You know how choosing a moving date can feel simple right up until you try to line up the removals, the mortgage, the conveyancing, and the keys.
If you are working with estate agents in Coventry, timing matters because local demand shifts through the year, and the professionals you rely on can be fully booked at the busiest points.
In this guide, We compare seasons, weekdays, school holidays and market signals, then give you a practical plan for sellers, tenants, landlords, letting agents, valuers, and anyone who needs clean paperwork, strong digital photographs, and a smooth handover.
Read on.
Key Takeaways
- Book free, no‑obligation valuations with two agencies six to eight weeks before your target date to allow pricing, marketing and viewings.
- Market demand covers purchases from £50,000 to £10,000,000 and rents from £350 pcm to £10,000 pcm, often yielding faster sales and firmer offers.
- Summer brings more listings but higher prices and booked removals; autumn and spring often give steadier demand and easier conveyancing.
- If you can, avoid the busiest moving days. Late August and Friday completions tend to create the most pressure on removals teams, banking transfers, and key release.
Seasonal Trends for Moving Home
Seasonality is real in the UK housing market. Completed transactions tend to rise in the warmer months and drop back in winter, which changes how quickly viewings stack up and how competitive offers feel.
For sellers in Coventry, Kenilworth and Leamington Spa, summer usually brings more active buyers and more competing listings at the same time. That can work in your favour if your home presents well, but it can also mean longer days of viewings.
Winter can feel quieter for sales, but buy-to-let and rental moves still happen, and they still need the same fundamentals: cleared banking on completion day, sharp digital photography for listings, and professionals you can reach quickly, including local firms such as Cartwright Hands.
If your move depends on a chain, build extra time into winter plans. Shorter days, Christmas closures, and slower responses to enquiries can stretch the timeline.
Summer vs Winter Moves
Summer and winter are not “good” or “bad”. They simply change your risk profile, your costs, and how far ahead you need to book.
One useful rule: in busy periods you protect yourself by securing capacity early. In quiet periods you protect yourself by preventing delays (paperwork, keys, funds, and access).
| Aspect | Summer Moves | Winter Moves |
|---|---|---|
| Market and competition | More buyer activity and more new listings, which can speed up sales if your pricing and photos are strong. Action: Set your launch date with your estate agent so your advert hits portals on a weekday morning, then keep viewing slots flexible. | Fewer competing listings can help your property stand out, but you may see more price sensitivity and longer decision times. Action: Reduce buyer hesitation by having paperwork ready early (title documents, lease details if relevant, and your solicitor instructed). |
| Removals availability | According to HomeOwners Alliance research with reallymoving, August is consistently the most popular month to move, and Fridays are the most popular day. Action: Get provisional quotes early, and ask what it costs to switch to a midweek move if your completion date changes. | You may find more availability and more room to negotiate, especially midweek. Action: Use that flexibility to plan a two-day move (pack day, then load day) if you have storage or a long distance. |
| Daylight and access | Longer daylight helps with end-of-tenancy checks, meter readings, and snagging issues you only spot in good light. Action: Take final room photos before you leave and keep them with your tenancy agreement records. | Darkness and weather increase the risk of missed damage, damp, or access problems on narrow driveways and shared entrances. Action: Bring torches, floor protection, and a clear key plan for every door, window lock, and alarm. |
| Banking and completion risk | Busy days increase pressure on conveyancers and same-day fund transfers. Action: Ask your conveyancer what time they expect funds to be sent and when keys can be released. | Shorter working weeks (Christmas and New Year) create fewer completion slots and more knock-on delays. Action: Avoid aiming for the last working day before a major holiday, and keep a back-up overnight plan. |
| Best-fit scenarios | Great if you want choice (more listings) or you need to align with school holidays. Action: If you are also selling, line up photos and valuations early so you do not miss the main wave of demand. | Useful if you prioritise cost control and flexibility over speed, or you are moving within the rental market off-peak. Action: Use the quieter period to negotiate move-in dates and book preferred contractors. |
Spring and Autumn as Transition Seasons
Spring and autumn often give you a balance: decent daylight, fewer extreme weather days, and a market that feels active without being frantic.
HMRC’s property transaction reporting shows the UK market is highly seasonal, and spring typically marks the return of higher activity after winter. In May 2025, for example, the provisional seasonally adjusted residential transaction count was around 81,470.
If you are selling, spring can reward good presentation because gardens and natural light lift first impressions. If you are buying, autumn can reward patience because you may face less competition than late summer, while still having enough stock to choose from.
- Spring move: Book your property valuation early, then schedule your photographer for a bright weekday to improve digital photographs.
- Autumn move: Ask your conveyancer about realistic exchange dates, then book removals around that window rather than locking a single day too early.
- Either season: If your chain is long, build in extra time for surveys and enquiries because the “average” timeline rarely applies to complex files.
Weekdays vs Weekends: Choosing the Right Day
The “best” moving day is the one that keeps the legal process, the money, and the keys aligned. That usually means planning around professional availability first, then fitting work and family around it.
Weekday completions are the norm because banks, solicitors, estate agents, and inventory clerks are all working. Weekends can help with packing and decorating, but they rarely work for completion itself.
| Factor | What to consider | Quick action |
|---|---|---|
| Availability of professionals | Estate agent, conveyancer, mortgage lender and inventory clerk all matter. | Contact them early, note their calendars, and avoid days when key staff are away. |
| Moving help | Moving company and friends need a date that suits them. | Get a provisional booking, then confirm the moment you have a realistic completion window. |
| School and work | Holidays and shift patterns affect who can move and when. | Check term dates, consult employers, and plan childcare before you fix your move day. |
| Advertising and viewings | Agencies can list properties online within 24 hours of instruction. | Instruct early so the listing goes live while buyers are actively booking viewings. |
| Market and demand | Market conditions influence timing more than the day of the week. | Ask your agent what buyers are doing right now, then pick a completion week that suits the chain. |
| What the moving data suggests | HomeOwners Alliance research with reallymoving has repeatedly found Fridays are the most popular moving day, while Sundays are the least used. | If cost or stress is your priority, request quotes for a Tuesday to Thursday move and compare the totals. |
| Logistics and costs | Costs can change by day because demand changes, not because the work is different. | Ask for two quotes: your preferred day and a midweek option, then choose with real numbers. |
| Completion timing | Funds transfer and key release are time sensitive on completion day. | Call your conveyancer early on the morning of completion to confirm funds are being sent. |
| Decision rule | Prioritise the parties and services that matter most to your move. | Use a short checklist and only commit once the slowest part of your move is under control. |
- If you want the smoothest completion day: aim for midweek, when professionals are less stretched.
- If you must move on a Friday: plan for a later key release and keep an overnight option in mind, especially if you are in a chain.
- If you are a tenant: avoid ending one tenancy and starting the next on the same day unless your letting agent confirms check-in timing.
Impact of School Holidays on Moving Plans
School holidays do not change the legal steps, but they change your logistics. Families often prefer to move in the long summer break, which adds pressure to removals and creates competition for the most convenient dates.
Term dates vary by local authority and by school type, so treat your local calendar as a planning tool, not a footnote.
Late August is commonly a pinch point: families want to be settled before term starts, and removals teams are at peak capacity.
- If you have children: aim to complete at least one to two weeks before term starts so you have time for uniforms, routes, and childcare handovers.
- If you are renting: ask the letting agents about check-in times and key collection, then avoid moves that force you to store belongings overnight.
- If you are a landlord: build extra time for cleaning, safety checks, and inventory reports because contractors also book up in school breaks.
- If you are selling: keep viewing availability realistic during holidays, or you risk losing momentum right when demand is high.
Market Conditions and Housing Demand in Coventry
Local market signals drive demand in Coventry, and Prominence Estates has some of the largest share of new-home listings in the city and surrounding area.
Prominence Estates engages with over 50,000 accounts every month via social media and marketing avenues, and that once instructed it aims to have a property advertised online within 24 hours.
Fast distribution matters because portal exposure can compress the time between listing, viewings, and offers. In a busy week, that speed helps sellers protect their price and helps landlords reduce void periods.
| Where buyers and tenants look | What it does well | How you use it in your timing plan |
|---|---|---|
| Rightmove | High visibility for both sales and rental searches. | Launch early in the week so you can capture enquiries and book viewings before the weekend. |
| Zoopla | Strong comparison-style browsing, useful for buyers weighing options. | Make sure your listing data is consistent (price, tenure, council tax band, key features) to reduce wasted enquiries. |
| OnTheMarket | Often used by serious movers tracking new stock. | Coordinate photography and floorplan readiness so you do not delay publication once instructed. |
Demand can cover a wide price range, from £50,000 to £10,000,000 for purchases, and rents from £350 pcm to £10,000 pcm, which makes pricing accuracy and clean presentation more important than guessing the “perfect” week.
Tips for Planning Your Move at the Best Time
Plan early to cut stress. Treat your move like a project: timeline first, then bookings, then paperwork.
If your plan includes a mortgage, build in time for surveys and conveyancing. Recent industry tracking has put average time to exchange at around four months, and some transactions take longer depending on leasehold and chain complexity.
A simple timeline you can actually work to
| When | What you do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 10 to 16 weeks before your ideal move | Instruct your conveyancer, gather ID, and line up your mortgage application (if needed). | It reduces the chance your mortgage offer or survey window becomes the bottleneck. |
| 6 to 8 weeks before your ideal move | Book free, no-obligation property valuations with two agencies and agree a launch plan. | You give yourself time for pricing, marketing, and viewings, without panicking later. |
| 2 to 4 weeks before completion | Confirm removals, parking, access, and key arrangements with the estate agent and the other side. | Small access issues cause big delays on completion day. |
| Completion week | Pack with essentials separate, plan for late key release, and keep a back-up overnight option. | Funds transfers and chains do not always run to your schedule. |
- Book free, no-obligation property valuations with both agencies six to eight weeks before your target date, to set price and allow time for marketing and viewings.
- Ask Prominence Estates to place your adverts on social media and major online portals. We can publish listings within 24 hours of instruction, which can help reduce void periods.
- Speak to letting agents early if you need a short-term rental, so you do not accept a poor move date just to avoid overlap.
- If you are a landlord, use an independent, accredited inventory company for a pre-move inspection and regular checks. Clear inventories reduce deposit disputes and speed up handovers.
- If you are a tenant, keep your tenancy agreement, check-in report, and dated photos together. They are your quickest route to resolving end-of-tenancy queries.
- If you take a deposit, protect it quickly. GOV.UK guidance states landlords or agents have 30 days to protect a tenancy deposit and provide the required information.
- If you are arranging a formal valuation (probate, shared ownership staircasing, or investment reporting), consider using a RICS registered valuer, which is a route firms such as Cartwright Hands can offer.
- Register on both agency websites to get instant alerts on new listings and status updates. You will move faster when the right property appears.
Conclusion
The best time to move is the time you can execute cleanly, with the right professionals booked and your paperwork ready.
Summer brings more listings, but removals and conveyancing can be stretched, especially on Fridays and in late August.
If you want a calmer move, spring and autumn often give steadier demand and more workable booking slots. Speak to estate agents in Coventry early, book your valuations, and plan your move date around the slowest part of your chain.
FAQs
1. When is the best time to move home in the UK?
Summer, especially June to August, is often best for a quick sale and more buyers, but removals firms are busy and house prices can be higher.
2. Do house prices rise in the peak moving season?
Not always; estate agents see more demand in peak months, which can push house prices up, but local markets and wider economic data can change that.
3. Should I move during school term or school holidays?
Many families use the long school holidays to avoid disrupting term time. Moving in term time can work, but expect more juggling and possible conveyancing delays.
4. What practical steps help me pick the right time to move?
Check recent house prices in your area and talk to an estate agent, then book a conveyancer and a removals firm early. Consider stamp duty rules, your work dates and the school term when you set a moving week.
