# Nice Neighbours



## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

There are only 8 houses in my new cul-de-sac and most of my neighbours have been here since the houses were built 25 years ago and initially I was a little bit apprehensive about how a new face would fit in. I needn't have worried, because the house was empty for close to 2 years and the gardens totally overrun, I think they were relieved to have the house occupied again.

Seeing the amount of work I had cut out taming the gardens, one of my neighbours offered me the loan of his Ryobi garden shredder, which massively speeded up the job for me. Unfortunately, the plastic safety cover for the top feed had become a bit brittle with age and one of the thicker branches cracked it :-(
From the onset I intended replacing the cover, but wasn't sure whether to tell my neighbour up front and risk him being polite and telling me not to bother, or to give him the shredder back along with the new cover, or to strip the shredder down and replace the cover, hoping he wouldn't mind me stripping it down ?

Anyway, I decided on the latter option and stripped it down, cleaning and servicing what I could and fitting the new cover. I handed it back this morning and both my neighbour and his wife were genuinely taken aback that I'd been nice enough to put right the damage I'd caused.

In my eyes, it was the least I could do after he'd been nice enough to offer me it in the first place.


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## Geriatricbackpacker (Aug 21, 2012)

Good neighbours are worth their weight in gold and that goes both ways. Bet they are well chuffed that you respected their property and ensured that it went back to them in a better condition than it arrived.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

As often said, what comes around goes around.But you seem to have set the ground for getting a rep as a good neighbour.well done.

cabby


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

Agree totally, the value of good neighbours is of course reflected in the price of the house as if you have even had a dispute with any of them it has to be declared on the searches (if asked) and can materially downgrade the price.....

We have been fortunate in every house that we have had and still communicate with some from our first house 40+ years ago (and with the offspring of the people that lived next door when I was a young lad.....), so

value your neighbours and try to ensure that they value you too - it's not just a cup of sugar, but if everything went pear shaped they are the ones to help (a happened when our Aga went up in flames at 0300 on New Years Eve a few years ago and one neighbour suddenly had an extra selection of children carrying "special things" like the pet rat, the new shoes, the cuddly toy and best of all a 1 1/2 kg bar of chocolate - none of the chocolate reappeared in the house.....

Sadly, my experience of Ryobi tools is not brilliant as they tend to either fail or not work in the first place e.g. the batteries for the rechargeable tools (no longer take a charge) or the paint spreader - like the Dulux Paint Pod except it does not work at all.....

So, well done for getting a Ryobi tool to function and even more to be able to get a spare part.... that shows your highly esteemed value as a neighbour..... (if you want to borrow a paint spreader.......)

Dave


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## Blizzard (Sep 21, 2009)

Penquin said:


> ?.......... (if you want to borrow a paint spreader.......)
> 
> Dave


Thanks, but no thanks Dave :grin2: I'm going back to "Borrow nowt, lend nowt" ! :wink2:


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