Fun Ways to Document Your New Home Journey

Between your first family discussion about a new home and the moment your builder hands over your keys, there are so many memorable experiences to enjoy along your journey. Documenting your new home journey will add a whole new level of excitement for everyone! And of course, once you are all settled in, you will love to look back on this unique part of your family’s story. 

From a scrapbook to videos, take a look at a few fun ways to document your new home journey!

Create a Scrapbook: In today’s digital age, a physical scrapbook that you create together is more special than ever. While your new home is underway, take photos of the progress and insert them into the scrapbook by date. There's nothing quite like the thrill of seeing your foundation poured… sounds like the perfect way to start off your scrapbook! And once the framing is up, you’ll start to really see the bones of your new home. As you track the progress one photo at a time, you can add creative captions, and document everyone’s thoughts and feelings. The look and feel of your scrapbook is entirely up to you! Best of all, the finished product makes the perfect coffee table accessory to flip through periodically with your family.

Update Social Media: No matter what platform you enjoy the most, it is so much fun to track the progress of your home (and update your friends and family!) via social media. If you love photography, use your Instagram to highlight the beauty of your home as it is being built, as well as your new neighborhood. If you enjoy writing, Facebook and Twitter are the perfect places to document your journey through your unique writing style. You can even create a dedicated account to your home, complete with personalized hashtags, for your family and friends to enjoy. We say including a pic with your #HMHFAMILY sign is a great milestone marker, whichever platform you’re using! (See attached pic) 

Record Videos: There is never a wrong time to get creative and see what you can come up with! Videos are a great way to not only capture the physical progress of your home, but your family’s personal experience (and personality!) as well. You can take short video updates (like during your Pre-Drywall Meeting and Final Sign-Off Meeting) and upload them to any social media account, create a “vlog” on YouTube, or edit all of your videos together into a “home movie.” There is also an app called “1 Second Everyday” where you take a video of a single second each day — the app then allows you to watch all of them in order over your new home journey. Whether you want to share your content or keep it private with your family, the act of recording videos allows you to express your creativity while enjoying the experience.

Write a Blog/Journal: If you kept a journal as a kid, you know how rewarding it is to slow down and take time to reflect on your experiences. Whether you prefer to handwrite your entries, or you would rather maintain a blog on the internet (there are many free and easy platforms available!), documenting your journey this way is a satisfying “project” that is completely unique to you. Encourage your family to start a journal or blog of their own, and enjoy reading each other’s different perspectives. BONUS: Pages like this one can be linked to your blog, so you can remember the different steps. You can also embed any of the photos or videos you’ve taken. 

There is truly nothing like the process of moving into a new home. We hope you enjoy documenting your unique experience — and looking back on it after you settle in!