Comparison site reallymoving has recently published new data revealing changes in home-moving behaviour in 2025.
New data from reallymoving reveals how UK home-moving behaviour changed in 2025, based on comparison data from thousands of movers across the year. The analysis highlights key shifts in moving volumes, seasonality, and consumer behaviour, offering a snapshot of how the housing market evolved over the past 12 months.
- 726,000+ moving quotes analysed: reallymoving analysed over 726,000 home-moving quotes generated in 2025, offering a detailed picture of demand patterns and consumer behaviour relevant to removal and relocation suppliers.
- Peak moving days create clear capacity pressures: Halloween (31 October) was the busiest moving day of the year, with approximately 24,700 moves, nearly five times the daily average. Fridays accounted for 27% of all moves, reinforcing the importance of end-of-week capacity planning.
- Shorter-distance moves dominate: The median distance moved fell to 10 miles, continuing a year-on-year decline. This highlights sustained demand for local and regional removal services, with the average removals cost at £709.
- Birmingham leads destination demand: Birmingham was the most popular relocation destination, followed by Manchester, South East London, Bristol and Belfast, signalling where removal firms may see the strongest inbound activity.
- First time buyers remain the core customer base: Accounting for 58% of all buyers, this group continues to drive moving volumes, often favouring smaller, cost-conscious moves and structured services such as part-loads and entry-level packages.
- Regional migration fuels moving volumes: Yorkshire & the Humber saw the highest net inflow of movers (+32%), creating opportunities for inbound relocation work, while London’s net outflow (-62%) continues to generate outbound move demand.
- Downsizers generate high-value moves: Making up 27% of all movers, downsizers often require full-service removals, packing and storage. They released nearly £129,000 in equity on average, indicating strong purchasing power for premium services.
- Upsizers face bigger property jumps: Moves into larger family homes, particularly from 3-bed to 4-bed properties, involved the biggest financial leap, typically translating into larger household moves and higher-value removal jobs.
- Cash buyers support faster completion timelines: 19% of purchases were cash-funded, often reducing transaction delays and enabling more predictable move scheduling for removal companies.
- Moving costs reached a record high: Total home-moving costs averaged £17,831, with removals remaining a visible and essential component, reinforcing the value of clear pricing and service differentiation.
- Investor activity remained low: With investors accounting for just 4% of purchases, owner-occupiers continued to underpin the majority of moving demand in 2025.
For further information, visit 2025 Home Moves in Numbers | reallymoving.