New research from People’s Postcode Lottery reveals that over 50% of Brits want to build real-life relationships with their neighbours, particularly the younger generations.
The study, which surveyed over 2,000 renters and homeowners in the UK, challenges the common stereotype that young people, and those in temporary, rented accommodation, are less likely to befriend their neighbour’s and engage with them face to face.
Whilst nearly half of our respondents (44%) said that they were a part of a community social media group, 78% of young people said they prefer to build relationships with their neighbours in real life, shunning the idea that the digital generation prefers to scroll than speak.
Those living in temporary, rented accommodation are also keen to ditch technology, with 61% saying they want to speak to neighbour’s face to face.
But what’s getting neighbours talking? Going on holiday was the most likely topic to get people chatting, with 76% of people saying they’d inform their neighbours if they were going away, either digitally or in real life.
The age-old habit of popping round to borrow a cup of milk is still very much common, too, with 6 in 10 respondents saying they’d ask their neighbour to borrow bread, sugar or similar items.
When it comes to addressing any neighbour niggles, over 55’s are most likely to confront any issue they have, with over half (57%) saying they’d pick up the conversation face-to-face, over any other method of communication.
Issues include parking across driveways, putting rubbish in other neighbour’s bins, and cutting down trees.
However, in order to make friends with neighbours, people are much more likely to do so if they have shared interests.
Across the board, 31% of Brits said that if they had clear shared interests (such as noticing them carrying similar sporting equipment), this would make them more likely to stop and chat. Alongside this, one in five said they’d be more likely to stop and chat if their neighbours had a dog, and 15% said the same for children.