Would lack of BT line put you off buying?

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Fireflyaway wrote: »

Most people go for broadband / TV / phone etc as a package so probably wouldn't need it.

err, how do you think the BB package enters the house if not supplied by Virgin???

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glasgowdan wrote: »

We have the chance to remove the overhead line to our house as we have Virgin Media and all the line gets used for is a bird perch, resulting in bird cack all over the swing and climbing frame. Openreach will remove it for free. Would anyone think this would be a pain/negative for any future buyers?

FWIW when BT upgraded the wires from the poles in our street i was not a customer of theirs (I too am with Virgin) so they physically removed the wire and did not install the upgrade. My reaction was what a bunch of penny pinchers as i am not "tied" to Virgin "forever" unless i pay "a lot" to have a new wire physically reinstated. It would be a factor in buying thus house if i was torn between a top 2, if however, this house was the clear no 1 it would not stop me buying but I'd sure have a go at negotiating a price over it

a) a minority(?) of people looking to buy will not even notice the lack of a line
b) for those that do it is an inconvenience as it limits their bb/tc/phone package to Virgin until such time as a line is physically re-installed
c) the cost to re-install will be a figure those who are bothered won't know and so will inflate it out of all sensible proportion.
d) A small minority will be totally put off, a small number will factor that into their offer, a number may try to negotiate if they find out before completion, a few won't care. In other words it is impossible to predict human behaviour over such a, in the grand scheme of things, insignificant and trivial issue when buying a house

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ProDave wrote: »

The standard connection charge we paid for a new build was £65. We then got most of that back because they took too long to make the connection. So reconnecting an overhead that was taken down should be no problem.

irrelevant in OP's context

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8311/~/how-much-does-it-cost-to-install-a-new-bt-phone-line-or-reconnect-an-old-one%3F
Where there's no suitable BT line available in your property, no dial tone on the line, or if you have been disconnected for non-payment in the past, then you might need to pay a connection charge. If you only have a calling plan with BT, the standard connection charge is normally £130.

note use of the word normally...

zagubov

We bought a house without a line, got Virgin media put in but after 10 years we got a BT line and broadband to save money. No big deal.

amateur_house

It wouldn't put me off. We had a BT line when we bought this house, but were with Virgin and the line was taken away (used for another house I think) a few years later. When we changed from Virgin we had to pay to get a new line. Annoying, but not a deal breaker when it comes to buying a house.

ReadingTim

Depends on how unique (or not) the house is. Somewhere that's a one off then it wouldn't be a problem, but if it were merely one house on an estate, then faced with a choice between somewhere with no BT line and somewhere with one, I know which I'd choose. It's also worth remembering that the copper BT line allows other phone/internet providers, whereas a Virgin line ties you to Virgin, and their prices.

Also, birdsh!t on a climbing frame - for how many years do you seriously think this is going to be a problem for? Seems a bit drastic for a garden toy that probably won't be used by the summer after next...

stator

It might do, if there were two houses I was looking at, I liked them both equally and one had a BT line and the other didn't.
I used to be with VM but go so fed up with their poor service when I moved I switched to a BT line

goodwithsaving

It wouldn't put me off but it is something I check for because VM is so expensive. I didn't have one when I moved into my current place but BT were quick to install. I left the VM cables in so the future owners have choice.

glasgowdan

ReadingTim wrote: »

Depends on how unique (or not) the house is. Somewhere that's a one off then it wouldn't be a problem, but if it were merely one house on an estate, then faced with a choice between somewhere with no BT line and somewhere with one, I know which I'd choose. It's also worth remembering that the copper BT line allows other phone/internet providers, whereas a Virgin line ties you to Virgin, and their prices.

Also, birdsh!t on a climbing frame - for how many years do you seriously think this is going to be a problem for? Seems a bit drastic for a garden toy that probably won't be used by the summer after next...

It's a big swing frame and slide that I built myself, and as the kids are 3 and under 1 I'd expect 10 years use or more.

If reconnection is only £130 then I don't see it as drastic!

Thanks all, openreach have confirmed removal is free and I've booked it in.

We're paying less for our vm broadband than the equivalent BT and it's way faster. The house is a 50s bungalow near a top high school so it seems like the BT line won't be an issue in the big picture.

worried_jim

Younger generations don't have landlines anymore (I gave mine up last year, £18pm for something I don't need, should have done it years ago) and will probably go BB only so with VM being far superior to BT I would say you are onto a winner. A great selling feature, this property gets 300mb fibre BB.