Are you excited about your move? It can be tempting to share pictures, videos, and other details of your move with your friends on social media, but when it comes to moving to a new house it may not be the best idea to share everything that is happening.
Social media plays a major part in the majority of peoples' daily lives, and it’s the most spontaneous way of sharing news. If you declare your relocation on social media, your friends, acquaintances, and colleagues will view it briefly. This has pros and cons which will be explored further in this guide.
You might have a few friends who will be willing to help you with your move after reading your post or give you suggestions and important references. Sharing moving details might allow you to connect with old friends as well and enjoy new business opportunities in your new location. But even with these positives, we suggest you be extra careful when posting personal event details on any social networking site.
Here are a few things that you should keep in mind if you ever plan to share information about your move on social media:
Moving Date
Most social media experts warn against declaring your moving dates online. It’s even suggested that you don’t post any hints related to the date and time at which you will be loading or unloading your items to and from the moving truck. We suggest you give such confidential information to only your friends or family members.
Even if your privacy setting on social media is turned on, you never know who can view your profile or posts. If you share your moving dates or activities on a social platform, you might catch the attention of burglars who would be glad to come into your vacant house.
Moving for a job
LinkedIn seems the right platform to share moving information when you are moving for a job or searching for new business opportunities. However, it’s not a good idea to share your exact moving dates or locations even on career-oriented social networking sites. Also, posting about your move on social media can impact your present and future job opportunities. This could end up being a case of breach of contract.
Before you post anything about your move on social networking sites, we suggest you consider the various laws involved concerning your job contract.
Old and new location details
Sharing your current and new address on social media isn’t advisable no matter the situation. It would obviously be unpleasant if an unwanted person knocked at your door as soon as you moved into your new house after all. Here’s what you can do if you want to inform your friends, family, and acquaintances about your location change without involving anyone else:
- You can share your new address with your near and dear ones or business acquaintances through a private message or email.
- You can throw a housewarming party after you move into your new house and announce your new contact details to your guests.
- If you still find the need to announce your move on social media, you can customize your privacy setting so that you posts will show only to friends.
Photos of your new house
Here’s what you should consider before sharing pictures of your new house on social media:
- Avoid showing the house number in the picture.
- Avoid clicking a full picture even if a real estate agent has already posted it.
- Be careful about the number of images you share with your followers or friends. Sharing too many pictures can annoy your followers or even make them feel as if you are showing off.
- Post house pictures only after the deal has been finalized and you have signed the contract. There are cases where you may need to back out at the last moment due to some sort of issue.
Avoid negativity about your old neighborhood
For the possibility that you were not happy with your old neighborhood, moving to a new location might be a big relief. But there is no need to share such negativity on social media since it would reflect badly on you . Consider the other people who are living in your old area and the ones who are purchasing your former home. Rather than deal with the possibility of seeming mean to former neighbors, focus on starting your new life at your new home.
Cost of your house
It's not a very humble thing to share the price at which you purchased your new house (or the price at which you sold your old house) on social media. However, there might be others who have a similar interest, so we suggest you share these details with them in private if they request them.
Your valuable possessions
Sharing images of your most valuable paintings on Instagram can fetch thousands of likes, but at the same time it can catch the attention of thieves. Therefore, we recommend you customize your settings to show such posts only to friends. If you are trigger-happy when it comes to taking pictures, make sure you prepare an imagery inventory list for the moving company that you have hired for your move.
Now, let’s learn about a few ways in which social media can HELP you move to a new area:
Researching the new city
- With the help of social media, you can research your new city and find areas that have low crime rates, a good climate, proper education systems, and affordable living. This information can assist you with your final decision.
- You can use Twitter List to develop personalized news feeds that shows posts about a specific location.
- Social media can help you learn about the housing market, transportation facilities, environmental problems, cost of properties, and local events of the area of interest.
Downsize your move
It’s always worthwhile to declutter your belongings before moving to a new house. There’s no point in shipping items that you don’t need anymore since they’ll cause you to waste energy and time. You can sell items that are in good condition on social networking sites like Facebook Marketplace and negotiate the best deal.
Arranging moving supplies
Social media can help you obtain moving supplies for free or at a lower price:
- You can ask your friends and acquaintances for free or low-cost moving supplies that they have no need for.
- You can check your online neighborhood, garage sale, or trade group on social media to see if neighbors, friends, etc make posts if they have moving boxes available for you.
Settling in your new city
Social media can also help you settle in after your move:
- Usually every city and town will have its own social media account which can provide you with information on various community events, parks, local history, and trash pickup services.
- Customer reviews about local places can help you learn about gyms, restaurants, and community centers in your vicinity.
- Nextdoor can be used to connect with your neighbors. It’s a social networking site that verifies your address and makes sure you are communicating with people in your neighborhood only.
Hashtags?
It’s understandable if you want to capture your move through video or photo to make it memorable. Most people may take a selfie with their new house or have a last groupie with you’re their colleagues at the office. However, you should avoid using popular hashtags like #moving, since general hashtags like that will be used by numerous people on social media platforms, causing your posts to be exposed to strangers if you’re not careful. If you still want to use hashtags, make sure they are unique.
Social media can be very useful, but it’s up to you to make sure that it doesn’t go too far. We hope our guide helps with that. For more comprehensive help in coordinating your move, we suggest you hire reliable professional movers, who can help you relocate smoothly and safely.