Walk into the glamorous lobby of a Makati condo and you will see the beauty of high-tech living. Everyone is greeting you, the unit is just the right size and you have your own gym, mini-grocery and indoor pools. Everything looks like every young professional’s dream. Once you move in, expect the honeymoon phase to end. There will be neighbors to handle, garbage days to remember and noise that you either have to tone down from inside your unit, or have to live with because it comes from the next-door neighbor’s.
Why are there bad neighbors? Most of the time it’s because your Makati apartment does not have strict rules on how tenants should behave even within their homes. While you cannot change how they are (mostly you just have to make sure that you report every annoying experience you cannot be patient about, like a band practicing until 3am), you can make yourself the best neighbor by following condo etiquette.
Read the rules…and follow them.
When you buy a condo, the first thing that you do is sign your contract. That includes reading and understanding the rules. What are the building’s rules when it comes to rowdy neighbors? Are there any? When is the garbage collection day for the condo? How is it done? If you don’t see any specific rules about misconduct and noise level and other issues important to you, by all means, ask.
Do not abuse other tenants’ guest parking space.
Sure, you give them cookies and pies every time you bake some in your Makati condo, and in return they are only too glad to lend you their extra parking space for that housewarming dinner party you are hosting for friends. This is normal. However, if you make it a habit and if you abuse their friendliness, you are definitely not following good condo manners.
A good rule of thumb: if it’s something they pay for, treat it as theirs, not yours. Parking space is part of the monthly dues a tenant pays for. Think of it like that.
Be nice.
This is basic and old school, but nothing beats being nice to your neighbors. Whenever you see them in the hallway, try to smile or wave at them. If they seem pleasantly glad to see a new tenant around, introduce yourself. Your Makati apartment will be a place where you will spend at least a few years in so it doesn’t hurt to know your neighbors by name. However, keep your introduction short and sweet. They’re probably in the hallway because they’re going somewhere and you do not want to be thought of as an insensitive chatterbox.
When you buy a condo, you do not only buy a place to live in, you also buy a ticket into a community. By following the rules and by being friendly to everyone, you have an easier time settling into your new home.
