Being a Good Neighbor - How to Avoid Next Door Problems

Nothing can ruin home ownership more than having a conflict with one of your neighbors. If you’ve ever been unlucky enough to end up in a situation like this, you know that it doesn’t make life easy. Your home should be your castle but if you’re not able to relax you won’t be able to enjoy it. You can start off on the right foot by using the following tips.

1.Be nice but keep your distance

No one wants to be harassed by a nosy neighbor the moment they come home. A friendly hello and wave across the lawn shows that you care without being too intruding into their personal space. As much as you might like to be best friends with whoever is living next door, your neighbor may not want the same thing. Use their response to judge whether or not to take things further.

2.Be respectful of their property especially when it comes to pets

Not everyone is a dog or cat person. If you have pets, it’s very important that you keep your animals off of their lawn. If your animal happens to make a mess on your neighbor’s lawn, be sure to clean it up quickly and try to do better in keeping your pet on your side.

3.Keep your lawn nice

Having the shabbiest lawn on the block is a surefire way to make your neighbors resent you. Poorly kept front lawns can reduce resell value of everyone’s home in the vicinity and it will make you stand out like a sore thumb. Take steps to keep the front of your home in line with everyone else’s.

4.Respect your neighbors’ privacy

Even though you live next door what happens in your neighbors’ yard and in their home is their business. If you can tell they are having a barbecue, don’t invite yourself over. Don’t ask overly personal questions when it is obvious that you are just casual acquaintances. By respecting their privacy, you can be sure that they’ll respect yours as well.

5.Be sure to thank them if they do a favor for you.

If you notice that your neighbor removed a weed from your flower bed or if they brought over mis-delivered mail, be sure to thank them. These small positive interactions can lead to more friendly communication later on. If they do something big for you, like check your mail or water your plants while you are away, thank them with a gift certificate to a local coffee shop or something similar.

6.Look for opportunities to be helpful

If your neighbor has done something nice for you, look for opportunity to return the favor. Bring in their paper from the sidewalk or offer to feed their dog if they need someone to. As long as you can be helpful without overstepping the lines of privacy, you should take steps to do so.

Of course, your individual situation with your neighbor may differ, but as long as you follow the spirit of these suggestions you’ll be able to maintain a good relationship with your neighbors.

About the Author:
Joe Cline writes articles for Austin Texas Realtor. Other articles written by the author related to Cedar Park real estate and Austin real estate can be found on the net.