What makes a Good Neighbour – 20 Tips
- Say ‘Hello’ or offer some form of positive acknowledgment when you meet. You don’t have to be the best of friends but being civil goes a long way. A smile is good.
- Look out for one another. Small gestures like taking in parcels for your neighbour, putting out the bins when they forget, letting them know when they leave lights on the car are all positives. The favour may be returned one day.
- Communicate if there is a concern or an issue. Do it sooner rather than later. Do it in a non-confrontational manner. Try to offer solutions/suggestions to the problem. Do so personally before you start writing letters or putting notes through the door.
- Forewarn your neighbours if you are having any parties/celebrations.
- Be considerate if you are having a bonfire or smoky BBQ, especially when your neighbours have washing out or are enjoying their own outdoor space.
- Use of Trampolines near a boundary can be intrusive. Jumping above the height of boundary walls/fences can cause intrusion into someone’s private space. Perhaps move its location to avoid this.
- Noise Nuisance is the No.1 topic of complaints between neighbours. Consider your neighbours, particularly in the summer when windows are open more and more outdoor living takes place. Noise can be from music, loud TVs, slamming doors/cupboards, loud voices/shouting, even wind chimes!
- Be considerate over parking. Again this can cause a lot of niggles. Remember the road outside your house is likely to be a public highway that anyone can park in. You have no given right to have that space immediately outside for yourself. Remember to leave room for someone to drive on or off their driveways. If you have off road parking, try to use it to relieve the burden for other that may not be so fortunate. If you have a large van/campervan/caravan or works truck that you keep at home, again be mindful of the impact it might have on your neighbours in terms of loss of light, unsightliness and obstruction.
- Why not join your local Neighbourhood Watch Scheme and watch out for each other again crime e.g. strange callers at the door, suspicious activity, holiday periods, etc. You don’t have to be a ‘curtain twitcher’.
- Watch where you are smoking, if you are banned from doing it in your home. Your smoke might blow into their windows or the cigarette butts cause a mess.
- Your pets can cause nuisance, whether it be barking dogs, or cats/dogs fowling. You might not be aware how your dog(s) behaves in your absence. Don’t leave dogs alone for long periods.
- Be mindful of feeding wild animals. It is all very well feeding the birds but is it attracting noisy & sometimes messy birds like seagulls and pigeons? This practise can also attract vermin such as rats. Foxes are also attracted to gardens offering food. Most fox ‘nuisance’ experienced by people in urban and suburban areas falls into three categories; digging, fouling and noise. They can carry diseases.
- Be mindful of the phrase ‘my home is my castle’. People can get very fixated about boundaries between properties. If you are ever erecting/replacing a fence/wall/hedge, try to determine where the correct boundary is. Consult with your neighbour if necessary.
- Consider your neighbours’ lifestyle, particularly if they work shifts and have to sleep during the day. If you have to leave early for work, consider those who are still sleeping. The same applies to those who like to have a lie in at week-ends after a long week at work/commuting.
- If you have children, be mindful of where they play, what noise they make, what they leave lying around (bikes, scooters or toys) that can be a danger to others. Remember not everyone likes children!
- Try to keep your area tidy. Rubbish, old cars/scrap and other discarded items can cause annoyance. The same applies to your garden. It doesn’t have to be a Chelsea Flower Show exhibit but are you mindful of weeds, ivy and overgrown trees/hedges that can impose on your neighbours’ property and can cause damage?
- Do you run a business from home? Is this impacting on your neighbours in terms of visitors, parking or noise? Try to be considerate.
- If you have elderly neighbours do you look out for them, particularly in colder weather and when they have few family/visitors calling?
- If your neighbour has no car or theirs is out of action, can you offer a lift to shopping or to ‘run an errand’ for them?
- If your neighbour is unwell, can you offer to pick up prescriptions, pop to the chemists or call out a Doctor on their behalf?