How to Make Friends with Your Neighbors

How many friends do you have in the world? Hundreds? Thousands?

Thanks to social media sites, it’s easier than ever to like people with a similar interest, and quickly accumulate friends in large numbers. But how much do you know about these people? Chances are, not a lot. Sure, you know five or ten of them; they’ve been friends for ages. You might have even “chatted” with a few more of them through email or in forums.

But all of us need friends we connect to, feel at home with, do things with. You know, good old-fashioned friendships where you can see and hear and touch one another by being face to face.

And the best place to find those friends are sitting right next to you; they’re your neighbors. Why? Because you have something in common with them. You live the same lifestyle, shop at the same stores, and your kids probably attend the same schools. You have that much in common right from the beginning.

One in two of us says we would like to get to know our neighbors a little bit better. Most of us don’t think much about it before we move in. Where we move is a personal choice. We usually choose based on location, location, location. Maybe we should spend a little more time thinking about who lives next door.

Seventy-five percent of Americans prefer to have neighbors that have particular characteristics, behaviors, or traits. If we buy a home, we’re much more likely to know who are neighbors are and get to know them well enough to know their names.

Getting to know our neighbors is important. But how do you do that, especially when you have a zillion other things lined up before the big move arrives?

Luckily, a new home community can help you out. New home communities have benefits that existing neighborhoods don’t: you’re all in this together. Everyone in a new community is moving here for the very same reason: new opportunity. And that means it’s easier than ever to get to know your neighbor and make new friends.

Talk To The Sales Staff
From the moment you walk through our doors, you’ll realize there’s a wealth of information right here in our offices. We meet everyone that walks through our new and growing community. We chat with everyone extensively as they work their way through the process.

While we realize fitting into your new community is your job, we’re here to help. That’s why we’re a good place to help you build an active community right from the beginning. Yep, we might hear about the community dinner party that’s gathering over the weekend. Or even help put the word out about the block party to introduce yourself to someone new. We realize that this is a place you’ll live and grow and change in the coming years, and we want to make sure you enjoy every moment of it. Right from the beginning.

Start With A Smile
What’s your new Saturday afternoon routine? If you’re like others in your community who are also building a new house, it might be visiting your home site and checking out the progress. Or visiting the sales center to take a few more measurements.

Everyone you meet on your journey of building a new home is in the same boat as you. They are all here watching their dreams come to life right before their eyes. Instead of walking by, start with a smile and say hi. Introduce yourself. Figure out how close you’ll be to one another. It’s easy to determine who has kids your children’s’ ages with just a quick look, but don’t let that stop you from meeting everyone. You never know who your new BFF will be.

Become A Regular
New home communities always pop up in the best places. The places you want to live, the communities most in demand. And for all the reasons you chose here to design and develop your new home, your neighbors picked it for the very same reasons. So don’t wait until move in day to start living here; do it today.

How about starting to shop at the neighborhood grocery store? Or selecting a nail salon close by? Or how about taking a tour of the community rec center? Maybe signing up for a class or two – that’s a surefire way of finding people that have the same interests as you.

Groups Can Be Fun
There are all kinds of groups you can join; just look at Meetup. Bunco, book clubs, wine tasting, dinner clubs, a softball team, Friday night for cards, a hiking club, a walking group, or how about one for travel? While you can use sites like Meetup to find people in your community, you can just as easily start up your own.

You can grow a strong group just by asking a neighbor or two to join in the fun. And if they bring a friend, your twos and threes can quickly grow to ten, fifteen, twenty or more. And before you know it you’ve developed a network right in your brand new community.

Become the Greeter
After you’ve moved and settled into your new home, appoint yourself the official greeter on your block. Bake up a fresh batch of cookies or brownies and knock on a few doors. Introduce yourself and find something in common. Do you have kids the same age? Where do you work? Are you both looking for a new yoga class to attend?

Once you have a few details, take a few notes. Because so many new faces are appearing in the neighborhood, it may be easier to write the details down. It also gives you a good way of connecting others within the community. When you’re in a new introduction, you may be in the perfect place to say, “you should meet Mary in the house similar to yours down the street.”

New home communities are an exciting place to create the next phase of your life. It’s a very satisfying place to be.

You are in the process of building your brand new dream home, aren’t you? If not, let us show you how easy it can be.