Make your house move count

1.    Planning ahead will save you time

House hunting is all about refreshing Rightmove or Zoopla while learning to read between the lines of estate agent language. Think ‘cosy’ (the loo is next to the oven), ‘full of potential’ (aka money pit) and ‘well connected’ (it’s next to a dual carriageway). However, with tech giving us the freedom to conduct a lot of our lives from home, it should be a top consideration for every property.

You can make assessing homes more fruitful by looking at them through this lens. Begin by making a list of your smart devices, from games consoles to smart speakers, and go to viewings with an eye on where they’d fit. If moving house provides an opportunity to upgrade your gear, think about complementary products you could pick up in a tech bundle.

It’s also important to think about your connection and how much data you’ll need for your online activities. Is there ethernet wiring or potential to install it? How big is the house or flat, and could Smart WiFi Boosters be useful to boost your connection’s range?

2.    Smart energy usage saves pounds and the planet

Moving home is also a chance to think about reducing your impact on the planet – cutting your emissions while also potentially saving money. According to NatWest’s Greener Homes Attitude Tracker survey, 66% of homeowners in the UK are planning environmental improvements.²

Solar panels, double or triple-glazed windows and external insulation are among the more expensive options, but tech can help you make your new home more energy-efficient in an affordable way too.

3.    You can rely on an instant connection

We’ve all heard (or worse, experienced) horror stories about it taking weeks to get the broadband connected in a new home. Whether you’re scouring YouTube for tutorials on assembling flat-pack furniture, streaming a Spotify playlist to gee you up for unpacking, or simply returning to work, a decent connection is essential. Here, too, good planning is the key. Simply enter your postcode and landline to check if EE’s services are available at your new address, while EE’s 4G WiFi and 5G WiFi mobile broadband devices will bridge the gap if you have to wait for your home broadband to be connected.

Once you’re hooked up, the EE Home app will help you set your router up in the best location to ensure good Wi-Fi coverage across your new pad. If you have kids, they’re the perfect test for this. If they can’t simultaneously play Roblox, stream music and FaceTime six friends from their bedrooms, you’ll know about it.

4.    Smart security makes settling in easy

Like any honeymoon period, the delirious takeaway-fuelled haze of having just moved in will fade, as will the novelty of rediscovering stuff you forgot you had. Leaving the house for the first time can lead to some anxious moments. Is the cat still inside? Is a burglar snooping outside? Will either of them sign for the parcel you forgot was being delivered today?

Today’s smart home security systems can put your mind at rest. Video doorbells let you see who’s ringing when you’re out, and talk to them from wherever you are. Internal cameras let you see what’s happening inside. And shock sensors will alert you if anybody is trying to get in who shouldn’t be.

There will always be stresses when moving house, but a safe, smart and sustainable home is a happy home. Even when it’s ‘well connected’, ‘cosy’, and ‘full of potential’.