When is the Best Time of Year to Move Home?

When it comes to finding the perfect house, selling your own, waiting for chains, or sorting out exchange contracts, it’s not always possible to choose exactly when we will move into our new home. If you have been given the choice though, you’ll have been left with one more big decision to make: when is the best time to move house?

Choosing the ideal moving time comes down to you and your family’s needs, however there are a few universal factors that come into play. We’ve taken a look at the most and least popular times to move, along with a break down of each season and its pros and cons.

When is the most popular time to move house?

Rather unsurprisingly, Summer is the most popular time to move home, and according to a comparemymove survey of over 66,000 movers, nearly 30% of them chose to move during the Summer months. It’s also not particularly shocking to learn that the least popular time of the year to move is Winter, with only 21% of movers choosing to pack up in the snow.

We were surprised to find, however, that the runner-up for least popular moving season was Spring, with 23% of movers, in comparison to Autumn’s 27%. This could be down to tight finances after Christmas, or the fact that most houses sell in Spring, but don’t complete until later in the year.

Moving by Season

Spring

With its increasingly long days and (usually) good weather, Spring is surprisingly unpopular with UK movers. Spring is actually the most popular time for houses to sell, so the quiet moving season is likely down to the fact that contracts take a while to organise before moving can take place.

However, this quiet period could actually make Spring the perfect season for moving if you are ready to go – it’s the ideal compromise between agreeable weather and affordable removal company rates that are cheaper than peak moving times.

Spring Moving Tip: You may not have the lengthy summer holidays to make the most of but spring has plenty of its own Bank Holidays and an Easter break that can make moving with kids less of a chore.

Summer

Summer is the most popular season to move, but increased holiday rates plus busy removals companies can often make it the most costly. But that doesn’t mean the benefits of moving in June, July, or August doesn’t come with benefits.

Longer days and good weather make moving much easier, plus, if you have children you won’t need to worry about the school run, and they’ll have time to settle into their new home before starting school in September.

Summer Moving Tip: Summer is the most popular time to move in the UK, so if you must move house in the warmer months make sure to book a removals company well in advance.

Autumn

Our runner-up for the best time to move, the beginning of Autumn is also a great compromise between cheap removals rates and reasonable weather conditions.

Autumn is less popular with families who don’t want to disrupt their kids at the start of a new school year – but this can make it slightly cheaper for those who are able to move during this time. Autumn can also be a great time to move as it gives you a few months to get settled in to your new home before Christmas.

Autumn Moving Tip: Aim for the sweet spot just after the school holidays – the days will still be long and warm enough to make moving easier, plus children will be back at school.

Winter

With its short days and inclement weather, it’s no surprise that winter is the least popular time to move for us Brits. Not only can moving in bad weather be unpleasant, it can also be difficult and dangerous — especially when it comes to driving removals vans on icy roads, or carrying boxes through snow.

Of course, with winter being so unpopular to move, you do have the chance to take advantage of a slightly quieter period. However, do bear in mind that removals companies will begin winding down around Christmas and New Year.

Winter Moving Tip: If you really want to be in your home before Christmas, try to move in the very early winter to avoid the worst of the weather. If not, try to wait until the end of winter when the ice has begun to thaw.

 

Whenever you decide is the right time for you, if you’re moving to or from the Essex area, TFM is here to help. We provide home and business owners with specialist support when it comes to moving belongings, and our friendly and experienced removals team will do all they can to make moving easy. Find out more about our services by contacting our team. today.