Choosing when to move involves balancing convenience, cost, and risk. Most people instinctively reach for Friday or Saturday—but is that actually the best choice? Understanding the trade-offs between weekday and weekend moves helps you make a decision that suits your circumstances.
When People Actually Move
Data from hundreds of thousands of UK removals shows clear patterns. Friday is by far the most popular day, with around 29-34% of all moves happening then. Saturday comes second at roughly 16-17%, followed by Monday at about 15%. Sunday is the least popular choice, with only around 5% of movers opting for it.
This concentration of demand on certain days has significant implications for pricing, availability, and how smoothly your move is likely to go.
Weekend Moves: The Pros
No Time Off Work
The most obvious advantage of moving at the weekend is that you don’t need to take annual leave or unpaid time off. For people with limited holiday allowance or inflexible employers, this can be the deciding factor.
Time to Settle In
A Saturday move gives you Sunday to start unpacking and organising before returning to work on Monday. This breathing room helps you feel more settled and less rushed.
Family Availability
If you need help from friends or family—whether for childcare, pet-sitting, or extra hands—weekends are when people are most likely to be free.
Less Rushed Morning
Without the pressure of getting to work, you can focus entirely on the move. There’s no juggling of school runs or commuting logistics.
Weekend Moves: The Cons
Higher Costs
Weekend moves typically cost more than midweek alternatives. Saturday moves often carry a premium of 10-20% over standard weekday rates, while Sunday moves can add 20-30% due to overtime rates for staff. Some companies apply flat surcharges for weekend slots regardless of the job size.
Limited Availability
Because weekends are popular, removal companies book up faster. You may need to book further in advance to secure your preferred slot, and last-minute weekend bookings can be difficult or expensive to arrange.
No Support Services
This is the big one. If something goes wrong on a Saturday or Sunday, your options for resolving it are severely limited.
Solicitors and conveyancers are closed. If there’s a problem with your completion, it waits until Monday. Estate agents may have limited weekend hours or only emergency cover. Banks don’t process transfers. Utility companies have reduced support. Tradespeople charge emergency rates—if they’re available at all.
A problem that could be resolved with a quick phone call on a Tuesday might leave you stranded until the following week if it happens on a Saturday afternoon.
Busier Roads
Weekend traffic patterns differ from weekdays. Saturday mornings see heavy shopping traffic in urban areas, and bank holiday weekends bring motorway congestion from leisure travellers.
Weekday Moves: The Pros
Lower Costs
Midweek moves—particularly Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—typically offer the best rates. Research suggests around one in five removal companies actively offer midweek discounts to fill quieter slots. The savings can be meaningful: potentially 15-25% less than a Friday or Saturday booking.
Better Availability
With lower demand, you’re more likely to get your preferred time slot and have more choice of removal companies. Last-minute bookings are also easier to arrange midweek.
Support Services Available
If problems arise, help is available. Your solicitor is in the office. Estate agents are fully staffed. Banks are processing transactions. Utility companies have normal support hours. Tradespeople can be called out at standard rates.
This safety net is particularly valuable for complex house and apartment removals involving property chains, where delays and complications are more common.
Quieter Roads
Outside rush hour, midweek roads are generally quieter than weekends. Mid-morning departures avoid both the morning commute and school-run traffic, making journey times more predictable.
Buffer Time
Moving on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday gives you working days either side to resolve any issues before the weekend. A Thursday move is particularly popular for this reason—you get the long weekend to unpack, but Friday is available if something needs sorting.
Weekday Moves: The Cons
Time Off Work
The obvious downside. Most people will need to take at least one day off, possibly two for larger moves or those involving travel. If your employer isn’t flexible or you’ve used your holiday allowance, this can be a genuine obstacle.
Childcare Complications
If you have school-age children, a weekday move means either arranging childcare or working around school hours. The school run adds pressure to an already busy morning.
Less Help Available
Friends and family are more likely to be working, making it harder to recruit unpaid helpers for tasks like cleaning the old property or supervising deliveries at the new one.
Friday: A Special Case
Friday deserves separate consideration because it’s so popular—and because it sits awkwardly between weekday and weekend.
Why Friday Is Popular
The appeal is obvious: take one day off work, move on Friday, have the whole weekend to settle in. Property chains often align completions on Fridays for this reason. If you’re buying a home, your solicitor, the seller’s solicitor, and everyone else in the chain are likely pushing for Friday completion.
Why Friday Can Be Problematic
Friday’s popularity creates several issues:
Higher demand means higher prices—not as expensive as Saturday, but more than midweek. Removal companies are stretched, potentially affecting service quality. Estate agents are managing multiple completions simultaneously, which can slow key handovers. Banking systems are processing more transactions, increasing the risk of delays.
The biggest risk is timing. Banks typically have a 3pm cut-off for same-day fund transfers. If you’re in a chain and completions are delayed, you could miss that deadline—meaning you wait until Monday. Survey data shows that 85% of removal firms say delays are more likely on busy moving days, with the main causes being fund transfer delays (88% of cases), keys not released in time (69%), and chain knock-on effects (67%).
If something goes wrong after 5pm on Friday, you’re stuck until Monday. That’s potentially two nights without access to your new home, or sleeping on floors while problems get resolved.
There’s also a security consideration: Friday afternoon is the peak time for conveyancing fraud, where criminals target solicitors’ email accounts to divert house purchase funds. The timing exploits the weekend gap when fraud might go undetected.
The Thursday Alternative
Many experienced movers and removal professionals suggest Thursday as the sweet spot. Here’s why:
Competitive pricing: lower demand than Friday means better rates. Buffer day: if anything goes wrong, you have Friday to resolve it. Long weekend: take Thursday and Friday off, and you still get extended time to settle in. Services available: full access to solicitors, agents, banks, and tradespeople. Calmer conditions: roads are quieter, removal teams are less rushed.
The trade-off is taking two days off work rather than one—but for complex moves or anyone worried about problems, that insurance policy can be worth it.
Sunday: Cheap but Limited
Sunday is typically the cheapest day to move, with average costs significantly lower than other days. The discount exists because demand is so low—only around 5% of movers choose Sunday.
Sunday can work well for straightforward moves that don’t involve property purchases—for example, moving between rental properties where you already have keys to both addresses. Student and short-term moves often fall into this category. The lack of support services matters less when there’s no completion process to manage.
However, Sunday moves share all the problems of Saturday moves regarding closed services, plus the added pressure of returning to work the next day with your new home potentially still in chaos.
Making Your Decision
The right choice depends on your priorities:
If cost is the priority and your move is straightforward, Sunday or midweek offers the best value. If minimising time off work matters most, Saturday is the obvious choice despite higher costs. If you’re in a property chain, your completion day may be non-negotiable—but push for Thursday if you have any influence. If reducing risk is important, midweek moves give you the best safety net of available support services. If you want the best balance, Thursday offers competitive pricing, available support, and a long weekend to unpack.
Whatever day you choose, booking early gives you more options and often better prices. The further ahead you can plan, the more flexibility you’ll have.
When you’re ready to explore your options, you can get an instant quote and see what’s available for your preferred dates.
