Broadband When Moving House UK 2026: Complete Checklist

When moving house, your broadband needs to be handled in a specific order to avoid gaps in service, early termination charges, or paying for two connections at once. Follow this checklist and you will have broadband set up at your new address with no unnecessary costs.

Broadband moving house — the complete checklist

• ✓ Check broadband availability at your new address (8–12 weeks before move)
• ✓ Decide whether to move your existing service or switch provider
• ✓ Check your contract for early termination charges
• ✓ Give your provider the required notice (minimum 14–30 days)
• ✓ Book your new connection or engineer visit
• ✓ Take your router to the new property
• ✓ Return old equipment if leaving your current provider

Step 1: Check broadband availability at your new address

Do this as soon as you know your new address — ideally 8–12 weeks before moving. Use our postcode checker to see which providers and connection types are available. Do not assume your current provider covers your new address — especially if you are moving to a different area, rural location, or new build development.

Key question: is full fibre (FTTP) available at the new address? If yes, moving is an opportunity to upgrade. If your current provider offers FTTP at the new address, they can often migrate you without an early termination charge.

Step 2: Decide whether to move your service or switch

Contact your current provider first and ask: “Can I move my existing service to my new address?”

• If yes, same provider is available — you can usually transfer your contract to the new address without penalty, and without restarting your minimum term
• If no, provider does not cover the new address — you can typically exit your contract without an early termination charge due to the change in service availability
• Moving is a chance to switch and save — even if your current provider is available, compare deals at your new postcode before committing. New customers almost always get better rates than transferring existing customers

Step 3: Check your early termination charge

Log in to your account or check your contract documents to find your contract end date. If you are within your minimum term, the early termination charge (ETC) is typically the remaining months multiplied by your monthly fee. For example: 4 months remaining at £30/month = up to £120 ETC.

Exceptions that may waive the ETC: your provider cannot serve the new address; your provider raises prices mid-contract; your provider fails to deliver minimum guaranteed speeds.

Step 4: Give the required notice

Notice requirements vary by provider:

Step 5: Book the new connection

For FTTC connections at a property with existing phone wiring, activation is usually remote and takes 1–3 working days. For FTTP (full fibre) at a property being connected for the first time, you need an Openreach engineer visit — allow 2–4 weeks. Book as early as possible to get a slot close to your move date.

If you are using One Touch Switching to switch provider, your new provider handles the connection booking. You do not need to contact your old provider.

Step 6: On moving day

• Take your router — most providers let you keep your router during the contract; do not leave it behind
• Do not cancel your old service until the new one works — give yourself at least 24 hours of overlap if possible
• Return old equipment within the required timeframe — BT, Sky, and Virgin Media typically give you 30 days to return equipment or face a charge of £40–£80

Moving house as an opportunity to get a better deal

Research by broadband.co.uk found that customers who switch provider when moving house save an average of £183.60 per year compared to those who transfer their existing deal. New customer rates are almost always lower than retention rates. Use the move to check every provider available at your new postcode — you may find a faster service at a lower price than you were paying before.