High speed internet and future property value

houseyhouse · 02-01-2022 12:42am #1

I live in an estate. Last summer SIRO were around installing fibre cable for high speed internet. They ran the cables across the front of the houses and then overhead from one pair of semi-ds to the next. There were already telephone/electric wires installed in this way so there was no change to the look of the estate. One couple refused to allow the wires to be installed on their house. SIRO suggested digging up the front gardens of the houses either side to bring the wire out to the road and around the couple’s house. The couple complained to the neighbours that this could damage the foundations of the shared 3ft high front garden wall. Neighbour didn’t want the hassle and left it. Now, there are a dozen houses that don’t have access to high speed internet. Obviously this is an inconvenience for many people. My question is what do you think the long-term impact on property values will be? Presumably in 10-20 years everybody will expect fibre and not having it will be a problem.

awec · 02-01-2022 12:29pm

Personally I wouldn't buy a house that didn't have high speed internet today never mind in 10-20 years.

It will definitely make your house harder to sell. The next owner could be waiting a very long time for the internet problem to be sorted and any prospective buyer will know this.

L1011 · 05-01-2022 4:10pm

I wouldn't buy a house that was blacked out from a provider otherwise available in that area. If you get a few potential buyers gone due to that it will absolutely pull value down.

Charles Babbage · 05-01-2022 4:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058225411/high-speed-internet-and-future-property-value

I think it would reduce value, especially as other properties have it.

In this case the neighbour who did not allow the line run through their garden to the road was not being very helpful, presumably the line could have been run on the side of the garden away from those blocking it.

I think though in general that new fibre should be in the road, these cables would not be allowed in a new estate and further cables should not be added in this way in older estates either.

NSAman · 05-01-2022 4:29pm

finally Getting fibre internet in our house in the states (rural location). Property values have increased exponentially with covid and people moving out of the city …. Apart from our area which did not have fibre. Now, every house for sale is being bought sight unseen values have rocketed.

internet is vital nowadays, let alone in 10 years.

Gusser09 · 05-01-2022 4:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058225411/high-speed-internet-and-future-property-value

Ffs. Dinosaurs.

I wouldnt touch a house without decent internet.

FromADistance · 05-01-2022 5:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058225411/high-speed-internet-and-future-property-value

Whatever about the awkward neighbours, have SIRO not attempted an alternative solution? I wouldn't be a happy camper if I was one of the 12 houses but surely a second cable can be installed thus by-passing the existing installations? Certainly you'd be better have it than not but with technology advances, we might be all getting our broadband from the sky in the next 10-20 years.

The Nal · 05-01-2022 5:07pm

Wouldnt worry about it too much.

Couple of years everyone will have fiber.

You dont really need super fast internet anyway. No one really needs 260 Mbps internet at home.

houseyhouse · 05-01-2022 5:14pm

I should clarify that we do have access to high speed internet though Virgin but we don’t have fibre thanks to this installation problem. We’re in Galway city so I think buyers will reasonably expect to have fibre available. I will be following up with SIRO about it but if that doesn’t work I’m also thinking about approaching the couple in question to see if they’ll reconsider given the impact of their objections on the rest of the street.

Raichu · 05-01-2022 5:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422177#Comment_118422177

You’re dead wrong, but anyway.

The_Conductor · 06-01-2022 9:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118422177#Comment_118422177

Try running multiple high def video calls while sharing videos and other files- as happened in lots of households during the lockdown. Add a PS4/5 doing a few downloads and the kids watching separate Youtube streams- while doing some share play gaming. Its not that difficult to swamp a connection. In general the wifi connection is the bottleneck, rather than the headline speed rate- but even the headline speed rate will be a portion of its advertised self, if its contended, at particular times of the day.

Lots of families use a 500Mb connection, purely for family use, often with multiple wifi router bands- to ensure they get the most out of their connections.

OP- I wouldn't consider bidding on a property in your estate that did not have SIRO- if the neighbouring properties had it- or if I did- I'd demand a serious reduction on the price of other units in the estate. It would definitely reduce the attractiveness of your property versus other properties- to the extent that many people simply wouldn't be interested at all.

If you want to sell in future- I'd explore coming to some alternate arrangement with SIRO to get a connection in- whatever it costs you will be money well spent.

Raichu · 06-01-2022 9:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118429605#Comment_118429605

Honestly that post literally said

“We’ll I don’t need 260mbps so NO ONE DOES.” (weird speed btw)

As you say (all the points I cba to) almost everything has an internet connection now. Even Airfryers. No, seriously, there’s a Mi Smart Airfryer..

The Nal · 07-01-2022 10:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118429605#Comment_118429605

Same as my house yeah. HD video calls need about 2.5 Mbps. Gaming about 10 Mbps.

Its nice to have 500Mb but the percetion that you're in the dark ages if you dont have it is a bit OTT.

Agree on wifi. Throws a huge unknown in there. My house was dismal until I corrected it.

JimmyVik · 07-01-2022 11:44am

I would never look at a house without very fast broadband. And when I was looking plenty of EAs were lying about the broadband when asked.

Creamy Goodness · 07-01-2022 12:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118432053#Comment_118432053

Same, in fact I wouldn't look at one that doesn't have multiple options for fast broadband. I hate the idea of being tied to just one provider, you can never do the "contract's up, threaten to leave" dance to get a better deal.

fast reliable broadband is a utility in the same bracket of importance as clean drinkable water and electricity/gas for me.

houseyhouse · 17-01-2022 5:59pm

Hi folks. Update on this. SIRO have confirmed that access for us and our neighbours is ‘not viable’ due to ‘accessibility’. I am not happy. We’re in an inner suburb surrounded by other houses and housing estates so it seems ridiculous that we won’t have access to it.

Any advice on how to approach the objecting neighbours about this? We’ve only been living here a short while so I don’t know them except to see, but they seem friendly. We do know some of the other families affected so we’ll talk to them first to see if we can all approach together. If anybody has experience trying to convince a neighbour about something like this, what worked?

Thanks

JimmyVik · 18-01-2022 1:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118490495#Comment_118490495

Tell the neighbor you will get free boradband for the year when connected and you will give this free broadband to them. Then just pay for their broadband for a year :)

High speed internet and future property value

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