5 cool ways to meet your new neighbors when you move

Nobody said that moving is easy – you not only need to find a new home, buy or rent moving supplies, pack and load everything, at the end unpack and unload, you also need to get acclimated to your new home. Making your new place a true home may be the most daunting task of all and your new neighbors play a large part. However, don’t get discouraged. Change is a part of life and meeting new people is unavoidable. With a little effort on your part and a bit of advice, you should be making friends quickly. Here are 5 cool ways to meet your new neighbors when you move.

Meeting your neighbors the traditional way

A kind word (and a kind gesture especially) goes a long way. The simplest and most direct way to meet your new neighbors is to go and introduce yourself. People have been doing it this way for centuries and it’s worked, so why change it? Knock on a few doors, have a cup of tea or coffee, and tell them you’re new to the neighborhood. Bringing some cookies won’t hurt. If you’re not good at baking, you can get creative with your gifts. Let’s say you have some eco friendly moving boxes left over from the move - ask your neighbors if they want to repurpose them as storage or plant containers. Even if they don’t need them, it’s the thought that counts. Sometimes, you don’t need to think of cool ways to meet your new neighbors – simply be direct.

There are many cool ways to meet your new neighbors, but going over and introducing yourself is the simplest.

Going to community events

Google what community events are happening in your neighborhood. Going to them is an excellent way to meet new people. It doesn’t matter what it is – a local festival, yearly parade, or the local sports team playing. It’s only important that you get yourself out there. Even if it’s a charity event you don’t need to donate money as there are other ways you can help out. Offer to participate in the services and donate something that you don’t need but other people could use. For example, donate the green moving supplies you have left – you don’t need them anymore while they could come in handy for someone else.

Ask for a little help

While it may seem counterintuitive, asking people for help or advice is a great way to make friends. First off, people like to help other people. Second, everyone likes to feel valued and appreciated, and asking your neighbors to share their knowledge of the locality is a great way to do it. Asking them about community events or places to go out for a drink is an excellent start. Mind you, you shouldn’t ask for too much, especially not to borrow money. A simple: “Hey, I have some leftover storage bins for moving, do you know where I could recycle or donate them?” is more than sufficient. You’ll see how asking for advice can quickly form a connection.

Throw a dinner party

Once you’ve met a few of your neighbors, consider throwing a dinner party. There are many cool ways to meet your new neighbors, but hosting them for dinner is more intimate and allows you to show off your cooking skills. You can tell them to invite one other household that you haven’t already met so that you can expand your circle of friends. You can throw by-monthly dinner parties and invite new people each time until you’ve met them all. Soon, not only will make new friends, you’ll be getting invitations left and right.

Throw a dinner party to show off your cooking skills.

Organize a housewarming party

Organizing a housewarming party is a tried and true way of meeting your neighbors. You can try out all the other cool ways to meet your new neighbors, but a housewarming party never fails. Simply go around the block and tell people you’ll be organizing a small get-together. You don’t need to go all out – drinks and finger food is more than enough. Inviting people to a group event is not aggressive, so nobody will feel forced to come, but you can know that those who do come are willing to hang out and make friends. As the host, you’re sure to make some new friends. Good luck getting to know your new neighborhood.