Moving House Broadband: What to Do Before and After You Move

Contact your broadband provider as soon as you know your moving date. Check what speeds are available at the new address, decide whether to take your current service with you or switch, and book the installation for your moving day. If the new home has no working line, an engineer may need to visit — which is why broadband is one of the first things on a moving checklist, not one of the last.

Before you move

1. Check your current contract

Find out whether you’re still in your minimum contract period. If you are, leaving early can mean paying early termination charges. Ofcom suggests checking what service your provider can offer at your new address — and, if it can’t give you what you need, asking how much you’d pay to cancel.

Also ask whether moving your existing service would start a new minimum term.

2. Check what’s available at the new address

Use Ofcom’s broadband and mobile checker to see which speeds and networks reach the new home. It also shows mobile coverage — worth knowing if signal matters to you or you’ll rely on your phone while you wait for installation.

Ask the seller, landlord or letting agent which provider they used and whether there’s a working line or a full-fibre connection already installed.

3. Decide: take it with you or switch

Take your current service with you	Switch to a new provider
Simplest if your provider covers the new address	Worth it if another network is faster or cheaper there
Usually one call or online form	Order from the new provider for your moving date
May start a new minimum term — ask first	You may owe early termination charges on the old contract

Moving is a natural point to compare deals, especially if you’re out of contract.

4. Order early and book the installation

Openreach, which runs much of the UK’s phone and broadband network, advises getting in touch with your provider as early as possible. How long it takes depends on:

• the type of service you have (standard broadband, fibre or full fibre)
• what’s already installed at the new property
• whether an engineer needs to do extra work to connect you

If there’s no line at all, your provider will request one and an engineer may need to visit. Ask your provider for an estimated date when you order.

5. Plan for a gap

Even with good planning, installation can slip. Check your mobile data allowance, find out whether your mobile plan lets you share a hotspot, and keep any work calls or deadlines in mind for the first few days.

After you move

• Set up the router somewhere central and off the floor, away from thick walls and large appliances.
• Test your speed and compare it with the speed your provider quoted before you signed up.
• Report faults quickly. Ofcom’s switching guidance says providers must compensate you in certain cases — including if you’re left without service for more than one working day, or if they miss a confirmed installation appointment.
• Update your address with the provider if you took the service with you, and with anyone else on our who to notify list.

Switching provider at the same address later

Once you’re settled, Ofcom’s One Touch Switch makes changing provider at the same address simpler: you contact the provider you want to move to and they manage the switch. Your old provider must not charge you for any notice period after the switch date, and you have 14 calendar days to cancel the new order.

If money is tight: social tariffs

If you or someone in your household claims Universal Credit, you can switch to a broadband social tariff. Most major providers also include people on Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support. Ofcom lists current prices of £10 to £24 a month, and there’s no fee to leave a social tariff early.

If the new home has very poor broadband

If you can’t get a decent connection, you may be able to request one under the broadband Universal Service Obligation. Ofcom explains that a “decent” connection means download speeds of at least 10Mbit/s and upload speeds of at least 1Mbit/s. BT (and KCOM in the Hull area) handle requests.

Keep it in your plan

The free moving planner reminds you to order broadband about six weeks before your moving date, alongside everything else — see the moving house checklist for the full timeline.