The most popular day to move house in 2024 is next week on Friday, August 30, research finds.
Three out of ten new home owners (29.5%) choose Friday to move in, followed by Saturday (15.7%) and Thursday (13.4%). Sunday is the least popular day to move – chosen by 5.1% of respondents.
Analysis of 630,000 removal quotes found that August was the popular month to move – chosen by 12% of respondents – followed by September (10.2%) and July (10.1%). February is the least popular month to move (just 6.2% move then).
However, there are drawbacks to moving on a Friday.
It is more expensive with removal firms, which often offer discounts for quieter days early in the week.
And if there is a hitch with the completion, a solicitor may not be able to resolve it over the weekend whereas they have more time to rectify things on a day earlier in the week.
Saturday is not classed as a business day by banks so money transfers can be impossible the day after if there are issues on a Friday.
Interiors expert and former estate agent Laura Rich from the online store Furniturebox said new home owners can add as much as £10,000 to the value of their new home in the first month without breaking the bank
She said that new occupants can transform the look and feel of a new property by decluttering combined with clever colour changes, revamps and the addition of ‘investment pieces’ of furniture such as a classic sofa
Here are Laura’s ten quick and easy tips for an instant home make-over and crucial buying hacks for new home owners
1 Add colour and new handles in the kitchen – the units in the kitchen may look a little dated and the handles come from another era. But completely replacing a kitchen can cost the earth – as much as £30,000 for high quality new units. A tired looking kitchen can be completely transformed with a fashionable new colour such as grey, navy blue or green instead of dated natural pine. New handles for the units can be bought for as little as £5 and give them a much more contemporary appearance.
2 Clean the carpets – it costs £4,000 to recarpet a new home but the carpets you have inherited may just need a spring clean. Get rid of those old coffee and wine stains and they will look great for a good few years. You don’t need to bring in a professional firm – a good carpet cleaner can be hired for as little as £15 for four hours.
3 Flout the grout – tatty tiles in kitchen and bathrooms can be transformed with an extra strong cleaner from a DIY store. Revamping the grouting around your tiles is as important as cleaning them, and can have a big impact. A clever trick is to invest in a £5 grout pen which can spruce up dull or yellowing grout and fresh-up the look of a bathroom, kitchen or toilet.
4 Perform your own garden rescue – declutter the open spaces at the front and the back of the property. Shift the bins out of view – a bin store can make things look prettier – and take that tatty old trampoline or barbecue to the tip. Trim the bushes, mow the lawn and fill those beds with new plants.
5 Size everything up – if you are investing in new furniture the best deals are online. Don’t measure a space by eye because your eyes can be deceptive. It is always better to bring a tape measure to one of the last viewings before completion or moving into a rental – and figure out all those spaces accurately.
6 Don’t overfill – just because you have an empty space to fill doesn’t mean you have to cram every space. Prioritise by highlighting your must-have new ‘investment pieces’ such as a new sofa which can transform a new room.
7 Bed in for the long-term – a small single bed may be perfect for your seven-year-old but what happens a few years later when they are a boisterous teenager who wants to have friends round for a sleepover? If you have the room, better to invest in a bigger bed when they are younger and avoid the need to double buy when they get older and want to switch from a single to a double.
8 Get a little help from your friends – imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and if there is a look that a friend has that you love, don’t be afraid to adapt it to your own home. There may be a dining set or a coffee table they have that you know would look great in your home too. Chances are they have borrowed the idea from someone else anyway
9 Have fun – moving into a new home is undoubtedly stressful but it is also exciting. Making over your home is fun and extremely rewarding. Set yourself a timetable to do a new project each week and see how your new home shoots up in value and becomes a much nicer place to live at the same time.
10 Don’t panic – online store Furniturebox promises next day delivery virtually anywhere in the UK for orders placed by 8pm the previous day. So you can move in, get a feel for your new home and then order a new table or accessory such as mirror or rug with exact measurements so you can be sure that everything fits nicely – all to arrive the very next day.
