So far this year, 2025, has been a challenge for most movers, irrespective of the sector in which they mainly operate. Steve Jordan reports.

This is not supposed to be an in-depth study of the UK moving market.  But it is a summary of the comments made by some of the country’s largest moving companies when asked the simple question: ‘So, how has 2025 been for you?” 

We have intentionally not named any companies or given a clue as to which they might be.  That way the executives concerned could be confident in speaking freely without the risk that commercially-sensitive information would be revealed.

The purpose of the story is to give a general impression of the overall market.  That way, by comparing your own experiences and trading for the year, you can assess whether you are in line with others, or not.

First half
Although the domestic moving year started off well for some, as customers did what they could to thwart the Chancellor’s Stamp Duty changes, this benefit soon evaporated to create slow trading in the first half of the year.  This was likely to have been caused by persistently high interest rates resulting in subdued mortgage approvals.  That said, enquiry levels held up demonstrating, at least, an intention to move when the opportunities were right.  The time between enquiry and moving was, however, long.

Those involved in moving for ‘high net worth’ customers, however, might have enjoyed better trading as wealthy people sold larger properties to reduce the size of their estates and their potential tax liabilities.

When the season kicked off in earnest, it did so with a bang with summer trading being very brisk and a promising potential for the latter half of the year.  Some, however, reported more stop-start trading and significant regional differences. Handling these inconsistencies has been a challenge for some ...

Click here to read the full story in The Mover magazine.

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