One of the most exciting and unique advantages of buying a new-build home is that you become part of a brand-new community from its very beginning, alongside all of your wonderful new neighbours who are sharing the journey with you. Even before you move into your new home, you can begin connecting with fellow homeowners on your development, and laying the foundations for a welcoming, inclusive, and thriving community that you’ll love to live in.

To help you play your part in building your new-build home community, we have five must-read tips and ideas, plus inspiring stories from Bellway homeowners who embraced the opportunity to bond with their new neighbours.

Tips for building a new-build home community

Use social media to connect with your new neighbours

It’s now very common for the residents of a new-build development to connect on social media to share their journeys, chat and offer advice, and meet their neighbours, even long before moving in. This is often through a Facebook or WhatsApp group, and you’ll also find a very active and supportive Bellway homeowner community on Instagram – just take a look at the dedicated #mybeautifulbellway hashtag to see thousands of posts from first-time buyers and second-steppers, across every stage of the process.

This offers you a fantastic opportunity to read about the experiences of existing Bellway buyers, plus see inside their homes to see how they’ve added their own personal touches to the perfect blank canvas of their new-build interior. You can find homeowners who have purchased the same Bellway house type as you, via the dedicated hashtag – such as #bellwaytailor or #bellwaycutler – and get plenty of styling and decorating ideas for your own home.

Make personal introductions when you move in

Once you’ve enjoyed your moving day excitement and are settled into your new Bellway home, it’s time to say hello to your new neighbours. Catching them in person could prove tricky due to everyone’s busy lifestyles and varied schedules, so you can pop a card through their door with a brief but friendly greeting, and don’t forget to include your house number to help each other put names to faces.

Those informal introductions could just lead to wonderful and lifelong friendships – read the stories of Georgia and Emma, two neighbours at a Bellway development in Manchester who formed such a strong bond, that Georgia asked Emma to be a bridesmaid at her wedding!

Throw a housewarming party – or a garden gathering

When all the moving boxes are unpacked and you’ve tackled your first decorating tasks, you’ll no doubt be eager to show off your new home. A housewarming party for your new neighbours – or the entire street, if you like – will be the perfect way to get together, build friendships, and bring good vibes into your beautiful home.

Impress your guests with a cocktail night and grazing table in your new kitchen, or if the weather is good, get everyone out into your new-build home garden for afternoon drinks in the sunshine.

Make the most of community spaces on your development

Bellway developments are designed to build communities, with dedicated areas for all residents to enjoy and share with one another. From open green spaces, to terraces with a view, or a children’s play area for the younger residents, these are intended to be used and embraced by the community, to make them the heart of the new development.

Whether for a spontaneous summer picnic or an organised garden party, a playdate with other families or even a fun ‘sports day’ to encourage healthy competition among your neighbours, there are endless ways that you can make the most of your development’s community spaces and find opportunities to bring everyone together.

Start a community group to take care of your neighbourhood

Take inspiration from the Green Group at Bellway’s Jameson Manor development in Newcastle, and form a team of residents to look after your development and make it a great place to live, for everyone.

The Green Group began as an informal invitation to carry out basic gardening tasks around the estate on a Sunday morning, and rapidly grew into a committed residents group who have planted trees and flowers, built communal herb gardens and vegetable patches, and even laid down walking trails through the surrounding woodland – plus, formed an offshoot Events Group to organise fundraising activities and parties that fund the Green Group’s efforts.

A sense of community is what transforms a new-build home development into a thriving neighbourhood, so take the plunge and invite your neighbours to join you for a spot of weeding, planting, or litter picking, all contributing to keeping your estate looking beautiful while your neighbourly friendships blossom.

We’d love to see how you are building a community at your new Bellway development, so tag us @bellwayhomes in your Instagram posts and Stories and don’t forget the #mybeautifulbellway hashtag. You can also read about the many other great reasons to buy a new-build Bellway home, and find out about the unmissable schemes and incentives that are designed to make your dream new-build home more affordable.