Over one-third of home hunters want estate agents to list broadband speeds in all property adverts.
The call emerges in a study which shows that poor broadband connection can lose a sale.
It also found that one in ten prospective buyers have walked away from properties with bad internet connections, one in five checks out broadband speeds whilst evaluating a property, and one in five say they would pay more for a property with a high-speed broadband connection.
The study, of 2,000 home buyers, shows that a good broadband connection is now more important than off-street parking and local amenities, and that one in five of recent movers arranged an internet provider before connecting gas or TV. Setting up broadband was second only to connecting to electricity.
The study was carried out by comparison website Broadband Choices, with the help of property expert Henry Pryor, and was backed by Rightmove.
Miles Shipside, director of Rightmove, said: “In this digital age, a fast broadband connection is becoming more and more important for home-hunters. People don’t just rely on a good internet connection for browsing the web, but also television entertainment and working from home.
“As the consumer technologies which rely on internet connection in the home expand, the need for a strong internet connection will be added to more and more home mover wish-lists.”
In a trial carried out by independent estate agents Delaney’s in Essex, broadband speeds were included online, along with price, number of bedrooms and room sizes.
Viewing requests for those properties showing broadband speeds were twice as high as those without – although that could have been because the properties showing broadband speeds were newer to the market.
However, Rob Delaney, managing director, is convinced. He said: “As with south-facing gardens and good schools, people are now on the hunt for homes with fast broadband – it’s a sign of the times. But we were still really surprised with the results of this trial.
“We’re now displaying broadband speeds on all our property details as it’s clear that’s what customers are looking for.”
Dominic Baliszewski of Broadband Choices said: “When it comes to buying a property it seems that it’s more a case of broadband, broadband, broadband than location, location, location.”
In response to the findings, the firm has launched a postcode search tool which lets home buyers check the available broadband packages by price and speed. It also tells users if their chosen postcode has access to superfast fibre optic services alongside standard ADSL packages.
The site also offers a broadband speed tester which allows users to check their existing connection speed from anywhere in the UK – useful for those selling their homes. Both services are free at https://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk
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Comments
Fella from Sticks:
"...you might well be my brother/son."
Quite possibly, I live in Dagenham where the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.
20 seconds per property you view whilst searching online or just a simple display of the broadband speed on the particulars. Oh and thats on the properties that shows postal codes, it will take a bit longer without one.
I chose the easy option.
...to Fella From the Sticks. I'm more of a Wizbit than Wizadora, thanks for asking!
Off street Feckin parking! they have to pawn their cars and porn their nan to buy in London apparently there's buses that come round on days other than market day too.
And some sort of feckin mole tunnel system thats gits used to move folks bout.
Agree with Sibley's Kid Soil PH....vital! P.S Sibley I mioght be your Dad, I'm a half brother/cousin of your mum, you might well be my brother/son.
How many toes you got?
'The study...shows that a good broadband connection is now more important than off-street parking and local amenities...The study was carried out by comparison website Broadband Choices'
I agree, this will be absolutely crucial when buying a home. Only a close second behind the alkalinity of the garden soil and the average monthly rainfall in mm.
The income to price ratio, mortgage IR, and length of term can go jump off a roof. No fast broadband, no deal i'm afraid.
We are supposed to put (not tested) after every mention of say a radiator, boiler etc etc etc so why put something on details about speed of internet access? Waste of time and will lead to heartache. I have yet to put (not tested) on anything and have no intention of doing so. I have the use of the english language and put it to my best ability.
The roof was put on to keep the rain out and windows put in to keep the warmth in and wind out. Said broadband gets put in by whomever lives there so caveat emptor to the lot of em.
A feckin IT wizard who can't in 20 seconds find out the average broadband speed in every feckin street. What sort of wizard are you? Wizadora?
Let me guess the wife is called verity, henrietta is in boarding school and you have a soddin Ponytail!
Just the sort of townee us don't be needin.
If it has got broadband youm lucky but its the same speed as the rest of the area gits, if youm wantin superfast broadband stay in london or move in close to Wilf at Dezrez. A run down area grant stuck a mammouth pipe into south wales.
As someone who works from home and needs an internet connection, its something I investigate when moving.
Each to their own ofc, but anyone who thinks this is a non issue is mistaken, it may not be everyone but I'm not the only one.
I think it depends on the area, In Milton Keynes (which is a bit unique in how terrible its broadband can be, as they used aluminium instead of copper for the wires) some parts of the town have terrible broadband, and there is no virgin cable available also.
However a few areas have been upgraded to fibre so being in right area can make the difference between having 0.5Mb and 80Mb broadband, with the former you can't even watch iplayer without it stuttering. its definitely something people who know the area consider when renting or buying.
@ Jokesurely
So, you have a property to market which is connected to very fast broadband and is extremely energy efficient... you would keep this a secret then ?
WHAT A LOAD OF ABSOLUTE RUBBISH.
Broadband marketing company releases a survey of broadband "Go Comparers" whether or not broadband speed is important.
That's the electronic equivalent of asking a patient on the operating table, just as they are about to have major bowel surgery whether or not they would like proper anesthetic or just a couple of aspirin.
In 20 years of selling and renting houses, broadband has been an issue certainly (Can we get it? Installed already, or call BT!), but since 98% of the UK is covered (http://maps.ofcom.org.uk/broadband/) and that most people get an advertised speed above 5Mbps what the hell are these idiots talking about.
10 feckin minuts cus theym down ear early this week, more logs for the feckin Aga?
"ow yes Veronica, one does so love working from one's place in the country on a Friday!"
never did get round to tellin Verity that it was Jackdaws in the Aga Chimney that saw off the last owners" she didn't ask and we didn't say! they survey was done online and all she was worried about was the feckin Broadband speed.
Wots that you say Mrs Hamilton Hyphonated, the water tastes like Poo? Are see, we read up on the internet and installed a big pipe system! Saved money though, water, Sewerage and Broadband all sharing the same big pipe! Clever or wot?
Upload started at 0922!
Great idea ~ wibble.
Why not introduce a BPC (you can guess) and a new raft of inspectors who come round to your house and time how long it takes to download Mike Ockenden's latest video ; )
I don't put the council tax band on my details. Why? Because once my local council gave the wrong figure, & once it was wrong as an extension had happened causing a band change. Both caused minor unhappiness .... so I tell any viewers why I don't give this info, and show them how easily they can find it out themselves.
Broadband speeds? VERY unreliable info & any agent putting this in the details isa fool in my opinion, leaving themselves wide open to complaints. If anyone is interested they can enquire of speedtest websites themselves .... which as others point out are not very useful in the real world.
On the other hand, unlike many big agents, my details are chock full of useful info about the property including (gasp) room sizes and descriptions, floorplans with a compass etc etc.
Us have an 8mb service out here in the country. Us can gets 8mb between 0400 and 0630. It slows down to 6mb once Britain wakes up and when Britain is awake, America is awake and the kids are homes from school it can drop down as low as 56k!!!!
If us start putting 8mb on details and some snotty ponytail buys a property in the country to "downsize, put a few quid in the bank, work from home and do 60 down the country lanes in the Evoque" how are they going to feel when their Broadband hits dial up modem speed. "it simply won't doo, doesn't one know?"
how about ? "we as zat broadband mularky down ear but wees calls it "meadow muffins" on account of it bein 5hit
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"A selling point overlooked by many agents"
Overlooked by all I would hope, and overlooked by 99.9% of buyers as well.
@Blue
Energy efficiency, really ?? That's right, when deciding on the £750,000 London home costing 1000s a month in mortgage payments, the deciding factor will be whether the electric bill will be 100 a month or 110.
Absolute rubbish, what a bunch of nonsense.
I've been an agent for nearly a decade and it's never come up once. Perhaps the average IQ is of buyers/tenants in London is higher and they understand that broadband speed is determined by the supplier, not the house. They ask much more sensible questions such as "what are the neighbours like?" To which I always respond "I'm having dinner with them next week, I'll let you know!" After I've sold the house to someone with a brain...
A selling point overlooked by many agents, just like energy efficiency.