Avoiding a dispute with your neighbour is just a sensible thing to do. You could live in your dream home in the perfect neighbourhood, but get into a fight with your neighbour and that dream can quickly turn into a nightmare. The best thing you can do is to avoid conflict with them and settle any disputes that do arise as quickly and amicably as possible.
How do you do that? Here are some tips – hope they help!
How to avoid a dispute with your neighbour
- Get to know your neighbour: Take the time to introduce yourself to your neighbours. Building some familiarity and a friendly rapport can help ensure the lines of communication are open. That familiarity can be crucial in defusing potentially acrimonious disputes.
- Pick your battles: You should always ask yourself whether the annoyance is serious enough for you to raise it as a problem with your neighbour. Is it something they are often doing? Or is it likely a one-off event? If it’s the latter, consider whether it is worth bringing up or whether you should let it lie.
- Know the rules: Knowing in advance the rules makes it easier to approach a neighbour with any concerns. Whether it is the fence you are unhappy with, the noise after a certain time, or the building of a shed – make sure you understand what the bylaws are before you approach your neighbour.
- Deal with the issue quickly. It’s tempting to avoid facing an unpleasant dispute with a neighbour and hope the problem just goes away. That rarely happens. To settle a dispute, you need to act quickly. It is important to consider the potential consequences of saying nothing in situations where a simple conversation might nip a looming problem. For example, if a neighbour is contemplating putting up a fence on your property, saying something early might make them reconsider.
- Avoid displays of anger. Acting angrily typically only gets the other party on the defensive. It can escalate the situation and rarely, if ever, leads to a resolution.
- “Thanks!” Say thanks when there’s a resolution. You may never be close friends, but being cordial will go a long way toward easing the tension.