What prospective homeowners and renters look for in a home
The number of bedrooms, a speedy internet connection – and being close to a pub are among the top priorities Brits look for in a new home.
Researchers polling 2,000 homeowners and renters found a spacious living room is more important than a modern kitchen while local shops are a bigger priority than storage space.
Other important factors for a new home include local amenities, with three in 10 wanting to be close to a train station, a third seeking a corner shop and more than a quarter wanting a post box nearby.
More than two thirds also said they would ‘put off’ by a home with slow WiFi, with two in five even deciding against a property after discovering the area had poor broadband connection.
Charles Davies, MD ISP at Hyperoptic, which commissioned the research, said: “The results show an interesting change in home-movers’ preferences in recent years.
“Brits rely on the internet so much nowadays for everything from entertainment, to working and keeping in touch with others.
“The rise in flexible working and the number of people working from home is likely to have had an influence on homeowners needs, such as speedy broadband.
“It’s interesting to see how WiFi is in the same list of priorities as parking and garden sizes.”
The study also revealed more than a third have seen their priorities change over the past five years when it comes to house-hunting.
This is due to almost a quarter relying on the internet more, a third having had children and one in five moving jobs.
Around three quarters believe broadband speed is now an ‘essential’ for homebuyers, and 86 per cent said having decent connection in their property is important to them.
More than half put this down to needing the internet to complete personal admin such as online banking, while a third need a speedy server as they do a lot of online shopping.
A further quarter said they work from home and therefore rely on broadband, and a sixth said access to the net is important to keep their kids entertained.
Almost half want decent a broadband connection to keep in touch with their friends and family, and four in 10 use it for streaming TV shows and films.
But around seven in 10 have experienced slow internet in either their or someone else’s home, which resulted in 72 per cent feeling ‘frustrated’ and more than half ‘impatient’.
More than an eighth even admitted to using their neighbour’s Wi-Fi when theirs has crashed.
Highlighting the importance, more than a quarter of those polled, via OnePoll, actively researched the broadband speed of an area before moving house. Usually, the same people would also want to make sure that the broadspeed speed report is accurate by running their own internet speed test.
And 54 per cent are ‘more likely’ to purchase or move into a property with a good internet connection.
The study also found homeowners are willing to wait an average of three weeks for WiFi to be set up in their new abode – but when they last relocated, 38 per cent kept their same broadband provider.
A further 40 per cent do not think there is enough information available on the quality and speed of internet services in a potential new home.
As a result, three in five would like to see a traffic light system introduced to explain broadband connection when house hunting, similar to an energy performance certificate.
Charles Davies Hyperoptic’s MD ISP added: “It’s clear that consumers want more information around home broadband connectivity and a transparent performance certificate would go a long way to helping Brits know what kind of upload and download speeds their available providers deliver.”
TOP 30 PRIORITIES BRITS LOOK FOR IN A HOME:
1. Number of bedrooms
2. Garden size
3. Off street parking
4. Size of the bedrooms
5. Spacious living room
6. Local shops
7. Nearest school
8. A garage
9. Storage space
10. Double glazing
11. The amount of decorating which needs doing
12. Safety record of the area
13. Amount of traffic on the street
14. A modern kitchen
15. Nearest bus stops
16. Where the sun hits the garden
17. Separate dining room and kitchen space
18. Energy efficiency of the property
19. Number of toilets
20. Cracks in the walls
21. Nearest park
22. The décor
23. Having an en-suite
24. Broadband speed
25. Wi-Fi
26. Fast internet connection
27. Quality of insulation
28. Age of the roof
29. Nearest pub
30. The flooring condition