How to Meet Your Neighbors: Icebreakers Even Introverts Can Pull Off
Want to know the secret of how to meet your neighbors? It's this: Stop waiting for people to swing by with an apple pie. These days you have to be proactive and get out there yourself!
So how do you do that?
Granted, whether you've just moved in or lived someplace for eons, many find this simple act of reaching out amazingly hard. If that sounds like you, it's OK: It's all about knowing a few icebreakers. Here are a few that even the shyest of shy can try.
1. Hold A Garage Sale
This project doubles as decluttering—and works whether you've lived in a place for years or just moved in and didn't get a chance to fully purge before you packed up for your new digs.
Not only will a garage sale provide you with a clean slate, it's also a low-key way to meet your neighbors. Even if you don't make a sale, you might be meeting your new best friend for the first time.
2. Ask To Borrow Something
Tools are one of the more popular items you may not have dug out of the box yet but find you’ll need right away. Don’t be too shy to ring the neighbors door and ask to borrow that hammer or screwdriver.
And remember, this is an equal opportunity endeavor: Sooner or later you're bound to have something a neighbor might need, from a rake to cup of sugar. Go ahead and let your neighbors know to stop by “if you need anything”.
3. Do A Good Deed
Sometimes the best way to break the ice is to look for a way to pull someone out of it.
Three years ago, during an East Coast polar vortex, one of our client’s was leaving their home at 4 a.m. to attempt to get to work when he happened to see water gushing out of his neighbor’s garage. No one was home, so he called the fire department.
A sprinkler system had burst on the third floor and was destroying their home. Our client ultimately broke into the home but only to turn off the water and managed to save the home in the process.
Once his neighbors returned from their vacation they were very appreciative and are close friends to this day.
Not that you have to wait for disaster to strike. There are opportunities year-round; from plant-sitting during Spring Break and Summer Vacation to offering to clear leaves from gutters in the Fall or shovel snow in the winter. Who could refuse? And now you've got a friend whom, odds are, you can depend on in a pinch, too.
4. Find A Common Cause
Last summer a feral cat had a litter of kittens in the yard of one of our client’s homes. Concerned about their welfare—not to mention the number of cats already roaming her neighborhood—our client went door to door to bring the issue to her neighbors’ attention. Ten houses down, she found a neighbor eager to help the free-range cats. Today, cats in their community are well cared for—and these two neighbors are fast friends.
When you work together toward something that matters to you, you can't help but bond. Don't have a passionate cause of your own? Then get involved in an HOA or local community group.
Volunteering is one of the best ways to get to know people because you move quickly past small talk.
5. Sometimes, Going Online Is A Good Idea
So maybe you want to be part of your community but work crazy hours. Or you're always shuttling your kids from one after school activity to another and your schedule looks like that of an air traffic controller. Maybe your nearest neighbor is a mile (or more) away. If meeting your neighbors “IRL” is a challenge, then maybe you do need to pick up that tablet or smartphone and join a local online group.
Have a goal though. Try and build relationships online that will lead to offline interactions.
You hear that? Your iPhone addiction actually can lead to meaningful connections outside your front door.
YOUR TURN
How did you break the ice with your neighbors? Do you have any tips to add to our list? Sound off on The Shannon McCarthy Team Facebook Page or our Twitter or Instagram feeds. And don’t forget to subscribe to our monthly HOME ADVICEtm email newsletter for articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. You may unsubscribe at any time.