On average, we move home eight times in our lives, but is there a right or wrong time to move into your new home? In her latest blog post, Jess Hughes explores whether there’s a ‘best’ day of the week to move into your new home, as well as the benefits and pitfalls for buyers and their conveyancing solicitors. 

Completion needs to take place on a working day i.e., Monday to Friday. Unless you are a first-time buyer, or are currently renting a property, it is likely you will need to move all your belongings on the day of completion.

The most popular day to move house tends to be on a Friday. Home movers prefer this day as it allows them to have the weekend to unpack and settle in, ready to return to work on the following Monday. Doing this usually requires them to take just one day of annual leave on the Friday. If you are within a chain, you usually have less freedom on choosing a completion date but it is likely that your completion date is agreed to be on a Friday.

Even though Fridays are the most popular day to complete, this does not mean it is the best day to agree due to factors that are out of your control.  One factor being, if there are any unexpected issues on the completion date, a Friday afternoon gives your solicitors a limited amount of time to resolve this. Other services may also be limited on a weekend, so if you came into issues with your boiler that needs to be rectified straight away, you could be paying higher costs to have this rectified due to having to use an out of hours plumber/electrician.

As Fridays are the busiest day for completions, this results in higher transactions that the bank needs to process. If there is a delay in the bottom of the chain sending money, or there is an issue with the bank, this can delay the whole chain completing. If the funds are not received by 4pm on a Friday, it is unlikely the funds will arrive and could result in a failed completion.  This may lead to you having to stay with friends, family or reside in a hotel for the weekend until Monday when the completion can go ahead.

Some people may find completing on a Monday more beneficial to them. This could allow more time to pack over the weekend and clean the house ready for the new owners on the Monday.

Moving mid-week can also come with benefits. There is likely to be greater availability of removal companies and if required, you are more likely to be able to book in with them last minute if you agree a quick completion date. As mid-week is less busy for removal companies, you may possibly be able to find a cheap offer as quotes for removal companies will be higher on a Friday.

There are several factors to consider when choosing a completion date, this will come down to personal preferences and commitments. Someone who doesn’t work the typical Monday-Friday job and works shifts, may prefer not to complete on a Friday. As discussed, these are some points to consider when agreeing a completion date.