Nothing like neighborly competition to spur the economy forward.
Do you love, or even like your neighbors? If you’re not so friendly with most of your neighbors, you’re far from alone. At the same time, if you’re like many Americans, you are certainly not alone in being jealous of and even trying to one-up your neighbors.
During the summer, there are many different ways in which you can improve your home, but how many of those improvements are really for your own enjoyment? A recent study by Wilsonart, a home goods manufacturer, revealed that a third of home improvements are put together to keep up with a friend, family member, or neighbor. The average amount of money spent on each improvement built to keep up with a neighbor is $3500. So, it’s pretty normal to want to impress or feel accepted by your neighbors, but it’s how far you go that matters. Inside the same study, it was revealed that 42% of people say there’s still a competition with neighbors over who has the nicest house on the street.
Fortunately, most Americans seem to get along with their neighbors, despite the constant friendly competition. 86% of homeowners are actually friends with their neighbors, according to LendingTree. While it’s quite normal to be shy and not talk to some neighbors, most Americans get along with at least some of their neighbors. According to the same LendingTree report, 43% of homeowners are friends with their neighbors, another 43% are friends with some of their neighbors, and 14% are not friends with any of their neighbors. Broken down by age group, it’s millennials who’re most likely to be friendly with their neighbors.
