When is the best time of year to move house?

If you're in the position to pick and choose when you move house, you're in a very lucky minority! Most moves are dictated by the time it takes to sell your property, to find, agree a price on and exchange contracts on your new home, and then your chain remaining in place to allow you to complete.

If you're in control of your move date, the best times are either late spring or just after the summer holidays, when most moving companies are less busy and consequently their rates will likely be lower as well. Weekend rates tend to be higher also, as are the associated costs for renting crates, storage space and truck hire.

However, most of us have other factors to consider such as kids, wives/husbands, jobs, schools and a whole host of other reasons why our move date is often dictated to us, rather than decided by us.

If you have children in school, it is best to base your move around the school calendar. Summer is ideal, as it provides a good six to seven weeks where they can say goodbye to friends, adjust to the idea of moving, and then adapt to their new surroundings prior to starting school again. They will be much better prepared for the new school year if they have had a chance to think of their new house as 'home' before embarking on the new school year, making new friends etc.

If possible, try and avoid major holidays especially Christmas. Trying to move around this time will be more costly, have higher potential for damages to occur due to slippery or wet conditions on roads and pavement thanks to rain or snow, and travelling is generally harder both for you and the moving company. If you do have to have move home during the festive period, then make sure to read our guide to moving at Christmas.

For more moving tips and advice, take a look at the other guides in our moving advice centre or get in touch with a member of our team today to speak to one of our moving experts directly.