Friday 25th August is set to be the most popular day to move home in 2023 with four times more households than average planning to move on that day. 5,500 moves are expected on this date, making it the busiest day for removal companies.
- August is the most popular month to move for the last 11 years. January and February are the least popular
- Almost a third of households (30%) move on a Friday. Only 5% choose to move on a Sunday.
- 1 in 5 removal companies (18%) are willing to negotiate on price depending on the day of the week
The most popular day to move home this year will be Friday 25th August, according to HomeOwners Alliance and reallymoving. Our analysis of more than 600,000 removal quotes collected by reallymoving found August has been the most popular month to move home for the last 11 years.
There were over half a million (514,000) owner occupier moves or approximately 1,400 moves per day according to the latest data from the English Housing Survey (2020-21). On the most popular day of the year, Friday 25th August, 1.08% of all moves are expected on this day — approximately 5,500 moves. This is four times more than the daily average.
Looking at the most popular month and days to move, this translates into 60,000 homeowners moving in the month of August alone and 154,000 homeowners moving on Fridays over the course of the year.
But – a survey of removal firms by reallymoving also found that 1 in 5 removal companies are willing to offer mid-week deals and negotiate on price to encourage movers to move at a less busy time.
The Busiest Day To Move
Commenting on the data, Chief Executive of the HomeOwners Alliance, Paula Higgins, says: “With the long summer bank holiday weekend it’s no surprise Friday 25th August is set to be the busiest day to move. A long weekend gives movers the opportunity to get settled and sorted before families return to school and work.
But, in a cost of living crisis, we wanted to point out to homebuyers that there are savings to be had by avoiding the busiest day. With the average 2-bedroom house move costing over £500, it would be wise for households to consider moving at a less busy time so they can negotiate a discount on their removals quote.
For those fixed on moving over the bank holiday weekend, prepare for delays as removals firms are put under added strain. And most importantly book removals firms early, check in with conveyancers as the move date approaches to ensure everything is lined-up and read-up on property fraud and how to avoid it.”
Rob Houghton, CEO of reallymoving, adds: “Moving on the busiest day of the year isn’t for the faint-hearted, especially with the August bank holiday also happening that week, pushing more moves onto the remaining four days. Ensure your conveyancer and everyone in the chain knows you’re working towards that date and book your removals firm well in advance, so you only need to confirm as soon as you exchange. It’s best to ask them to come to your house to assess the volume of your belongings. This ensures you have the right sized van and number of team members on the day of your move.”
Tips on avoiding moving day delays:
- Suggest an alternative day of the week, avoiding the August bank holiday weekend. Savings are possible, as we know 1 in 5 removal firms are willing to negotiate on price. See our guide to house removals costs.
- If you have to move on a Friday, ask your conveyancer to order the mortgage money from your lender the day before completion so it can be transferred first thing on the day of the move.
- Tell your conveyancer and insist that it is written in the contract that you should receive the keys by 1pm. Otherwise you could be stranded without keys to your new abode until Monday.
- If you’re going to be moving this August bank holiday, remember things are busier. Get quotes for removals firms as soon as possible and appoint them after exchanging contracts. Here are more tips on how to find the right removals company
- Choose a removals firm you trust and have rapport with. Talk through what would happen if a delay occurred. For example, do they have emergency storage? Be aware of the different things that may impact the cost of your move, like access or extra services.
For further advice on all aspects of buying, selling, owning and moving home, visit https://hoa.org.uk
Research Summary
Key Findings:
The figures are based on 631,332 removals quotes collected by reallymoving.com over the last 11 years. This data shows that:
- August is the most popular month to move (12%), followed by September (10%) and July (10%). Nearly a third of moves (32%) happen late summer/ early autumn.
- Friday is by far and away the most popular day of the week to move. Almost a third (30%) select Friday for their move.
- The last Friday in August tends to be the busiest day of the year to move.
August is the busiest month to move.
The most popular day of the week to move is Friday
- Almost a third of movers (30%) opt to move on Friday.
- Saturday (16%) or Monday (15%) are the next most popular days to move.
- Sunday is clearly the least popular day to move (5%), followed by Tuesday (10%)
|
Most popular days to move (past 11 years) |
Average % of movers 2011 – 2022 |
|
Last Friday in August |
1.081 |
|
Last Friday in September |
1.013 |
|
Last Friday in July |
0.973 |
|
Last Friday in June |
0.963 |
|
Last Friday in November |
0.886 |
|
Last Friday in October |
0.866 |
|
Last Friday in May |
0.744 |
|
Last Friday in March |
0.720 |
|
First Friday in September |
0.697 |
|
Second Last Friday in August |
0.689 |
About the HomeOwners Alliance
The HomeOwners Alliance hoa.org.uk now in its 10th year is a property advice website that provides expert advice, tools and services for all the key moments of buying, selling or owning a home. We are on the side of homeowners and campaign on a raft of issues and report on homeowner trends and homeowner’s greatest concerns.
About reallymoving
reallymoving is the UK’s leading provider of instant quotes for home moving services including home removals.
