An analysis of house move data by Compare My Move has revealed Halloween was the busiest day for home moves in 2025, with October the busiest month overall. A review of more than 170,000 moves arranged through the comparison platform found just under 2,500 people moved home on 31 October.
The summer months have traditionally been the most popular months to move, with August topping the list in 2024 and 2022, and July the busiest month in 2023. The change was prompted by a shift in buying behaviour, Compare My Move said, partly due to the more generous stamp duty allowance coming to an end in March.
“This triggered two immediate effects,” the company explained. “A surge in completed moves in March, with activity up 50% compared to March 2024, followed by a sharp slowdown once the relief ended.”
The slowdown contributed to a 31.5% drop in house moves between March and April, with buyer activity pushed into late summer and early autumn, Compare My Move said.
“As a result, September and October saw a noticeable increase in completed moves.”
Falling bank rates also contributed to the October surge, the analysis found. When the bank rate dropped to 4% in August, buyers who were adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach were encouraged to proceed with their plans, Compare My Move explained.
“As a result, this surge in buying activity would have translated into a higher number of completions and moves during the autumn months,”
“The fact that Halloween was the most popular day to move house has nothing to do with the holiday itself and everything to do with when it fell,” Dave Sayce, co-founder and managing director of Compare My Move said.
“Fridays are the most popular day for moving, accounting for 28% of all moves last year. This is because key services such as solicitors and banks are still operating, while movers also have the weekend ahead to unpack and settle in.
“The end of the month is also typically a busy time for completions, as many transactions are structured to finish then. Completing at month end helps align mortgage repayments with the start of the following month, which is particularly useful for people paid at the end of the month.
“It also helps movers avoid paying overlapping monthly costs from the previous month.”
