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After we bought a house we were holed up inside doing the cleaning and repair and we left 2 days after closing, so we did not really have time to say hello to the neighbors.
Im going back this week so I wonder if it is awkward to knock on their doors with a gift (wine) and introduce myself? Looking at some of the neighbor feuds in USA I think it is best to start off the relationship on a good note?
I am not sure you have to bring your new neighbors a gift. You are the one moving in, right? Usually the old neighbors bring the new neighbors something. I would definitely go over an introduce myself and try to engage them. If you feel more comfortable bringing them something, then go ahead and do it. I wish my neighbors would do that. Jay
I would agree with you Jay, I have had neighbors come to welcome the new person with baked goods, not sure that you need to bring anything as a newbie. I would just walk over and introduce myself, and that's it.
Spend some time outside...wash the cars rake the leaves...notice other people out and about wave and say hello. You can purposefully take a walk when you see people outside. Sort of make it an "on purpose" chance meeting.
As noted above I don't think you need to bring them a gift...but if you grow a nice garden and have too many tomatos, squash, pumpkins, etc. sharing is always nice.
I would absolutey not bring them a gift or food or anything of that nature. Sure, it probably won't hurt, but in CT, people don't usually do that. What you should do, is simply wait for the opportunity to occur naturally. If you happen to be outside at the same time they do, maybe say hello or walk up to them and introduce yourself. But, honestly, I think the original neighbor should take initiative, not the newbies. Personally, I don't bother visiting any neighbors for the sake of introducing myself. I simply don't care about other peoples' lives that way, and I don't expect others to care about me. My family and friends are more important to me than my neighbors. At the end of the day, a neighbor is just a neighbor. When you move away, or they move away, it's pretty much over. In CT, people mind their own business when at home. I only interact with my neighbors like once a year. My parents live in a private road neighborhood and only interact with neighbors a few times a year. This is not the south.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Like others have said, I certainly wouldn't bring them anything -- you're the newcomer, after all -- but I applaud you for wanting to know your neighbors.
Spend some time outside...wash the cars rake the leaves...notice other people out and about wave and say hello. You can purposefully take a walk when you see people outside. Sort of make it an "on purpose" chance meeting.
As noted above I don't think you need to bring them a gift...but if you grow a nice garden and have too many tomatos, squash, pumpkins, etc. sharing is always nice.
Well I've only spent 2 days in the house so I didn't have time to grow anything before I went home to my principal residence. Im at a loss on how to end the conversation. Im going to introduce myself, talk about where Im from, blah blah, why Im in Connecticut blah blah, then what? How much time should I plan for the conversation?
I would absolutey not bring them a gift or food or anything of that nature. Sure, it probably won't hurt, but in CT, people don't usually do that. What you should do, is simply wait for the opportunity to occur naturally. If you happen to be outside at the same time they do, maybe say hello or walk up to them and introduce yourself. But, honestly, I think the original neighbor should take initiative, not the newbies. Personally, I don't bother visiting any neighbors for the sake of introducing myself. I simply don't care about other peoples' lives that way, and I don't expect others to care about me. My family and friends are more important to me than my neighbors. At the end of the day, a neighbor is just a neighbor. When you move away, or they move away, it's pretty much over. In CT, people mind their own business when at home. I only interact with my neighbors like once a year. My parents live in a private road neighborhood and only interact with neighbors a few times a year. This is not the south.
I regretted not talking to him the last time he was mowing his lawn. I was busy cleaning the windows and was not in the most convenient time to chat with him. Do you think knocking on the door and asking for contractor referral is a good way for things to occur "naturally"?
Personally, I don't bother visiting any neighbors for the sake of introducing myself. I simply don't care about other peoples' lives that way, and I don't expect others to care about me. My family and friends are more important to me than my neighbors. At the end of the day, a neighbor is just a neighbor. When you move away, or they move away, it's pretty much over. In CT, people mind their own business when at home. I only interact with my neighbors like once a year. My parents live in a private road neighborhood and only interact with neighbors a few times a year. This is not the south.
Wow. I live in the South, San Antonio, Texas to be exact and I saw the thread title which brought me here and caught my attention.
I don't think anyone can argue that family and friends are more important than a neighbor and that relationships with neighbors end after moving.
I guess I'm just wondering if perhaps you may need something from them in the future. A few weeks after we moved in, we locked ourselves out of our home. We knocked and asked them to borrow the phone so I can have my mom bring over the extra set of keys she keeps just in case. If it wasn't for me first introducing myself to them, then I don't think they would have opened the door.
I dunno, one just never knows when you may need a neighbor. No other neighbors are out at all so that's the only neighbor we have that we know exists! The other homes around us seemed occupied but we never see anyone.
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