This TikTok home renovation trend could put you and your home at risk
Reviewed by
Alicia Hempsted
Updated: 21 Oct 2025
There's a viral TikTok home renovation trend that could put your property - and insurance - at risk. We share the risks of posting pictures of your home online and how to avoid them.
A new TikTok trend is going viral, with users racking up hundreds of thousands of views by posting before-and-after photos of their home renovations.
But while the transformations are impressive, sharing this kind of content could expose you to theft - and invalidate your home insurance cover.
Most people are keen to show off their home’s transformation, but by using old property listing photos as ‘before’ shots you might be giving away more than you bargained for. Without realising it, you could be revealing your exact address to anyone scrolling by.
Kara Gammell
Personal Finance & Insurance Expert
Personal Finance & Insurance Expert
Thieves often use online property listings to scope out targets
Many people don’t realise that using screenshots or screengrabs from their property’s original listing on sites like Rightmove or Zoopla can put them at risk.
These images can stay online for years and be easily found through a simple reverse image search - meaning anyone, including opportunist thieves, could work out where you live.
Posting your home online could invalidate your insurance
Posting pictures of your home online could also land you in hot water with your home insurance provider.
If your online content reveals where you live or showcases valuable possessions, your insurer may argue that you haven’t taken reasonable care to protect your property. Therefore, if your home was targeted by thieves as a result, your claim could be denied - leaving you to cover the replacement costs yourself.
It’s not that you can’t share your home online, but thinking twice before posting anything that reveals your location or valuables can make a big difference.
Tips to post safely without revealing your location:
1. Use your own “before” photos
Always avoid using old listing images from sites like Rightmove or Zoopla for the “before” shots - they can remain online for years and make your home easy to find. Taking your own photos means you control what’s shared.
2. Blur or crop identifiable details
Edit out or crop anything that could reveal your address, such as house numbers, street signs, or car registration plates.”
3. Keep valuables out of shot
Be mindful of how much you’re sharing when posting your home online. Make sure expensive items like tech, jewellery or artwork aren’t visible to avoid unwanted attention from opportunistic thieves.
4. Check your privacy settings
Where possible, set your online accounts to private so you can control who views your content. While going viral for your renovation might sound fun, leaving your home identifiable to strangers just isn’t worth the risk.
Reviewer
Alicia Hempsted
Insurance Expert
Alicia is MoneySuperMarket's editorial content manager. She specialises in insurance, with a background in copywriting, digital marketing, and insurance advice. Since joining MoneySuperMarket in...
