How to be a good neighbour in a low-rise community
By Lucas on Aug 18, 2017
We recently posted a few tips on what not to do when you live in a condo building. Well, we can’t forget about all our readers living in low-rise communities. Here are a few etiquette tips on how to be the best neighbour on your street (maybe not the best, but at least good).
1) Introduce yourself
If you’ve just moved into a new home, then don’t hesitate when it comes to introducing yourself to your neighbours. If there are only a few homes on your street, consider getting everyone a small gift to break the ice. Just think about any time you’ve lived on a street and someone new moved in; you’re curious about who they are, where they’re from, and what they do.
2) Obey parking laws
Don’t be the owner of that car that ruins the driving and living experience for everyone on the street. There are laws in place for a reason. If you aren’t supposed to be parked on the street between a certain time period, then don’t do it! The one time you do it, it will be garbage pick-up day, and they’ll skip your home because your car was blocking the truck. Then you’re the only house with a bunch of trash in front of it. Don’t let it happen to you.
3) Keep noise levels down
You should always party responsibly and respect the peace and quiet that your neighbours deserve in the privacy of their homes. Nothing you do on your property should ever affect any of your neighbours while they are on their property. Noise travels easily, so always be conscious of volume levels.
4) Respect privacy
Speaking of privacy, don’t be a nosey neighbour. Keep your head on your side of the fence. Nothing is more annoying (or creepy) than seeing a pair of eyes poking over the backyard fence, completely violating unspoken privacy rules between neighbours. In addition to keeping your eyes to yourself, don’t wander onto people’s property either. It’s a shame that this point even needs to be made!
5) Be aware of shared walls
If you live in a townhome or plan on purchasing a new one, then you should be aware of shared walls. If you play an instrument, maybe avoid making your music room one that has a shared wall. Also, avoid hammering, drilling, or other general construction in the evening. New townhomes are pretty soundproof these days, but you should still be respectful of the shared part of the structure.
6) Keep property in tiptop shape
Everyone needs to look at everyone else’s property, so if you want your surroundings to be beautiful, you also need to make sure your curb appeal is up to par. Plus, you paid a pretty penny for that lot, so it should be your pride and joy. If you live in a low-rise condo community, there’s a chance your landscaping is taken care of...so we’re happy for you!
We hope these tips help you be a good neighbour! If you feel like being a bad neighbour, you can passive aggressively share this post with another bad neighbour on your street.
