How to Welcome New Neighbors

Welcoming new neighbors who have just moved into your community is a courteous and friendly gesture which is sure to put the new family at ease and help them settle into their new environment. Since it can be hard to blend into new surroundings, the neighbors are bound to appreciate your effort. While simply saying hi is as good a way as any to make them feel welcome, there is a host of other things that you can do as well.

• Drop by their house when you feel they have had ample time to settle, and introduce yourself. Ask them about themselves, and let them know about yourself, and the neighborhood and community. Point out areas of interest, give them some neighborhood tips, and take along some local takeout menus – since this is their first day here, they probably won’t be doing much cooking at night.
• Give the new neighbors information about the area, including where all the best grocery shops are, the quickest routes to access transport hubs and main highways, etc. You can provide them with maps of the local area, any recent community newsletters, and inform them about any upcoming local events of interest. In addition, you can also prepare a coupon booklet for them, containing coupons from local businesses.
• Prepare a welcome basket – you can choose a particular theme for the basket and then fill and arrange it accordingly. A gourmet basket can contain items like cheeses, crackers, and meat, while a soup basket can contain soup mix, and some mugs, spoons, and crackers. You can also prepare a fresh fruit and vegetables basket, and fill it with local produce.
• If you do not have enough time to prepare a welcome basket, simply take some baked goods along when you go to greet them and introduce yourself – a tray of freshly baked cookies or brownies is an excellent way to welcome a new family to the neighborhood.
• If you want to go all out, you can arrange a neighborhood dinner for the new family. Since this could get expensive if all the load is shouldered by just one family, enlist the help of other people in the neighborhood, and make it a potluck supper, where everyone can bring a dish along.
• Finally, make sure you do not intrude constantly. Respect their privacy and give the new neighbors some space – this might seem like an odd way of welcoming them, but the family will be keen on settling into the new surroundings, and they cannot do that if someone keeps knocking on the door constantly.