Moving to the UK and Broadband Connections

 

The WeCare Removals is here to help make your moving experience as simple and stress-free as possible. With so many things to remember and get done, we want to make sure you don't forget anything. Especially when you’re moving to another country.

 

Outside of getting all your possessions into the UK and making sure you have the correct paperwork, the next thing you will want to get sorted is your broadband. So much of our lives are spent online these days, and you’ll want to be able to contact people from your old home to let them know you’ve moved in okay. So here’s how you can find great broadband when moving house in the UK.

 

 

You’ll be glad to know that broadband isn’t generally expensive in the UK. Around £20-25 per month is a reasonable starting point for a basic fibre broadband service when you’re a new customer.

 

Setup of your broadband is often free. Several of the bigger networks all use the same phone lines to connect homes to the internet, so provided the line on your house is still active, it’ll be an easy connection. However, if you need a new line or it needs to get switched back on, you will usually need to pay a fee. The cost for this varies, but it can be more than £100.

 

Some deals offer TV bundled in with your broadband package. These are more expensive but can be worth it if you’ll use all elements of the package regularly. If not, get a bundle without TV as Freeview (free broadcast television) or streaming services should suffice.

 

 

 

If you’re moving into a shared house, it will likely already have broadband set up. You may be paying for the internet as part of your rent, so you shouldn’t need to worry about extra costs.

 

If you’re renting a house or flat alone, you’ll usually need to sort out the broadband yourself. If your broadband provider has to send an engineer to install it, you must speak to your landlord or agent first. You will need to ensure you have permission for any work before it's carried out.

 

Like when you're buying a home, it's important to get this sorted as soon as possible. Make sure you speak to your landlord or agent about broadband. If they aren't providing it, you'll want to start looking into potential providers and deals at least two weeks before you move in (it normally takes around 14 working days to set up a new broadband service).

 

Broadband when you buy a house

 

The preparations you need to make when you buy a house will be similar to those you need to make for rented accommodation. However, you won’t need to get permission before you arrange for engineer visits.

 

Most homes already have a phone, fibre, or cable installed. In that situation, you should not normally need an engineer to enter your home, but they may carry out work on the equipment outside your home. If the property doesn’t have a phone or fibre line installed, your provider will arrange for an engineer to carry out a new installation.

 

The sooner you look into these things, the sooner you can get online. An engineer’s visit can take time to organise, so if you want internet access when you arrive, get everything sorted beforehand.

 

 

 

 

There isn’t a single best provider, just the best provider for you. When you’re looking into broadband, you need to work out what you need the internet for. If you just want a cheap deal, then you'll want to look at those without TV bundles. If you frequently stream TV in your household, you might need to consider the speeds offered. Looking up deals on postcode comparison sites like Broadband.co.uk can help with this. You’ll be able to see what is available in your area and how much it will cost.

 

If you’re looking for a cheap provider, then you might want to consider NOW, TalkTalk or Vodafone. All three of these offer decent speeds for a decent price. They’re also widely available across the country.

 

The fastest provider that’s the most readily available is Virgin Media. This requires a specific type of fibre line installed on your property though and can be slightly more expensive than some other networks.

 

If you can’t get Virgin Media installed or can’t afford it, there are full fibre networks offering very fast broadband, including gigabit internet. But these currently have a fairly limited coverage area (at the time of writing, around 38% of homes can get a full fibre service).

 

If customer service matters to you, Sky, EE, BT and Plusnet all have the fewest number of complaints according to Ofcom. Dealing with broadband providers can be difficult and confusing, so a reassuring customer service record is a good thing to consider.

 

No matter what you’re looking for from a broadband provider, you’ll find one you’ll be happy with within the UK. Provided you sort things out early enough, you can get any engineering sorted fairly quickly and be online when you arrive. Just remember, keep in contact with your new provider during the move, and don’t forget to compare deals thoroughly to find the best value service.