Halloween emerged as the UK’s most popular moving day in 2025, signalling a significant shift away from the long-established trend of summer being peak season for home moves.

New analysis from Compare My Move shows that just under 2,500 people relocated on 31 October, making it the single busiest moving day of the year.

The findings are based on a review of more than 170,000 house moves completed during 2025. October was also identified as the busiest month overall, replacing August and July, which had dominated the moving calendar in previous years. This change reflects a broader shift in buyer behaviour, with more transactions completing in early autumn rather than midsummer.

A key factor behind the change was the end of temporary stamp duty relief in March. This triggered a sharp spike in completions before the deadline, followed by a slowdown in spring. Activity was up 50% in March compared with the previous year, before falling by more than 30% in April. As a result, many transactions were pushed into late summer and autumn.

Falling interest rates also played a role. Throughout 2025, the Bank Rate declined by a full percentage point, reaching 4% in August, its lowest level since early 2023. This encouraged buyers who had delayed earlier in the year to proceed, increasing completions in September and October.

Despite its spooky reputation, Halloween’s popularity had nothing to do with the occasion itself. Dave Sayce, Co-founder and Managing Director of Compare My Move, explained that Fridays account for 28% of all moves, offering access to solicitors and banks while allowing movers the weekend to settle in. Month-end completions are also favoured, helping align mortgage payments and avoid overlapping costs.

Together, these factors combined to make Halloween 2025 an unexpected – but logical – moving hotspot.

Photo: Dave Sayce.