An innovative solution allows new-home buyers to move into their house with Sky Broadband and TV ready to go.

Recent research by Sky Homes has uncovered the importance of Broadband and TV to new home buyers, and with this in mind Sky Homes is partnering with developers to ensure that a seamless walk-in working proposition can be offered to new home buyers.

Shane Fay, Head of Homes, says, “Sky can work with developers to ensure new homes are enabled for Sky Broadband and TV from day one. Developers that partner with Sky will get a dedicated account manager plus technical and marketing support for their new homes development.”

Fay explains, “We’re joining up a process, whereby we bring our Sky enablement expertise and engage our Broadband wholesale partners to make sure that the infrastructure is in place, and then we work with the developer on the consumer marketing side to ensure the customer has a hassle-free option for ordering Sky Ultrafast Broadband and TV for their new home.”

The level of support and collaboration goes to engaging with the developers mechanical and electrical contractors and architects on the enablement design and supply of materials to ensure that the set-up is focused on exactly meeting the end consumer’s needs.

Mission critical

Over the course of the pandemic, with people working from home, children homeschooling, and opportunities for socialising limited, both TV and Broadband have taken on increased significance as a means to work, an outlet for escape and a conduit for entertainment and for education.

According to the results of research conducted among recent or soon-to-be purchasers of new build or existing homes, to understand their pains and needs around Broadband and TV, Sky found three key takeaways concerning what homebuyers want from Broadband and TV: to be ready from day one; a fast and easy install process; affordable prices.

With many people working from home over the past year, Broadband is critically important, says Fay: “It may be that the hybrid working model will be carrying on into the future; people cannot have that downtime waiting for a service to be connected, they really need Broadband to be set up and ready to go from move-in day.”

Broadband was found to be “mission-critical” across all of Sky’s customer groups, helping them stay connected, to work, entertainment, people they love and to their interests.

Peace of Mind

Leisure and entertainment are also key concerns to the homebuyer, and TV working on move-in day came a close second in importance when it comes to purchasing decisions. With limited opportunities for socialising outside during lockdown restrictions, many people have been consuming more television in their downtime over the past 18 months. Less commuting has meant that many people are more time-rich, gaining extra hours in their evenings. This has led to increased viewership for TV and streaming services over the past year.

“We’re not leaving the house at 6 am in the morning and getting back at 7 pm in the evening,” underlines Fay. “People have more time to themselves in the evenings, and TV is taking on heightened importance.”

With Sky Homes unique collaboration offering, new home buyers can be assured that they won’t move into a house that offers them no connection, and face a wait of weeks or months to get their Broadband connected. It also removes a piece of admin and hassle from the already-stressful process of house purchase.

“What we see from our research, and from interacting with customers and developers, is that the most valuable part is not the offer, it’s actually the peace of mind. We can remove some anxiety from the journey. For the developer, we ensure that when they’re engaging with their customer at the showhome stage or pre-sale stage, they can say with confidence that the house will be set up for Broadband and TV from the start.”