How To Get Wifi In Your House

When moving home you'll probably have a million things to do — there are boxes to pack, moving vans to hire and a load of bills and paperwork that you need to get organised before moving day.

While sorting your broadband and moving house at the same time might seem stressful, in most cases it's actually fairly straightforward.

This guide will help you decide whether to transfer your existing package to your new property or change to something new so you can easily tick something else off your checklist.

Moving house - broadband and other bills

movers were offline for 8 days

When moving house, broadband isn't always the first thing you put on your to-do list, but organising all the services, bills and subscriptions you'll need is something that's better sorted sooner rather than later.

Our research revealed that the one million Britons who moved home in 2020 waited an average of eight days for their broadband to be connected. This would have left them unable to stream movies or work from home. Additionally, one in three of these movers were forced to use up all their mobile data allowance while they waited to be connected.

movers mobile data

There are a few things you should find out about your broadband contract when you're moving home:

Are you under contract with your current provider? Is the fixed-term ending soon?
Has your provider raised prices above the rate of inflation while you're in contract with them? If so, you could be free to leave without penalty.
Are you happy with your current package and broadband provider?
Does your current provider operate in the area you are moving to?
If so, does your current provider service the specific property you're moving to? (this is especially important when moving into a flat)
If your current provider doesn't have coverage in the area you're moving to, which providers do?
Can your current provider bundle products like TV, landline and broadband together into one seamless monthly payment?

If you think any of these issues need addressing, use the Uswitch broadband postcode checker to see which broadband packages are on offer in your new area. This will also tell you whether your current broadband provider operates in the area you are moving to.

Broadband in my area

Keeping your broadband provider when moving home

Most broadband providers will allow you to move your connection to another property, as long as they have coverage in that area too — although a small charge may apply.

Some providers might also require you to start a new contract with them, which would mean committing to another 12, 18, or 24 months with that specific broadband provider once you move to your new address.

This isn't always a bad thing, because securing a low monthly rate from your provider is ideal. However, if they're unable to secure you a good price, or indicate that there will be price jumps, it would definitely be worth looking at other broadband deals for your new home.

Can you transfer internet from house to house?

It may not always make sense to change. It might be worth staying with your current provider and simply transferring your broadband if:

They have coverage in your area
You are happy with your broadband package
You are still under contract with them and don't want to pay any termination or cancellation costs

Can I cancel my broadband when moving house?

This is where it gets a little more complicated. When moving house, you might want to switch to a new broadband provider if your current service isn't available in the area you're moving to.

In order to change, you will need to contact your provider and set a cancellation date for when you want your current package to end. You can then compare broadband deals to find out what services and deals are available in the area you're moving to.

But unfortunately, it's not always that simple.

If you're still within your initial contract period, you would have to pay an early termination fee to cancel — even if you aren't able to continue that service in your new address.

The amount you would need to pay in order to cancel varies depending on your provider, the length of time remaining in your contract, and the services you are subscribed to.

BT cancellation fees
Charges for ending your Sky contract early
Virgin Media early disconnection fees

If you are out of contract with your provider when you plan to move home, it's likely to be much cheaper to switch to a new broadband service than to pay the transfer charges to stay with your current broadband provider.

In addition, broadband prices are almost always cheaper for new customers than existing customers, so switching broadband when moving home could be the way to go.

Broadband in my area

How to transfer broadband to your new home

If your current provider is available in your new property, then they will do most of the work for you (although often for a fee).

Most providers will have dedicated teams to make it easy for you to transfer your broadband to your new home. You will need to contact customer services in advance to arrange the transfer — just be aware that some providers require 30 days notice while others require two weeks.

Planning ahead will help minimise waiting times at your new property and allow you to get your internet connection up and running as quickly as possible. Different providers will have different processes to get you connected when you move, and they range in how long they take to complete. But if you're as prepared as you can be beforehand, then you needn't wait any longer than you need to.

According to our recent research, nearly all of the major broadband providers had customers waiting at least a week to be connected. Plusnet took the longest time, at almost ten days, while Virgin Media customers had to wait just under seven.

Provider	Average days without connection
Plusnet	9.9
TalkTalk	9.4
BT	8.6
EE	8.1
Sky Broadband	7.7
Vodafone	7.3
Virgin Media	6.6

BT broadband moving house

BT's moving home service takes care of most of the hassle for you. All you need to do is fill in your home phone number and account number, along with your new address, postcode and move-in date, and BT will do the rest (provided it can service your new property).

Since BT is so widely available across the UK (96% superfast fibre coverage), it's highly unlikely that you'll have any trouble accessing its services from your new home.

Keep in mind, however, that there may be charges if there is no BT master socket in your new property or you need a new line installed. This can end up costing as much as £130.

BT recommends giving at least two weeks' notice before your move in order to avoid any loss of service.

Sky Broadband moving home

For customers of Sky Broadband, moving home is also a simple matter of confirming your new address and moving date with Sky at least two weeks in advance, since it uses the same Openreach broadband networks as BT.

Depending on the network coverage at your new address you may be able to upgrade your broadband, or you may have to downgrade to a slower service.

In either case, you may incur an activation fee to set up your Sky Broadband at your new address. Sky's current activation fees are:

Sky Broadband Essential – £20
Sky Broadband Superfast - £50
Sky Broadband Ultrafast - £100

If you're also a Sky TV customer there could be some added complications, as you will likely need to arrange an engineer visit to install and set up a satellite for your Sky TV.

Certain Sky customers may be able to self-install if all the necessary equipment is already in place in your new home. However, if you're a Sky Q TV customer, an engineer visit is always required.

The cost of a Sky TV engineer visit is currently:

£35 on a weekday
£50 on a weekend

Virgin Media broadband moving home

Unlike BT and Sky, Virgin Media runs on its own cable network.

Therefore, Virgin Media broadband is less widely available than some other providers, at 52% national coverage. See if you can get Virgin Media broadband in my area with the our postcode checker.

Compare broadband in my area

If you are able to transfer your existing broadband account to your new address you'll need to contact Virgin Media directly and provide the following details:

Your account number (found on your bill)
Your current and new address
Your contact number
Your moving date
Your preferred installation date

Virgin Media requires you to give at least one month's notice before moving and you will need to pay a £20 fee to move your services to a new address.

If the new property has already had Virgin Media installed previously, you can use a QuickStart self-install pack to avoid engineer charges.

EE broadband moving home

To move your broadband with EE, you can select the option 'moving home' within your My EE account. If this option isn't currently available on your account page you can contact EE on 0800 079 8586 and select option three for EE Home Broadband.

Moving home with TalkTalk

TalkTalk requires a minimum of 14 days notice in order to transfer your broadband service to your new home, and can work towards a moving date that's a maximum of three months away.

TalkTalk charges £60 to transfer your broadband to a new address, and all you need to do is start a chat within the My Account section of the TalkTalk website and provide them with your new address and your moving date.

Vodafone broadband moving house

To take your Vodafone broadband with you when moving house, you'll need to give them at least 30 days' notice.

You'll need your Vodafone account number or landline number, then you just need to call 191 free from your Vodafone mobile or 0333 304 0191 from any other phone to arrange the transfer.

Setting up broadband in your new home

You can still use Uswitch to compare broadband deals when moving to a new home, even though you're not technically switching.

Getting a new broadband deal is actually much easier than switching, as there's no need to worry about current contracts, termination fees or changing equipment.

How long does it take to set up internet in a new house?

It usually takes around two weeks to set up internet access in a new house. If there's a working broadband line already installed in the property, getting internet access could be as simple as plugging in your new router when you arrive.

If you do need a new line installed, however – either for a new provider or new service such as fibre or cable broadband – an engineer visit can take up to two weeks to arrange.

Broadband in my area

How to get internet in a new build

The process to get internet access in a new build is much the same as with other properties.

However, in some new-build flats and neighbourhoods there are what's known as 'micro-monopolies' in place. This is where broadband services for the entire building or street are exclusively provided by one provider.

While this does limit your choice, these are often high-end broadband services which will give you access to ultrafast or even full fibre broadband.

For example, Hyperoptic is often an exclusive broadband provider for new-build flats in urban areas. Hyperoptic full fibre broadband speeds can reach up to 1Gbps, which is over 15x the national average broadband speed of 64Mbps.

Hopefully, switching broadband when you move will be quick and simple, leaving you plenty of time to stress about all the other things you need to get done before moving day. Good luck.

Broadband in my area