The nation’s busiest minute for home-hunting: 8.48pm on a Wednesday

December 2, 2019
Rightmove logo
  • New Rightmove data reveals that 8.48pm on a Wednesday is the most popular time for people looking for their next home1
  • Visits to Rightmove’s platforms peak between 8-9pm each day as many people spend the evening dual-screening
  • Home hunters are set to get ready for a post-Christmas rush, which last year saw traffic on Rightmove2 increase by 231% between Christmas Day and January 2nd

If you’ve ever found yourself home-hunting online just before 9pm in the evening, you’re not alone.

Rightmove’s data scientists have revealed that on average there are more people on the UK’s biggest property website at 8.48pm on a Wednesday than any other minute of the week. The busiest hour is between 8pm and 9pm and the quietest hour is at 4am on a Monday.

Home-hunters spend an average of over one billion minutes searching Rightmove every month3, with an average of 141 million visits each month4.

December is usually the quietest month for home-hunting, but traffic starts to rise from Boxing Day onwards. Last Christmas, page views increased by 231% between Christmas Day and January 2nd and the busiest day in December was Sunday 30th December, as people started to think about moving in the new year.

Rightmove’s property expert Miles Shipside said: “We know just how obsessed the nation is with property, but to see such precise consistency in terms of browsing times is really quite remarkable. It may be that the Wednesday peak of 8.48pm coincides with the final advert break of many TV shows. A few years back the busiest time of day was lunchtime but as mobile usage increased this has changed to property lovers revisiting us every evening.

“As we move into December we see people start to get distracted by turkey and tinsel, but once the celebrations are in full swing it doesn’t take long before traffic rises again. Some may realise their home is too small or they finally decide that next year will be the year they take on an exciting project and buy a fixer upper property.”

Rightmove

UK Property news updates shared directly from Rightmove PLC - the country's leading property portal.

You May Also Enjoy

bank of england interest rate
Breaking News

Bank of England’s rate hold

The Bank of England has held interest rates at 3.75% for the sixth consecutive time. Matt Smith, Rightmove’s mortgage expert, says: “The Bank of England’s decision to hold the base rate will come as welcome news to mortgage borrowers, particularly those on tracker mortgages whose monthly repayments move in line with changes to the base…
Read More →
yopa sales 2017
Breaking News

54,000 properties hit market during back to school rush

Over 50,000 homes have hit the market since the nation’s schools returned following the summer holidays, with the level of property for sale climbing by as much as 35% across some areas of England, according to the latest research by Yopa. The full-service estate agency analysed the number of homes listed for sale across each…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

69% of homebuyers would compromise on their property

New research from UK Property Development reveals that 69% of recent UK homebuyers would be willing to compromise on the property itself to live in a better location, while 65% say they would pay more for a home if the location was right. The findings, from a survey of 1,016 recent UK homebuyers*, highlight the…
Read More →
Breaking News

The UK towns boasting +80% house price growth amid nationwide drop

For the first time since 2023, UK house prices have dropped. However, many areas are bucking the recent news, with strong growth overall in the last 5 and 10 years. The cash house buyers and property experts at Sell House Fast have compiled ‘The Property Prosperity Index’, revealing the best places to buy and sell property…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

London remains destination of choice for international property wealth

The latest research from London lettings and estate agent, Benham and Reeves, has revealed that London accounts for 43% of all property titles owned by overseas companies across England and Wales, highlighting the capital’s enduring appeal as an international property investment destination. Benham and Reeves analysed the latest Land Registry Overseas Companies Ownership Data to…
Read More →
to let sign 2025
Breaking News

First drop in rental supply in three years pushes rents higher

Rental growth set to accelerate to 4–5 per cent by the end of 2026 as higher mortgage rates keep would-be buyers renting for longer, reducing rental supply UK rents are 2.6 per cent higher in the 12 months to July 2026, up from 1.6 per cent in February and are on track to reach 4-5…
Read More →