Nicola Kelland - The Internet

The speed of the Internet at a property is becoming increasingly important especially to young homebuyers. A recent survey in the UK indicated that homebuyers ranked fast broadband above off-street parking and local amenities, when considering a new property. While I don’t think NZ is quite at this stage yet, I am sure that it will be in a very short time. Even today, parking is becoming less important to younger buyers as fewer of them own cars and more are living in the central city.

In the UK, a fast Internet connection can add 5% to a property’s value, due to the reliance on the Internet for work & leisure. Some Real Estate agents now include the speed of the broadband connection in their marketing material. One in five buyers now check the Internet speed of a property before buying, and one in ten rejected a property because of poor speed. ?

Certainly, homebuyers in Auckland are checking mobile phone coverage before buying, as many no longer have a fixed line home phone. So if you are thinking of selling in the future, make sure you have good broadband speed - it might just add some value to your home.