Forget low crime rates or school catchment areas, buyers will apparently pay more for a home if it has guaranteed superfast broadband.
A poll of more than 2,000 home owners by comparison website Broadbandchoices found that 62% would pay more for a house in an area that has a reliable and speedy internet connection.
Respondents claimed that a fast and reliable broadband connection was more important than living close to good nurseries and schools (57%), friends and relatives (38%) and shops and amenities (35%).
Fast broadband was placed above having a spare bedroom or storage space as the most important factors when purchasing a property, the survey found.
Additionally, 62% of those asked said they would be willing to increase an offer on a property if a superfast broadband connection was guaranteed, with 25% stating they could increase their offer by £3,000-£5,000 and 10% saying they would increase an offer by more than £5,000.
Mark Pocock, home communication expert at Broadbandchoices, said: “Moving to a new house can be a problematic and stressful time, and these results emphasise how crucial a reliable and fast broadband connection can be to reduce any further needless roadblocks in the way of a smooth transition to a new area.
“Without an internet connection, many can feel disconnected and inconvenienced, meaning it is an essential requirement for many home owners, and so ensuring an area and a new house can provide this before committing to a purchase should certainly be considered as an aspect to research when house hunting.”
Comments (5)
We have a large rural surround which benefits from access to the B4RN high speed rural network. That’s well worth mentioning on our details as I expect most folks equate rural with absence of decent internet speeds.
What a load of drivel. Are these surveys completely made up or do people taking part have no idea of reality? Fast broadband over good childrens nurseries and schools, are you joking? An extra five grand……!!!!
I have never ever had a potential buyer even ask about broadband speed let alone mention that it forms part of their decision making process.
No they’re not.
So in summary: a website that does broadband comparisons did a survey that found broadband speed was important to the users of its website who were specifically on its website for the purpose of comparing broadband?!
Should broadband speeds be shown in property details? Yes. Will they be shown in property details? Probably not and possibly only in cases where the speed is really fast otherwise it could make some properties unsaleable (until high speed broadband is available).