New Build - Been told Virgin Media Only

WCN87

Hi All,

In in the processing of purchasing a new build on a new estate, and I've been told that the development is a virgin media only site.

The developer has decided to only have virgin media.

Is that technically true? Ideally I want Sky as I'm in a mid-term subscription and would like to continue with it.

Regards

dc197

There may be a covenant forbidding you from erecting a satellite dish, perhaps during the first X years or until all the houses on the estate are sold. This may be to keep up appearances.
After that you could use a dish for Sky.

If Sky is only available via a cable (I don't know, I'm not a customer), then above doesn't help, sorry

AnotherJoe

Do they mean Virgin only for telephony ? Have you looked at conditions to see if there is anything about no satellite dishes ?

WCN87

I've just read the draft deeds and it says " Not to erect or place on the front elevation(s) of the Property any aerial or satellite dish until the Transferor has completed the sale of the last dwelling house on the estate"

Does that mean we can erect a dish on the back? Which is where Sky would need to put it anyway?

AnotherJoe

Since it clearly says the front, I can't see why you'd have a problem putting it on the back.

visidigi

WCN87 wrote: »

I've just read the draft deeds and it says " Not to erect or place on the front elevation(s) of the Property any aerial or satellite dish until the Transferor has completed the sale of the last dwelling house on the estate"

Does that mean we can erect a dish on the back? Which is where Sky would need to put it anyway?

potentially - but it does mean your only internet option will be virgin media.

I've actually purposely looked for a VM compatible development - as the BT network round our way is horrifically oversubscribed.

marksoton

WCN87 wrote: »

I've just read the draft deeds and it says " Not to erect or place on the front elevation(s) of the Property any aerial or satellite dish until the Transferor has completed the sale of the last dwelling house on the estate"

Does that mean we can erect a dish on the back? Which is where Sky would need to put it anyway?

Oh screw them. Put it where you want. I'll bet my b@llocks to a barn dance they'll do nothing whatsoever.

dc197

WCN87 wrote: »

I've just read the draft deeds and it says " Not to erect or place on the front elevation(s) of the Property any aerial or satellite dish until the Transferor has completed the sale of the last dwelling house on the estate"

Does that mean we can erect a dish on the back? Which is where Sky would need to put it anyway?

Yep, sounds like it would be fine.
The dish needs a line-of-sight to the satellite, which is roundabout south for us here in the UK, but it could be mounted on any wall of the house that's not restricted by the covenant. So it doesn't have to be on the back of your house, it could be on the side or the non-front sides of the chimney stack, etc.
My dish is face south but is on the north wall. It peeks over the roof.

WCN87

visidigi wrote: »

potentially - but it does mean your only internet option will be virgin media.

I've actually purposely looked for a VM compatible development - as the BT network round our way is horrifically oversubscribed.

Agreed, the broadband would be much better with VM as it is a fibre area, but we have not long started a years subscription with sky and broadband.

WCN87

dc197 wrote: »

Yep, sounds like it would be fine.
The dish needs a line-of-sight to the satellite, which is roundabout south for us here in the UK, but it could be mounted on any wall of the house that's not restricted by the covenant. So it doesn't have to be on the back of your house, it could be on the side or the non-front sides of the chimney stack, etc.
My dish is face south but is on the north wall. It peeks over the roof.

Thanks for this info, great help. We would much prefer the satellite dish to be on the back garden wall anyway so that would be perfect, it's a semi detached house and the side faces next doors house in between our car parking spaces so presumably that would be a poor signal

dc197

The dish will need to point upwards at about 25 degrees from horizontal if you are in London.
If you are elsewhere, use this calculator: http://www.dishpointer.com/
Wherever you choose, so long as it points at the right angle into open sky your signal will be fine. If your chosen mounting position has your neighbour's house in line-of-sight to the bird, your signal will be poor.

Edit: you can always increase the height of the dish so that even if the azimuth (angle around the vertical axis) has it pointing at your neighbour, it can still see the sky. Mine is on a pole.