The busiest day to move house this year will be Friday 30 August. Analysis of data by reallymoving also found August has been the most popular month to move home for the last 12 years.
Based on figures from the English Housing survey, there were 625,000 owner occupier moves in England in 2016-2017 or approximately 1,700 moves per day. On the busiest day to move this year, 3.8 times this level – approximately6,500moves – are expected.
But it’s not just Friday 30th August that’s popular. Friday is by far and away the most popular day of the week to move. More than one in four (28%) select Friday for their move.
Looking at the most popular month and days to move, it’s estimated that there will be 75,000 homeowners moving in the month of August alone and 175,000 homeowners moving on Fridays over the course of the year.
Why the sudden flurry of activity?
Chief Executive of the HomeOwners Alliance, Paula Higgins, says: “Many homeowners like to move during the school summer holidays so their children can settle into their new place in time for the new academic year, which is the start of September across most of the UK.”
“It’s also a natural result of the Spring Bounce – when we see more people selling and buying homes. It can take until the summer to get through the home buying and selling process.”
What to watch out for if you’re moving this August
Previous moving day research discovered 115,000 delayed moves annually. One in five homeowners (19%) who bought their home between 2016 and 2018 had moving day delays because of sellers vacating their homes late or funds not being cleared on time.
With even more moves expected to be happening than usual on 30 August, here are some top tips for avoiding delays:
- Get quotes for removals firms now. Ask your preferred firms to visit and assess your house for how many vans they will need and give you a quote. You want to be ready to appoint a removals firm on the day of exchange.
- Set your completion date now. Tell people up and down your chain your ideal date for completion so it simply needs to be confirmed on the date of exchange.
- Avoid a Friday if you can.Suggest a mid-week move to all in your chain pointing out the potential downfall of choosing to move on a busy day
- Be fraud aware.On the last Friday of the month bank money transfers can get overloaded and its peak time for conveyancing fraud. Be aware of scams or unusual activity
Finally, take deep breathes and focus on that cup of tea or glass of wine you can enjoy in your new home on the first night, the boxes can wait till morning!