Property investors selecting their next successful property investment might want to put internet connectivity at the top of their wish list. But which areas are superfast hotspots and which broadband blackholes should you avoid?
While factors such as proximity to a train station or a city centre might once have been a top priority when choosing an investment property, there’s a new feature that should be taken into consideration. Internet quality, including download speeds and superfast availability, is becoming a major priority.
Wanting excellent internet connectivity in a home is nothing new. Many property investors and landlords looking to attract tenants have used this as a selling point, where it applies, for many years. Renting families as well as young professionals are likely to prefer a rental property where fast internet is an option.
However, since the pandemic and the tremendous rise in home-working, this is now more crucial than ever. Rather than it be a “nice to have”, people now depend on their internet connectivity on a daily basis. An investor or landlord who can add “superfast broadband available” to their rental home advert could receive much more interest now.
How the regions rank
Estate and letting agent comparison site Rentround has revealed where in the UK you can find the best quality internet. Using data from Ofcom’s Connected Nations Open Data, World Population Review and Centre on Technology, Data and Society, the firm has compiled a list of the best – and worst – places to connect.
The West Midlands leads the way with the best average download speeds overall of 82.45Mbps. The data also shows that superfast broadband is currently available in 95.8% of areas in the region. Birmingham in particular fares very well, with the likes of Hall Green and Selly Oak achieving top speeds of more than 150Mpbs.
Parts of Birmingham, as well as the surrounding area and commuter belt, have been the subject of massive regeneration in recent years. Already earmarked as one of the country’s most up and coming property investment hotspots, the arrival of HS2 and investment surrounding the 2022 Commonwealth Games are further boosting the area’s appeal. For investors and inhabitants alike, stellar internet connectivity is another string to the location’s bow.
Wales needs to improve connectivity
Unsurprisingly, London was in second place for internet speeds, with an average download speed of 78.26Mbps. This was followed by Yorkshire & the Humber (75.53Mbps) and the east of England (75.07Mbps). The north-west came in a close fifth place with speeds of 73.99Mbps.
At the bottom of the pile, Wales came in 12th position with download speeds of just 58.27Mbps. Northern Ireland wasn’t far ahead with an average speed of 64.32Mbps.
Attracting more tenants – and investors
As Rentround founder Raj Dosanjh points out, this detail in a property is now more important than ever. Most homeowners as well as property investors and renters will need to factor it in.
“Where people choose to live in a post-Covid world will factor in working from home conditions, [and] internet speed plays a part in that.
“Dropping off zoom calls, slow database access and connection drops are things all remote workers want to avoid. However, with the additional burden on internet service providers, these things are at risk of occurring more often.”
The UK only ranks 48th in the world for internet speeds. Raj believes the government will work alongside internet service providers to try and improve this.
He adds: “Landlords and sellers are likely to shout about their amazing internet speeds (if their property has one) in order to attract remote workers to their property, in a similar way they highlight their excellent transport links to work areas to attract commuters.”
