While it’s true that not everyone has neighbors (at least not neighbors they see regularly because they live in the middle of nowhere), most people do. You’ll have people living either side of you, across the street from you, and if you live in an apartment, you might have people above and below you too.
A lot of the time, we ignore these neighbors. We might say hello to them when we see them, or perhaps just give a friendly wave, but we don’t take the time to get to know them. In this day and age, this is normal; we’re busy and like to just get on with our own lives.
However, there are many advantages to getting to know your neighbors, so it might be worth making the effort. Read on to find out what these advantages are.
Security
Home security is something we should all take very seriously. Burglars are always looking for ways to get into houses and take what isn’t theirs, and you must ensure that you do all you can to make your property as secure as possible. This could involve:
- Cameras
- Motion sensor lighting
- Additional locks
- Video doorbell
- Keeping things neat and tidy (so the house looks lived in)
As well as these ideas, you can ask your neighbors for help. If you’re going away for an extended period, or even if you think you saw someone suspicious in the street, you can ask them to check on things for you. You can then do the same for them if they go away. When neighbors know one another and can rely on one another like this, it makes the entire neighborhood much safer.
More Friendships
Studies have shown that it’s good for our health to have friends. It prevents loneliness which can lead to depression, and it’s good to have someone to talk to (which relieves stress). You might also be physically fitter when you have friends, as you’ll have someone to go for walks or runs with or you’ll find a gym buddy.
Making friends as adults isn’t always easy, but when you have neighbors, you potentially have friends ready and waiting. Of course, you’re not going to like all your neighbors well enough to spend time with them, but even if you meet just one new friend by getting to know your neighbors, that’s a positive thing. If you have made friends with the people near you, you should take a look at these Christmas gift ideas for your neighbors, as you’ll want to treat them to something nice to say thank you for being a great neighbor.
Good Recommendations
No matter where you live, at some point you’ll need some outside help. It could be that you need a plumber, an electrician, a gardener, a cleaner, or anything else. Trying to choose the right person to help you can be hard – there is a lot of choice, and some will be better than others.
If you’re good friends with your neighbors, you can ask them for recommendations about this, and you can rely on the answers. They’re not going to give you the name and number of someone who did a bad job.
