Sign up to our newsletter!
No matter if you are moving, or improving, our newsletter is packed with the best tips, tricks and ideas to help you dwell well.
Like most things to do with moving house, minimising that time is all about planning. That’s what we’re going to help you with here. What follows is a simple, actionable plan for moving home with your broadband.
A successful house move is mainly down to the quality of your planning, so let’s begin there.
Take a minute to assess whether your current broadband speed is enough for your needs. Do you need faster speeds or would you prefer lower prices? Now is the ideal opportunity to decide the direction of travel for your next broadband contract. Busier households typically benefit from faster speeds while quieter households or occasional internet users might prefer slower speeds at a lower price. If it’s the latter, Broadband Genie have a guide to cheap broadband deals.
Once your offer has been accepted or you find a rental you like, check to see what broadband you can get there. Perform a postcode check to see what broadband providers serve that area, what speeds and what deals are available. Use that information for every step going forward.
Now comes the big decision. Do you continue with your current provider or switch to another? The answer depends on what you found on your postcode search. If your current provider offers services in your area, you have the option of sticking with them. If they don’t offer services in your area, you likely have no choice but to change provider.
Not all providers offer services everywhere. For example, Virgin Media offers services in limited areas, while Hull has its own network (KCOM) so if you’re moving to or from Hull, you may have to change provider.
If you have the option, we recommend moving with your current provider. Moving is generally easier and less troublesome than switching. You can always switch once you’re moved in and connected!
Broadband contracts come with a fixed period and then turns into a rolling monthly contract. You know that ‘24-month contract’ notice you see in the small print? That’s the fixed period. Leave during this time and you may be charged early termination fees. This is often the monthly fee multiplied by the number of months left on that fixed period. You can ask about early termination fees when you talk to your provider about moving.
If your current provider doesn’t offer broadband at your new address, you may be able to negotiate these fees as you have no choice but to leave.
If you decide to stay with your current provider, contact them when you have a moving-in date to book the move. There’s a minimum time to book a move (check with your provider to find out how much notice they require) but the more notice you can give, the better. With some providers, you actually have to be in the house before you can even book the move, others you can book in advance.
Make sure you know which is which when you talk to yours!
If you decide to switch broadband provider, you’ll need to give notice to your old provider so the contract ends on your moving-out date. You’ll then need to start your new broadband contract as close to moving day as you can. Scheduling installation for moving day means minimum downtime but adds to the chaos of the day. Scheduling installation for the day or two after lets things calm down and builds a cushion in case of delays. It does mean a couple of days without internet though.
If you’re moving to a new rented property, make sure no engineering work is required to get you connected. The new provider should be able to tell you this when you’re booking installation.If there are holes that need to be drilled or any engineering work required, make sure to get permission in writing from the landlord or lettings agency beforehand so you’re covered.
If the property has had broadband before, your new provider may just send you a router in the post to avoid an engineer visit altogether. They should tell you at the time what’s required.
Switching broadband should be a simple, seamless process much like switching bank accounts. But we all know it doesn’t always work that way.
While we hope it doesn’t happen, plan for a day or two without broadband. That could mean using your phone to keep in touch, telling work you’ll be offline for a few days while you move or using a mobile broadband dongle to keep connected.
Not all services are available everywhere. For example, if you have Virgin Media with TV right now but are moving to a non-cabled area, you will likely have to use the BT Openreach network , which is generally slower. You may not be able to continue with Virgin TV either. Plan for a complete switch depending on what’s available at your new address.
New broadband means new WiFi. Allocate some time early on to set up WiFi on your new router, change the WiFi password, check signal strength in relevant rooms and set up signal boosters or a powerline network as required.
Moving house is a stressful time so there’s no reason to add to that with lots of extra hassle with moving broadband. Follow these simple steps and your switch should be seamless!
Live well with Moving and Improving