You’ve done your research. You love the neighborhood and your new apartment. Basically, you found the perfect place and you can’t wait to move in. You might not have to deal with the hassle of moving in with furniture if you have chosen a furnished apartment. But regardless of where you live, your relationship with the neighbors can make or break your experience.
The key to having a good relationship with neighbors is being a good neighbor yourself. But if you’re shy or you’ve never lived in an apartment before, approaching new neighbors can be a little intimidating. When it comes to living peacefully — or just having someone to water your plants when you go on vacation — good neighbors will always be there to help you out in a pinch.
Use the following tips courtesy of Contemporary Management Concepts, LLLP to break the ice and keep the peace with the folks next door.
If you’re a shy person by nature, it can be a little nerve-wracking to knock on your neighbors’ doors and introduce yourself without a reason. The good news? You don’t need one! Knowing your name and where you live will immediately make you more trustworthy in your neighbors’ eyes and you might even end up making a couple of new friends.
Even if you’re not the kind of person who can knock on your neighbors’ doors in order to introduce yourself, saying hello goes a long way. Being friendly with neighbors during your morning commute and your evening walks will endear you to them since you’ll be seen as someone who is both polite and kind. A smile and a wave can go a long way!
Sometimes, making noise is inevitable. If you’re someone who enjoys hosting parties, you might want to let your neighbors know about your social activities in advance. Better yet, invite them over! If you play an instrument at home or do a lot of at-home projects, keep the noise to a minimum at night, especially on weekdays. If you plan on having a jam session after 10 p.m., for example, we recommend switching out speakers for headphones.
Living in apartments near UF means sharing common areas with neighbors. These include public spaces where you can have social gatherings; for instance, backyards, grills, gazebos, and pools. Those are not the only spaces you need to be mindful of, however. Similarly, apartment living requires keeping the hallways clean and free from garbage, cleaning up any spills you might be responsible for and sweeping your foyer if dirt and debris have accumulated during the autumn months.
You don’t have to help all the time, but if you notice that your neighbor is struggling with moving a large piece of furniture or they’re having difficulty with carrying their garbage bags to the communal dumpster, it might serve you well to lend a hand. Being considerate of neighbors will not only help make you a valuable part of the neighborhood, but it’ll make neighbors more inclined to help out when you need it.
Everything comes down to this: it’s important that you’re considerate at all times when you’re in the neighborhood. Everyone in the community needs to make sure it’s a great environment, which also makes it your own personal responsibility. That’s why it’s so important that you do your part. But don’t worry — if you are polite and warm to your neighbors, are considerate of how you use your space, and what you do both in and out of your living space, you should have no problems. You might even end up making some lifelong friends!
For help finding the perfect neighborhood for you, or to learn more about our properties, get in touch with us today!