No matter where we live there are a lot of people around us. We meet strangers every day in the public vortex of our lives. And as easily as you step out of a bus or to leave a restaurant there is a specific group of people that are around us 24/7. These are our neighbours. First let’s ignore the annoying ones, the ones who pretend not to see you and the ones that occasionally even do bad things to you on purpose. They are strange and they seem not to be living on the same planet as normal people. The neighbours that we’re on about are the ones that are always helpful, the ones that return our greetings with an unforced smile and the ones that invite us to their parties – the ones that care about us.

Nowadays it’s quite common to live far away from your relatives and often the urban geography makes the next-door residents your closest thing to family members. But life is unpredictable and at some point where there already is a strong bond between the A and A+1 addresses, the neighbours move out. Generally human nature makes us very affectionate and we will miss the neighbours as they were part of our lives. Thankfully even after the huge garden farewell party there’s a way to be remembered. You can tone down the feel of absence with a farewell gift. Admittedly, it’s confusing what exactly to buy, but as the saying goes – a gift does not need to be expensive to touch the feelings of a man. Below is a list of gifts that are both practical and long lasting that won’t hurt your budget and will be a great reminder for the people from next door.

A plant – If the neighbours are moving to a flat it can be just a pot with your name engraved in it, but if they’re off to a new house a small tree is a perfect gift for the new lawn.

An album – Even in the binary code era that we live in, a simple album with pictures of you and your neighbours will tickle their emotions no matter how far they have moved. A good idea is to include pictures of big celebrations like New Year’s Eve and Christmas alongside the party memories without any particular occasion.

A doorbell – A simple and easy gift that will remind them of you every time they hear it. If you set it for a customizable one, it will have a sound theme representing something you enjoyed together and will be really touching.

Furniture covers – Doormats, pillows for the sofa, a vase or a shower curtain are an easy pick and will be used every day, which is essential for keeping the shared memories alive. Note: You might want to make sure the ones you’ve bought really fit their taste.

Tickets – On the departure of your neighbours give them tickets for a distant date in the future. Tickets to your town/city/village for the same date next year or during a national holiday so they can visit you and stay at your place. It’s a great way to show your hospitality and truly a gesture from a close friend.

These gifts will be appealing to almost anyone. But you know best what will your neighbours like the most.

An optional gift – If they have a pet then buy something for it. A new nametag collar for the dog or a new birdcage is a nice gesture as well.