Key takeaways
- Tuesday to Thursday outside the June to September peak is the cheapest slot, commonly 10 to 20 per cent below a Friday.
- Friday and the last working days of a month are busy because completions cluster there, so fewer firms are free.
- A quiet date buys more than a discount: a firm with spare capacity can send a bigger crew or a second van.
- A completion date fixes the day for most buyers. What stays yours is how early you book, the packing, and parking at both ends.
Why the best day to move house is usually a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday
Most house sales complete on a Friday, so Friday is where demand for removal crews piles up. A full Friday diary leaves fewer firms with a van free, less choice of crew size, and no room to push your job later if the one before it overruns.
The shortage shows in the price. A move on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday outside the June to September peak is commonly 10 to 20 per cent cheaper than the same job on a Friday. A removal company sells crew hours and vehicle space, and prices the slot it can fill, which is most of how much it costs to move house.
A midweek date buys more than the discount. The crew is not on its fifth job of the week, and a firm with capacity left can send the bigger crew or the second vehicle the job needs.
| Day | What the day brings |
|---|---|
| Monday | Quieter than Friday, but weekend key handovers land on it. |
| Tuesday to Thursday | Most crews free, most room in the diary, lowest prices off peak. |
| Friday | Completion day for most sales, so firms fill up and prices rise. |
| Saturday | A premium day at most firms, and solicitors and banks are shut. |
What the part of the month does to your price
The last few working days of a month behave like a Friday all week. Completions and tenancy end dates cluster there, so more households compete for the same crews and vans, and the slots still open are the expensive ones.
The first half of a month is the quietest stretch, and the easiest time to book at short notice. The June to September peak sits on top of the weekday and the date, so a Friday at the end of August is the hardest slot in the year.
Book to the lead time rather than the date: four to six weeks as standard, six to eight in peak season, eight to twelve for long distance or a larger home. Telling three companies your dates are flexible turns a quiet date into a lower price, because each firm quotes against the gaps in its own diary.
Tip: ask each company what a different date would change on its own quote. A firm with a gap in its diary will say so.
When the completion date fixes the day for you
Most buyers never pick their moving day. Both sides of the chain agree the completion date, and the money has to pass along the chain before keys are released. Three things stay in your hands: how early you book, how much packing is done before the crew arrives, and whether the van can park close to both doors, where access, lifts and parking permits cost more hours than people expect.
A Friday completion needs a plan for a late key release. If a transfer stalls late in the afternoon, the people who could fix it have gone home until Monday, and a loaded van at the kerb is still crew hours.
Ask two questions before booking: what waiting time costs, and what happens if the keys arrive too late to unload. The usual answers are a night in the van or in the company’s store. Both cost more, and both are cheaper arranged in advance.
Compare removal quotes for your date
Quotes from insurance verified removal companies, priced for the date you give them.
Compare removal quotesHow to settle on a date
- Pick Tuesday to Thursday in the first half of the month where you have a choice.
- Book to the lead time, not to the date you hoped for.
- Tell three companies your dates are flexible and ask what another date changes.
- Ask about waiting time and late key release charges before booking.
- Arrange parking or a bay suspension at both addresses once the date is fixed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest day to move house?
Tuesday to Thursday outside the June to September peak, which is when removal companies have the most spare capacity.
Is it worth moving at the weekend?
Saturday suits people who cannot take a weekday off, but most firms price it as a premium day and the offices that release keys and money are shut.
How far ahead should the date be booked?
Four to six weeks as standard, six to eight between June and September, and eight to twelve for long distance or a larger home.
The date is one part of the plan. The moving house checklist sets out what to do each week before the van arrives, and there are more ways to reduce the cost of moving house than the date. To see who works near you, browse removal companies in London.