If you’re about to move house, you’ll certainly want to share the news with family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and everyone else who matters to you.
Needless to say, the best way to let people know that you’re moving is to tell them face to face. Yet, that’s not always possible – you may not have enough time to meet everyone in person amidst the hectic moving preparations, not all of your friends and relatives may live in the same city, etc.
Either way, you need to think of some other ways to inform people that you’re moving and provide them with your new address.
Fortunately, you’re not without options – from custom moving announcement cards to creative social media posts, there are many easy, effective, and fun ways to announce your move.
Here is everything you need to know about moving announcements so you can share the news in the best way possible:
Why you should send moving announcements
Moving announcements not only provide an easy way to notify people of your relocation, but also allow you to share important information (such as your move date and your new address) and ask for moving help (if you need any):
- You will want your family and friends to be able to reach you and stay in touch after the move, so you will want them to know when you’re moving and where they can find you;
- You will want everyone you interact with to have your new address so you don’t miss out on mail when you move (See also: How to change your address when moving);
- You will want everyone you’re on good terms with to know that you need moving help as they may be able to offer invaluable assistance (free packing supplies, recommendations for movers, help on moving day, etc.).
A moving house announcement will work great for all these purposes.
What to include in a moving announcement text
First and foremost, a moving announcement should state the date of your move and give the address of your new residence.
If you’re not moving alone, it is a good idea to include the names of everyone who will be moving with you – your spouse or partner, your children, etc. This way, all your family members will be able to use the same moving announcement cards.
Depending on the specific circumstances in your case, you should include whatever other information may be relevant (such as whether your move is permanent or temporary, for example) and any details you want to share (the reason for your move, the date of your moving sale, whether you’re using professional moving services or performing a self-move, an interesting fact about your new city, etc.).
You can also use your moving announcements to ask if anyone can recommend a good mover, if anyone has old moving boxes or other packing supplies they don’t need, if anyone would be willing to help you with the heavy lifting on moving day, etc.
Needless to say, you can include anything you want in your moving announcement cards – and you can personalize them as much as you wish. Just remember that the best moving announcements not only contain all the information the home mover wants to share, but also convey it in a funny or creative way.
Who to send moving announcements to
You will probably tell family and close friends about your move in person but it is a good idea to send them moving announcement cards anyway – so they have your full postal address written down and so you can make them smile with a personalized card.
Keep in mind that you should send “We’re moving” announcements to all your relatives and friends – even if you’re not particularly close with some of them or if you’ve drifted apart recently. It is important that they have your new address, so they can get in touch if need be. Besides, updating them on your life can help you reconnect.
It is also recommendable to send moving announcement cards to colleagues and neighbors you’re friendly with and to everyone else you want to stay in touch with – as well as to everyone that might want to reach out to you for some reason.
Related: Who to notify when you move
When to send moving announcements
Generally, the earlier you announce your move, the better.
You will want your family and friends to know that you’re moving as early as possible – so there is enough time to process the fact that you’re going to part with each other and say a proper goodbye. Besides, if you want some of your friends to help you on moving day, they need to know the date well in advance so they can make their plans accordingly.
Therefore, you’re advised to send moving announcements to your loved ones as soon as the move – and the moving date – is confirmed. If you want to make interesting “We’re moving” announcement cards and need more time to create them, you can inform your family and friends of your moving plans with a simple e-mail – or better yet, in person – and send the personalized moving house announcement cards later.
When it comes to people you’re not so close with, it’s best to send them moving announcement cards a couple of weeks before the relocation.
It’s up to you to decide when exactly to send moving announcements, of course – just make sure you do so BEFORE the move.
How to announce you’re moving
There are many creative ways to announce you’re moving – and many easy ways to do so as well.
Here are some practical moving announcement ideas you can choose from:
1. Use the old school method – moving announcement cards
The most traditional way to let people know you’re moving is to send moving house announcement cards by mail. It may be considered old-fashioned, but it is the most personal method to announce your move – and your loved ones will appreciate it as it means you made an effort to reach out to them instead of just sending a quick text or posting the news on your social media account. Besides, people nowadays get very excited when they find a postcard or letter in their postbox as it happens quite rarely.
You can buy some well-designed moving announcement cards from the store and handwrite them for a personal touch – or you can create some unique “We’re moving” cards yourself. The latter approach will take more time and effort but will allow you to make custom moving announcements that are funny, creative, and/or truly meaningful to the person who receives them.
2. Send e-mails or digital cards
With so many moving tasks to complete before your relocation, you may not have the time to run to the post office and send actual paper cards.
It will be much more convenient to go with digital moving announcements – you will be able to send an e-mail or an e-card with just one click, you won’t have to pay for mailing the cards, and the recipients will receive them immediately.
Besides, you can use your computer skills and design unique moving announcements that incorporate text, photos, and art in a way that reflects your personality and conveys your idea perfectly.
See also: Week by week moving checklist
3. Use the social media
Nowadays, people rely on social media for communication, information, and entertainment – so, you can simply use your social media profiles to announce your move.
How to announce you’re moving on social media? You can create a Facebook event page, post a meme on Instagram, tweet the news on Twitter, etc.
In fact, using the social media is the easiest way to inform people of your move – all your acquaintances will see your post, so you won’t need to send moving announcements to everyone in person.
What’s more, social networks allow for easy interactivity – you can attach photos, incorporate a map with directions to your new home, etc. And you can expect comments – opinions, well wishes, moving advice, etc. – within the very first minutes of publishing the “We’re Moving” announcement.
Good to remember: Be sure to check the privacy settings on your social media profiles, so the information you publish is not available to strangers.
4. Make a video
Creating videos as moving announcements is another good way to inform people of your move. You will be able to share all the information you want to, as well as your thoughts and feelings about the move – and a video will capture your emotions and the moving house atmosphere better than any written text.
All you need to do to make a “We’re moving” video is stand in front of the camera and talk about your upcoming relocation. To make things more interesting, however, you should look to capture some funny moments from your moving preparations, crack a joke or two, add some music, and/or include a few special effects. Be sure to announce your new address at some point in the video and remind those watching to write it down.
You can share your moving announcement video via a file-sharing service or upload it to YouTube or some other video-sharing site (just remember to adjust the privacy settings to keep your video secure).
5. Throw a moving-away party
Throwing a going-away party is not so much about announcing your move – everyone invited will already know that you’re moving (in fact, you can use your moving announcement cards to invite your friends to a farewell party). It is about getting together with your friends one last time before you move away. It also provides the perfect opportunity to share details about your relocation and your new home, share your thoughts and feelings with your pals, give them your new address, give them small goodbye gifts, etc. You can even throw a packing party where your friends help you organize and pack your items for moving.
Just be sure to make your moving away party fun, emotional, and memorable – provide tasty snacks and drinks, play great music, come up with fun game ideas, make a farewell speech, share memories, etc.
See also: How to throw a moving-away party
How did you announce your last move? Do you have any other interesting moving announcement ideas? Share your thoughts and your experience in the comments below.