Broadband becomes the number one priority

Whether you work from home, are a serious gamer or like streaming films, super fast broadband is a must. Home movers are increasingly motivated by the reliability, speed and type of broadband supplied to a property, especially as we move towards a more permanent work-from-home approach to professional life. 

Online reliability moves up the must-have list

Rather than a trend based on anecdotal evidence, a number of new studies among the general public have shown that broadband is seriously shaping home moving activity. A 2020 study by TalkTalk revealed that nearly two thirds of Brits admit they would be reluctant to buy a house if it didn’t have a strong, reliable internet connection.

The survey also revealed 1 in 2 of us would consider a fast, reliable internet connection a priority when house hunting – a number that almost doubles to 9 in 10 when answered post-Covid-19. Even when someone has got the keys to their new home, TalkTalk found that setting up the internet connection was the number one activity – ahead of unpacking boxes and taking meter reading for 3 in 5 of those questioned.

A premium people are willing to pay

Home movers are now prioritizing broadband to such an extent that they are prepared to pay more to live in a home with excellent internet provision. A survey by Broadbandchoices discovered 62% of homeowners would pay more for a house in an area with a dependable and speedy internet connection. 

In fact, if a superfast broadband connection was guaranteed, 25% of those questioned said they could increase their offer by £3,000-£5,000, with 10% saying they would increase an offer by more than £5,000. Not only is this aspect important to sellers, it’s also crucial for landlords who want to attract tenants and add resale value for the future. 

Improve your broadband offering

If you have a property that’s destined for the open market and want to ensure it offers the best broadband connectivity to attract interest, there are a few steps you can take to improve speeds and reliability. 

These include:-

• Making sure you’re signed up to the internet supplier who offers the fastest speeds
• Checking that you’re receiving fibre-to-the premises broadband  
• Improving your signal strength 
• Exploring whether a wired connection would be better than wireless
• Moving you router to a new location
• Upgrading to the latest router
• Considering installing Wi-Fi repeaters or extenders 
• Connecting a better aerial to your router
• Checking that neighbours are not using the same channel as your property

Moving home? Check the broadband beforehand

Instead of discovering a poor service after you’ve moved in, it is possible to assess the quality of the broadband before you’ve made an offer on a property.

As long as you know the postcode of the home, you can head over to Uswitch or Broadband Speed Checker, among others, and use their free online service that analyses the broadband. You’ll see the download and upload speeds, as well as the ping time in milliseconds (the smaller the better)

Further reading

If you’re new to broadband, Ofcom’s broadband basics article is a good place to get more information and if you already have broadband but you would like to improve your internet speed, there’s a wealth of additional and more in-depth suggestions in this guide. Most improvements start by contacting your current broadband supplier but be prepared to shop around for the best deal.

If you’re looking to move home, get in touch for advice and available properties.