Getting the keys to your brand-new home is an exhilarating milestone, and you’ll be excited to show it off to your friends and family as soon as you’ve moved in – but why stop there? TikTok is home to a vibrant and welcoming community of new-build buyers and homeowners who love to share their interior styles and inspiration, and support one another throughout their new home journeys; whatever stage of the new-build home buying process you’re in, you could join them too.

Whether you’re already a committed content creator, or feeling curious about how to get started, our tips on how to showcase your new-build home on TikTok will help to get those views, likes, and comments rolling in.

Tips for using TikTok to share your new-build home

Get your setup sorted

If you want to create slick and engaging TikTok content using your smartphone, it’s worth investing in a few pieces of equipment first – gone are the days of wobbly selfie videos or propping your phone against a water bottle. Phone tripods with integrated lighting are useful for capturing clear and focused images and videos, while a handheld gimbal, or stabiliser for your phone will ensure you take great-quality home tours, or videos while you’re out and about.

Style your home for the best content

Before you start snapping or recording, take the time to tidy up and style your new-build home to remove any clutter or distractions and ensure that the focus of your content is where you’d like it to be. This could be removing trailing wires from the background of your shot or strategically placing a potted plant in front of anything you’d prefer to hide (and for your safety, always avoid including any sensitive information such as your location or development name, and any work or school logos on clothing).

That being said, your home is a real home and not a showhome, and it’s ok if it looks ‘lived in’! Your followers will want to see your unique, authentic and relatable home style, rather than perfection, and if you have a cute pet that can make a regular appearance that’s even better.

Make your content composition interesting

Your home interior tours will be even more visually exciting and intriguing if you use a mixture of lingering, close-up shots on interesting details, long shots to frame the entire room or area, and dynamic shots that add movement and hold your viewers’ attention. If you’re shooting a static video or photos of your home interior for TikTok, style the area in the frame so that you have elements at different heights and depths.

Harness the power of natural light

Natural light just makes everything look better, and that goes for your home interior too. Try to use artificial light as little as possible when shooting content in your home; instead make the most of daylight, or indirect sunlight, to ensure that the colours in your shot are true to life and don’t appear ‘washed out’.

Shoot with the sun behind you, or with the blinds down, or even better aim for ‘golden hour’ – this is the hour just after sunrise, and before sunset, when the sun is lower in the sky and will bathe your home interior in a soft, diffused, and glowing light.

Shoot your content from the hip

It’s instinctive to hold your smartphone at eye level when shooting videos or taking photos for TikTok, but for a more natural angle, you should bring your device down to hip level – this results in true ‘eye level’ shots and a feeling that you could almost step into the frame when viewing it back. Next time you’re filming a home tour or snapping detailed shots, lower your phone to see how it makes a difference.

Capture the major milestones

As well as sharing content of your new-build home interior and how your décor style evolves, make sure to capture (or revisit) the milestones of your new home journey – from reservation day to completion day, and from your first decorating efforts to major style transformations.

Your followers will love if you share these with a story too, whether that’s a funny anecdote, a heartwarming memory, or a useful tip or insight that may help them on their own home-buying journeys. If you’re a first-time buyer, or used an affordable buying scheme to help you purchase your home, your content will be even more valuable to other buyers who could benefit from your knowledge and experience.

Show transformations and share your processes

TikTok is the perfect platform on which to show off a home interior transformation, as you can share the before, after, and everything in-between. Split it across multiple videos to keep your followers engaged, do one ‘big reveal’, or both; don’t forget to share your creative processes too, whether that’s a shopping trip for paint colours to decorate your new-build home, a tutorial on upcycling a piece of thrifted furniture, or styling a corner of your home with some new accessories you’ve collected.

Use trending sounds and themes

There’s always a new viral sound or content trend to join in with on TikTok and using them in your own posts or videos will help you to attract more viewers and new followers. So make sure to save any sounds or relevant themes you like and plan to use them in an upcoming video – because TikTok trends can quickly pass and you don’t want to miss the boat!

Try to post a variety of video lengths too, from snappy 5-second clips to longer content that lasts over a minute, to keep your followers engaged. If you need to post a very long video, such as a ‘storytime’ or to share lots of information, consider breaking it down into a series of shorter videos that are easier for viewers to digest.

Understand your followers and get engaged

As your audience grows on TikTok, pay attention to what types of content they’re drawn to and use this to guide your future themes – whether those are tours of your new-build home and the reasons why you chose to buy new, DIY tutorials, or just chatty vlogs to update people on what you’re currently working on or share your experience of an aspect of your home-buying journey. Don’t forget to engage with your followers in the comments too and encourage them to let you know what they’d like to see from you in your next posts.

Add your personality, have fun, and experiment

Your individuality is what will really draw people to your TikTok content, so let your personality and style shine through so that you’ll stand out from other creators. Focus on your unique qualities and niche experiences, such as if you’re a first-time buyer or you purchased your new-build home using a scheme such as Bellway’s Part Exchange; and if you have a specific home interior style or feature, such as a maximalist décor or a beautiful outdoor space, make that the topic of a large proportion of your content with tours, tutorials, and Q&As to engage your followers.

If you’re still in the early stages of your home-buying journey, find out how TikTok could help you to find your perfect new-build home, and make sure to follow Bellway on TikTok for exclusive showhome tours, expert tips, and real customer stories to inspire you. When you’re ready to start searching for your dream home, visit our website to explore your nearest Bellway developments, and find out about the many affordable buying schemes available to help you buy an energy-efficient new-build home, whether you’re stepping onto the property ladder for the first time or moving on.