Moving into a new home is very exciting. But after the boxes are unpacked and you start to settle in it can feel like ‘one more thing’ to have to meet the new people you live around. Getting to know your neighbours will help you feel connected and make your new house feel more like home. It helps to create a sense of community and belonging. 

Making friends isn’t something everyone is good at…sending a ‘friend’ request on Facebook or starting to ‘follow’ someone on Instagram doesn’t count as making a friend by the way.

When we’re younger and in school it seems easy to find new friends. We tend to hang out with people in the same grade or school based on age and interests. But as we get older and leave school it can become more difficult to find people to connect with, and frustrating too.

The same feelings are felt when we move to a new neighbourhood and all of a sudden find ourselves living around people we don’t even know. That can be a scary feeling for adults and not very comfortable either. As if moving and unpacking boxes isn’t enough, there’s the added discomfort of getting to know your neighbours. The reality is, you get to pick the new house you move to, but you don’t get to pick the people who already live there and you now share a street or crescent with.

Here's 6 easy things you can do to connect with your neighbours to feel more comfortable. After all, we all know the time will come when you’ll need an egg, some butter or flour to make cakes or cookies.

  1. Sit in your driveway or front yard instead of your backyard: we’ve all heard the cliché, out of sight, out of mind. The same is true when it comes to meeting your neighbours. If you’re hanging out in the backyard you won’t be as visible as you would be if you were sitting out front where people are coming and going. Yes, the backyard might be more visually appealing, you might have shade from trees or it might be quieter. But remember that a backyard is no fun if you don’t have people to enjoy it with. This is why spending some time in your front yard, on the driveway or in your front yard is a smart move. Not only will the people who’ve been living there take note and see you, but you’ll see them and get a better idea of who your neighbours are. You might even recognize someone you know!
  2. Take your kids to the local park and make conversations: where’s the one place people tend to go to help their kids blow off some steam? The local playground. This tends to be the place where you’ll find other locals hanging out and getting out of the house. If your kids go to the local school, they might recognize other kids at the park and before you know it, you could be talking with a new friend because your kids know each other. Going to the park is a great way to get fresh air and you never know who you’ll meet. We’re speaking from experience as this was something we used to do when our boys were younger and we have friends to this day who we met at the park!
  3. Walk your dog around the neighbourhood: if you have a dog, you have a magnet for conversations. Whether your dog is big or small there’s something about 4 legged friends that invites people into conversation. Walking your dog is sure to help you meet new people as other dog owners will likely be out walking their family pet. Let the dog’s meet each other and while they’re giving each other the ‘sniff test’, you can be connecting with the other human on the other end of the leash. We love our walks with our dog and she’s helped us meet many new faces.
  4. Smile and be friendly: whether you’re out walking the dog, walking your kids to the bus stop or just out mowing the grass, wear a smile and say hello to people. This is a simple and very easy thing to do. You never know who will be on the other side of that smile and how much it will mean to them.
  5. Ask open ended questions: when you’ve smiled at the new person walking by, or struck up a conversation with someone else walking their dog it’s important to ask them questions. Ask them open ended questions that don’t simply need a YES or NO answer. This way you’ll strike up a conversation that is more enjoyable. Neighbours can be a great source of information, especially if you’ve moved from out of town and don’t know all the ins and outs of the community yet.
  6. Visit local garage sale(s): what better way to meet your neighbours than by visiting their garage sale? A garage sale is the perfect opportunity to get to know someone new. You’ll get a sense of what they like and what their interests are just by stopping by. Do they have antique items for sale? Or maybe sporting equipment? Do they have kids books or cooking books available? You can learn a lot about people by what they’re selling and if you go with the intention to strike up a conversation and introduce yourself it could be a very productive visit. Depending on how long they’ve lived in the neighbourhood you could also learn some great info about your new surroundings.

Meeting new people as an adult is seamless on social media but can be challenging and frustrating to do in person. We know from experience that doing any one of these easy 6 things can go a long way in having you feel less like a stranger in your new home and more like a neighbour.

If you’re in the market to change addresses and want to find a new neighbourhood to live in, let’s connect.

Looking to buy or sell? Let’s connect and make it happen.

Have an amaZing day!

People First. Homes second. 

Garrett Zimmerman

Realtor

(403) 506-5795