Finding the love of your life isn’t supposed to be easy, so the odds of living next to them is one in . . . well, a really, really large number! If you’re here, you’ve obviously found yourself in a miraculous situation. Either that, or your new feelings for the person next door are, in part, an act of desperation. Whatever the case may be, this type of relationship needs to be approached with caution, as your close proximity could make for danger down the road.

Dating your neighbor can be an ideal situation. One of the things that most couples struggle with is finding time to be together. Your commute time to their home might be down to a matter of seconds if you live close enough, and checking to see if they’re available might just require a shout out the window. If you’re at a point where you're able to spend nights together, you can skip all that prep time packing your clothes and toiletries for the next day and head straight for the sheets. If you begin to spend enough time at each other's places, your shared interests can lead to reduced strain on your bank accounts. Imagine shopping for food, sharing gas expenses and saving on hydro costs. It would almost be as profitable as living together! Another benefit of living close by is that if you want some alone time, you’re only steps away. Dating the person next door sure looks like a good move, but is it really?

“Closure comes with distance, and seeing your ex regularly, what they’re doing and who they’re doing it with, could make things extremely difficult.”

A romance involving two lives, functioning so close to one another, will also put strain on your relationship at an early stage. As a new couple fight to spend more time together, you could find yourself in a situation where you’re suddenly spending too much of your day in each other’s company. There is such a thing as moving too fast. This is part of the danger of dating a neighbor. Some people are also very fond of their free time and operating without the watchful eyes of a boyfriend or girlfriend. That’s not to say that they are looking for love elsewhere, but you should consider how you or they might feel if you’re not on the same page. The biggest downside to this type of relationship is a break-up. For many, closure comes with distance, and seeing your ex regularly, what they’re doing and who they’re doing it with, could make things extremely difficult. With all that could go wrong, you need to take steps ahead of time to help reduce the dangers.

Talking to your neighbor before things get serious should help alleviate some of the worry. Put everything out on the table. Find out how they would feel about certain situations. Role-play with them and see if you agree on how to handle the worst you can imagine. Openness and honesty won’t save you from all the pain if your relationship with your neighbor slips down the drain, but it should give you a better idea if this is something you want to explore together.