The 5 Most Common Neighbour Types & How to Deal with Them

Back in the day everyone knew their neighbours, now you rarely see them unless you spot them when you’re leaving or coming home from work.

Let’s face it, it’s not the 1950s anymore, a housewife wearing an apron isn’t going to come over to borrow a cup of sugar. These days it’s the norm to live somewhere for years and never actually meet the people living around you.

If that is the situation for you, then you may be the lucky one! There are plenty of strange neighbours out there and you wouldn’t want to be in constant contact with them.

So how do you manage to co-exist with your neighbours? Here are some of the common neighbour types and how to handle them…

The House Devaluers

They’re nice and they’re friendly, BUT you’ve never seen them mow their lawn, trim their overgrown garden or do something about that rusting old car in the driveway. If they were bad enough you might’ve spotted the issues before you moved in, but unfortunately not everyone notices these things.

How to handle them: Remember that communication is key!

The Angry Neighbour

Many neighbours are not worth your time and effort, however it can be an advantage to at least know their dislikes and boundaries so you can steer clear of them at all times.

How to handle them: It’s a sad truth, but some people will simple snap, no matter what you do. Do not worry too much about this and don’t spend all your time looking for red flags. It is a good idea not to purposefully make them angry though.

The Rich Snobs

You’ll try to keep up with these neighbours, but there is no point in trying. They’ll always have the best looking lawn and fancy additions to their home, and let’s not forget about their shiny new car they insist on parking out for the entire neighbourhood to see.

How to handle them: Yes, they’re rich, but you can’t knock on their door and complain that they’re being too rich. The best possible way to handle them is to learn to cope. No matter how rich they are, every family is dysfunctional to some degree.

The Wacko Next Door

These neighbours will act completely crazy. Whether they’re accusing you of spying on them, walking around the neighbourhood making a racket at all hours of the morning, making up stories about Nazi spies or just simply harassing you for no reason.

How to handle them: It isn’t exact against the law to be a wacko, so the best thing you can do is avoid them as much as you can. If you feel threatening, do not hesitate to call the police or download the PatrolMan neighbourhood watch app and press the SOS emergency button.

The Most Difficult Neighbour

They are all the neighbours mentioned above as well as any other neighbour that makes your life complicated when it certainly doesn’t need to be.

How to handle them: When it comes to neighbours, a small amount of communication and contact can go a long way. A friendly wave or hello will represent you well and create a positive impression.

It used to be that everyone knew their neighbours, but things have changed. Now it is best to know how to successfully co-exist with your neighbours because you may come across a few strange ones!