Broadband becomes a deal-breaker for homebuyers as movers put Wi-Fi ahead of schools

Broadband has become a surprisingly powerful factor in the UK housing market, with almost half of prospective homebuyers and renters now considering internet connectivity when choosing where to live.

Research from full-fibre provider Hyperoptic found that 45 per cent of people rank broadband among their considerations when selecting a property, putting it ahead of local schools, cited by 26 per cent, and just behind transport links at 51 per cent.

The findings suggest reliable connectivity is moving from a household utility to a fundamental feature of a home, particularly as working, banking, entertainment and increasingly smart-home technology depend on fast internet access.

The pressure is particularly acute during the summer moving season. Hyperoptic’s connection data shows August is consistently one of its busiest months, with new connections 24 per cent higher than in July and 45 per cent above the average for the rest of the year.

With the August bank holiday weekend approaching, running from Friday August 28 to Monday August 31, demand is expected to rise further as households complete moves and settle into new properties.

The consequences of poor connectivity can even affect the decision to buy or rent.

Among 2,000 UK adults who have previously moved home or plan to move within the next year, 23 per cent said slow or poor broadband would put them off a property altogether. A further 34 per cent said it would make them think twice.

That puts broadband alongside more traditional considerations before buyers commit to a property.

And once the keys have been handed over, expectations are high. Almost four-fifths, or 79 per cent, expect their broadband to be working within two to three days.

Without it, 45 per cent said they would feel frustrated, while 26 per cent would feel stressed or overwhelmed and 23 per cent isolated.

The importance of connectivity is reflected in what new residents need the internet for during their first 24 hours.

Setting up utilities and household accounts and making online banking payments were jointly the most common uses, both cited by 50 per cent. Contacting friends and family followed at 37 per cent, while 34 per cent wanted to stream television or films.

A further 33 per cent planned to connect smart-home devices, 29 per cent expected to work from home and 20 per cent needed broadband to order food or groceries.

Working Wi-Fi has also become part of what makes a property feel like home. Some 37 per cent of movers cited it, second only to heating and hot water at 40 per cent.

The shift is particularly visible in the summer switching market. Hyperoptic said July to October is consistently its busiest period for broadband switches, while One Touch Switch recorded a 43 per cent increase in requests during the same period in 2025.

The figures point to a broader change in the moving process: the traditional checklist of keys, meter readings, boxes and a working kettle is being supplemented by routers, smart devices and streaming services.

Hyperoptic has sought to capitalise on the trend with a monthly rolling broadband deal launched on August 11, offering 1Gb full-fibre connectivity for £29 a month without a fixed-term contract or activation fee.

For an increasingly connected generation of movers, broadband is no longer something to arrange after the house purchase. It is becoming part of the house hunt itself.

Lutfu Kitapci, CCO and Managing Director of ISP at Hyperoptic, said: “For a long time, broadband was something people sorted out after they’d moved in. It was a job for the first week, like registering with a GP. 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.

“Slow connection isn’t just an inconvenience, but a reason to walk away from a property altogether for a growing number of people. Our job is to make sure broadband isn’t another thing people have to chase once they’re exhausted from moving. That means showing up when we say we will, keeping things simple and getting people properly connected from day one.”

Dr Fuschia Sirois, Professor of Psychology at Durham University, said: “Broadband is rarely the exciting part of moving house, so it’s not surprising that it’s the first thing to slip down the list. That’s not down to disorganisation, it’s emotional. My research shows procrastination happens when we anticipate a task will be unpleasant, stressful or frustrating. But we often make emotional mountains out of molehills when it comes to such tasks and expect that it will feel worse than it actually turns out to be. So we delay it to avoid that discomfort now, even though we know it’ll cost us later.

With something like setting up broadband, people often picture a drawn-out, complicated process that will be difficult, when in reality it rarely takes as long or is as unpleasant as they’d feared once they sit down to do it. The problem is that we tend to not be very accurate in our emotional predictions. And our overestimation of how stressful or long or difficult setting up broadband will be drives procrastination. So when we avoid setting up broadband we’re actually avoiding these unpleasant anticipated feelings.

But remember that 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. Instead, make use of any support available to reduce uncertainty and stress, to take the pressure off you and your future self.”