The joy of living in a housing society mainly revolves around getting to know a lot of people and practicing the art of community living. You may feel out-of-place and shy when you first move into a housing society, but you should get over this phase and actively socialize so that you personally become a recognized member of the community too.

There are many advantages involved with getting to know the other residents:

• Make your voice heard – You can actively participate in resident meetings and give your opinions and views
• Get help – You can get their help in organizing events and in general situations
• Expand your personal network – Some residents may be doctors or therapists and you can contact them in case of some emergency, some may be of use as your business contacts

But before you reap some benefits, you need to first make efforts to know your new neighbors. There are a few ideas that you can implement in order to know your neighbors better and to be an active member in housing society affairs, and these are:

• Go Jogging Or Walking – A large number of residents in a housing society are bound to be jogging or walking outside on the common roads in the wee hours of the morning. You can buckle up your jogging shoes and head out to meet your neighbors along your course. You can catch up with them and make small talk, as this is not an intrusive scenario. You can even plan out a daily jogging routine together with them.
• Be Visible And Active – There’s no way you can get to know your neighbors by locking yourself up in your room. Sit outside in common areas like the park or ground and say ‘Hello’ to every person you come across. You don’t even have to be repetitive, just a polite nod will do. You can also spend some time in your balcony, just to be visible and become a familiar face to your neighbors and other residents. Make sure that you attend all housing society meetings, and give your inputs in a polite manner.
• Make Them Some Delicacies  – This is a time consuming process, but it’ll be worth every second if you invest your time in it. You don’t have to feed the entire housing society; you can whip up a few cookies or other delicacies for your neighbors and introduce yourself in this way. If you’re too tired to bake anything, just get some sweets from a well known store and head over to introduce yourself.
• Offer To Help – When you see that your neighbor is having trouble in managing some issue, offer a helping hand. This is a great way of making friends, although you have to ensure that you don’t end up making false promises. This includes small and large offers like holding their groceries while they open the door or taking care of their pet when they’re not in town.
• Organize An Event – This is one of the best ways of getting to know your neighbors. Plan out a party sometime during the weekend when you’re sure that your neighbors and other residents are free, you can coordinate with them regarding the same. Encourage conversations and get to know them better over drinks or even some tea.

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This article aims at collating and providing information for benefit of ApnaComplex customers and blog readers. While ApnaComplex has taken every care to ensure the information is accurate, we suggest to please use it only as a guidance for further discussion and action with help of relevant professionals.