How long does it take to move house? Timelines explained

How long does it take to move house? There are really two answers. The whole process — from accepting an offer to getting the keys — usually takes a few months in the UK. The physical move itself, on the day, takes anywhere from a couple of hours for a studio to a full day (sometimes two) for a large family home. This guide covers both, so you can plan your notice periods, book the van at the right time and set realistic expectations for moving day.

How long to move house: the short answer

• Buying or selling a home in the UK: typically around 12–20 weeks from offer accepted to completion.
• Cash buyer with no chain: can be quicker — often 6–10 weeks.
• Moving between rented homes: commonly 4–8 weeks, driven by notice periods.
• Moving day: from about 2–3 hours for a studio to 8–10+ hours for a 4-bed house.

These are approximate averages. Chains, mortgage delays and leasehold paperwork can stretch them; a simple, chain-free purchase can shorten them.

Buying and selling: the full timeline

The average time to move house in the UK when you’re buying is usually quoted at three to four months. Here’s roughly how it breaks down.

Leasehold flats — very common in London — often take longer, because the solicitor needs management pack information from the freeholder or managing agent. If you’re in a chain, the whole chain moves at the pace of its slowest link.

Conveyancing is where most of the waiting happens. Local authority searches can take anything from a few days to several weeks depending on the council, and your solicitor will raise enquiries with the seller’s side about boundaries, guarantees, planning and — for flats — service charges and lease terms. Each round of questions and answers adds time, so replying quickly to your own solicitor really does help.

Once contracts are exchanged, the completion date is fixed and legally binding. A gap of one to two weeks between exchange and completion is common, though some buyers exchange and complete on the same day. That shorter window is the main reason to have removals quotes lined up early: you may only have a few days to confirm the van.

Get provisional removals quotes before exchange, then confirm the date the moment you exchange. Popular Fridays and month-end dates can book up weeks ahead.

Moving between rentals

Renters usually move faster, but the timeline is set by notice periods rather than solicitors. Check your tenancy for the notice you need to give, allow time for referencing on the new place, and try to overlap the two tenancies by a day or two if you can afford it — it takes a lot of pressure off moving day.

Don’t forget the end-of-tenancy clean. Booking it for the day after the move is often easier than cleaning around boxes. Ours start from £120.

How long does a house move take on the day?

This is the part we can be precise about. Times below are typical for a local London move with reasonable access, including loading, driving and unloading.

Long-distance moves add driving time on top. And if you’ve booked full packing, we usually pack the day before so moving day stays focused on loading and unloading.

Completion day has its own rhythm when you’re buying. Funds usually move between solicitors in the late morning or early afternoon, and keys are only released once that’s confirmed. That means the crew often loads in the morning, then waits for the green light before unloading. Building that wait into your plan — rather than hoping for a 10am key release — keeps the day calm.

For smaller jobs on our man & van service (from £50/hour, two-hour minimum), time is the price, so every minute saved on the day is money saved. On a fixed-price removal the total doesn’t change, but a well-prepared home still means you’re settled in sooner.

A 2-bed moving day, hour by hour

Averages are helpful, but it’s easier to plan when you can see where the hours actually go. This is a typical local 2-bed flat move with three movers, everything packed in advance, a lift at the new building and a parking bay suspended outside both addresses.

That’s roughly six and a half hours, right in the middle of the 4–7 hour range for a 2-bed. Take away the lift at the new building and add two flights of stairs, and you can add an hour. Leave the kitchen unpacked for the crew to deal with on the day, and it can add two.

What we see on real jobs is that the clock is rarely lost in the middle of the day. It’s lost in the first half hour — waiting for someone to find the keys to the bike store, clearing a hallway, or discovering that the wardrobe was never measured against the landing — and in the last half hour, when bits and pieces nobody boxed up are gathered from around the flat. Getting those two moments right is the quickest way to a shorter day.

Put a box labelled “last on, first off” by the front door: kettle, mugs, loo roll, phone chargers, bedding and the tools you’ll need to reassemble the bed.

What slows a move down

• Unpacked rooms when the crew arrives — the biggest single delay we see.
• No parking near the door, meaning long carries on every trip.
• Walk-ups without a lift, or lifts that haven’t been booked.
• Furniture that needs dismantling and wasn’t mentioned at quote stage.
• Waiting for keys on completion day — often early to mid-afternoon.
• Lofts, sheds and garages that haven’t been sorted.

How to move faster

1. Declutter a few weeks out so there’s less to pack and carry.
2. Pack and label everything except an essentials bag before the crew arrives.
3. Arrange parking or bay suspensions at both addresses.
4. Book goods lifts and tell building management the crew window.
5. Add an extra helper (£20/hour on man & van) if you have lots of stairs.
6. Consider storage if keys won’t be ready — it avoids an idle van.

If your dates don’t line up, we can collect, hold your things in secure storage and deliver when you’re ready.

A moving-week countdown

However long the legal side takes, the last week is where a move is won or lost. This simple countdown keeps moving day to the times in the table above.

1. Seven days out: confirm the crew, the arrival time and parking at both addresses.
2. Five days out: pack everything you won’t need this week, room by room.
3. Three days out: dismantle spare beds and furniture you can live without.
4. Two days out: defrost the freezer and run down the food in it.
5. The day before: pack the kitchen, label boxes and set aside an essentials bag.
6. Moving day: meter readings, a final sweep of every cupboard, then hand over the keys.

If that sounds like too much alongside work, our full packing service (from £150) takes the packing off your hands entirely.

FAQs

How long does it take to move house in the UK on average?

When buying, typically around 12–20 weeks from offer to completion. The physical move usually takes one day.

Can you move house in one day?

Yes — almost all local moves up to a 3-bed house are done in a single day. Very large homes or long-distance moves can take two.

How long does a 2-bed move take?

Usually around 4–7 hours with two or three movers, depending on stairs, parking and how much is packed in advance.

How far ahead should I book removals?

Two to four weeks is comfortable for most moves; book as soon as you exchange if you’re buying. Short-notice and same-day moves (from £70) are possible when we have capacity.

See our house removals service or get in touch to hold a date.

About the author

Sameer Ahmad Basra

Writer

Sameer writes practical, no-nonsense moving guides for Londoners — drawn from real jobs across all 32 boroughs, covering vans, packing, permits and fixed-price removals.