Real data from the US, UK and Canada that could save you thousands
Most people pick their moving date based on when it’s convenient — when their lease ends, when school breaks, when a new job starts. That’s understandable. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: the month you choose to move could cost you anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars more than if you had simply chosen differently.
The moving industry runs on a highly predictable seasonal demand cycle. Prices spike hard in summer, crater in winter, and find a middle ground in spring and fall. The data from the US, UK, and Canada tells a remarkably consistent story across all three markets — and once you see the numbers, you will never again book a move in June without at least pausing to think.
This post breaks down every month of the year, backed by verifiable industry data, so you can make the smartest — and cheapest — moving decision possible.
📊 The Big Picture: When America, the UK & Canada Move
Before diving month by month, let’s establish the baseline. The moving industry in all three countries follows one iron rule: summer is peak season, winter is off-season, and everything else is a sliding scale between the two.
🇺🇸 United States
According to data compiled by movingplace.com from US Census sources, 45% of all moves in the US occur during the peak moving season of May through August. June alone accounts for 12.1% of all annual moves, making it the single most popular month to move in America. At the opposite end, December sees just 5.2% of all moves — the quietest month of the year.
📌 Source: movingplace.com — Moving Statistics 2025, sourced from US Census data
HireAHelper, one of the largest moving labor marketplaces in the US, corroborates this with its own proprietary transaction data: 45% of all moves happen between May and August. The company notes that during this period movers charge more because demand is at its highest, and movers also book up fast, making it harder to reserve the dates you want.
📌 Source: HireAHelper.com — ‘When is the Best Time to Move?’ (2025)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
The UK data is striking in its precision. HomeOwners Alliance, in partnership with reallymoving.com, analyzed over 711,531 removal quotes collected over 13 years and found that August is the most popular month to move (12% of all UK moves), followed by July and September (10% each). Taken together, nearly a third of all UK moves — 32% — happen in the late summer and early autumn window.
The data also reveals the single busiest moving day in the UK: the last Friday of August. In 2025, that fell on August 29th — a day that saw an estimated 22,000 moves, or four times the daily average of roughly 6,000 moves. Perhaps most telling: 85% of UK removal firms say that moving day delays are more likely to occur on the busiest moving days.
📌 Source: HomeOwners Alliance / reallymoving.com — ‘Busiest Day to Move House in the UK 2025’ — analysis of 711,531 removal quotes over 13 years
🇨🇦 Canada
In Canada, the pattern mirrors the US closely. The Canadian moving services industry is valued at $1.4 billion in 2025, according to industry analysis by laststopmoving.com. Peak moving months run from June to August, with hourly mover rates rising by 20–30% during this window due to limited availability.
📌 Source: laststopmoving.com — ‘How Much Does It Cost to Hire Movers Across Canada in 2025?’
According to Statistics Canada data referenced by the same source, 2.1 million Canadian households moved in the two years leading up to 2021 — with renters being significantly more likely to move than homeowners. That mobility rate makes timing your Canadian move all the more financially significant.
📌 Source: laststopmoving.com, citing Statistics Canada data
📅 The Month-by-Month Breakdown
Here is every month of the year rated honestly on cost, availability, weather risk, and moving company responsiveness — with data sources attached to every key claim.
January ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — The Cheapest Month to Move
January consistently tops industry rankings as the cheapest month to move in the US, UK, and Canada. Demand is at its annual low, moving companies are actively seeking business to fill quiet schedules, and off-season discounts are at their most generous.
FreightWaves Checkpoint, which covers the professional moving and logistics industry, states plainly that January and February tend to have the cheapest moving rates overall, and that moving during peak season can result in 20–30% higher costs than moving during the off-season.
📌 Source: FreightWaves Checkpoint — ‘When is Peak Moving Season?’ (January 2026)
First-Rate Moving, citing annual moving trend data, identifies January as the best month to move from a purely financial standpoint, noting that movers often offer off-season discounts to fill their schedules.
📌 Source: first-ratemoving.net — ‘Cheapest Time to Move: Best Days, Weeks & Months’ (2025)
🏆 VERDICT: Best month overall for budget movers in all three markets. The only downside is weather — if you’re in northern US, Canada, or Scotland, factor in ice and snow delays.
💰 Potential savings vs. June peak: 20–30% on mover rates, up to 30% on truck rentals
February ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Joint Best Value Month
February shares the ‘cheapest month’ crown with January. Demand remains rock-bottom, availability is at its best, and movers are competitive on price. The eeward.com moving guide, drawing on historical industry data, identifies January and February as consistently offering the most competitive pricing of any months in the year.
📌 Source: eeward.com — ‘When is the Cheapest Time of Year to Move?’
The one caveat for Canada and northern US states: February can bring severe winter weather that complicates long-distance moves. For moves within cities or in milder climates (southern US, southern UK), February is close to ideal.
💡 RentingHacks Tip: If you must move in winter, February mid-week is your sweet spot. Less demand than March, better weather odds than January in most regions.
March ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Good Value, Early Riser Advantage
March marks the beginning of rising demand. letsgetmovingusa.com notes that in March, demand for moving services gradually starts rising, but that moving costs are often lower before the summer rush, as local moving companies have more availability and are keen to attract business.
📌 Source: letsgetmovingusa.com — ‘What are the Best and Worst Months to Move in a Year?’ (May 2025)
March is also when the real estate market begins to stir, with more homes listing for sale and rent — giving renters who are searching for new places more options. Moving in early March still captures most of the off-season savings without the harshest winter conditions.
💡 Tip: Early March is a smart window — prices haven’t yet climbed to spring levels but conditions are improving. Book by early February to lock in the best rates.
April ⭐⭐⭐ — Shoulder Season, Increasing Competition
April sits firmly in shoulder season territory. Prices are reasonable — still significantly below summer peak — but availability begins to tighten as movers’ schedules fill with spring bookings. In Canada specifically, April brings its own weather challenge: in Toronto and much of Ontario, April is the wettest month, which can complicate loading and unloading.
📌 Source: movinghelp.com — ‘Moving Forecast: A Season-by-Season Breakdown of the Best Times to Move in Canada’ (April 2024), citing Zoocasa real estate data
April remains a reasonable choice if January to March doesn’t work for your timeline. The key is booking at least 4–6 weeks ahead, as movers are already filling their late-April and May calendars by early March.
May ⭐⭐ — Peak Season Begins. Prices Climb Hard.
May is where the affordability window closes. The second most popular moving season — spring (March through May) — accounts for 27.6% of all US moves, according to movingplace.com, meaning May carries the full weight of spring demand as school years wind down and summer planning kicks in.
📌 Source: movingplace.com — Moving Statistics 2025
Real estate activity also spikes in May. Redfin data cited by The Close shows that May and June record the lowest median days on market of the year — just 33 days each in 2024 — as buyer and renter demand surges simultaneously with moving demand. Moving companies know this, and price accordingly.
📌 Source: theclose.com — ‘The Best & Worst Times to Buy a House Going Into 2026’ (December 2025), citing Redfin data
⚠️ Warning: If you must move in May, book 6–8 weeks in advance and target mid-week, mid-month dates to minimize the premium.
June ⭐ — The Most Expensive Month to Move
June is the single most expensive month to move in the United States — and the data is unambiguous. At 12.1% of all annual US moves, it is the most popular month to relocate, according to movingplace.com’s 2025 moving statistics, which draw on US Census data.
📌 Source: movingplace.com — Moving Statistics 2025, sourced from US Census data
The price premium for moving in peak season is well documented: summer months (May through September) see moving truck price increases of 20–40%, with weekend rentals typically costing 10–25% more than weekday rates, according to US Prime Movers’ 2026 cost guide.
📌 Source: usprimemovers.com — ‘Moving Truck Hire Prices: Complete 2026 Cost Guide’
FreightWaves Checkpoint confirms that moving during peak season can result in 20–30% higher costs than moving during the off-season. June marks the peak of this premium across all three markets simultaneously.
📌 Source: FreightWaves Checkpoint — ‘When is Peak Moving Season?’ (January 2026)
🚨 WORST MONTH: June is the worst month to move on cost alone. Moving companies are fully booked, prices are at annual highs, and if your move encounters a problem, you have the least leverage to reschedule.
💰 What you lose by moving in June vs. January: 20–30% on labour, up to 40% on truck rentals
July ⭐ — Peak Season Continues, Heat Added
July maintains June’s peak pricing levels. In the UK, July is the second most popular moving month at 10%. In Canada, movinghelp.com notes that July is the warmest month of the year — and while long days make the logistics easier, the heat itself becomes a physical and logistical challenge, with movers advising extra hydration preparation.
📌 Source: movinghelp.com — ‘Moving Forecast: A Season-by-Season Breakdown of the Best Times to Move in Canada’ (2024)
The combination of school-year transitions, lease cycle endings, and general consumer preference for warm-weather moves keeps July pricing firmly in peak territory across all three markets.
August ⭐ — Peak Season, Worst Day Risk (UK)
August is peak season in all three markets simultaneously — and the UK data makes it the starkest example of what peak season really means. HomeOwners Alliance’s 13-year analysis of over 711,531 removal quotes found that August is the most popular month to move in the UK at 12%. The last Friday of August is the single busiest moving day of the year — with an estimated 22,000 moves in a single day, four times the daily average.
📌 Source: HomeOwners Alliance / reallymoving.com — ‘Busiest Day to Move House in the UK 2025’ — 711,531 removal quotes over 13 years
That congestion has direct consequences: 85% of UK removal firms report that moving day delays are more likely on the busiest moving days, with delays in fund transfers, key releases, and property chain knock-ons cited as primary causes.
📌 Source: HomeOwners Alliance survey of UK removal firms, published 2025
🚨 UK Renters Specifically: Never book the last Friday of August unless you have absolutely no other option. It is the most delay-prone, highest-priced, lowest-availability moving day of the entire year.
September ⭐⭐⭐ — Prices Start to Fall. Smart Window Opens.
September is transitional. In the UK, it remains the third most popular month at 10%, still carrying some peak-season premium. But in the US and Canada, September marks a meaningful shift: children are back in school, the housing market cools, and moving demand begins to ease.
In Canada, movinghelp.com specifically identifies early fall as offering the perfect sweet spot between the busy summer season and the upcoming cold winter. Moving companies begin to have greater availability, and costs start moving downward. For renters who have flexibility, mid-to-late September can capture summer-quality weather with near-shoulder-season pricing.
📌 Source: movinghelp.com — ‘Moving Forecast: A Season-by-Season Breakdown of the Best Times to Move in Canada’ (2024)
💡 Tip: September is the first month after peak season where you can realistically negotiate with a moving company. Demand is dropping faster than prices — use that gap to your advantage.
October ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — The Most Underrated Month to Move
October is one of the most underrated months to move. Demand is meaningfully lower than summer, weather across the US, UK, and southern Canada is still mild and manageable, and moving companies are keen to keep their teams busy before the year-end slowdown.
The off-peak window beginning from October sees prices for the October–March period consistently lower than the rest of the year, according to first-ratemoving.net’s analysis of annual moving cost patterns. For families who can coordinate a school-term move — perhaps timed to a half-term break in the UK, or Thanksgiving timing in Canada — October is a genuinely excellent option.
📌 Source: first-ratemoving.net — ‘Cheapest Time to Move: Best Days, Weeks & Months’ (2025)
💡 UK Renters in particular: October is your sweet spot — weather is still reasonable, demand has dropped sharply from the August peak, and removal firms will negotiate more readily.
💰 October moving costs: typically 15–20% below summer peak pricing
November ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Good Value, Plan Around Holidays
November sees demand continue to drop. In the US, the Thanksgiving period creates a specific window to avoid — the days immediately around the holiday see reduced mover availability as staff take leave. Outside of Thanksgiving week, however, November offers strong pricing and good availability.
In Canada, winter is already arriving in many provinces by November, which adds weather-related logistics challenges for northern moves. For southern US states and the UK, November remains a very workable moving month with solid off-season pricing benefits.
December ⭐⭐ — Cheapest Pricing, Worst Timing Conflicts
December is a paradox. On pure pricing, it should be among the cheapest months — movingplace.com confirms it sees the fewest moves of any month at just 5.2% of annual US volume. But the holiday season creates competing pressures: movers take leave over Christmas, property completions slow in the UK, and family commitments make coordinating a move genuinely difficult.
📌 Source: movingplace.com — Moving Statistics 2025, sourced from US Census data
If you can coordinate a December move in the first two weeks of the month — before the holiday slowdown fully sets in — you can access very competitive pricing. The final week of December is one to avoid entirely: mover availability plummets and the logistics become extremely challenging.
💡 Tip: Early December (Dec 1–15) can be a hidden gem for renters whose lease ends on December 1st — you may get quotes 20–25% below summer peak with immediate availability.
🚛 The Moving Truck Data: What You Actually Pay By Season
Moving company labour is one cost variable. Moving truck rental is another — and the data here is even more precise.
Angi’s comprehensive moving truck cost guide notes that rental prices are highest during peak season from April to October and on weekends due to higher demand, and that moving during the winter months and mid-week can save money.
📌 Source: Angi.com — ‘How Much Does a Moving Truck Cost to Rent?’ (updated December 2025)
U-Haul, the largest truck rental company in North America, confirms the seasonal premium directly: rates can be higher during the summer compared to the winter, and renting during off-peak periods can help save money.
📌 Source: U-Haul.com — ‘Moving Truck Rental Prices: U-Haul vs. The Competition’ — data as of February 2025
The price difference is substantial. Summer months (May through September) see moving truck price increases of 20–40% compared to off-season rates, with weekend rentals adding a further 10–25% premium on top. Consumers who move mid-week in winter versus on a weekend in summer are looking at potentially combined savings that can reach 40–65% on truck rental alone.
📌 Source: usprimemovers.com — ‘Moving Truck Hire Prices: Complete 2026 Cost Guide’ (2026)
SEASONAL MOVING COST COMPARISON
| Season | Demand Level | Cost vs. Peak | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan – Feb (Winter) | Very Low | 20–30% cheaper | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best |
| Mar – Apr (Early Spring) | Low–Medium | 10–20% cheaper | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good |
| May – Aug (Peak) | Very High | Baseline (highest) | ⭐ Worst |
| Sep – Oct (Early Fall) | Medium | 5–15% cheaper | ⭐⭐⭐ Decent |
| Nov – Dec (Late Fall) | Low | 15–25% cheaper | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good |
🎯 Beyond the Month: 5 More Timing Hacks That Save Money
Choosing the right month is the biggest lever, but it’s not the only one. These five additional timing strategies compound your savings significantly.
1. Move Mid-Week, Not on a Weekend
U-Haul states directly that Thursday through Sunday experiences higher demand and lower supply of equipment, resulting in increased rates. HireAHelper confirms that weekdays are the best time of the week to move, with Tuesday and Wednesday identified as the optimal days by FreightWaves.
📌 Source: U-Haul.com (data as of February 2025); FreightWaves Checkpoint (January 2026)
2. Move Mid-Month, Not at Month-End
Most leases begin and end on the first or last of the month — which means moving companies and trucks are completely overwhelmed at month-end. HireAHelper’s data shows the middle of the month is consistently the most cost-effective time to move, with more availability and lower pricing. Some landlords will even offer prorated rent discounts to tenants who move in mid-month to reduce their vacancy periods.
📌 Source: HireAHelper.com — ‘When is the Best Time to Move?’ (2025)
3. Book Well in Advance During Peak Season
If you have no choice but to move in summer, book as early as possible. Today’s Homeowner advises booking your moving truck at least two to four weeks in advance, and six or more weeks ahead for summer or weekend moves to secure the right truck size and rate.
📌 Source: todayshomeowner.com — ‘How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Moving Truck?’ (updated April 2025)
4. Always Compare at Least Three Quotes
SpareFoot’s moving truck cost analysis notes that off-peak season rates are consistently lower in spring or fall compared to summer. But the gap between the cheapest and most expensive quote for the exact same move on the same day can be significant. Always get at least three quotes — from national chains AND local movers — regardless of the time of year.
📌 Source: sparefoot.com — ‘Moving Truck Rental Cost: Pricing Factors + Best Options in 2025’ (October 2025)
5. Ask Directly About Off-Season Discounts
During off-peak months, moving companies will often provide discounts simply to fill their schedule. During less busy periods such as winter, rates may drop up to 30% as companies try to fill their inventory — but these discounts are not always advertised. Calling and asking directly, especially in January, February, and November, can unlock deals that don’t appear online.
📌 Source: movinghelpcenter.com — ‘Analyzing the Current Trend: Are Truck Rental Companies Lowering Their Prices?’ (January 2025)
🏆 The Final Verdict
Best month to move: January or February. Low demand, maximum leverage, best pricing in all three markets. Weather is the only caveat.
Worst month to move: June. Peak demand, peak prices, minimum leverage, maximum risk of delays and unavailability.
Best compromise months (weather + price balance): October in the UK and Canada. March in southern US states.
The data is consistent across US, UK, and Canadian markets. Summer is when the moving industry extracts maximum revenue from consumers who feel they have no choice. The reality is that many renters do have more flexibility than they realize — and the ones who use it walk away with hundreds or thousands more in their pocket.
At RentingHacks.com, we exist to close the information gap between what the rental industry knows and what renters know. This is one of the clearest examples of that gap — and one of the easiest to act on.
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⚠️ Data Note: All statistics cited in this article are sourced from named, publicly verifiable sources including HireAHelper, movingplace.com (drawing on US Census data), HomeOwners Alliance/reallymoving.com (711,531 removal quotes over 13 years), FreightWaves Checkpoint, U-Haul, Angi, Statistics Canada, movinghelp.com/Zoocasa, SpareFoot, Today’s Homeowner, US Prime Movers, and others. Source citations are included inline throughout the article. Moving costs vary by location, company, and individual circumstances. All figures are indicative ranges based on published industry data.
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