📰 What’s the Best Day of the Week to Move House?

When it comes to moving home, most people automatically think Friday is the best day. It makes sense on the surface — you get the weekend to unpack and settle in. But here’s the surprising truth: Friday might actually be the worst day of the week to move.

Why So Many People Choose Friday

Almost 1 in 3 moves in the UK take place on a Friday. It’s the most popular day by far. The logic is simple: complete the move at the end of the working week and have two days ahead to sort, unpack, and get organised.

But popularity comes with a price. Demand for removal companies, solicitors, and estate agents peaks on Fridays, and that can cause serious bottlenecks.

In fact, the single busiest day of the year to move is usually the last Friday in August, often nicknamed “National Moving Day.” On that one day, more than 22,000 home moves are expected to take place — around four times the daily average. That means vans are booked solid, solicitors’ phone lines are jammed, and if anything goes wrong, the knock-on effects can be costly.

The Hidden Risks of a Friday Move

While it sounds convenient, moving on a Friday carries more risks than most people realise:

• Delays are more common. Completion day delays happen in over 115,000 moves each year, according to the HomeOwners Alliance.
• It costs money. The average delay adds £509 in extra costs — often from paying removals teams overtime while they wait for keys. For around 1 in 7 movers, the cost shoots past £1,000.
• You could be stranded. Because most banks and solicitors don’t operate over the weekend, a small delay on Friday afternoon can mean you don’t get your keys until Monday. That’s three extra days of stress you weren’t planning for.

So What’s the Smarter Choice?

The experts — and removals companies like us who see it all first-hand — agree: midweek is best.

👉 Wednesday and Thursday stand out as the calmest, smoothest days to move. Demand is lower, removals firms often have more flexibility, and there’s less chance of hitting long chains of completions that jam up the system.

Financially, midweek also makes sense. Research shows that moving on a Wednesday can cost around 20% less than moving on a Friday. With removals companies not being booked to capacity, you’re more likely to get a better price, better timing, and a more personalised service.

Expert Insights

• The HomeOwners Alliance warns that peak Fridays create the highest risk of delays, especially during summer months when the property market is busiest.
• Jones Robinson Estate Agents found that Wednesday is the cheapest day to move, while Thursday balances cost with convenience.
• The Guardian reports that conveyancers consistently advise against Friday completions, citing bottlenecks and stressed-out clients as the number one cause of moving-day meltdowns.
• Even tradition backs it up: Living Etc magazine highlights that Thursday has long been considered a lucky day to start something new, while Monday is seen as a fresh, organised beginning to the week.

In Callum’s Words

Think of moving on Friday like doing your Christmas food shop at 5pm on Christmas Eve. Everyone’s there, it’s crowded, and if the shelves are empty or the tills crash, you’re stuck.

Choosing Wednesday or Thursday is like doing that shop at 8am: the shelves are full, there’s no queue, and everything goes more smoothly.

Final Thought

At Callum’s Removals, we’ll always move you on whatever day suits your circumstances best — but if you’ve got the choice, a midweek move is the stress-free move. Less pressure, lower risk, and a better start in your new home.

📞 Ready to plan your move? Call 0800 033 2119

🌐 callumsremovals.co.uk