Moving home is one of life’s great stressors, so it’s natural to want to celebrate when you’re finally in. With so much time, energy and money going into a move, we undoubtedly want to share it with the world on social media.
But be aware, there may be criminals lurking in your friends and followers who could take advantage of your excitement and haste in sharing online.
With 11.4 million #NewHome hashtags on Instagram and 506.4 million TikTok views, and a 24% year on year increase in house sales in 2021, we thought we’d cover what to do and what not to do when you’ve moved into a new home.
What NOT to do
New Keys
It’s a classic image, a photo of your keys in focus in front of your new home, or in front of you on your new doorstep. However, burglars and thieves can use this to create a carbon copy of your keys, gaining access to your home. Sharing a picture of new keys on social media is now tantamount to handing over a key to a burglar.
Instead: Don’t share that pic! Then, change your locks. You don’t know who has those same keys. It could be the previous owner, their friends, loved ones, etc. Change your locks and you’ll be safe in the knowledge that you’re the only one with the current keys.
Address
Some social media users share a photo of their street sign to signal their move, but this could potentially be harmful too. This could prompt a burglar to go to your location, and attempt to figure out which home has just been moved into. This could be easy, particularly if you still have your SOLD sign up, are moving in over several days or have discarded boxes outside your new property.
Instead: Ensure that whenever you leave your property unattended you lock all doors and windows, and you don’t leave any boxes or packaging outside. If you can, make sure that all windows have curtains or blinds on them as soon as you can, which will help protect your belongings.
Property Layout
It’s very tempting to do a “house tour” on video, or even take pictures of the front of your property to celebrate, but this could give unwanted visitors the chance to assess your home without needing to be physically in front of it, as well as routes to valuables and exit strategies.
Instead: Take interior shots and take care not to reveal too much about your location.
Captions
It pays to be mindful of captions and hashtags on social media as well, as these things can giveaway details that can be used by thieves. Location and property details can help burglars narrow down which house is yours and give them the best way to enter.
Instead: use general or abstract hashtags. You should also be careful of sharing your location when you’re not at home, as that could signal to potential burglars that the property is empty.
We know it’s an exciting time that you want to share with your friends and family, but it’s important to keep yourself and your new property safe.
Stick to a “Champagne and takeaway” photo instead!
