Do you buy anything for neighbours?

[MrsofClaus]

We've had a young family living next door for around 3 years. We've helped them with different things, dh has done odd jobs etc. Best neighbours ever. Their families aren't in this country but they have plenty of friends.

So last year they gave us a gift and we reciprocated. Did the same this year.

It's not something I've ever done but it's a nice tradition they've started.

Does anyone else do this?

Yes usually a bottle of wine and chocolates for each side, but I’m not sure we’ll bother with the ones on the left side this year as it’s not always reciprocated. Not that you give to receive, but I don’t want to make her feel awkward cos sometimes I get the sense that we give her something and then she feels she has to run out and get us something! Obviously she doesn’t but I understand the feeling.

We live in a very small street, just a few houses. When the kids were small, they each gave each other some sweets. Now, we just give a gift to one neighbour but we've known them for years (before the kids were born).

I think they were sending a message they don't want to do it. Watch you stop though and they bring something 😄 Although that'll make up for them not bothering last year!

we work long hours, they take parcels in for us, take our bins out and have a child that accidentally kicks balls or planes over every so often. They are so good about it and just tell him to get it anytime. So we always get them a little something, just a ton of shortbread or something but it’s a nice wee gesture 🥰

Where do you buy a ton of shortbread? Just joking 😄 They sound fab.

We buy a gift for two of our neighbours, one lady always buys the kids birthday and Christmas presents, remembers them every year, so we always get her something. The other neighbour does a bit of gardening for us and point blank refuses to take any money for it, so we like to get her something too.

No, never have, they are just people that live in the house next door.

New neighbour moved in next door a couple of months ago, never met him, same with behind, she’s been there about 4 months, no idea who she is.

We’ve only lived here 4 years and have just one neighbour the other side is fields. They have 2 teenage boys who are little loves bring the bin up for us run odd errands always got a smile and a chat when we see them. I tend to just pop some cash in a card for them, but I don’t buy for the parents,

their mum popped round last year with a nice box of chocolates to say thankyou for taking in endless amounts of parcels and minding their house when they’re away etc (we’re retired) she hasn’t yet this year and tbh it’s not something I want to to start.

Yes, for one side. She's a lovely lady. she's helped us at times, we've helped her. She's on her own, with no children. She looks at our children as the next next best thing to grandchildren, and they both love her. She's never forgotten birthdays etc and we do the same for her.
The other side, we took round a nice box of biscuits the first few years. They're a lovely couple, we're friendly with them but they never reciprocated so after a few years we stopped as didn't want them to feel uncomfortable about it.

I have lovely neighbours but why would I buy presents for them?!

Just makes them feel beholden.

We take in parcels for them. All fine.

I’ve got presents for the neighbours I’m joined to. They are absolutely the best, so thoughtful. I’ve got both of them and their dog a present. We all send cards to each other in the street.

No presents, but better than that was their Xmas card (we've exchanged cards for years) that they'd written "to the best neighbours ever".

we try to be good neighbours and help out whenever we can, and in this house we were really chuffed that they acknowledged that.

they've been the same too. We are very lucky, based only on what I've read on here, that both neighbours are lovely reasonable people.

No. Neighbours are for collecting parcels when it's unavoidable (I prefer a parcel locker if it's an option) and not much other interaction.

I also don't do presents for anyone outside the family we live with, except an obligatory school staff collection.

We exchange cards with one side but the other side is a very strange couple we avoid as much as possible. He'll scream at you even if you look at his house and she's always nagging about wanting extra room for her car.

We do cards for a lot of our neighbours (approx 10 couples/families). Our immediate neighbours buy for us and our children and we buy for them. Nothing major just tokens to say thanks for taking the bins in/out etc. we would be lost without them :)

My neighbours don't get me anything, but I always get them a nice big box of chocs to say thank you. I'm single with dd and they are fab. They put my bins away, their son looks after my cats when I'm on holiday, they've put up stuff for me with drills, lent me many tools and are just all around great neighbours that go the extra mile for me all year. I like to be able to take something nice round just to show I appreciate them (I do pay their son for cat sitting services separately, but never asked for, I just do it).

My old neighbour was very generous, used to get us lots of things, delivered straight to our door. We’ve kitted the place out. Very confused on the baby toys though, ours are adults now.

Or were those parcels not for us 🤔

I do, with next door. They look out for me (I live alone), offer help when needed; we have social get togethers throughout the year and have got to know each others' friends. I recently went on holiday with someone I met through them.
They're the best neighbours you could wish for. We show our appreciation.
We've been neighbours for seven years; it started with just cards, then the gifts have become more thoughtful over that time as our friendship has grown.
I get on with other neighbours, but not to the degree of present-giving. A couple of them get some homemade mince pies, fresh from the oven, a day or two before Christmas.
It's like any relationship/acquaintance. I don't give just because they're neighbours, but because of their importance to me.

@Desmodici that's so lovely.

DH does. I wouldn’t do it but he’s more generous than me! Our immediate NDN are odd people, two sisters in their 50s who never married or had children so live together with their dogs. In itself not an issue but they’re both obsessed with being some sort of quasi neighbourhood watch.

They pop out to tell us they saw some teens walking past who they believe were looking at our car, for example. They’re also really funny about people parking in front of their house so went to the extent of purchasing another car just to park in front of their house at all times…

DH takes some wine around. I honestly really wouldn’t do this.

Yes, but we live quite remotely so only have 2 neighbours, gifts for both, gifts from both.

Yikes at 2nd car!

Yes, we have a lovely older lady next door and she’s always friendly and loves our cats and dog. We bought her a welcome gift as she moved in about 7-8 years ago before Christmas and have continued to. It’s always flowers as she’s not one for eating much, but always keeps flowers as long as possible and says she loves looking at them

It sounds like you have a good relationship with them and it is a nice gesture. I would only do for special neighbours but it sounds like they are.

Yes, but she's a lovely lady and we're like best mates.