, try just saying hi when you see each other outside. It’s also not a bad idea to send along a holiday card, or pass along your contact information in case of an emergency. If another neighbor just moved in, it’d be especially nice to introduce yourself and drop off a low-maintenance potted plant or a $15 gift card to a local pizza place (because who wants to cook during a big move?).
And we bet you saw this one coming: try to keep your home tidy and your lawn maintained. This just might be the most important part to keeping property values high within a neighborhood, as one unsightly home can mess it up for the whole street. Some things are obvious, like mowing your lawn regularly, keeping weeds at bay, taking your trash in and out on the proper day, and tidying up the toys and tools on the front lawn.
However, other things are less easy to remember, like ensuring that your tree doesn’t dangerously extend onto your neighbor’s property, or making certain that your dog isn’t barking all day when you’re at work. The best way to make sure you’re being respectful of the families next door is to communicate with them openly, and let them know that they can contact you at any time with any concerns.