Does this sound familiar?

You chose a perfect neighborhood and bought your ideal house. You move into a new house, get everything unpacked and set up, and begin to create new routines – but for some reason, it just does not feel like home.

After completing a move to a new place, it can take anywhere between a few days to a few months to get settled in and feel at home. This is especially true when the surrounding environment does not feel familiar.

Developing community and getting to know the neighborhood that you now call “home” is crucial to reaching a point of feeling settled.

5 Ways to Become Familiar with Your New Neighborhood

Once you have moved to your new home, try not to put off opportunities to get to know your neighborhood. Spend as much time out and about as you can. It is important to get to know your neighbors, become familiar with your surroundings, and start to find your own place in the community. When you get to know and love the place you are in, it will begin to feel like home.

Here are five ways to make that happen:

1. Socialize with Your Neighbors

It may be intimidating, but you need to speak to new people if you want to get to know the people living around you. Go for walks, spend time playing in the yard or gardening, and look for chances to speak with neighbors. Try to find areas of commonality to build on, or get to know someone by showing a genuine interest in them and asking questions.

As you become more comfortable, organize social gatherings like a housewarming party or a barbeque. Invite your neighbors into your home and spend time getting to know one another.

2. Explore the Area

During the early stage of your relocation, play tourist for a day. Find all of the most popular attractions in your area, visit a top restaurant, and see what your neighborhood has to offer.

As you continue to settle in, walk around the local parks or stroll down the main street and check out local shops. Look for places that pique your interest, like libraries, hiking trails, or coffee shops. Find new alternatives for the places you frequented in your old neighborhood.

3. Attend Local Events 

Special events and celebrations are perfect opportunities to get a sense of your community and to learn about what your new neighborhood has to offer.

With every new season that approaches, look for festivals, fairs, parades, or fundraisers that may be happening that you and your family can enjoy. Go out, celebrate with your community, and have fun.

Ohio offers an impressive variety of annual festivals, not to mention many smaller, local events.

4. Get Involved

If you are looking for a quick way to settle into your neighborhood, seek out opportunities to get involved in the community:

• Identify a cause or charity that is important to you and volunteer your time
• Find local employment and build a work community
• Join a club that interests you, or get connected with believers who share your faith
• If you have children, participate in activities that their schools put on

Meet new people by participating in local activities, and find a place of belonging in the community by doing things that you enjoy. Getting involved regularly will also prevent you from getting bored and help you to establish a new routine.

5. Connect on Social Media

This seems counterintuitive, but if you want to get connected in your neighborhood, try social media. Many towns and communities now have online groups for all kinds of things. Whether it is a buy and sell page, a space for general community announcements, or a place to get local recommendations, there are lots of ways to get to know your neighborhood online.

Feel at Home in your New Neighborhood

Settling into your new home involves more than owning your dream house. The community in which you live is just as important. Yet it takes time and effort to get to know your community and become comfortable in your neighborhood.

At Oberer Home, we understand how important community is. That is why we build communities, not just homes – and we build them right in the heart of our own neighborhoods in the area of Dayton and the surrounding counties.

Ready to find your new home and neighborhood in Dayton, Ohio? Learn more about Oberer Homes’ community builds.