House-hunting Britons are increasingly choosing a new property based on the strength of its mobile phone signal, research has found.
Nearly half (45%) of 18-35 year-olds said that good signal was the most important consideration when looking to buy a new property, far ahead of crime rates (21%), transport links (18%) or schools (17%).
On average, nearly half of those surveyed (49%) would reconsider buying or renting a home if they knew mobile coverage there was poor, with bad signal also found to be a major factor in influencing people’s decision to move.
Over half the respondents (51%) surveyed are currently experiencing recurring problems with their mobile phone performance at home, and 40% even said that they’d considered switching networks due to a lack of signal at home.
Showing how important a part technology now has in our everyday lives, 69% of all home buyers or renters – and 77% of younger buyers – admitted that they would consider changing their mobile provider if performance were poor at a new property.
"With so many people reliant on their smart phone devices for work, social media and keeping in contact with friends and family, it is no surprise it is the top factor in young people’s wish list," said David Cox, MD of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).
"Checking your mobile signal should become a routine action in every property you view, as a lack of phone signal could cause you a lot of hassle in the long run once you are living there."
The study was carried out by analytics firm RootMetrics, and covered over 2,000 people of all ages across the UK.
"Our mobile phones have become an essential part of our everyday lives and, when they don’t work, we notice," said Bill Moore, CEO and president of RootMetrics, which offers several services for customers to check coverage in their area.
