For some people, their ideal home is an apartment building in a glamorous part of town rather than a suburban spread with a lawn. Whether you share this dream or find yourself renting an apartment for other reasons, you should do everything you can to be a good neighbor in the close confines of an apartment building.
Communicate Freely Without Being Pushy
It’s important not to live in anonymity. Make an effort to get to know your neighbors without sticking your nose into their business unduly. Introducing yourself when you first move in and making a habit of saying hi when you run into neighbors will go a long way towards building up positive feelings in your building.
You should cultivate at least a little common ground with your neighbors so that you feel comfortable asking them for favors (or doing favors for them) when it’s absolutely necessary. Whenever you need to ask your neighbors for something – even if it’s to turn down their music, for example – it’s good to think of your request as a favor.
Police Yourself, Not Your Neighbors
The old adage “let he who is without sin throw the first stone” might well have been written by a pre-industrial apartment dweller. Never leap to find fault with your neighbors while assuming that you are a flawless one yourself. Get into the habit of respecting your building’s common spaces and doing your fair share – if not more – to keep them tidy.
Make sure you stay on top of the chores that can affect your neighbors, such as taking out your garbage, cleaning up stinky messes, and tidying your parts of the building. If you tend to do your best at making the building a pleasant place to live, you will find your neighbors much more cooperative when you need their help.
Walk Softly (Literally and Figuratively)
Noise is such an enormous issue in apartments that there are entire buildings run (and run quite profitably) with an eye on keeping unwanted noises to a minimum. You should do your part to keep from disturbing your neighbors with the sounds coming from your apartment. Don’t wear noisy shoes (heels, boots, etc.) indoors and consider putting down rugs if you have kids or pets that like to race around the place. Try not to invite noisy guests and refrain from playing music at late hours.
In a metaphorical sense, walk softly by only asking your neighbors for favors when you really, really need them. There is nothing wrong with cultivating a reputation as “the quiet one” in your building – it will give your words extra weight when you do speak up.
Train Your Pets
Make sure your pets are also good neighbors. If you have a dog, make sure it’s very well trained on its bathroom routine. Anything you can do to discourage excess barking is going to be appreciated by your neighbors, too. Both dogs and cats should have their nails trimmed regularly to cut down on the amount of noise they make when running.
You can do a great deal to make yourself a neighbor that your fellow apartment building dwellers will appreciate living with. This is definitely an effort worth making, as maintaining good relationships with your neighbors can dramatically improve your quality of life.
Brooks Allisen has been a successful broker and investor for the past 15 years. Mr. Allisen also has a website that provides information about investing in gold. To learn more, visit BuyGold.mywebpal.com