Broadband becomes key factor for Britons choosing homes

Hyperoptic has published research showing that many Britons now treat broadband as a deciding factor when choosing a home. The survey found that 45% of recent and prospective movers consider broadband when buying or renting.

The findings suggest a shift in how people weigh practical factors before moving, with broadband ranking above local schools at 26% and close behind transport links at 51%. In the survey of 2,000 UK adults who have moved before or expect to move within the next year, 23% said poor or slow broadband would put them off a property completely, while 34% said it would make them think twice.

The results indicate that internet access is no longer seen mainly as a service to arrange after moving day. Instead, it is increasingly assessed alongside more established questions about location and household essentials.

Hyperoptic's customer data also points to seasonal pressure in the market. August is consistently one of its busiest months, with new connections rising 24% compared with July and reaching 45% above the average for the rest of the year.

Across the wider summer moving period, switching activity also rises. July to October is consistently Hyperoptic's busiest period for broadband switches, with One Touch Switch requests up about 43% during that window in 2025.

Moving stress

The survey found that broadband now sits close to essential household services in how people think about settling in. Some 37% said working Wi-Fi was one of the things that makes a new property feel like home, second only to heating and hot water at 40%.

Expectations for a quick connection are also high. Nearly four in five respondents said they expect broadband to be working within two to three days of moving in.

Asked how they would feel if broadband was not working when they arrived, 45% said they would feel frustrated, 26% said stressed or overwhelmed, and 23% said cut off or isolated. Those responses reflect how dependent many households have become on immediate access to online services during a move.

The first day in a new home now often includes digital tasks as well as unpacking and meter readings. Half of respondents said they needed broadband in the first 24 hours to set up utilities or household accounts, and the same share needed it for online banking or payments.

Other early uses included contacting friends or family, cited by 37%; streaming television or films, 34%; and setting up smart home devices, 33%. A further 29% said they needed broadband for working from home, 20% for ordering food, groceries or a takeaway, and 16% for keeping children entertained.

That mix highlights how moving home now involves not only basic administration but also the immediate restoration of digital routines. For households with remote workers, connected devices or children at home, broadband delays can disrupt both practical tasks and daily life.

Provider response

Hyperoptic recently introduced a monthly rolling broadband product priced at GBP £29 for 1Gb full fibre, with no fixed-term contract and no activation fee. It presented the offer as an option for movers who want flexibility when they first arrive at a new property.

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."

Why tasks slip

Hyperoptic also cited academic commentary on why broadband arrangements are often left late despite their importance. Dr Fuschia Sirois, Professor of Psychology at Durham University, linked that behaviour to procrastination during stressful life events.

"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 not to be very accurate in our emotional predictions. And our overestimation of how stressful, 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."