Best gift for unknown new neighbour?

[JigglyPokery]

What is the best gift to get for an unknown new neighbour? I was thinking wine? Since if they don’t drink they can easily regift?
other ideas welcome!

I gave a new neighbour a bottle of wine once and it turns out she was a recovering alcoholic so I would stick to a card.

I think a potted plant is nice for new neighbours. It’s better than cut flowers which die quickly and at this time of year are really bad for the environment and it cheers up their new home.

We moved last summer and our new neighbours dropped off a bag with (cold) cans of lemonade, packet of biscuits, print off of bin schedule, note with their numbers on for “any questions or if we’d like to join the street WhatsApp group”. I liked that - felt both practical and welcoming but not too much or too pushy. And cold lemonade was welcome while unpacking on a hot day.

Eek, yes ok not wine.
Lovely ideas - thanks!

A welcome to your new home card and some flowers or nice biscuits.

I’m a recovering alcoholic and while I’m not bothered when people buy me wine (as in, I have no desire to drink it), it’s a bit of a shit gift when you can’t enjoy it.

Biscuits, chocolate, flowers, houseplants all appreciated though.

When we sold my mum's house after she died, we left a potted plant and a box of nice biscuits, together with a little pack of useful information. Something like that perhaps?

Sorry, I know this is not funny but at the same time it made me laugh because that's exactly the sort of thing that'd happen to me! 🤣

The most valuable thing if you live somewhere like us is a copy of the bin schedule. Our local print shop produces them every 6 months and distributes them free. I would gladly pay for it! Other than that biscuits sounds about right.

Flowers & plants are lovely ideas unless they have a cat.

Lots of flowers & plants are poisonous to cats so it can either be a question of protecting the flowers / plant from the cat or the other way round.

Or just buy non toxic plants.

Yes, after careful checking. Of course the neighbours might not have a cat.

I'd go potted plant, biscuits and a list of the local decent takeaways and contact numbers/WhatsApp group/window cleaner e.g.

Bottle of wine or flowers.

Wow I’m ND so may explain it or just never lived anywhere where this happens! And don’t know if I’d like to tbh. While good relations w/neighbours is obviously a good thing & I can see how this starts up a lovely relationship I’d find it a bit intrusive & a unnecessary eg Bin schedule - every council’s waste collection dates are really easy to find online & the welcome pack idea feels a bit territorial to me - ie you’re coming into the street & the neighbour’s territory. But am vey happy to be corrected & acknowledge my perhaps extreme views about neighbourly & social contact in general!! And yes I do screen who I open my front door to, for a whole host of reasons - ie prior negative experiences & personal preference & ND ness!

It’s not territorial to welcome someone to the street with some useful local information. If you reacted like that, then that would be a you problem because they neighbour giving you that wasn’t being weird or odd or territorial or intrusive.

It’s ok to not like something, but it’s not ok to attribute negative motivations to their action that you’ve simply made up in your own head, like “territorial.”

We moved at Christmas and I took mince pies and ferrero rocher to my immediate neighbours with a card apologising for any disruption. Noone brought us anything but they sent Christmas cards which was lovely

We got an orchid , card & some stuff for our kids - colouring books & sweets from our neighbours when we moved

I thought the same. You’re not alone in that.

Although can see why people think it would be nice, I’d feel pushed to meet them.

Like I said what may be perceived as a lovely gesture by one person, may actually not be perceived as all that lovely by another person.

As your response implies you struggle to understand the concept of individual differences, is that a YOU problem then?

I wouldn't give a gift at all, that's seriously weird. A card if you must.

A tin of biscuits.

Card and flowers/plant/ biscuits??

I would not like a gift if i was a new neighbour. I'm perfectly able to look up the bin schedule on the Council website and print it off if I felt I needed to - i don't need a neighbour to do that for me. I get you want to be friendly but a friendly hello is more than enough in my book and any chat and exchanging of numbers can come naturally in time.

The new neighbour did introduce herself to me when she was viewing (I know the sellers so I know who’s bought it, though I don’t ‘know’ her iyswim) - I was rushing off on school run then so hadn’t time for more than a few friendly words - but I don’t think I need to worry about it being weird or intrusive.

we are adjoined semis - so we do need to know one another. It’s also a very friendly cul-de-sac, we have a street party each year, introducing oneself and a small gift is very much ordinary here.

I have got a box of nice chocolates and I hope she isn’t dairy free - but really it’s a minefield if one starts to consider all of the things that people may or may not like or eat.

fingers crossed 😅

What? Are you quite alright?

You’re really not understanding this.

It is ok for you to feel whatever you want about someone’s actions, but it’s not ok to then apply that thought to their motivations.

You think it is a territorial act. It really isn’t. You can think that all you like, but to ascribe it to that person, decide that was their motivation and then be annoyed about it isn’t OK.

You’re talking about your own perception of it, and I’m pointing out that you can perceive it like that but it’s really unfair to actually blame the other person for your perception. Especially when you know you are ND and don’t always understand social interactions.

You’re the one who doesn’t seem to understand the individual differences, but saying that it’s territorial when it’s not. That is your perception and most people would find that perception of it very odd.