Have you tried putting out a small welcoming gift, such as a jigger full of whiskey, vodka, or spirits (pardon the pun)?  If you do that regularly, you should find a friend made.  There are many traditions--Slavic, Celtic, etc--that offer such treats to hearth and garden spirits who in turn provide some minor protective benefits, as well as just a nice, clean feeling at the back of your self, like all is fine with the world.  It works.