Regardless of whether you’re living with in a landed property or an apartment overlooking the city skyline, it always pays to treat your neighbours as you would like to be treated. After all, as the old adage from Greek poet Hesiod would go, ‘A bad neighbor is a misfortune, as much as a good one is a great blessing.’, and you’ll never know when you’ll come to rely upon them for assistance.
Considerate SG couple gifts neighbours tokens of apology ahead of renovation work
With that in mind, Singaporean TikTok user @spongliee, also known as Ms Kylie, took to sharing her experience in practicing a kind and generous gesture with her new neighbours ahead of renovation works that were slated to commence at her new apartment unit. Well aware of the fact that the process can lead to disruptions as a result of construction workers bringing in raw materials as well as the obvious noise pollution with shared walls, Kylie proceeded to prepare a small token of apology in the form of biscuits and tea to distribute to the families of units living around them.
@spongliee We’re sorry 🥺🥲 #marriedlife #renovation #sgtiktok #sgrenovation #resalehdb
Filming the entire process, she left the tokens in the mailboxes of homes that were in close proximity around her own, and each came with a small note that introduced herself to her new neighbours.
“We have just moved in to Unit (removed for privacy reasons). Since we will be having renovations for the next 2 months, here are some cookies and tea for your tea time. Please accept this as a form of apology for any inconvenience caused.” the note read.
Netizens applaud the couple for their kindness
Once the tokens have been distributed, the renovation works commenced. And surprisingly enough, that one simple gesture has resonated with netizens across social media, with many commending them for their thoughtfulness.
In speaking with Wau Post, Kylie explained that she had been inspired to perform the gesture after a friend of theirs had received a similar token some time ago.
“…we all do know the pains and inconvenience when it comes to being a neighbour experiencing renovation and we thought we should adopt the gesture and start on a good note with the neighbours! (sic)” she said.
Gifting the tokens also granted them with the opportunity to get to know their neighbours better, she added. She was also glad that her video has since inspired many other homeowners to commit to small gestures of kindness and to start their new home journey on the right path.
It is worth noting that there are strict laws governing home renovations in Singapore, which dictates that they can only be carried out between 9.00am to 6.00pm from Mondays to Saturdays excluding public holidays. In the case of noisy renovation works such as the demolishing of walls, removal of floor finishes or excessive drilling works, they may only be carried out on weekdays from 9.00am to 5.00pm.
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