Ok, so you’ve found your new home, you’ve exchanged contracts, you’ve found a great removals company (hopefully you used AJM Removals!) who have skillfully, carefully and exactingly transported all of your worldly goods to your new property – and you’re in. Home. You’ve arrived! So, now you’re ready for the next step – meeting people!
Here’s our top 10 Tips to Feel at Home in Your New Neighbourhood!
Tip 1 – Go and Say Hello to Your New Neighbours
The first thing you’ll want to do is to make an effort to go and physically meet as many new neighbours as possible! The only way to do this really is the good old fashioned way – get out there, knock on doors and introduce yourself! If you are a couple you can go with your spouse or partner and if you are single – just go alone! You don’t have to knock on every door in the street but could perhaps try five houses. What’s really important is that you smile, are genuine and truly have good intentions when you are speaking to your neighbours. Just be yoruself! Letting your neighbours know that ‘the new people’ are nice, kind and friendly is a great way to sow seeds which can blossom into good friendships. This can be a great investment in the people you are going to be happy to call your neighbours!
Tip 2 – Offer to Help Out/Volunteer at a Local Group
Another great way to achieve the kind of balanced and harmonious lifestyle that you really want in your new neighbourhood is to offer some of your time supporting a cause which is important to local people – something that connects with the hearts of the community. One example of this could be to donate an evening per week helping at a local food bank or homelessness charity. Or, if there’s a local community centre – you can offer to give a few hours of your time there! You are bound to meet loads of nice people and develop your best self by doing something great to help others!
Tip 3 – Host a Charity Event
One great way to say hi to all the lovely people that live near you is to host an event which wil bring people together – a McMillan coffee morning could be a great way to do this. If you don’t want to host a McMillan Coffee Morning you could just pick a charitable cause for example raising funds for a local hospice or an already established charity whch supports the local area in any number of ways. One reason why this will work so well is that everybody who comes will be united under a common theme which creates a feeling of having a shared and united purpose and generates lots of community spirit! You are sure to have lot’s of fun – just give it a go!
Tip 4 – Start a club
Moving to a new area is a great opportunity to rekindle one of your favourite hobbies. Why not involve other people in it by starting a club? You can easily put an ad on Gumtree or pin an advert on the noticeboard at your local community centre. Are you a jogger? Start a jogging group. Are you a stamp collector – start a stamp collecting club! Do you love reading – start a book reading group. Do you like poetry – why not start an informal club to read your favourites and share knowledge with others once a month. Remember, being in a new place is a chance to grow on a personal level and share the excellent talents, skills and interests that you have – enriching your new neighbourhood in the process.
Tip 5 – Start a Facebook Group for Something You and Local People will Enjoy
Social Media is really advanced these days. You can start groups on facebook based in your local area – for example you could start a group or page dedicated to collecting trains, or flower arrangement, an interest in travel or anything else – the sky’s the limit – just pick an interest – you are sure to find like-minded people! Doing this will halp you to meet people from ‘the other side of town’ – casting your net a bit further than just your street. Remember, variety is the spice of life – think about all the interesting new people you could get in touch wiith – you could even have a meet-up once a month in your favourite cade in town!
Tip 6 – Spend One Day a Week Discovering Your New Locality
We all live busy lives but remember, ultimately life is a series of choices – if you actually take time out to go and explore you new neighbourhood – you are bound to find some great things! There will be so much great stuff around you to see – local attractions, museums, castles, art galleries, cafes, beaches, parks, woodlands. Every area is rich in some kind of heritage – whether it be lace making, factories, mills, mines or a local glass works – check the National Trust for properties nearby, get on Google or just go and ask your neighbours what they recommend – you can make one day a week a day of adventure and discovery – what a great way to live!
Tip 7 – Host a Come Dine With Me evening!
What better way could there be to say hello to your new neighbours than asking some people round to dinner. It doesn’t matter whether you live alone or with husband/wife or partner just get out there and invite some of the great folk who live in your area over to yours for a Come Dine With Me evening – you can easily form a group and can have lots and lots of fun creating dinner and creating the entertainment for your new friends. Remember, it’s just about fun but you could add a cash incentive to make it … even more fun!
Tip 8 – Have a Garage Sale
Have you moved to your new house only to find that you actually have loads of stuff that you don’t really need? If you are going to be getting rid of some of your surplus possessions – why not put on a garage sale? If you set it up for a Saturday afternoon you can be sure that most of your neighbours will be at home. Again, this can be a great way to say hello to people from your new neighbourhood. You can have fun bargaining over the prices and maybe even put on some coffee or tea for people to drink – you are sure to enjoy your afternoon, reduce surplus and make new connections!
Tip 9 – Offer a Service
A great way to become involved and integrated in your new community is to offer something which benefits someone locally. Very often there are elderly people who may not have so much support – offer to help them with some of their chores once a week. Helping out with the gardening or with odd jobs around the house could make a huge difference to someone who is not as physically strong as they once were – you will really be doing them a good turn and as we all know – what goes around comes around – you could make a great friend doing this as well!
Tip 10 – Rest, Relax and Enjoy
Life is sure to be busy and full of adventure but as well as all the great things you are doing to help and meet new people in your area you owe it to yourself to rest and enjoy and take time off! Look around you and see what a great job you have done in getting your new home, making the move and starting to settle in and meet new people. Think about how happy you are, and just take a night off to do nothing! Just chill, kick back and do something you really enjoy doing! Remember, life is a balance of work and play isn’t it, so how about you treat yourself to a meal in your favourite bar or restaurant? Or how about you just forget everything for an evening and tune into your favourite series on Netflix! Think … work/life balance. Think rest. Think relaxation!