Moving home? Get your broadband sorted, stress-free
Moving house is right up there on the list of life’s most stressful moments. Between the endless bubble wrap and the mystery boxes, there’s one bit of life admin that usually gets left until the last minute: the WiFi.
In 2026, a house without internet isn’t a home – it’s just a building where your smart speaker is nothing more than a pricey paperweight. If you’re planning to work from home on Monday morning but your broadband isn’t live, that ‘new home’ feeling evaporates pretty quickly.
At giffgaff, we think moving broadband when you’re moving house should be as simple as everything else we do. No jargon, no traps, and definitely no faff. Here’s how to get connected without the moving-day meltdown.
When to set up broadband for your move
The golden rule for broadband when moving house? Don’t wait for the keys.
Ideally, you want to set up broadband for your new home at least two weeks before your move date. This gives your provider time to check the lines, send out your router, and book an engineer if needed. Leave it too late, and you’ll be tethering to your mobile for a week while you wait for an activation slot.
Your options when moving home
When you’re packing up your life, you’ve generally got three options:
Transfer your current plan
You keep your provider, but they might use the move as an excuse to lock you into a brand-new, long-term contract.
Switch to a new provider
Moving is the perfect time for a fresh start. Just watch out for those ‘introductory offers’ that hike up significantly after a few months.
Start fresh with giffgaff broadband
We’ve rewritten the rules. Whether you want a monthly rolling plan for total freedom or a 24-month fixed-term for a lower price, we treat you like a human, not a number.
How to get connected with giffgaff
We’ve designed our setup to be as faff-free as possible:
Check your postcode: Use our coverage checker to see if we can serve your new address with full fibre.
Choose your speed: From Fast (200Mbps) to Fastest (900Mbps).
Pick your date: Tell us when you’re moving, and we’ll aim to have you live on the day.
Plug and play: We’ll send you a best-in-class Amazon eero 6+ router. On your go-live day, just plug it in. We’ll even handle the ‘it’s not me, it’s you’ conversation with your old provider.
How long does broadband take to set up?
The timeline for your broadband installation in the UK depends on what’s already in the walls.
If your new home has a full fibre point: We can often get you live in just a few days.
If you need a new line: It can take up to two weeks to get an engineer out.
Don’t get caught out: common moving mistakes
To ensure a smooth broadband setup for your home move, avoid these classic blunders:
Thinking ‘I’ll do it later’: Two weeks in advance is the sweet spot. Any later and you risk the no-WiFi ‘void’.
Ignoring the ‘hidden’ contract: Check whether your move triggers a new 18-month lock-in if you stay with your old provider.
Forgetting to overlap: If you can, keep your old internet connection active for an extra day so you stay connected until the moment you leave.
Why go giffgaff when moving?
We’re a B Corp, which means we believe in fair play. When you look for fibre broadband deals in the UK, you’ll notice we do things differently:
Flexibility: Change your speed every month to suit your life.
No exit fees: Our monthly rolling plans mean you’re never trapped.
More control: With no sneaky mid-term price rises.
Get connected, the easy way
Ready to tick ‘internet’ off your checklist? It only takes a few minutes to get started. No phone calls, no hold music. Just simple, reliable, fair value broadband.