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Buyers in UK prepared to pay more for property with high speed internet access, survey shows

Some 51% of those questioned said that they are willing to pay more for a house with faster broadband and almost two thirds said that the minimum broadband speed they require would be more than 4Mbps.

A fifth said 4Mbps would be acceptable, 10% voting would be happy with 2Mbps and just 6.6% would put up with 1Mbps.

‘Consumers clearly place a significant emphasis on broadband performance, so much so that an overwhelming majority would even be willing to give up on an almost perfect dream home in favour of a cosmetically less attractive one that received faster speeds,’ said ISPreview.co.uk’s editor and founder, Mark Jackson.

‘The results could have profound implications because many slower homes are often found in remote and rural locations that reside further from their local telephone exchange, hinting at the potential for a greater exodus into towns and cities where speeds are higher and prices lower,’ added Jackson.

The survey results show that property owners want internet speeds higher than the government is currently committed to providing.

The current target is to deliver a minimum of 2Mbps to everybody by 2012.

‘The survey highlights the importance of being able to deliver speeds of more than double the current Government target,’ said Jackson.

Meanwhile another report indicates that the impact of the credit crunch on home owners may be lessening.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders has cut its forecast for the number of repossessions this year to 48,000, down from 75,000.

It said that lender forbearance, government measures and the beneficial effect of continuing low interest rates are helping most borrowers facing difficulty to keep their properties.

Even if it is a much sought after area a property with 1Mbps or less is less attractive, according to the survey from ISPreview.co.uk, a source of Internet Service Provider (ISP) information.

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