A Few Ways to Get to Know New Neighbors

What’s the best way to get to know your neighbor? We’ve got a list of a few tips for you to try.

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Getting to know new neighbors isn’t always easy, and a lot of the advice out there doesn’t exactly make it any more simple. Thankfully, there are a few tips we at the Anderson Group like to recommend for new homeowners to try. We know that everyone likes to socialize differently, so we’ve split our list of tips into two categories: practical and non-traditional.

Without further adieu, here’s a quick countdown of our favorite practical tips:

1. Ask for a simple favor. Approaching your new neighbor to ask if you could borrow some hedge clippers, for example, is a great excuse to spark up a conversation.

2. Say hi when you’re out walking your dog. If you happen to catch your neighbor out in their front yard while you’re walking your dog, or (if you don’t have a pet) when you’re just out for a jog, don’t be shy. If you wear a smile, the world will smile back.

3. Get digital. These days, there are a lot of online social platforms available for people to get to know the people in your neighborhood. Finding and joining one where you live is a great way to connect.

4. Throw a block party. Whether you stick to the traditional definition of this kind of event and invite everyone on the block or you just ask a few people on your street to come over and mingle, getting to know everyone in a group setting can take some of the pressure off as you all make your introductions.  
If you wear a smile, the world will smile back.
Now, let’s move on to the remaining seven tips on our list. Each of these, while not traditional (and, in some cases, not advisable) are sure to catch your neighbor’s attention:

5. Throw a rager. If a block party is a little tame for your tastes, why not go a little more extreme? Make sure you’re loud enough for the cops to join the fun.

6. Set off fireworks. What better way to catch the attention of your neighbors than with a literal fireworks display?

7. Start a fire in your back yard. Stacking up logs and pine needles and then setting the whole thing ablaze will surely get your new neighbors to take notice of you.

8. Mow your lawn late at night or early in the morning. Your early-bird neighbors will appreciate the wake-up call, and your night-owl neighbors will be happy to hear that you’re someone they can depend on to keep the neighborhood looking sharp.

9. Let your dog “do its business” on your neighbor’s lawn. Like taking your dog for a walk, letting your dog out to “do its thing” in your neighbor’s yard is a surefire way to start a conversation.

10. Park in their parking spot. There’s no better conversation-starter than one that comes as a necessity. If your neighbor parks in the same place every day, why not mix things up and claim their spot for your own? When they ask you to move it, you’ll have the perfect opening to introduce yourself.

11. Hook up your hose to their hydrant when you water your lawn. After all, if neighbors can borrow a cup of sugar, why not basic utilities, too?

As you probably guessed, these last seven tips were just a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor. While these “non-traditional” tips will definitely make an impression, they probably won’t create the kind of impression you want to leave. We know we don’t have to tell you twice, but please stick to the first four tips on today’s list—that is, unless your idea of a party is an angry mob on your lawn.

If you have any other questions or would like to learn more about our (real) advice on how to get to know your neighbors, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

How to Fix Radon and Mold Problems in Your Home

Radon and mold are two big problems that homebuyers and sellers have to deal with. Here’s how we can help.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling your home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 

Call me at 303-974-9471 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

I just got off the phone with someone and a large portion of our conversation was about radon and mold. Unfortunately, they are pretty common in Colorado, so I just wanted to give you a quick insight about what happens when either of these problems come up in a home you own or a home that you’re trying to buy.

We once worked with a seller who had a sealed-off basement crawlspace. They never went down there. But once we had a full-priced offer on the home and had the inspection done, they found that the crawl space was full of water and we had no idea how long it had been there.  

Our high elevation causes problems with radon.
They opened it up and we found the sump pump wasn't working. We had to pump all the water out, find the leak, and test for mold and radon. We ended up finding some mold and the radon levels were fairly high as well. We had to put a vapor barrier over the dirt and install a radon mitigation system to make the house sellable and inhabitable.

The reason why problems like this aren’t at all that rare here in Colorado is because of our high elevation. Radon can cause lung cancer, so you’ll have to install something to fix it if there are elevated levels in your home.

As for mold, some of it is very harmful to breathe in, while some is not. Make sure you do your research if you ever have mold in your home. We had four bids for mold cleanup that ranged from $1,500 to $10,000. Not only do you have to be aware of mold, you have to be aware of hiring the right company too.

If you have any questions for me about radon, mold testing, or anything else related to buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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