Fast broadband has overtaken school catchment areas as a deciding factor for people moving home in the UK, according to new research. The findings show 45% of home movers rank broadband among their top considerations, compared with just 26% for local schools.
Wi-Fi key to feeling at home
Getting settled appears to matter as much as getting the keys. More than a third of people said they do not feel truly at home in a new place until the Wi-Fi is working. The only items ranked higher on the list were having heating and hot water sorted.
The findings come from full fibre provider Hyperoptic. Its own sign-up figures show summer is consistently its busiest stretch for house-move switches, with another spike expected over the bank holiday weekend as more people get the keys to new homes.
Changing moving priorities
Lutfu Kitapci, Hyperoptic’s chief commercial officer, said broadband used to be something people dealt with after they had already moved in.
“It was a job for the first week, like registering with a GP,” he said. “What we're starting to see is broadband being an earlier step in the moving thought process. It's become a decision about the property itself – people are checking what's available before they commit, in the same way they'd check transport links.”
Why broadband gets left behind
Dr Fuschia Sirois, a professor of psychology at Durham University, said the tendency to delay is less about disorganisation and more about emotions.
“Broadband is rarely the exciting part of moving house, so it's not surprising it's the first thing to slip down the list,” she said. “We often make emotional mountains out of molehills and expect it will feel worse than it actually turns out to be.”
She added: “Moving is a stressful event, and people are more prone to procrastination when things are stressful, so don't be too hard on yourself if you find yourself avoiding taking action.”
Hyperoptic’s new home movers guide can help with the broadband set up process, covering everything from checking availability at a new address to what to ask before signing a tenancy.
