J W Wood Estate Agents

Internet seen as top homebuyer priority

A fast internet connection is now one of the most important factors for homebuyers, according to a survey of 294 estate agents across the UK.

JW Wood1 min read
ReadingInternet seen as top homebuyer priority

A fast internet connection is now one of the most important factors for homebuyers, according to a survey of 294 estate agents across the UK.

Questions about connectivity, usually "full-fibre" broadband, are up 69% since the pandemic began, the research, by Omdia for telecoms equipment maker Huawei, suggests.

Speeds of more than 300Mbps are being sought by 34% of buyers - and, according to 33% of the estate agents, can add £5,000 to the sale price of a home - while 23% want 1Gbps.

Asked to name the single most important factor is for homebuyers:

  • 23% said the size of the property

  • 20% said broadband quality

  • 18% said the number of bedrooms

  • 10% said the age of the property is

  • 9% said transport links

"And poor wi-fi and a bad mobile signal can be a deal-breaker.

"Fibre broadband definitely makes properties more appealing.

"And people will sometimes walk away from a property if they feel the broadband and phone signals aren't good enough."

The government has promised to "bring full-fibre and gigabit-capable broadband to every home and business across the UK by 2025".

And research from telecoms regulator Ofcom suggests 18.2 million homes (62%) already have access to 300Mbps or faster.

But only a fraction pay for such high speeds.

And the average UK speed is actually 50.4Mbps.

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-59292653