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So, you signed up to the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Signature Service and found your dream home in the perfect location. Now you’re all moved in and busy enjoying your new home. But how do you find and make new friends and get yourself embedded in your new community?
Take a stroll around the neighbourhood
You can’t beat walking around a new neighbourhood to get a feel for the people who live there. Take a walk around local shopping areas and also make a note of any local community hubs. Churches and coffee shops are usually hubs where people meet and socialise and often have posters advertising community events. Having a wander around these sorts of places mean you can find somewhere to stop, have a break and get chatting to the new neighbours as well as find out about events you might want to head along to.
Look for local groups and meet ups
Facebook groups and local ticket sites are great for finding meetups that you might want to head to and meet new people at. There’s usually all manner of craft and chatter groups held in local churches and cafes, as well as amateur photography groups or even pub quizzes.
Pushing yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone and finding a new group to get involved in will help you make new connections and friends in no time.
Get involved in local community projects
There’s always a community project or two on the go in most local areas. Find one that suits you! It might be repainting the local scout hut (arm yourself with a paintbrush and old clothes), heading along to a games afternoon at a local care home (best to brush up on your dominoes and monopoly skills) and perhaps the local animal shelter have a dog walking fundraiser (arm yourself with a few bits like this from https://www.sleekez.com/products/5-sleekez-medium-grooming-shedding-stick-1)
Whatever your skills and interests, there is bound to be a community project where you can put them to good use, meeting new friends in the process. Getting involved in the local community is always a rewarding thing to do.
Maintaining contact
Don’t be afraid to ‘friend’ people on Facebook and exchange numbers. Invite someone round a coffee to share a skill. Did someone mention that they would love to borrow a book? Invite them in to collect it. Enjoy a coffee and a biscuit and relax! Being open and friendly works wonders. Why not advertise a casual afternoon tea at home for the local ladies? Each person should choose an item to bring along, be it the tea, cakes, sandwiches or scones. Make it a fun informal affair and you’ll soon find it becomes a regular staple in the calendar.
Did you meet at a local craft and chatter? How about a crafternoon that you organise where people learn a new craft together? Nominate a craft and find some YouTube tutorials and learn together in the comfort of your home with a coffee (or a glass of wine!)
Moving to a new area can be hugely exciting but also a little daunting. You will, however, soon make plenty of new friends, and in no time at all, you’ll be looking for more and more ideas of things to do together (I can recommend this page for some fab winter ideas: https://www.wrappedupnu.com/2019/10/6-things-to-do-with-friends-during-winter.html)
