Have you just moved to a new place or are you looking forward to making the switch soon? Congratulations! Moving home is an exciting time. You’re sure to have a hundred things to think about, but if there’s one thing that should be near the top of your list, it’s getting hooked up with a good broadband deal. Here’s an important hint: the cheapest deal isn’t always the best. This handy guide will tell you why.

Get a date in the diary quickly

Even if you’ve not moved into your new pad yet, now is a good time to start looking for deals. Having a router sent out or getting your connection set up can take anything from a day to a few weeks, so it’s best to get a deal tied down as soon as possible.

The first thing to do is to find out which providers offer broadband in your area. Use your new address when comparing deals to make sure you don’t waste time researching or signing up to a company that can’t give you what you need. You might want to consider upgrading what you’re previously used to, you can see what fibre deals are best to get the fastest possible connection at your new home.

Think about your internet habits

When you’re checking out different packages you’re likely to see that lots of them mention their speed first and foremost. This makes sense, as a good speed results in faster and smoother connections. However, the amount of speed you need really depends on how you use the net.

If you only browse during the day and watch Netlfix or Now TV in the evenings, you don’t need much more than 10Mbps per person. If there are any gamers in the house, bump that up to 20Mbps or 30Mbps if you’re a fan of 4K TV. Add together the habits of everyone who’ll be living in your home and pop an extra 20 per cent on top to cover busy times – that’s all the speed you really need. Don’t be tempted by mega-fast services if you’re not going to notice the difference.

Work out if you want any extras

Most broadband packages come with a line rental as standard, but some have added bonuses like free calls or answering services. You might also want to think about a deal that comes with TV subscriptions included. Do check out special deals like cash back or vouchers too, but remember that a short term gain might not be up to much when you compare it with a bigger bill in the long run.

Once you have a firm idea of what you want, it’s a good time to cancel with your current provider (if you haven’t already). There’s a chance you’ll be passed on to a retention team to see if they can persuade you to stay. Compare their offers with the ones you’ve already researched and don’t feel any pressure to say yes.

Getting a good broadband deal sorted out for your new home probably won’t take as long as you think – and it’ll be well worth it when you’re streaming music or watching YouTube as you unpack and get settled!