How To Evict A Villager To Get An Open Plot
Note: This takes patience but you'll get it. I believe in you!
You want to buy a villager, but how do you get an open plot?
With over 400 different villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you might be asking, "Why am I stuck with the same freaks on repeat?" If you're tired of the current crew, or if Moose keeps blocking your way while you're trying to decorate (so annoying), it's time to learn the art of eviction. Luckily, ACNH lets you boot those unwanted weirdos so you can invite new villagers to your island.
However, evicting villagers isn't simple; these pesky critters can be stubborn. In older games, you could easily get rid of a neighbor you didn’t like, but this is not the case with ACNH. This process requires dedication, patience, and time travel.
Be advised that you MUST have six residents living on your island before any moving in or moving out wizardry can occur.
While you're reading, remember that there's no exact science behind this, and a fair amount of luck is involved. There are even mathematical formulas behind the mechanics of moving in and out. For more details, check out this guide
Pro Tip: If you see people talking about villagers being "in boxes," it means their house is packed and they're moving out the next day. That's your chance to say goodbye or good riddance!
Kicking The Villager Out
This is the only villager move-out option that works if you're purchasing a villager from Nookmart, as it leaves you with a vacant plot.
We’re going to use the time-travel method and be meticulous to save you the most time! You might see various suggestions floating around, but after all this time, we’ve found this method to be the quickest and most efficient. This isn't the ONLY way to do this, but it’s what we know works. So skip the net-slapping and get straight to business. Follow these steps to achieve a move-out:
Before We Start: If you don’t mind which villager leaves your island—perhaps you just want to make room for Bob and don’t care who goes—that’s great! It will make this process even easier.
Step 1: Save your game and exit.
Step 2: Time travel forward 15 days, focusing around 1 PM in-game time. Adjust this by going to System Settings > System > Date and Time.
Important: The move-out thought bubble will never appear on holidays, when K.K. Slider is performing, or during Bug-Offs or Fishing Tourneys.
Step 3: Load your game and look for the unwanted villager, likely near the plaza or their house.
Step 4: Check if the unwanted villager has a thought bubble above their head. If not, time travel another 15 days ahead, making sure to stay around 1 PM in-game time, when villagers are most active. Repeat Step 3. Continue this process, closing the software between each time change, until you see a thought bubble from the unwanted villager that is NOT about giving you a gift. If the villager wants to give you a gift, simply exit the game and repeat the steps until you get a thought bubble about moving.
Step 5: Success! If the unwanted villager wants to move away, encourage them, save your game, and you're done! They will immediately be "in boxes," leaving you with a vacant plot the next day.
Now, you have an open plot and you're ready for a new friend! Be careful, if you don’t take action to get someone to move into the open plot within 1-3 days, Tom Nook will fill it for you.
Who can't have a thought bubble?
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The last villager to move to your island cannot ask to move.
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If the last villager who asked to move was denied, they likely won't ask again for a long time.
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If the villager's birthday is within 7 days, they will not ask to move.
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If you are in the process of relocating a villager’s house or have their house kit, they cannot ask to move.
Pro tip: By keeping your favorite villager's relocation kit in your inventory, you ensure they won't consider moving while you're trying to evict the unwanted villager.
Interested in utilizing the game's natural move-out method without time-travel? Reference this guide, here.
Here's a helpful video that show's a user kicking a villager out.