Neighbors are a part of our life whether we like it or not. Day in and day out we need to face them. We cannot avoid them; the best thing is to learn the methods how to deal with them. 

We generally need not see any neighbor, but can know their presence because of their nocturnal habits or their music tastes which may drive away our sleep for days. 

It doesn’t have to be all bad news though, when we are lucky enough to have a good relationship with our neighbors, it can be a wonderful thing. You really can borrow things from them when in need and they might invite you to their BBQ’s rather than just smoking you out.

We have some benefits if the neighbors are good:

• They become great friends and offer moral support in times of our troubles.
• They could be your link to the community, if you’ve made a long distance move, or you’re living alone.
• When you go for some other place they can look after your house, your pets.
• And they may baby-sit if you have any infants.
• Their kids may become the best friends to your own kids thus fostering the relationship for the benefit of all.

How can you become a good neighbor:

That awful noise ?

• Keep yourself aware of the level of noise your house is making when windows are open.
• If the floor of your house is wooden and you live upstairs, take care to make sure that you don’t make noise with your shoes. During the night times that is more important than ever.
• Attend to any renovating stuff during the day. Anything that requires loud noise should be kept to reasonable hours.
• If the lights of your house at any part are closer to your neighbors make sure that they won’t be lit up for long and disturb your neighbors.
• Let them know well in advance if you’re going to have a party or undertake renovations.
• Check the regulations to find out what times you should limit noise.

And etc …

• Now what do you do if you are new to an area? Rush up and introduce yourself to all your neighbors as soon as you unpack the things.
• Ask all of them to come to your house for a dinner for getting to know each other better.
• Make sure your children don’t disrupt your neighbors too much with their noisy playing.
• Small things count – like telling the neighbor not to hang out their washing in the afternoon if you’ll be having a barbecue. You can approach with honesty and sincerity that it will disturb your plans and you would be very happy if they consider your request.
• If your neighbor is away – it’s your chance to make your neighbor impressed. You can offer to collect their mails or mow their garden too, unless of course it is not of a size of a football court.
• If they are interested in making their house look occupied, you could also offer to park your car in their driveway.
• Keep your yard reasonably tidy – especially if your neighbors are in a position where they can look down into it.

Oh God ! Bad neighbors

You might think – it’s a good idea to yell out unmentionable obscenities when you have been jolted from sleep at 3am. Tread carefully though, the last thing you want to do is start a competition or a fight. Here are some ideas for dealing with difficult neighbors.

• If a neighbor is doing something that annoys you, approach them first. Most of the time, they may not even be aware that they are causing a disturbance
• After talking to a neighbor about an issue, perhaps put it in writing this time, telling them you intend to take the matter further if something isn’t done.
• Provide your neighbor with a copy of the noise regulations in your area.
• Keep notes of dates/times that you notified anyone of annoyances.
• Talk to other neighbors about the problem. Perhaps they can also speak to the offender – the more support you have, the better.
• If you are renting, speak to your landlord if you’ve been unsuccessful in dealing with a problematic neighbor.
• You may call the police if the situation requires it.
• You may also take your neighbor to court for serious offences as a last resort.

Pet problem

Often, the causes of neighborly disputes are not loud stereos and hotted-up Ford Mustangs. Continuous barking sessions at 3 am are enough to drive a rift through even the best relationships. Here are some tips for keeping the peace:

• Bring your dog inside at night if it barks excessively.
• If you have cats that stay outdoors put bells on their collars to stop them killing birds.
• Unless you plan to breed your cats, have them de-sexed. This will stop your Tom harassing the female kitty under the next door neighbor’s window at night.
• If a neighbor’s cat torments your canaries, or insists that your yard is a litter box, scatter some orange peels or pepper around its favorite places.
• Make sure your yard is secure, so that your dog doesn’t go wandering around the neighborhood.
• If you’ve got noisy birds, move their cages into the garage or inside overnight.

Maintaining a few simple rules will be a step towards living in a feel-good neighborhood. It’s not hard to be a good neighbor – whether you’re living in a suburban area or an apartment block, the recipe for peace and quiet is quite simple. Keep the volume down, keep Rover away from the roses of other folk, and keep smiling.And if you’re moving your home and, besides from the help with new neighbours, you also need help with the moving process, check Busy Beez Movers.