In the Philippines, there is a practice of attitude to warmly welcome guests both foreign and local tourists, to introduce our beautiful culture and tradition, and for those who wish to explore and experience our extraordinary and world-class hospitality. Waves of hello pairing it by wearing your sweetest smile are also a greeting given to the new members of the community with utmost generosity and respect, a symbol of acceptance and making them part of the family. It is also a way to introduce a new environment and make expectations for people, culture and tradition, and life to live. These practices are all known as ‘Filipino hospitality.’
Traditionally, welcomes are practiced in communities such as villages, subdivisions, streets, and barangay. In the 21st century, Condo-community is the new trend. Convenient, accessible, practical, cozy, and can adjust to different lifestyles and whatnot. And despite the change in environment setting, the custom of hospitality, Filipino Hospitality, is still practiced in traditional and modern ways wherein the sky's the limit.
To make your introductions more welcoming, like home and inviting, here are some tips on how to welcome new neighbors into your condo community.
10 Friendly Ways to Welcome New Neighbors to the Neighborhood Condo Edition
1. Introduce Yourself
The simplest and most effective way and the first step of making a great first impression of a community group is knowing each other's names and whereabouts. These could be done using two simple ways: accidental greetings and initiative.
- Accidental greetings. Imagine passing by the way, crossing paths and bumping each other at the lobby, or even riding the same elevator going to your specific floors, a simple gesture of hi and hello with a genuine smile from both of you, followed by little chitchats about anything that might interest you to know is a sociable and approachable way to introduce yourself. You can create rapport in minutes which continue for years of neighborhood and friendship.
- Initiative. Another way to introduce yourself, have the initiative to make yourself known. If you are just across from your new neighbors, next-door neighbors, a few steps away, or knowledgeable about their exact location, knock and introduce yourself by sharing some information you care to share with anyone. It symbolizes that you are a neighbor that is only a knock away and help your new friend. Just remember to follow common courtesy and avoid rudeness to avoid early conflicts. More of that, introduce only at their most convenient time and not cause any disturbances. These may generate an unpleasing note about the neighborhood.
2. Offer Gift Basket
Simple welcome gift for new neighbors as a token of appreciation for choosing the residence in the form of freshly baked cookies and other goods, fresh fruits or flowers, cooked meals, potted plants, or takeout menus from the local stores is a nice gesture to make them feel more welcome in the neighborhood and create an impression of generosity and new friends. This action may lead to a conversation that will inaugurate your connection with new neighbors.
3. Provide Information
As a good neighbor, providing helpful information about nearby locations and local services that are essential and accessible is an excellent move to make an impression. You can share about the nearest and quality education providers starting from primary to tertiary level; health care and medical providers for their family and their cute little pets; leisure and lifestyle locations such as malls, parks, cinemas, local gyms, and other entertainment hubs; for the essentials such as grocery stores; and the living, banks, the corporate world for jobs and businesses, government offices, and the likes.
Further, you can also share essential contacts within the neighborhood such as housing associations, garbage collections, maintenance, basic services, and the like such as rules and regulations to follow to avoid nuisances that may affect the satisfaction of your new neighbor. It is a resourceful help to newcomers.
Providing information about nearby locations helps your new neighbors to feel serene and satisfied living in the new environment. And every household will have social engagements that can improve their social, mental, and holistic well-being while living in the condo.
4. Share Contact Information
Sharing of information with our new neighbors is not limited to nearby locations but also by providing basic necessary information that can be useful for any help and assistance they might ask as they establish familiarity with new people and environment. This includes providing names, contact details such as email and phone numbers and telephone numbers, and other general backgrounds that might be useful for them and you. A quick exchange of calling cards with your new neighbor that provides that information is the most convenient way.
5. Invite Them Over
After a few days of the relocation of your new neighbor to their new neighborhood, you can also invite your new neighbor to your favorite restaurant to walk around the sidewalk of the city, or even to go around your place. Here are more tips when you invite your new neighbor:
- Invite them to your place. Share your place with your new neighbor and offer them a cup of tea and a delightful conversation about their expectations in the new place. You can also share thoughts and ideas to one’s liking in terms of decorating the unit to make a new home rather than a house. This could also be an opportunity to build positive relationships with the new individual and families and even the little children to play and have fun and company.
- Invite local restaurants and coffee shops. A cup of coffee with baked goods from the local coffee shop or a bowl of Caesar salad is also a considerable move. This is an opportunity to talk about their likes and dislikes, as well as their plans for the future while enjoying the ambiance of a quality restaurant and new friendships.
- Walk around the city. Aside from staying inside the corners of a resto, you can also walk within the nearby locations. This is thoughtful and considerate to your new neighbor to locate exactly the places you introduced to them. You can also ask your friends and other neighbors to come along with you, shop, and share gifts within the group and enjoy the company of each other.
- Participate in social engagements and activities. If you have organizations such as community-based, professional, academe, ocial, cultural, and other local groups, you can call your new neighbor to join you to have connections in different areas that will help them grow as an individual and as a family. Social engagements will help them to be confident and have a neighbor feel greater life satisfaction.
6. Host a Welcome Gathering for the New Neighborhood
A small gathering with your new neighbor is a great idea. This could be in the form of a dinner party or to the likes of the new ones. You can also request your other neighbors to join you to have more people. It is a practical way to save time and money and feel the camaraderie within the neighborhood. You can also set a theme to your liking to make the gathering more welcoming and inviting.
7. Offer To Help Next Door Neighbors
Your new neighbors will come to your residence carrying boxes of their things and extending your hand to move things to their door is an approachable greeting that will relieve your new neighbor. The Bayanihan spirit is not just for small houses in the province but also high-rise residents in the metro. Offering assistance is also a bridge to build trust within the neighborhood. Friendly service is a good example, especially to those who have kids to set as role models that will soon have a domino effect and can be transferred to future neighbors.
8. Show Interest
It is an opportunity to ask questions about their hobbies, interests, and background. This also shows your genuine friendship and neighborhood interest in them.
9. Respecting the privacy of your new neighbors
In connection to showing interest, all of this has limitations. There is no same person in the world, therefore, respect for privacy is important. You cannot force someone to share, talk, join, or do whatever you want for them and the neighborhood. Let them settle first after moving and ask for their approvable before doing and planning such things mentioned above. A good neighbor is a respectful neighbor.
10. Stay Open and Approachable to your New Neighbor
After all of the initiatives, their responses are the most to value. Accepting it or rejecting our proposal is okay. Maybe giving them space and time to adjust themselves is the nicest way. Staying open and approachable for all of the questions and assistance they might ask in the future is the biggest help anyone can give to new neighbors. Being friendly with a quick wave and smile makes a big difference.
Remember, the key is to make them feel comfortable and valued in their new home. A little kindness goes a long way in creating a sense of belonging and community in the new neighborhood.
For more information on Vista Residences, email [email protected], follow @VistaResidencesOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, or call the Marketing Office at 0999 886 4262 / 0917 582 5167.
